Fishbone Diagram template
for Root Cause Analysis

aka fishbone template, fish diagram, Ishikawa diagram, cause and effect diagram

Why use a Root Cause Analysis template?

For the same reasons that you use any software...

And when the cause and effect analysis session is over...

everyone can get right back to work

because everything is perfectly organized in your fishbone diagram, ready to email to and socialize with all team members, and to store electronically for future reference.

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Training

How to use your

Fishbone template

Make sure you chose the right template

Your first step is to choose the right Root Cause Analysis Tool.

Find and open your template

Save your working document

following the usual document storage and naming conventions established by your leaders

Open a Blank Sheet

Rename your new sheet.

Or... Insert Sheet

As an alternative to opening a stand-alone document (as instructed above), you also have the option to Insert Sheet into any other Excel workbook.

If English is not your preferred language

Switch to your language, just like every Systems2win Excel template.

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expand

Now your team is ready to start using your

Fishbone Diagram template

How to quickly expand your workspace

by simply unhiding pre-formatted rows and columns

The most important thing to know about this 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.

If you want a more thorough root cause analysis tool...

try using your Root Cause Analysis Mapping template (RootMap.xlsx)

With your Systems2win fishbone diagram template (RootCause.xlsx), 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, and still have time to join the rest of your team for lunch.

Sample root cause analysis example

Download free trial fishbone diagram template

 

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.

groups

Affinity Groups

You can easily re-label the yellow text boxes to organize your fishbone diagram branches into any Affinity Groups that are most helpful for the problem you are solving.

For example, rather than the 4 M's illustrated in the example, (Man, Machine, Materials, and Methods), you might instead choose 4 P's, 8 P's, or 4 S's that are more popular for service processes, or headings popular for FMEA's, or DOE Design of Experiments...

See the full list of popular Affinity Group headings.

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shapes

How to quickly copy shapes

Master the teachings found in:

1. The training videos: How to use Excel as a drawing tool
2. The written online training: Tips for using Microsoft Office Drawings.

Helpful Tips

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choice

Two popular ways to use your

Root Cause Fishbone template

You can either:

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.

Either way...

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 answer the question

"What were our thoughts when we last considered a similar problem?"

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brainstorm

Two popular ways to do

Brainstorming

You can either:

1. Do all of your brainstorming right on the Root Cause Analysis template (RootCause.xlsx)

   Once you know how to use Excel as a drawing tool, then the learning curve for this root cause template takes only a few minutes

   (because it is so similar to all of your other Systems2win Excel drawing tools for continuous improvement).

2. Or do your initial brainstorming using your Brainstorming template (brainstorming.docx)

   that makes it so easy to re-arrange your ideas into Affinity Groups

Either way...

• Follow the instructions for brainstorming
• Continue asking "why" until root causes are found
• When you archive your results —
  Unless there is some reason to clean it up, you can usually just archive it the messy "way it is".

  That's the beauty of human beings. They will "get the picture", and your people can quickly move on toward actually solving your root problems.

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import

Time saving bonus feature of your

Fishbone Diagram template

When you are preparing to lead a root cause analysis brainstorming session

for a mature process that already has many already-known causes...

You can optionally import already-known causes

• From your PFMEA or DFMEA
• From a Systems2win brainstorming template  (Tip: copy from Word to Excel, then import)
• From any Excel workbook

Instructions for how to Import Data to your Fishbone Template

Optional Step 1) Format the 'Import Master Textbox'

Use everything you know about how to format Excel shapes

to format the 'Import Master Textbox' with the desired fonts, colors, or patterns that you want for the boxes that will contain your imported data.

(to visually differentiate your imported data from the new ideas that your team will soon generate)

Important: Do not move, copy, or delete the Import Master Text Box. It should remain snapped to the upper left corner of the cell with the dotted border.

Tip: Even if you don't format the Import Master Textbox, you can still identify imported text boxes by viewing their Alt Text.

Step 2) Import Data

In the Systems2win menu, select 'Import Data' then browse to select the data range(s) to import

(which might be in another Excel workbook)

Tip: You can use everything you know about how to select cells in Excel, using the Shift or Control keys to select non-continguous ranges.

After selecting the data range(s) that you want to import, go back to your original Root Cause workbook, where the dialog window will still be showing, and select 'OK'.

Scroll to the right of your Fishbone workspace to find all of the newly imported text boxes, which you can now drag into your workspace - first using Snap To Grid to snap the square shapes into place, and then disabling Snap To Grid when you're ready to add your connector arrows.

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This fishbone diagram template comes with many other useful Root Cause Analysis tools and Lean Six Sigma tools

 

Download free trial