CPIM Practice Exam

Which diagram is also known as the fishbone diagram?

1. Control chart

2. Cause-and-effect diagram

3. Flowchart

4. Histogram

The correct answer is: Cause-and-effect diagram

The fishbone diagram, commonly referred to as the cause-and-effect diagram, is a tool used in quality management and process improvement to identify the various potential causes of a specific problem or effect. The layout of the diagram resembles a fish skeleton, where the "head" represents the problem being analyzed and the "bones" branching off represent various categories of causes, such as people, processes, materials, or environment. This visual representation helps teams categorize and systematically analyze the causes of a problem, making it easier to identify root causes. Utilizing the cause-and-effect structure aids in brainstorming sessions and promotes a comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to an issue. Each branch can be further detailed with sub-causes, facilitating a deeper analysis. In contrast, the other options do not serve this specific purpose. Control charts monitor process variation over time, flowcharts depict the sequence of steps in a process, and histograms display frequency distributions of data. None of these diagrams are designed primarily for identifying the causes of a problem like the cause-and-effect diagram is. Thus, acknowledging the significance of the fishbone diagram as a vital analytical tool reinforces the understanding of its role in quality improvement frameworks.