# Fishbone (Ishikawa) Cause and Effect Worksheet

> Source: https://netray.co/tools/fishbone-cause-and-effect-worksheet
> Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems.
> Section: Free Tools

## Short answer

Tabular fishbone: capture causes by 6M category, add evidence and team votes, rank them and export to Excel.

## Category

quality

## Industry

Manufacturing

## Audience

- Quality engineer
- Six Sigma Green Belt
- Production supervisor
- Maintenance engineer

## Tool

**Kind:** worksheet

**Mode:** editable

**Columns:**

#### Category (6M)

**Key:** category

**Type:** select

**Options:**

- Man
- Machine
- Method
- Material
- Measurement
- Environment

#### Possible cause

**Key:** cause

**Type:** text

#### Sub-cause (why)

**Key:** subcause

**Type:** text

#### Evidence / how to verify

**Key:** evidence

**Type:** text

#### Team votes

**Key:** votes

**Type:** number

#### Status

**Key:** status

**Type:** select

**Options:**

- Open
- Verified cause
- Ruled out

#### Owner

**Key:** owner

**Type:** text

**Rows:**

#### Spindle runout

**Category:** Machine

**Subcause:** Worn tool holder taper

**Evidence:** Dial indicator check at spindle

**Votes:** 5

**Status:** Open

**Owner:** Maintenance

#### Offset not updated after tool change

**Category:** Method

**Subcause:** No step in setup sheet

**Evidence:** Review last 10 setup sheets

**Votes:** 4

**Status:** Open

**Owner:** Process eng.

#### Bar stock hardness varies

**Category:** Material

**Subcause:** Two heat lots mixed

**Evidence:** Compare mill certs by lot

**Votes:** 3

**Status:** Open

**Owner:** Receiving

#### Bore gauge not zeroed

**Category:** Measurement

**Subcause:** No daily master check

**Evidence:** Gage R&R and master check log

**Votes:** 3

**Status:** Open

**Owner:** Quality

#### New operator on shift 2

**Category:** Man

**Subcause:** Training sign-off incomplete

**Evidence:** Check training matrix

**Votes:** 2

**Status:** Ruled out

**Owner:** Supervisor

#### Shop temperature swing

**Category:** Environment

**Subcause:** Door open at dock

**Evidence:** Data logger over 5 days

**Votes:** 1

**Status:** Open

**Owner:** Facilities

**Totals:**

#### Total votes

**Key:** votes

**Agg:** sum

**Format:** integer

#### Causes listed

**Key:** cause

**Agg:** count

**Format:** integer

**Notes:** Write the problem statement (the effect) in the sheet title when you export. Vote with dots, then verify the top-voted causes with data before you act.

## Content

**Intro:** A fishbone diagram sorts possible causes of one problem into categories so the team brainstorms widely before it narrows. This worksheet keeps the same logic in a table you can sort, vote on and export to Excel.

**Sections:**

#### How to use the worksheet

**Body:** State one specific problem, such as 'bore diameter out of tolerance on 7% of parts'. Add rows by category, one cause per row, with the underlying 'why' in the sub-cause column. After the brainstorm, give each team member three to five votes and enter the totals. The evidence column is the most important: for each top cause, write the data or check that will confirm or rule it out. Update the status as you verify. Delete rows only after ruling them out so the record stays honest.

**Bullets:**

- One problem statement per worksheet
- One cause per row, with a why beneath it
- Vote first, verify second
- Mark causes as ruled out rather than deleting them

#### The 6M categories

**Body:** Man covers skill, training and fatigue. Machine covers equipment condition, tooling and maintenance. Method covers procedures, setups and work instructions. Material covers raw material, components and supplier variation. Measurement covers gauges, calibration and sampling. Environment covers temperature, humidity, cleanliness and layout. Service and office processes often swap these for the 4P or 8P sets. Pick the set that fits and keep it consistent across projects so comparisons make sense.

#### Common mistakes

**Body:** Teams often stop at the first plausible cause and never verify it. Another mistake is mixing symptoms with causes, such as writing 'scrap' as a cause of scrap. Brainstorming with only supervisors misses operator knowledge. Finally, a fishbone lists possibilities, not conclusions. Move the top-voted causes into a Pareto, a designed test, or a Gage R&R when measurement is suspect, and document the confirmed cause in the A3 or 8D.

**Cta:** If you want defect history from your ERP attached to each candidate cause, Netray can help connect the data.

**Faq:**

#### What is a fishbone diagram used for?

**Answer:** It is a brainstorming and organizing tool for root cause analysis. The problem sits at the head and possible causes branch off by category. It prevents the team from fixating on one cause and shows gaps in coverage.

#### Fishbone or 5 Whys?

**Answer:** Use a fishbone to explore many possible causes, then use 5 Whys to drill into each likely branch. They complement each other. The sub-cause column in this worksheet is where you record the why chain.

#### How many votes should each person get?

**Answer:** Three to five dots per person is common, and teams usually vote on the sub-causes they believe are most likely. Voting is a way to prioritize what to verify first, not proof that a cause is real.

#### Can I use it outside manufacturing?

**Answer:** Yes. Change the categories to fit, for example people, process, policy and platform for service work. The worksheet column is a select list, so export and rename if your categories differ.

## Search terms

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