Cause and Effect Diagrams are sometimes referred to as Fishbone Diagrams because they resemble the skeleton of a fish, with a head, spine, and bones. The Cause and Effect diagram is useful for exploring all the potential factors that may be causing or contributing to a particular problem (or effect).
Benefits of using the Diagram
- Serve as an effective communication tool for brainstorming, especially when you are dealing with a very complex problem.
- Visualize all the potential contributors to a problem for further investigation, analysis and corrective actions.
- Organize discussions to stay focused on the current issues.
How to Develop a Cause and Effect Diagram
- Establish the problem (or effect) which must be stated in clear in concise terms and agreed by the team members.
- Decide the major categories of causes.
- Write the major categories in boxes parallel to and with some distance from the main line. Connect them to the main line with slanting arrows.
- Brainstorm for possible causes. Add the causes to the diagram clustered around the major causes they influence.
- Evaluate and analyze the possible causes.
- Use the finding to decide what actions should be taken.
How to Develop a Cause and Effect in Visual Paradigm?
Cause and Effect Diagram is a one of the project management diagrams of Visual Paradigm. To create such a diagram:
- Select Diagram > New from the main menu.
- Select Cause and Effect Diagram and click Next.
- Enter the diagram name and click OK.
- Rename and Problem and Categories based on the problem that you are going to study.
- Progressively develop the diagram by identifying more causes.
