Categories & causes
Enter new cause · Tab make it a sub-cause · ⇧Tab outdentEdit directly — the builder and preview stay in sync. Indentation defines the bones.
Running a fishbone session
- State the problem as a specific, measurable effect — "Checkout errors up 30% since May", not "Checkout is bad".
- Pick categories. Start from a template (6M for manufacturing, 8P for services, 4S for hospitality) and rename to fit.
- Brainstorm causes under each category. Quantity first; don't debate yet.
- Ask "Why?" repeatedly. Use Why? on a cause to add a deeper sub-cause. Around five levels usually reaches a root cause.
- Circle the likely roots and verify them with data before taking corrective action.
The 6Ms
- Man
- People: training, skills, fatigue, communication
- Machine
- Equipment: maintenance, settings, wear, capacity
- Material
- Inputs: quality, specs, variation, suppliers
- Method
- Process: SOPs, sequence, complexity
- Measurement
- Inspection: calibration, tools, data recording
- Mother Nature
- Environment: temperature, humidity, lighting, layout
Diagrams use Mermaid's ishikawa-beta syntax (v11.12.3+). Paste the code into any Mermaid-aware tool — GitHub, GitLab, Notion, Obsidian — once it supports that version.