What is the primary focus of a Fishbone Diagram?

The primary focus of a Fishbone Diagram, also known as an Ishikawa or cause-and-effect diagram, is to identify potential causes for a specific effect. This tool is particularly useful in root cause analysis, as it visually organizes the different factors that can contribute to a given problem or outcome.

By breaking down the causes into categories, typically such as people, processes, materials, environment, and equipment, the Fishbone Diagram allows teams to systematically consider all possible reasons for an issue. This thorough analysis helps in diagnosing the root causes rather than just addressing the symptoms of a problem, fostering deeper understanding and more effective solutions.

This approach contrasts with other options like identifying market trends or mapping processes, which do not primarily aim at understanding the causes of a problem. Record-keeping of project milestones serves a different purpose related to project management tracking and does not involve analysis of cause and effect. Each of these aspects lacks the focus on causal relationships that is central to the function of a Fishbone Diagram.