1 January 2015 | Quality Improvement Tools
A Flow diagram is a graphic representation of the sequence of steps that are performed to produce some output. The output may be a physical product, a service, information, or a combination of the three.
1 January 2015 | Quality Improvement Tools
Basic to problem solving and quality improvement is the need to identify the root causes of a problem. The Cause-Effect diagram is an effective way to organize and display the various hypotheses about what those root causes might be.
1 January 2015 | Quality Improvement Tools
A histogram is a graphic summary of variation in a set of data.The pictorial nature of the histogram enables us to see patterns that are difficult to see in a simple table of numbers.
1 January 2015 | Quality Improvement Tools
Pareto analysis is a ranked comparison of factors related to a quality problem. It helps a quality improvement project team to identify and focus on the vital few factors.
1 January 2015 | Quality Improvement Tools
Data and facts are fundamental to every quality improvement effort. Without the facts, our problem-solving efforts are reduced to a “guessing game” with relatively low odds for success.
1 January 2015 | Quality Improvement Tools
Brainstorming is a group technique for generating new and useful ideas. It uses a few simple rules for discussion that increase the chances for originality and innovation.
1 January 2015 | Quality Improvement Tools
Stratification is the separation of data into categories. Its most frequent use is during the diagnostic journey to identify which categories contribute to the problem being solved.
1 January 2015 | Quality Improvement Tools
Graphs and charts are pictorial representations of quantitative data. They can summarize large amounts of information in a small area and communicate complex situations concisely and clearly.
1 January 2015 | Quality Improvement Tools
A scatter diagram is a graphic presentation of the relationship between two variables. In quality improvement, scatter diagrams are usually used to explore cause-effect relationships in the diagnostic journey.
1 January 2015 | Quality Improvement Tools
Box plots, like histograms, provide a graphic summary of the pattern of variation in a set of data. The box plot is especially useful when working with small sets of data or when comparing many different distributions.
01 January 2015 | Quality Improvement Tools
A Statistical control chart is a graphic comparison of process performance data to computed “statistical control limits,” drawn as limit lines on the chart. The process performance data usually consists of groups of measurements that come from the regular sequence of production while preserving the order of data.
01 January 2015 | Quality Improvement Tools
Tree diagram systematically maps out in increasing detail the full range of paths and tasks that need to be accomplished in order to achieve a primary goal every related sub-goal.
01 January 2015 | Quality Improvement Tools
This tool is used to plan the most appropriate schedule for the completion of any complex task and all of its related sub-tasks. It projects likely completion time and monitors all sub-tasks for adherence to the necessary schedule.
01 January 2015 | Quality Improvement Tools
This tool takes a central idea, issue, or problem, and maps out the logical or sequential links among related items. It is a creative process that shows that every idea can be logically linked with more than one idea at a time. It allows for “multi-directional” rather than “linear” thinking to be used.
01 January 2015 | Quality Improvement Tools
The matrix diagram organizes large number of pieces of information such as characteristics, functions, and tasks into set of items to be compared.
01 January 2015 | Quality Improvement Tools
NGT allows a team to quickly come to a consensus on the relative importance of issues, problems, or solutions by completing individual importance rankings into a team's final priorities.
01 January 2015 | Quality Improvement Tools
This tool gathers large amount of language data (ideas, opinions, issues etc), organizes it into groupings based on natural relationship between each item, and defines groups of items. It is largely a creative rather than a logical process.
01 January 2015 | Quality Improvement Tools
Prioritization Matrices prioritizes tasks, issues, product/service characteristics, etc. based on known weighted criteria using a combination of tree and Matrix diagram techniques. These tools are for decision making.
01 January 2015 | Creativity Tools
Brainwriting provides teams with a method for generating and sharing ideas in writing, which differs from brainstorming where ideas are shared verbally.
01 January 2015 | Creativity Tools
Heuristic Redefinition is a method of looking at a system in which a problem exists and for picking an approach that promises the greatest effect with the smallest effort.