Fishbone Diagram

Someone once said that nothing exists that cannot be improved. That statement has special relevancy when analyzing business practices to identify and remove problems. One way to accomplish this is by using the fish-bone technique.

The technique requires assuming that you can analyze a major business problem by looking at four criterion: manpower, methods, material, and machines—the four Ms. For each criterion, identify problems associated with it. Then, determine what contributes to the major problem and develop the appropriate solution.