Which root cause analysis tool is a visual diagram that arranges potential causes into categories around a central event?

Which root cause analysis tool is a visual diagram that arranges potential causes into categories around a central event?

• A. Five Whys
• B. Fault Tree Analysis
• C. Pareto Chart
• D. Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram

Answer: (D)

Visual organization of potential causes around a central problem is the Fishbone diagram, also known as the Ishikawa diagram. It looks like a fish, with a central spine carrying the problem at the head and major categories branching off like ribs. Each branch represents a category such as people, methods, machines, materials, environment, and measurement, with smaller branches detailing specific causes within those areas. This layout helps teams brainstorm broadly and see how different areas might contribute to the issue, guiding where to collect data and investigate first. It’s more about categorizing causes visually around the central event than about asking iterative questions, mapping logic of failures, or ranking issues by frequency or impact like the other tools do.

Visual organization of potential causes around a central problem is the Fishbone diagram, also known as the Ishikawa diagram. It looks like a fish, with a central spine carrying the problem at the head and major categories branching off like ribs. Each branch represents a category such as people, methods, machines, materials, environment, and measurement, with smaller branches detailing specific causes within those areas. This layout helps teams brainstorm broadly and see how different areas might contribute to the issue, guiding where to collect data and investigate first. It’s more about categorizing causes visually around the central event than about asking iterative questions, mapping logic of failures, or ranking issues by frequency or impact like the other tools do.