Fishbone, SWOT Analysis and 5 Whys
In 1945, he presented the first iteration of this diagram, and since then it has become one of the main tools of quality control. The diagram gets its name from its shape, reminiscent of the skeleton of a fish, with the head representing the problem and the bones representing the various causes.
The Ishikawa diagram consists of several elements:
Fish head: represents the main problem or effect to be analyzed.
Fish bones: the main categories of causes that may contribute to the problem.
Ribs: more detailed sub-causes that fall within the main categories.
The main categories are often selected depending on the specifics of the process being analyzed and may include:
5M (used in production):
Staff
Cars
Materials
Methods
Measurements
4S (used in the service industry):
7P (used in marketing):
The process of creating a diagram starts with a clear statement of the problem, followed by a brainstorming session to identify all possible causes, which are grouped into appropriate categories. Each cause is then further analyzed to identify the root causes.
Example of use
In one case, a company faced the problem of constant delays in releasing product updates. Using the Ishikawa diagram, the project team identified the following categories of causes: people (lack of qualified developers), methods (ineffective project management processes), machines (insufficient server performance for testing), materials (insufficient documentation), and measurements (no clear metrics for tracking progress).
After a detailed analysis of each category, it was found that the main problems were insufficient training of new employees and the lack of automated tests, which led to lengthy manual checks. With the help of training programs and automated testing, it was possible to significantly reduce the time for releasing updates.
Method 5 Whys
The 5 Why method was developed by Toyota Motor Corporation and became the basis of their quality management system. The method involves repeatedly asking the question “Why?” for each cause of the problem in order to get to the root of it.
The 5 Whys method is based on the following principles:
Iterativeness: Repeatedly asking the question “Why?” helps to gain a deeper understanding of the problem.
Focus on the process: Answers should point to a failure or deficiency in the process, rather than superficial reasons such as lack of time or resources.
Simplicity: the method is easy to use and does not require complex tools or special knowledge.
Step by step usage:
Identify the problem: the problem is clearly stated. For example, “The application often crashes on startup.”
Form a team: a team is assembled, including specialists who are directly involved in the problem.
Ask the first question “Why?”: it all starts with the most obvious cause of the problem.”Why does the app crash on startup?” – “Because there is a bug in the code.“
Repeat the question “Why?”: the question “Why?” is asked for each answer.
Why is there a bug in the code? – “Because there wasn't enough testing.”
Why wasn't enough testing done? – “Because the development time was too tight.”
Why was the development timeline too tight? – “Because the project was poorly planned.”
Why was the project poorly planned? – “Because there was no consideration of risks and buffer time.”
Determine the root cause: usually after the fifth question the root cause of the problem is revealed.
Develop a solution: then measures are developed and implemented to eliminate the root cause.
Examples of using
Problem 1: The application crashes on startup.
Why does the app crash on startup? – There is an error in the code.
Why is there a bug in the code? – Insufficient testing.
Why insufficient testing? – Tight development deadlines.
Why was the development timeline compressed? – Poor project planning.
Why was the project poorly planned? – Lack of consideration of risks and buffer time.
Solution: Improve planning processes to include risk assessment and buffer time for testing.
Problem 2: Decrease in website traffic.
Why has the site traffic decreased? – The bounce rate has increased.
Why has the bounce rate increased? – Visitors find the content irrelevant.
Why is the content irrelevant? – The content does not meet the current needs of the audience.
Why is the content not relevant to the audience's needs? – Lack of recent market research.
Why was there no market research? – Lack of resources and time on the part of the marketing team.
Solution: Dedicate resources to regular market research to ensure content is relevant to audience needs.
SWOT analysis
SWOT analysis helps organizations identify their strengths and weaknesses, as well as opportunities and threats related to their external environment.
The main components of SWOT analysis:
Strengths :
These are the internal positive characteristics of a company that provide it with a competitive advantage.
Include: unique resources, strong aspects of products or services, qualified personnel, positive reputation and a loyal customer base.
Examples of questions: Which processes are working effectively? Which assets are the most valuable? TOWhat competitive advantages do we have?
Weak sides:
Internal negative aspects that may hinder the achievement of goals.
Includes: lack of resources, inefficient processes, weaknesses in products or services, personnel problems.
Examples of questions: What can be improved? What resources are we lacking?
Possibilities:
External factors that can contribute to achieving success.
Includes: new market trends, changes in legislation, technological innovations, market expansion.
Examples of questions: What market trends can drive our growth?
Threats:
External factors that may negatively affect the company.
Include: increasing competition, changes in legislation, economic instability, technological risks.
Examples of questions: What threats may arise in the market?
Example of use
Optimization of internal processes in an IT company
Strengths: highly qualified employees, innovative development processes, flexibility in project management.
Weak sides: lack of coordination between departments, time management problems, high infrastructure costs.
Possibilities: implementation of new technologies for process automation, improving employee qualifications, improving internal communications.
Threats: technological failures, changes in market conditions, possible problems with suppliers.
You can learn more about ways to detect and eliminate problems in a company at Otus course “BI-analytics”. Come to the open lessons of the course:
