Ishikawa Diagram
Use when asked about an "Ishikawa diagram" for root-cause analysis — the same technique as a cause-and-effect diagram (see cause-and-effect-diagram), named after its creator Kaoru Ishikawa, also called a fishbone diagram (see fishbone-diagram).
An "Ishikawa diagram" is the same technique as a Cause and Effect Diagram — named after its creator, quality- control expert Kaoru Ishikawa. See Cause and Effect Diagram for the technique covered in full depth (the 6M cause categories, running the brainstorming process, and common pitfalls) — this entry exists because "Ishikawa diagram" is one of three common names for the identical tool, alongside "cause-and-effect diagram" and Fishbone Diagram.
Why the name varies
All three names describe the same technique: "Ishikawa diagram" names it after its creator, "cause-and-effect diagram" names it by function, and "fishbone diagram" names it by its visual fish-skeleton shape. None implies a different method or a different set of pitfalls — apply exactly the discipline Cause and Effect Diagram describes regardless of which name a team or document happens to use.
Learn more
- Cause and Effect Diagram for this technique in full depth — the three names are interchangeable.
- Fishbone Diagram for the same technique under its shape-based name.