Ishikawa diagram: what it is and what it means

The Ishikawa diagram (or fishbone) is a structured brainstorming tool for collecting the possible causes of a problem into categories. The 6 classic categories (6M) are: Manpower, Methods, Materials, Machines, Measurements, Milieu/Environment. The structure forces the team to explore different categories of cause instead of converging immediately on the first plausible hypothesis.

Distinctive: structured brainstorming
Distinctive: forces the team to explore different categories of cause
Essential: collecting the possible causes of a problem into categories
Essential: 6 classic categories (6M)
Constant: Manpower, Methods, Materials, Machines, Measurements, Milieu/Environment

Glossary

Ishikawa diagram

A structured brainstorming tool that collects the possible causes of a problem into 6 categories (6M) to prevent premature convergence on a single hypothesis.