fishbone-diagram

The Fishbone Diagram In A Nutshell

Business / By / July 29, 2021

The Fishbone Diagram is a diagram-based technique used in brainstorming to identify potential causes for a problem, thus it is a visual representation of cause and effect. The problem or effect serves as the head of the fish. Possible causes of the problem are listed on the individual “bones” of the fish. This encourages problem-solving teams to consider a wide range of alternatives.

Understanding the Fishbone Diagram

A Fishbone Diagram is simply a visual representation of cause and effect. The problem or effect serves as the head of the fish. Possible causes of the problem are listed on the individual “bones” of the fish and where possible, are grouped into categories on each bone.

Through the use of categories, Fishbone Diagrams encourage problem-solving teams to consider a wide range of alternative, less-obvious causes. 

Cause and effect diagrams can also:

  • Help businesses understand where or why a process is not working. 
  • Be used in product development where the product concerned is intending to solve a consumer problem.
  • Identify potential problems before they arise, such as the teething problems associated with new product launches.

For example, Mazda used the Fishbone Diagram to design their now iconic MX-5 sportscar. Engineers even used the diagram to identify that the current design of the door would not allow the driver to rest their arm on it while driving.

How to use the Fishbone Diagram

Using the Fishbone Diagram in practice is relatively simple, but the technique is nevertheless a powerful way to unearth causes to problems.

Teams of employees should follow this 5-step process:

  1. Define the problem, and then write it at the mouth of the fish. The problem itself should as clear and concise as possible. Make sure there is an agreement between all team members before proceeding.
  2. Define the categories of causes, and then write them along the bones of the skeleton of the fish. Categories will vary from industry to industry, but common categories include the environment, procedure, human resourcing, and equipment.
  3. Brainstorm potential causes. Begin with the question “Why does this happen?” and then write each response as a branch of the relevant category. 
  4. Probe further. For the answers gleaned in step 3, ask the same question once more. These “sub-causes” can be written as secondary branches and are particularly important for large or complex causes that need further investigation.
  5. When the group has run out of ideas, it’s time to investigate the causes in more detail. Look for causes that appear more than once but with slightly different wording. Employee or consumer surveys can also be used to verify the validity of particular causes.

Fishbone Diagram best practices

Creative a diverse team

Although the temptation may be to create a team who has direct experience with the problem, it’s more beneficial to include other employees too. Outside employees who do not directly deal with the problem can bring a balanced, unbiased, and objective stance.

Clarify the major cause categories

In business and marketing, the 8 Ps of product marketing is a good place to start. In other words: product, price, place, promotion, personnel, process, physical evidence, and performance.

Keep it (relatively) simple

Fishbone Diagrams with many potential causes quickly become cluttered and confusing. Consider asking each member of the team to vote for their four most probable causes. From there, choose the four categories that received the most votes and begin the process.

Key takeaways

  • The Fishbone Diagram is a root cause analysis that assists in accurately identifying the causes of an effect, event, or problem.
  • The Fishbone Diagram is a collaborative and thorough five-step process involving teams of employees.
  • To be effective, the Fishbone Diagram technique requires a diverse range of perspectives and the ability to correctly identify the most likely causes.

Other root cause analyses, frameworks, and product portfolio tools

5 Whys Method

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The 5 Whys method is an interrogative problem-solving technique that seeks to understand cause-and-effect relationships. At its core, the technique is used to identify the root cause of a problem by asking the question of why five times. This might unlock new ways to think about a problem and therefore devise a creative solution to solve it.

Ansoff Matrix

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You can use the Ansoff Matrix as a strategic framework to understand what growth strategy is more suited based on the market context. Developed by mathematician and business manager Igor Ansoff, it assumes a growth strategy can be derived by whether the market is new or existing, and the product is new or existing.

Five Product Levels

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Marketing consultant Philip Kotler developed the Five Product Levels model. He asserted that a product was not just a physical object but also something that satisfied a wide range of consumer needs. According to that Kotler identified five types of products: core product, generic product, expected product, augmented product, and potential product.

Growth-Share Matrix

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In the 1970s, Bruce D. Henderson, founder of the Boston Consulting Group, came up with The Product Portfolio (aka BCG Matrix, or Growth-share Matrix), which would look at a successful business product portfolio based on potential growth and market shares. It divided products into four main categories: cash cows, pets (dogs), question marks, and stars.

Other strategy frameworks

Ansoff Matrix

ansoff-matrix
You can use the Ansoff Matrix as a strategic framework to understand what growth strategy is more suited based on the market context. Developed by mathematician and business manager Igor Ansoff, it assumes a growth strategy can be derived by whether the market is new or existing, and the product is new or existing.

Blitzscaling Canvas

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The Blitzscaling business model canvas is a model based on the concept of Blitzscaling, which is a particular process of massive growth under uncertainty, and that prioritizes speed over efficiency and focuses on market domination to create a first-scaler advantage in a scenario of uncertainty.

Business Analysis Framework

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Business analysis is a research discipline that helps driving change within an organization by identifying the key elements and processes that drive value. Business analysis can also be used in Identifying new business opportunities or how to take advantage of existing business opportunities to grow your business in the marketplace.

Gap Analysis

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A gap analysis helps an organization assess its alignment with strategic objectives to determine whether the current execution is in line with the company’s mission and long-term vision. Gap analyses then help reach a target performance by assisting organizations to use their resources better. A good gap analysis is a powerful tool to improve execution.

Business Model Canvas

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The business model canvas is a framework proposed by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur in Busines Model Generation enabling the design of business models through nine building blocks comprising: key partners, key activities, value propositions, customer relationships, customer segments, critical resources, channels, cost structure, and revenue streams.

Lean Startup Canvas

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The lean startup canvas is an adaptation by Ash Maurya of the business model canvas by Alexander Osterwalder, which adds a layer that focuses on problems, solutions, key metrics, unfair advantage based, and a unique value proposition. Thus, starting from mastering the problem rather than the solution.

Digital Marketing Circle

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A digital channel is a marketing channel, part of a distribution strategy, helping an organization to reach its potential customers via electronic means. There are several digital marketing channels, usually divided into organic and paid channels. Some organic channels are SEO, SMO, email marketing. And some paid channels comprise SEM, SMM, and display advertising.

Blue Ocean Strategy

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A blue ocean is a strategy where the boundaries of existing markets are redefined, and new uncontested markets are created. At its core, there is value innovation, for which uncontested markets are created, where competition is made irrelevant. And the cost-value trade-off is broken. Thus, companies following a blue ocean strategy offer much more value at a lower cost for the end customers.

Balanced Scorecard

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First proposed by accounting academic Robert Kaplan, the balanced scorecard is a management system that allows an organization to focus on big-picture strategic goals. The four perspectives of the balanced scorecard include financial, customer, business process, and organizational capacity. From there, according to the balanced scorecard, it’s possible to have a holistic view of the business.

Read: Balanced Scorecard

PEST Analysis

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The PESTEL analysis is a framework that can help marketers assess whether macro-economic factors are affecting an organization. This is a critical step that helps organizations identify potential threats and weaknesses that can be used in other frameworks such as SWOT or to gain a broader and better understanding of the overall marketing environment.

Read: Pestel Analysis

Scenario Planning

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Businesses use scenario planning to make assumptions on future events and how their respective business environments may change in response to those future events. Therefore, scenario planning identifies specific uncertainties – or different realities and how they might affect future business operations. Scenario planning attempts at better strategic decision making by avoiding two pitfalls: underprediction, and overprediction.

Read: Scenario Planning

SWOT Analysis

A SWOT Analysis is a framework used for evaluating the business’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It can aid in identifying the problematic areas of your business so that you can maximize your opportunities. It will also alert you to the challenges your organization might face in the future.

Read: SWOT Analysis In A Nutshell

Growth Matrix

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In the FourWeekMBA growth matrix, you can apply growth for existing customers by tackling the same problems (gain mode). Or by tackling existing problems, for new customers (expand mode). Or by tackling new problems for existing customers (extend mode). Or perhaps by tackling whole new problems for new customers (reinvent mode).

Read: Growth Matrix In A Nutshell

Comparable Analysis Framework

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A comparable company analysis is a process that enables the identification of similar organizations to be used as a comparison to understand the business and financial performance of the target company. To find comparables you can look at two key profiles: the business and financial profile. From the comparable company analysis it is possible to understand the competitive landscape of the target organization.

Read: Comparable Analysis Framework In A Nutshell

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