1.

Cause and Effect Diagrams

Juran. (2024, March 7). The Ultimate guide to cause and effect diagrams | Juran Institute, an Attain
Partners company. Juran Institute, an Attain Partners Company. https://www.juran.com/blog/the-
ultimate-guide-to-cause-and-effect-diagrams/#:~:text=A%20cause%2Deffect%20diagram%20is,a
%20fishbone%20or%20Ishikawa%20diagram.

The Cause & Effect (C&E) diagram, also known as the Fishbone or Ishikawa diagram, is a crucial tool
during the problem identification phase of an investigation because it systematically uncovers all
potential root causes of an issue. By categorizing potential causes into broad areas such as People,
Methods, Machines, Materials, Measurements, and Environment, it ensures a comprehensive analysis
beyond superficial symptoms. Starting with a flow chart, which maps out the entire process or product
lifecycle, provides essential context and helps identify specific problem areas, making the subsequent
C&E analysis more targeted and effective. Nancy Tague, in "The Quality Toolbox," strongly recommends
the C&E diagram for its versatility and ability to stimulate new ideas when teams feel stuck. This
combination of tools fosters a holistic and structured approach to problem-solving, ensuring no
potential cause is overlooked and enhancing the overall effectiveness of the investigation process.

2. Flowcharts

What is a Flowchart. (n.d.). Lucidchart. https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/what-is-a-flowchart-tutorial

The flowchart shows the steps as boxes of various kinds, and their order by connecting the boxes with
arrows. This diagrammatic representation illustrates a solution model to a given problem. Flowcharts
are used in analyzing, designing, documenting or managing a process or program in various fields.

Moreover, in business and engineering, a flowchart is a graphical tool used to represent

processes, workflows, or systems clearly and concisely. It employs symbols like ovals for start
and end points, rectangles for process steps, diamonds for decision points, and arrows to
indicate the flow direction. In business, flowcharts help document, analyze, and improve
processes such as customer service protocols, sales processes, or project management
workflows, allowing companies to identify inefficiencies and streamline operations. In
engineering, flowcharts are crucial for designing, analyzing, and managing complex systems,
such as outlining algorithms in software development or illustrating production processes in
manufacturing. By providing a visual representation, flowcharts enhance communication,
facilitate problem-solving, and serve as valuable documentation tools for training and
standardization, ultimately leading to more efficient and effective operations.

3. Checklist
Eby, K. (n.d.). How to use checklists in project Management. Smartsheet.
https://www.smartsheet.com/content/project-management-checklists

checklist is a document used to keep track of all the tasks, deadlines, resources and goals necessary to
complete a project. Project managers, team leads and supervisors frequently use project management
checklists to organize and monitor the progress of a project's various elements. However, An
engineering checklist is a form used by engineers to ensure that standard protocols, safety measures,
client specifications, and other important directives are understood, confirmed, and adhered to during
the progression of engineering projects.

4. Control Chart

Clinical Excellence Commission. (n.d.). Control Charts - Clinical Excellence Commission.

https://www.cec.health.nsw.gov.au/CEC-Academy/quality-improvement-tools/control-
charts#:~:text=Control%20charts%2C%20also%20known%20as,graphs%20of%20data%20over%20time.

Control charts, also known as Shewhart charts (after Walter A. Shewhart) or process-behavior charts,
are a statistical process control tool used to determine if a manufacturing or business process is in a
state of control. The control chart is a graph used to study how a process changes over time. Data are
plotted in time order. A control chart always has a central line for the average, an upper line for the
upper control limit, and a lower line for the lower control limit. The purpose of a control chart is to set
upper and lower bounds of acceptable performance given normal variation. In other words, they
provide a great way to monitor any sort of process you have in place so you can learn how to improve
your poor performance and continue with your successes.

5. Scatter Diagrams

Scatter diagram. (n.d.). https://www.quality-assurance-solutions.com/Scatter-Diagram.html

A scatter diagram is one of seven core tools in project management. It is used to plan and monitor
operations to improve quality-related issues in an organization. Scatter diagrams are graphical statistical
tools. They are simple to use and help in improving business processes. A scatter diagram is a graphical
tool that can help you analyze the relationship between two variables in quality management. It can
show you how strong or weak the correlation is, and whether it is positive or negative.

In engineering term, A scatter diagram is used to examine the relationship between both the axes (X and
Y) with one variable. In the graph, if the variables are correlated, then the point drops along a curve or
line. A scatter diagram or scatter plot gives an idea of the nature of relationship.
6. Pareto Analysis

Kenton, W. (2023, December 24). What is Pareto analysis? How to create a Pareto chart and example.
Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/pareto-analysis.asp

Moreover, Pareto Analysis leverages the Pareto Principle, or the "80/20 Rule," introduced by Italian
economist Vilfredo Pareto in his 1896 book, "Cours d'économie politique." This principle suggests that
80 percent of a project's benefits come from 20 percent of the work, or conversely, that 80 percent of
problems stem from 20 percent of causes. Pareto Analysis helps identify and prioritize the problems or
tasks that will yield the greatest benefits when addressed, thus improving productivity and profitability.
While the 80/20 figures are not absolute, the principle highlights the imbalance often seen between
effort and results, where a small portion of work can produce the majority of returns, or a few causes
can create most problems. The steps for conducting Pareto Analysis involve listing all problems,
identifying their root causes, scoring the problems by importance, grouping them by common causes,
adding scores to determine priorities, and taking action on the highest scoring issues first. This
systematic approach ensures that resources are focused on resolving the most impactful problems,
thereby enhancing efficiency and effectiveness.

7. Histogram

Admin. (2022, July 5). Histogram - Definition, types, graph, and examples. BYJUS.
https://byjus.com/maths/histogram/#:~:text=What%20is%20Histogram%3F,frequencies%20in%20the
%20corresponding%20classes.

A histogram is a graph used to represent the frequency distribution of a few data points of one variable.
Histograms often classify data into various “bins” or “range groups” and count how many data points
belong to each of those bins. Also, a resource histogram is a stacked bar chart that is used for resource
allocation in project management. It's basically a resource planning graph that displays the amount of
time a resource is scheduled to work over a period of time. It can also be used to determine resource
availability. A histogram is used to check the shape of the data distribution. Used to check whether the
process changes from one period to another. Used to determine whether the output is different when it
involves two or more processes. Used to analyses whether the given process meets the customer
requirements.

In engineering term, A histogram is a graphical representation of a grouped frequency distribution with

continuous classes. It is an area diagram and can be defined as a set of rectangles with bases along with
the intervals between class boundaries and with areas proportional to frequencies in the corresponding
classes.
Juran. (2024, March 7). The Ultimate guide to cause and effect diagrams | Juran Institute, an Attain
Partners company. Juran Institute, an Attain Partners Company. https://www.juran.com/blog/the-
ultimate-guide-to-cause-and-effect-diagrams/#:~:text=A%20cause%2Deffect%20diagram%20is,a
%20fishbone%20or%20Ishikawa%20diagram.

What is a Flowchart. (n.d.). Lucidchart. https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/what-is-a-flowchart-tutorial

Eby, K. (n.d.). How to use checklists in project Management. Smartsheet.

https://www.smartsheet.com/content/project-management-checklists

Clinical Excellence Commission. (n.d.). Control Charts - Clinical Excellence Commission.

https://www.cec.health.nsw.gov.au/CEC-Academy/quality-improvement-tools/control-
charts#:~:text=Control%20charts%2C%20also%20known%20as,graphs%20of%20data%20over%20time.

Scatter diagram. (n.d.). https://www.quality-assurance-solutions.com/Scatter-Diagram.html

Kenton, W. (2023, December 24). What is Pareto analysis? How to create a Pareto chart and example.
Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/pareto-analysis.asp

Admin. (2022, July 5). Histogram - Definition, types, graph, and examples. BYJUS.
https://byjus.com/maths/histogram/#:~:text=What%20is%20Histogram%3F,frequencies%20in%20the
%20corresponding%20classes.