What is a Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram?
A Fishbone diagram — also called an Ishikawa or cause-and-effect diagram — places the problem at the head and groups possible causes along bones by category. It helps a team see the full range of contributors before deciding what to investigate.
When to use it
Use it after a breakdown, quality defect, safety incident or recurring loss, once the problem is defined factually. It works best in a short team session with people who know the process, equipment and conditions.
The standard categories
This generator uses People, Process, Equipment, Material, Environment and Measurement — the common 6M-style grouping for industrial work. Categories are sorting aids, not verdicts.
How it fits into root cause analysis
Every entry is a possible cause until evidence supports it. The next step is to test likely causes with 5 Why analysis, confirm root causes and assign actions. Read the Fishbone diagram guide or the root cause analysis basics for more.
Start with one RCA. Add more when you need them.