National Economics University

Faculty of Business Management

GROUP EXERCISE REPORT QUALITY

MANAGEMENT
Cause-and-effect diagram

Group: 4
Member: Nguyen Tra My
Nguyen Kim Thanh
Ho Phuong Anh
Bui Thi Phuong Anh
Nguyen Ba Anh
Pham Anh Dung
Table of Contents
I. The concept and history of fishbone diagram formation................................2

1. The history......................................................................................................2

2. What is fishbone diagram?..............................................................................2

II. How to use a cause-and-effect diagram?......................................................3

1. Steps to Using a Cause and Effect Diagram...................................................3

2. Common Categories in a Fishbone Diagram..................................................4

III. Caution when designing a cause-and-effect diagram..................................5

1. When using fishbone diagrams.......................................................................5

2. When creating fishbones diagram...................................................................6

IV. Cause-and-effect diagrams in practice.........................................................6

1. Three key areas where fishbone diagrams are commonly used:.....................6

2. Applications of charts in management & marketing.......................................6

a. Problems..........................................................................................................................7
b. Cause................................................................................................................................7
c. Read the diagram.............................................................................................................7

V. Advantages and Disadvantages of cause and effect method...........................7

VI. The demo application of fishbone diagram in reality...................................8

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 I. The concept and history of fishbone diagram formation
https://vietnambiz.vn/bieu-do-xuong-ca-fishbone-diagram-la-gi-muc-dich-su-dung- and ( P252,253 Managing
Quality Intergrating the Supply chain by S. Thomas Foster book) 

1. The history
Ishikawa diagrams were proposed by Kaoru Ishikawa in the 1960s, who pioneered quality
management processes in the Kawasaki shipyards, and in the process became one of the
founding fathers of modern management.

It was first used in the 1960s, and is considered one of the seven basic tools of quality control.
It is known as a fishbone diagram because of its shape, similar to the side view of a fish skeleton.

2. What is fishbone diagram?

A fishbone diagram is a type of diagram designed to identify cause-and-effect relationships.
 
  This is done by guiding the user through a series of steps in a systematic way to identify the
actual or potential causes that might produce an effect (which could be a problem or an
opportunity for improvement).
 
  The reason it is called a fishbone diagram is because of its shape like a fishbone, with the
problem being the head of the fish, major causes being the “ribs” of the fish, and subcauses
forming smaller “bones” off the ribs.
 

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II. How to use a cause-and-effect diagram? 
Use the fishbone diagram to identify the causes, factors, or sources of variation that lead to a
specific event, result, or defect in a process. Also, use the fishbone tool along with brainstorming
and the 5 Whys as a way to dig deeper. 

In a fishbone diagram, the various causes are grouped into categories, and the arrows in the
image below indicate how the causes flow toward the end effect.

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 1. Steps to Using a Cause and Effect Diagram
( P252, 253 Managing Quality Integrating the Supply Chain by S.Thomas Foster book )

Often workers spend too much time focusing improvement efforts on the symptoms of
problems rather than on the causes. The Ishikawa cause-and-effect, or fishbone, or Ishikawa
diagram, is an excellent tool to help us move to lower levels of abstraction in solving problems.
The diagram looks like the skeleton of a fish, with the problem being the head of the fish, the
major causes being the “ribs” of the fish, and subclauses forming smaller “bones” of the ribs. A
facilitator or designated team member draws the diagram after questioning why certain situations
occur. It has been said that for each circumstance, the facilitator should ask “Why?” up to five
times. This is sometimes referred to as the “five whys.” Fishbone (cause-and-effect) diagrams
are created during brainstorming sessions with a facilitator by following these steps:

 Step 1: Identify the problem clearly in the head of the fish.

 Step 2: Draw the backbone and ribs. Ask the participants in the brainstorming session to
identify the major causes of the problem labeled in the head of the diagram. If
participants have trouble identifying major problem categories, it may be helpful to use
materials, machines, people, and methods as possible starting points.
 Step 3: Continue to fill out the fishbone diagram, asking “Why?” about each problem or
cause of a problem until the fish is filled out. Usually, it takes no more than five levels of
questioning to get to the root causes—hence the “five whys.”

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  Step 4: View the diagram and identify the core causes.
 Step 5: Set goals to address the core causes. 

 
2. Common Categories in a Fishbone Diagram
https://www.tnpatientsafety.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/How-to-Use-Cause-and-Effect-Diagram.pdf

The M's The P's (Service The S's (Service

Industry) Industry)

Machine (Equipment) Plant/Place Surroundings

Method (Process) Process Supplies
Man Power (People / Physical People Systems
labor) Policies Skills
Material Procedures
Mother Nature (Environment) Price
Management (Policies) Promotion
Measurement (Inspection) Product
Maintenance
Marketing (Promotion)

Cause-and-effect diagrams are often used very loosely in brainstorming, meaning that
sometimes the branches (which are said to be primary and secondary causes in the fishbone
diagram) can actually represent subcategories that are more causes than causality.

When the primary and secondary branches of a cause-and-effect diagram are used to express
causality, they take on particular meanings:

 A Primary Cause could lead directly to the effect. For example, a light bulb that burns out
prematurely (the effect) might be caused by a sudden jarring motion such as dropping,
which might be listed under the category People if it was associated with handling by a
person (as opposed to machine handling)

 A Secondary Cause is a cause that could lead to a Primary Cause but does not directly
cause the end effect. For example, the cause of slippery hands doesn't make the bulb burn
out, but it could lead to the light bulb being dropped. So greasy hands would be listed as a
secondary cause of under-dropping. 

 When a fishbone diagram is used to simply categorize alternative causes, "dropping" is

not a principal reason. It may be listed under the sub-category "Improper Handling" with
"dropping" and "throwing" as different causes that belong under that sub-category. The
sub-categories are highlighted in the following example.

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Effect: Light Bulb Burning Out Prematurely

Causality Approach Categorization Approach Combination

People  People  People 

> Dropping  > Improper Handling  > Improper Handling 
> > Slippery Hands  > > Dropping > > Dropping 
> > Rolling off a Table  > > Throwing > > > Slippery Hands 
> Throwing > > > Rolling off a Table 
> > Throwing
 

III. Caution when designing a cause-and-effect diagram

https://viblo.asia/p/so-luoc-ve-bieu-do-xuong-ca-va-su-dung-bieu-do-xuong-ca-trong-quan-ly-chat-luong-du-an-
test-57rVRqpOv4bP

1. When using fishbone diagrams

 Fishbone diagram is the relationship between cause and effect, each branch bone should
have about 3-4 subbones. The detailed fishbone diagram helps the analysis team have a
more comprehensive view and easily find the root cause.
 Characteristic of this type of chart is a comprehensive system and classification of the
potential causes of the problem, not a method of eliminating it.
 When determining the importance of influencing factors, it must be based on evidence
and objective data, ensuring logic, avoiding listing causes based on subjective feelings.
 Once the underlying cause of the problem has been identified, the analysis team still
needs objective data to clearly see the relationship, helping to provide accurate and timely
solutions.

2. When creating fishbones diagram

Making an effective fishbone diagram is not an easy task, it can be said that those who succeed
in solving quality control problems are the ones who succeed in creating a multiplication chart.

 It requires the participation and communication of everyone involved in the issue. Issues
need to be considered, analyzed as well as exchanged opinions and given the right
opinions and decisions
 Need to find out the full cause of things as well as always look at the problem as a whole
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  The person who makes the chart needs to listen , absorb the opinions of those who are
related to the problem, and summarize those opinions.
 After building the chart, you should review it with the people involved in the problem
again to add and correct if there are errors. In addition, you can receive opinions from
people who have knowledge about your problem.

IV. Cause-and-effect diagrams in practice

1. Three key areas where fishbone diagrams are commonly used:

 Manufacturing a product.
This usually includes analyzing the 6 (or 8) M-factors involved in most production processes
(Machinery, Method, Materials, Measurement, Mother Nature, Manpower, Management, and
Maintenance).
 Providing a service
This may include examining the 4 S-factors involved in many service delivery procedures
(Surroundings, Suppliers, Skills, Systems).

 Marketing a product or service

This may include exploring the 8 P-factors involved in many product or service marketing
systems (Price, People, Place, Product, Packaging, Procedures/Processes, Policies, Promotion).
No matter the source of your predicament, creating a cause and effect diagram template will
help you and your team drill down and sort out the changes required to put it right.
 
2. Applications of charts in management & marketing

If you've read this far, you've done a bit of research on fishbone diagram theory. Now, we
would like to share the practical application of this chart in a real-life example of a marketing
case study.
 
a. Problems 
Facebook ad revenue in October decreased Key factors
 Staff
 Procedure
 Advertising budget
 Channel coordination
  
b. Cause
The causes are delegated from the primary factor. Here is a reference image of a fishbone chart
to solve the problem: October's Facebook ad revenue decreased.

c. Read the diagram

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  This is just a simple fishbone diagram illustrating the case study: Facebook ad revenue in
October decreased. 
 In fact, depending on the characteristics of each business, the chart has its own change
 The herringbone can become more branched with multiple primary/secondary causes.
 Corresponding to each cause, the manager needs to come up with a solution to overcome
the situation. Thus, the problem will be solved from the root.
 Fishbone charting tool
 To draw this chart, we have many ways. If using software, you can view templates on
Canva, Powerpoint, or specialized software such as Mind Map. 
 You can also design your own chart to your liking. As long as the chart is clear and helps
you deal with the cause of the problem in the best way.

V. Advantages and Disadvantages of cause and effect method.

https://balancedscorecard.org / https://www.ionos.com

Advantages
 Encourages creativity when searching
for the causes of a problem
 Helps recognize the cause-and-effect
relationship between problems and
processes.
 Categorizes possible causes
 Collaboration with others opens up new
perspectives
 Encourages members to contribute ideas
 Simplifies the issues
 Increased depth in the problem-solving
process is made possible by sub-levels.
 It supports setting priorities for
important factors so that core problem
are dealt with first.
Disadvantages
 For the diagram to be useful, it needs to
be simple and disciplined.
 The brainstorming process might
provide both relevant and irrelevant
potential causes, wasting time and
confusing participants.
 Complex correlations cannot be
illustrated in the fishbone diagram
 Does not provide solutions, but only
illustrates the causes

VI. The demo application of fishbone diagram in reality

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