Fishbone diagram

The Fishbone diagram is named for its resemblance to a fishbone with the investigated problem being in the place of the head and the identified root causes coming out of the spine (see picture). It is also called an Ishikawa diagram after its creator Kaoru Ishikawa or a Cause-and-Effect diagram. Identifying the root causes of a problem makes it a valuable tool in Risk Management, as it can help the team figuring out how best to handle this with ARTA.

This article will focus on the fishbone diagram. It will consider how the diagram is appropriately used in Risk Management as well as its purpose ans limitations. It will also touch upon tools that can be used in conjunction with the diagram to strengthen a project's management of risks. The article will be based on previous literature on the subject.