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Tools for Lean Six Sigma

Give me a lever long enough and I can move the world.

Gathering Numeric Data

• Are you gathering data that you can count, like number of people or defects? Yes
• Are you gathering data that you can measure, like money, length, weight, or time? Yes

Graphing Data

• Is your data measured periodically over time (minute, hour, day, project, event)? 
  Use a line graph
• Are you using data to focus the improvement effort? 
  Use a Pareto Chart or pie chart
• Are you trying to prove a cause-effect relationship between two variables (e.g., calories consumed and weight gain? 
  Use a Scatter Plot
• Are you trying to determine the stability of the process? 
  Use a Control Chart
• Are you trying to determine the capability of the process? 
  Use a Histogram
• Are you comparing data year over year or month over month? 
  Use a Bar Chart

Organizing verbal or written data

• Are you trying to simplify a large number of written ideas? 
  Use a Affinity Diagram
• Are you trying to determine the driving issues among the simplified data? 
  Use a Relationship Diagram
• Are you trying to create links from higher level ideas or activities to more detailed ones? 
  Use a Tree Diagram
• Are you trying to evaluate the relationship between two sets of tangible criteria? 
  Use a Matrix Diagram
• Are you trying to evaluate the possible failure or fault points? 
  Use a PDPC Chart or EMEA/FMEA--Error Modes and Effects Analysis
• Are you trying to create a sequence of activities? 
  Use an Arrow Diagram
  

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Key Tools for Focusing The Improvement Effort

  

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Key Tools for Improving the Process and Problem Solving

Additional Tools for Improving the Process

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Key Tools for Sustaining Improvement--Process Management

   

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Tools for Data Collection

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Tools for Teamwork

   

Do you need to:

• plan a meeting?

Other charts included in QI Macros add-in for Excel