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Fishbone Diagrams
Fishbone Diagrams (first known as "Ishikawa" Diagrams, after the eminent Quality Engineer), are powerful conceptional tools. Use them to develop theories, make plans or piece together and communicate complicated ideas. The process of developing an Fishbone Diagram with a team is a potent application of "brainstorming" which frequently produces breakthrough thinking. For improvement work, use these diagrams to map out factors thought to contribute to a problem or lead to a desired outcome. Begin by drawing a large arrow pointing to the problem statement or intended result. Then arrange contributing factors around secondary arrows, leading to the main arrow. Remember that this will only show potential factors, and that actual factors can only be determined with hard data discovered through observation or experimentation.
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