![]() ![]() By using all 6 Ms for your analysis, you will cover the range of the most likely sources of why something in the process is not working as it should. The root cause of a process problem may be due to a combination of factors. The 6 Ms are the most commonly used terms in the context of doing root cause analysis with a Fishbone or Ishikawa diagram. To properly use a Fishbone Diagram and do root cause analysis, you will want to understand what they mean and how to drill down under each of the Ms. ![]() The 6Ms are the most common format for doing root cause analysis. Why are the 6 Ms important to understand? By drilling down under each of the Ms, you will increase your probability of finding the true root cause. One of the critical steps in doing root cause analysis is to continue to ask the question “what causes that?” This drilling down is what gets you to the real root cause. The use of the 6Ms give you a basis for reining in that discussion and staying on task. Gives focusĭuring a root cause analysis, you may find yourself diverting to topics and discussions that are not relevant to the problem at hand. The 6Ms provides the format and context for what you want to focus on in your brainstorming. One of the first steps you do when creating a Fishbone Diagram is brainstorming. The simplicity of your use of the 6Ms to search for root causes makes this a very beneficial approach for a number of reasons. Regardless of the words used to describe the process elements, the methodology and approach to searching for root causes remains the same. Since Machinery and Material may not be as applicable to a non manufacturing process, you might see the use of People, Policies, Processes, Training, and Communication as the primary bones of the Fishbone Diagram. While you will frequently use the Fishbone diagram in a manufacturing environment, the concept of root cause analysis can apply to non-manufacturing and transactional processes as well. In the 8Ms version you might see Management and Maintenance added to the list of 6Ms. In Marketing, the 6Ms may be defined as: Market, Message, Media, Money, Manage, and Measurement. You will also see the use of the 5Ms where Mother Nature is dropped from the list. Despite the variation in terms and the possible confusion, you can see that the concepts and elements are consistent. Or you might see the 5Ms and one P where the Machinery and Mother Nature are kept, but Manpower becomes People. While the 6Ms might be a great mnemonic to remember the process elements, today you will often see the 6Ms represented as 3Ms, 2Es, and 1P, which are described as: Method, Equipment, Material, People, Measurement, and Environment. In some versions of the 6Ms, you will see the word “Milieu” used instead of Mother Nature. Mother Nature: Environmental conditions both controllable or random that you have both internal and external to your process.Measurement: Data, KPIs, inspection results and any other measures that you take of the process inputs, transformation process, and process outputs.Material: The raw materials, consumables, or assemblies that you need to produce the output or deliver the service.Machinery: Machines and tools that you need to produce an output or deliver a service. ![]() Method: The process steps you need to produce an output or deliver a service.The standard format for these diagrams is:Īlthough you will see the 6Ms in different sequences, the definition of the Ms will be the same. The format in which you use it will usually be the cause and effect diagram, also known as the Fishbone Diagram or Ishikawa Diagram. It’s flexible enough that you can use it in any functional area across myriad applications. The 6Ms are usually used in the context of looking for and finding the possible root cause of your process variation or problems. The 6Ms and other similar variations are a tool you can use to categorize your process inputs. In this article, we will define the 6Ms, present a number of variations on this approach, describe the benefits of using the 6M approach, and provide a few hints on how you can successfully use this tool. The 6Ms are the possible process inputs that you might evaluate and assess in the hopes that, by addressing one or more of them, you will be able to improve your process. The 6Ms is a tool that helps you search for the root causes of a problem. ![]()
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