Continuous Improvement – using excellent fishbones.

continuous improvementContinuous improvement in your organisation is achieved using a range of business tools. Ishikawa diagrams were popularised in the 1960s by Kaoru Ishikawa, a pioneer of quality management processes in the Kawasaki shipyards, and who became one of the founding fathers of modern management.

The basic concept was first used in the 1920s, and is considered one of the basic tools of quality control. It is known as a fishbone diagram because of its shape, similar to the side view of a fish skeleton.

Mazda Motors famously used an Ishikawa diagram in the development of the Miata sports car, where the required result was to achieve unity of car and driver. Every factor identified in the diagram was included in the final design. The tool is also known as a Cause-and-Effect diagram.

Cause

Causes in the diagram are often given a category, such as the 5 M’s in manufacturing set out below. Cause-and-effect diagrams can reveal key relationship variables, and the possible causes can provide insight into process behaviour. Causes can be derived from brainstorming sessions and put into groups. These can then be labelled as categories of the fishbone. They can be traditional categories mentioned above, or may be something unique to the operation of your organisation. The 5 Whys technique can be used to trace back to root causes.

Typical categories are

  • The 5 Ms – often used in manufacturing
    Machine
    Method
    Material
    Man Power
    Measurement
  • The 8 Ps – often used in marketing
    Product/Service
    Price
    Place
    Promotion
    People/personnel
    Process
    Physical Evidence
    Publicity
  • The 4 Ss – often used in services
    Surroundings
    Suppliers
    Systems
    Skills

Effect

The effect is also often referred to as the problem. The idea is to identify the problem effect, and then work back to discover the reasons why it exists. Continually cycling the process will lead to specific causes being identified. These areas are then able to be improved, resulting in the elimination of the problem.

This logic can also be applied to outcomes that are not in themselves problematic, but which can be improved even further with improved processes. Does your organisation ask itself if “good” is as good as it can or should be?

We have continuous improvement experts at IiE and, to find out more about how they can work with you to cause a better effect, you can contact us here.