How to create a fishbone diagram in Lucidchart
1. Determine your problem statement
The first thing you need for your fishbone diagram is a problem statement. Since fishbone diagrams are used to analyze cause-and-effect relationships, the problem statement is the final result. Depending on your industry and use case, the problem could be anything from "shipments arrive late" to "patient readmitted to the hospital."
To clarify the problem, you should include details such as where and how often the problem occurs and who is involved. The more specific you can be, the narrower your focus is as you problem-solve.
2. List categories
Next, you'll show the categories of causes for your problem statement. It might be helpful to think backward: Determine potential causes for a problem first, and then group them into categories.
The traditional categories for a fishbone diagram are the six M's:
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Machines
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Methods
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Materials
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Measurements
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Mother Nature
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Manpower
If you're not sure what to include, these categories are a great place to start. You are also free to choose your own, more specific categories that fit your diagram best. Whichever set of categories you choose, place each one at the end of an angled branch (bone) extending from the spine, and leave room beneath each category to add detailed causes.
3. Add causes
For each factor you've identified in the previous step, list possible causes. For example, if you're experiencing a bottleneck, you may have identified team members as a possible factor. In this step, you'd take it a step further and determine how team members could be affecting the issue. Maybe their training was inadequate, or their skills were insufficient. As you brainstorm, add sub-branches for increasingly specific causes so you can trace each idea back to a category and ultimately to the problem statement.
4. Review your work
After you've completed the document, it's time to review. Did you include all relevant information, and is it organized under the right categories? Invite team members to comment or collaborate for feedback and ensure the diagram is capturing multiple perspectives.
Diagramming in Lucidchart
It's easy to create a fishbone diagram in Lucidchart, an intelligent diagramming application. To get started:
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Register for a Lucidchart account.
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Once you’re in your home portal, click + New.
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Select Lucidchart, and from there, you can choose Blank document, Create from template, or Create using AI, depending on how you would prefer to build your diagram. Lucidchart offers many fishbone diagram templates, from simple to more complex, that you can customize. With Lucid AI, you can also generate a fishbone diagram from text prompts.
At this point, you will be directed to a new document, and you can start creating or iterating on your fishbone diagram.
If you have decided to create the diagram from scratch, start by designing the skeleton. Use the line tool by clicking the "L" key. A crosshair will appear and let you draw a line. Add more to create the shape you want, and then click the “T” key to add text boxes for labels.
Once you've finished perfecting your diagram, you can share or publish it online.
