Use A Mind Map To Collect Your Thoughts
Have a presentation to make, a speech to give, or a report to prepare; you may want to start by using a mind map to collect your thoughts. Mind mapping is a simple technique for drawing information in diagrams instead of writing it in sentences. All Mind Maps have some things in common. They have a natural organizational structure that radiates from the center and use lines, symbols, words,...
Read MoreHistograms Help Visualize and Summarize Variable Data
A histogram is a bar graph that summarizes the frequency of information occurring over time. They visually display summarized data showing the information’s frequency, shape, and central tendency. The first action I take when dealing with variable or continuous data is constructing a histogram to see how the information looks. It helps me answer questions such as, “What does the...
Read MoreFishbone Diagram Helps Us Understand Variation In Our Outputs
The fishbone diagram, or more formally called the Cause-and-Effect Diagram, was first developed by Dr. Kaouru Ishikawa in 1943. It can help you relate the causes, or x’s, to the effect Y. The effect or output (Y) is what we’re trying to improve, and the reasons (x’S) are the sources of variation in our process that need to be decreased. Our goal is to determine the sources of...
Read MoreLean, Six Sigma, Kaizen! What Is The Best Direction For Your Organization?
Methodologies are almost as numerous as the tools they use. Organizations sometimes struggle with where to start their improvement effort especially when resources are few and funds are in short supply. It really gets down to thinking about your organization’s problems and then selecting the right CI method to address those needs. If your organization is struggling with quality issues and...
Read MoreTrust The Process, Not Your Gut Instincts!
A process is defined as a series of steps taken in order to accomplish a particular end. We all have processes we follow every day — getting up and getting ready for work, making a pot of coffee, taking the dog for a walk, cleaning up, and doing dishes after a meal — these are processes we typically execute with very little thought. But it is surprising how few people can actually...
Read MoreUse a Radar Chart to Determine Which Problem Is Most Critical
Flowcharts, swimlane diagrams, etc. are useful in understanding problems from an internal point of view, but when seeking external comparisons, a radar or spider chart can be a helpful tool. The main purpose of the radar chart is to show graphically how a product is viewed by different customers and how they compare. In conducting root cause analysis, the main application is to determine...
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