Encyclopedia of Leadership

224 SECTION 7 TOOLS FORPROBLEMSOLVING, DECISIONMAKING, ANDQUALITY

• Identifies trends by tracking a quality measure over a period
  of time.


• Is usually tracked against a standard.


• Makes it easier to visualize trends and detect
  problems.


• A straightforward bar graph that tracks a quality
  measure by cause(s), source, or type.


• Highlights what to work on.


• A straightforward way to collect information in
  preparation for analysis.


• Highlights what to work on.


• Maps a process in a common format.


• Is used to identify trouble spots or non-value-adding steps
  and to plan improvement, particularly
  simplification.


• Clearly shows the relationships between effects and multiple
  causes.


• Is particularly useful when the situation is messy and
  complex.


• Used to test how two quality measures are related.


• Can help point out (rule out) cause–effect
  relationships.

Mears, p. 62

Mears, p. 36, “Purchasing Problems”

Mears, p. 25, “Defective Item Check Sheet”

Mears, p. 20, “Burger Cooking Flowchart”

Mears, p. 55, “Quality Copies”

Mears p. 58, “Scatter Diagram”

Run Chart

Pareto Chart/

Diagram

Check Sheet

Flowchart

Cause–Effect or

Fishbone

Diagram

Scatter Diagram

or Correlation

Chart

The Quality

Tool What it is and what it is useful for: What it looks like: