ABSTRACT
The Cause and Effect diagram, also known as the "fish-bone" diagram, can be used to identify all potential causes of a given problem. The diagram represents the relationship between an effect (problem) and its potential causes. The team first "brainstorms" all possible causes, often spends time between meetings to uncover other reasons for the problem, and then constructs the diagram. Additional brainstorming sessions may be used to minimize the chance of overlooking one or more causes. Most problems have multiple causes, some of which interact with each other. Although brainstorming helps identify these causes, the cause and effect diagram displays the causes and shows the interaction that may be occurring. Often, cause and effect diagrams have four major categories—people, materials, machines, and process. The cause and effect diagram can also be used by a team to identify things that must occur if a successful solution is to be achieved.
