Cause-Effect Diagram

The Quality Toolbook > Cause-Effect Diagram

When to use it | How to understand it | Example | How to do it | Practical variations

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The Cause-Effect Diagram is used to identify and structure the causes of a given effect.

• When to use it: Situations when it is useful.
• How to understand it : Details of how it works.
• Examples : Some examples of usage.
• How to do it : Step-by-step instructions on using it.
• Practical variations : Variants and variation.

Notes

The Cause-Effect Diagram is one of the first seven tools. It is also called a Fishbone Diagram, because of its shape, or an Ishikawa Chart, after its originator, Kaoru Ishikawa, who first used it in 1943.