Fishbone Diagram Excel fishbone template for Root Cause Analysis Sometimes called a fish diagram, Ishikawa diagram, or cause and effect diagram, the Root Cause Template is a powerful tool to identify the root causes underlying a problem. At some time or another, every team needs to "put their heads together". In the past, this has involved walls plastered with sticky notes, and someone staying long after the meeting to transcribe the group's decisions and insights.
Fishbone diagram template	The root cause template makes it easy to: Quickly record people's ideas as fast as they can generate them - with "handwriting" that everyone can read! Keep asking "why?" until you begin to arrive at the root causes for your problem - so that you can "dig out the roots" instead of "hacking at the leaves". (This method is also known as "5 whys", because if you ask "why?" 5 times, you are likely to arrive at root causes) Easily re-arrange ideas into logical groups - spawning even better ideas.
And when the cause and effect analysis session is over, everyone (including the leader) can get right back to work - because everything is perfectly organized in your fish bone diagram, ready to email to all team members, and to store electronically for future reference. Fast and easy to use Root Cause Analysis template The most important thing to know about the Systems2win fishbone template is that it is FAST to use. In the heat of a group brainstorming session, there is no time for complex or temperamental root cause analysis software. With the Systems2win fishbone cause and effect diagram, you can quickly copy similar cells, quickly drag n drop, quickly move things around, quickly resize boxes - to quickly whip up a professional-looking completed fishbone diagram.

Quickly expand your fishbone diagram workspace

by simply unhiding pre-formatted rows and columns.

Notice that you can easily connect multiple arrows in multiple directions to depict causes that have multiple effects and effects that have multiple causes. (Because that's the way the real world works... right? Things are rarely as linear and rigid as the thinking of most computer programmers. Remember, this is "just Excel", and therefore has all of the flexibility and customization possibilities of any Excel worksheet.)

There are two popular ways to use the Root Cause Analysis template:

1) Use a projector, and make the changes where everyone can see them.

2) Use sticky notes on the wall - while an assistant transcribes the results into a more legible version that can then be used for easier editing and Affinity Grouping, and can be electronically archived and emailed to participants after the meeting.

You can even import data into text boxes on your fishbone template...

• From a Systems2win FMEA worksheet
• From a Systems2win brainstorming worksheet (Tip: copy from Word to Excel, then import)
• From any Excel worksheet containing any data that you want to quickly import into root cause text boxes

Months or years from now - when a similar problem arises, it's easy for your team leaders to retrieve your electronically stored fishbone diagram and pick up where you left off. Easily answering the question, "what were our thoughts when we last considered a similar problem?"

If a user is already familiar with how to use Excel as a drawing tool, then the learning curve for a new user of this root cause template takes only a few minutes (because it is so similar to all of the other Systems2win Excel drawing tools for continuous improvement).

 

"A relentless barrage of 'why’s' is the best way to prepare your mind to pierce the clouded veil of thinking caused by the status quo. Use it often." ~ Shigeo Shingo

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	This Root Cause template comes bundled with the rest of the Lean Six Sigma tools all of which are non-statistical tools designed to supplement (not replace) your favorite Six Sigma statistical software
	See our free online training: Brainstorming & Root Cause Analysis training