What is cause and effect analysis? An assessment tool known as cause and effect analysis—also known as a "cause and effect diagram"—combines methods of mind mapping and brainstorming to investigate the potential causes of a problem.Get a free online course with certificate.

 

What is cause and effect analysis?

 An assessment tool known as cause and effect analysis—also known as a "cause and effect diagram"—combines methods of mind mapping and brainstorming to investigate the potential causes of a problem. It was developed by Kaoru Ishikawa, a quality management pioneer in the 1960s and originally used as a quality control tool.

 While cause and effect analysis is not exclusive to any industry, many professionals in management and business use this analysis method.  They identify problems in the workplace or a project and investigate possible causes through brainstorming sessions and visual aids.

 The steps taken to accomplish cause and effect analysis depend on the method used.  Professionals perform cause and effect analysis in a variety of ways including the most common methods of fishbone analysis and why tree analysis.

 Benefits of cause and effect analysis 

 Cause and effect analysis is a valuable tool that expands your ability to analyze and fix problems within your professional life. 

 Some benefits of using cause and effect analysis include:

 Simplifying a problem

 When dealing with a complex problem, it's sometimes difficult to know where to start.  Performing cause and effect analysis allows you to refine one large problem until it is a series of smaller concerns.  This can make it easier to address the elements in need of correction and begin working toward improved performance.

 Focusing your approach

 Using cause and effect analysis helps you provide focus when working towards solutions.  By addressing an issue as a series of smaller concerns, you can assign staff to different elements of an improvement plan that allows them to specialize and perform fixes at a higher level than if they were trying to solve the entire issue at once.

 Visually representing problems

 Using the fishbone style of cause and effect analysis yields a visual representation of the issue you assess.  This is valuable when assigning staff to the problem as well as in identifying areas of greater or lesser concern based on either the number of branches contributing to a single issue or the number of smaller sections affected by a larger issue.

 Solving root problems

 With a cause and effect analysis, you focus on an issue until you reach the core problems that start other issues in your process.  This allows you to repair issues at the source and reduce the total work to make adjustments.

 Improving structural elements

 A great way to lay the groundwork for future work is to identify and address core issues with your procedures. Identifying and updating areas for concern with wide-ranging effects stabilizes operations and provides a more secure opportunity when starting new policies and protocols as well.

 Encouraging discussion

 A cause and effect analysis meeting lets you engage with your staff and seek their opinions on issues with the company.  Other employees may provide a perspective that allows you to find a new answer in a why tree or additional spires for a fishbone analysis.  This helps you to find the best solution more often and keeps staff engaged by showing their opinions matter.

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