Ishikawa diagram | |
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One of the Seven Basic Tools of Quality | |
First described by | Kaoru Ishikawa |
Purpose | To break down (in successive layers of detail) root causes that potentially contribute to a particular effect |
Ishikawa diagrams (also called fishbone diagrams,[1] herringbone diagrams, cause-and-effect diagrams) are causal diagrams created by Kaoru Ishikawa that show the potential causes of a specific event.[2]
Common uses of the Ishikawa diagram are product design and quality defect prevention to identify potential factors causing an overall effect. Each cause or reason for imperfection is a source of variation. Causes are usually grouped into major categories to identify and classify these sources of variation.