What is Fishbone Diagram?

A Fishbone Diagram, also known as an Ishikawa diagram or cause-and-effect diagram, is a visualization tool for categorizing the potential causes of a problem in order to identify its root causes. It is commonly used in quality control and problem-solving to brainstorm and organize possible factors that contribute to a specific effect or problem. The diagram resembles a fish skeleton, with the 'head' representing the problem and the 'bones' representing major categories of potential causes. Common categories include manpower, methods, machines, materials, measurement, and environment, though these can be customized to fit the specific situation.