Blog
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The Role of Fishbone Diagram in Analyzing Cause and Effect
Also known as Ishikawa Diagram, Cause and Effect Diagram and Fishbone Analysis. Related topics include Tree Diagram. A fishbone diagram is one of the various techniques available for conducting cause-and-effect analyses. It provides a structured way to identify and organize the potential causes contributing…
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Putting Prioritization Matrix into Practice for Effective Decision-Making
Also known as Decision Matrix, Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis and Weighted Criteria Matrix. Related topics include Pugh Matrix and Pairwise Comparison Matrix. Many real-life decision-making situations have several conflicting criteria that need to be considered simultaneously. Traditionally, these complexities are often dealt with through…
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Project Charter Components: The Power of the One-Page Document
Also known as Project Summary, Project Initiation Document, and Project Definition Report. Related topics include Project Statement of Work and Terms of Reference. Once a project opportunity has been identified, it must be translated from a conceptual idea into a well-written project charter. A…
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The Main Components of an Effective Visual Management System
Also known as Visual Control. Visual Workplace, Visual Systems and Visual Factory. Visual management is a business management approach that communicates important information in a visual and real-time manner. It is a system of labels, signs, markings, information displays, and visual guides instead of…
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Exploring Variable Relationships with Scatter Diagram Analysis
Also known as Scatter Plot and Scattergram. Related topics include Matrix Plot. Many situations require the investigating of potential relationships among two or more variables. For example, a line manager may wish to assess the correlation between the number of training hours and employee…
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SIPOC Analysis: An Important Step Toward Process Improvement
Also known as SIPOC mapping, COPIS and System Analysis. Related topics include IPO. A SIPOC Map is a comprehensive overview of a business process. It provides a high-level summary and a big picture view of the key components of the process to understand the…
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Achieving Business and Personal Goals with SWOT Analysis
Also known as Situational Analysis and TOWS. Related topics include Porter’s Five Forces Analysis and 5C Analysis. SWOT analysis is a structured planning tool used to review and assess an organization’s current position and overall health. This analytical framework enables the organization to look…
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A3 Problem Solving Template
A3 thinking is a logical and structured approach to problem solving adopted by Lean organizations around the world. It can be used for most kinds of problems and in any part of the business. This A3 template uses a four stages model that is…
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Exploring Histograms and Box Plots: Similarities and Differences
Histograms and box plots are graphical representations for the frequency of numeric data values. These visual tools serve the purpose of describing the data and exploring the central tendency and variability before using advanced statistical analysis techniques. In this article, we will further discuss the…
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Flowcharting: The Three Common Types of Flowcharts
Also known as Activity Flowchart and Process Diagram. Related topics include Process Sequence Chart and Flow Diagram. A flowchart is a visual representation tool that illustrates the flow of a business process and the interconnections between its activities. It allows to break up any…
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Pareto Analysis: Identifying the Vital Few from the Trivial Many
Also known as The Law of the Vital Few and The 80/20 principle. The Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, is a guiding principle that helps to focus on the most important matters. It describes a phenomenon that a small number of…
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Improving Operations Through Observation and Gemba Walks
Also known as the Go See Technique, and Going to the Gemba. Related topics include Management by Walking Around (MBWA). Many managers nowadays try to resolve work-related issues while they are sitting in their offices or conference rooms. Attempting to resolve problems in such…
