Cause And Effect

Cause and Effect

The Cause and Effect diagram also called the Ð''fishbone' diagram is based on helping the user think through causes of a problem thoroughly. One of the benefits is that it drives the user to consider all possible causes of the problems, rather than just the ones that are obvious.

Professor Kaoru Ishikawa of Tokyo University who pioneered the quality management process invented it. He used it to help explain to a group of engineers at Kawasaki Steel Works how a complex set of factors could be related to help understand a problem.

Causes, in a cause and effect diagram are normally arranged based on the level of importance and how they are related. These causes, identify the areas where there may be problems, and compare the relative importance of different causes forming a hierarchy of events. There are three different types of cause and effect diagrams normally used. The basic type is the Dispersion analysis type. The other two are the Production process classification and the Cause enumeration type. The Cause and Effect diagram or fishbone diagram resemble the skeleton of a fish, with the main cause categories drawn as "bones" attached to the spine of the fish, as shown below.

The Cause and Effect process is such a flexible diagram it can be used to identify several different types of problems. One problem it could be used to analyze is the technology advancements and the effects it has on all aspects of life. Because of all the past advances in technology, the daily lives of people have become more convenient. We are now able to send a note (email) to family and friends without ever leaving the comforts of our homes. Businesses are now able to store millions of records on computer systems that are smaller than the average video recorder located in most homes. Without the comforts of technology, most companies and individuals would have no idea how they would survive. These pros and cons of technology can be easily displayed by using a cause and effect diagram.

For example, computers are a necessary part of life, but can many times do more harm than good. The United States has a major health problem beginning at a very young age. Many people are overweight, most likely due to being inactive, which is caused in part by computers and television. Kids now have so many different gadgets (computers, Xbox, TV, etc) they never have to leave