TEMPLATE
Fishbone diagram:
PowerPoint template
Download the template
Use this template to collect possible causes by 6M as a team and test each one until a cause is confirmed.
Every cause gets an ID and a status: confirmed, rejected or open. You dig into the important ones on the 5 Why slide.
What is in the template:
Blank fishbone diagram with the categories man, machine, material, method, measurement and mother nature
Shapes and text boxes you can move, copy and label
Filled-in example from a fictional plant
5 Why slide to copy for each main cause, with countermeasure and effectiveness check
Quick instructions in four steps
PowerPoint file to edit and print
Who it is for
Who the fishbone diagram template is for
The template is for teams from production, quality and maintenance who want to collect possible causes of a problem together. It suits workshops after a complaint, a downtime or when a process varies.
How to work with the fishbone diagram template
- 1
Write the effect in the head
Describe the problem as precisely as possible, with location, period and extent.
- 2
Collect causes by 6M
Assign each idea to a category: man, machine, material, method, measurement or mother nature.
- 3
Test every cause
Give each cause the status confirmed, rejected or open and dig into the confirmed ones on the 5 Why slide.
What matters in a fishbone diagram
The diagram collects assumptions
Every bone starts as a possible cause. Only testing it on the process shows which one actually has an effect.
The 6M are a thinking aid
The categories keep the team from thinking only about the machine. If a category does not fit your process, leave it out.
Fishbone and 5 Why complement each other
The diagram shows the breadth of possible causes, 5 Why goes deep on a confirmed one.
Further reading
Download the fishbone diagram template
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