Problem Solving & Visualization Tools

PROBLEM-SOLVING &
VISUALIZATION TOOLS
© Operational Excellence Consulting. All rights reserved.

© Operational Excellence Consulting
CONTENTS
2
1. Brainstorming 13. Histogram
2. Gantt Chart 14. Scatter Diagram
3. Stratification 15. Affinity Diagram
4. Check Sheet 16. Control Chart
5. Bar Chart 17. Relations Diagram
6. Waterfall Chart 18. Tree Diagram
7. Line Graphs 19. Matrix Diagram
8. Pie Chart 20. Matrix Data Analysis Chart
9. Radar Chart 21. Arrow Diagram
10. Pareto Chart 22. Process Decision Program Chart (PDPC)
11. 5 Whys 23. 5W2H
12. Cause and Effect Diagram 24. Is / Is Not
NOTE: This is a PARTIAL PREVIEW.
To download the complete presentation, please
visit: https://www.oeconsulting.com.sg

“
DR. KAORU ISHUKAWA
3
As much as 95% of quality
related problems in the
factory can be solved with
seven fundamental
quantitative tools.”

© Operational Excellence Consulting. All rights reserved.
BRAINSTORMING
Purpose:
● Stimulating creative idea generation
When to use:
● When seeking fresh insights
● To compile a comprehensive list of
options
● When facing complex, multi-faceted
problems involving many individuals
● To foster team cohesion and creative
synergy
4

BRAINSTORMING RULES
5
Defer judgement Encourage wild
ideas
Build on the ideas
of others
Stay focused on the
topic
Be visual One conversation
at a time
Go for quantity

EXAMPLE: GANTT CHART FOR A PROBLEM SOLVING PROJECT
6
ILLUSTRATIVE
7
Aug
14
Aug
21
Aug
28
Aug
4
Sep
11
Sep
18
Sep
25
Sep
1
Oct
8
Oct
15
Oct
22
Oct
29
Oct
Select the Theme
Plan the Schedule
Grasp the Present Situation
Establish the Target
Analyze the Cause & Identify CA
Implement Corrective Action
Evaluate the Result
Standardize & Follow Up
Planned Actual

STRATIFICATION CONSIDERATIONS
7
Factor Examples of categories
People Work methods, familiarity, age, gender
Machinery Equipment, old vs. new, type, fixtures
Materials and parts Processes, material quality, class, maker
Operating conditions Temperature, humidity, speed, methods
Time Month, weekday, hour, before vs. after repair
Product Quality, old vs. new, lot
Measurement, inspection Test device, gauge, sampler, inspector
Factors for Stratification

EXAMPLE 1: SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
8
High Income
Middle Income
Low Income
ILLUSTRATIVE

EXAMPLE: DEFECT TRACKING
9
Defective Item
Mon
9/3
Tue
10/3
Wed
11/3
Thu
12/3
Fri
13/3
Total
Mold Cracked 5 3 6 3 4 21
Fibers 2 0 5 1 0 8
Grit 4 2 3 5 0 14
Pinholes 1 5 0 2 1 9
Cracks 0 1 1 0 0 2
Other 1 3 0 0 3 7
Total 13 14 15 11 8 61
Defect Tracking Check Sheet (9/3 to 13/3)
ILLUSTRATIVE
Check Sheet

EXAMPLE 1: COMPARISON OF ANNUAL SALES PERFORMANCE
10
ILLUSTRATIVE
0
50
100
150
200
250
FY 2021 FY 2022 FY2023
Sales Performance
Target
Actual
Bar Graph

EXAMPLE: ANALYSIS OF MANUFACTURING COST COMPONENTS
11
ILLUSTRATIVE
Components of Total Manufacturing Cost ($)
400K
100K
200K
Labor Materials Factory
Overhead
120K
50K
Utilities &
Maintenance
Depreciation
870K
Total
Waterfall Diagram

LINE GRAPH: PURPOSES
12
Correlation
Analysis
Show relationships
between variables.
Data Continuity
Illustrate continuous
data points.
Trend Identification
Display trends and
patterns over time.

EXAMPLE 2: IMPLEMENTING & MONITORING CORRECTIVE ACTIONS
13
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
02-Nov 03-Nov 04-Nov 05-Nov 06-Nov 07-Nov 08-Nov 09-Nov 10-Nov 11-Nov 12-Nov 13-Nov
Finish grinder
Rough grinder
Target
Coolant
replaced!
Target level
Spindle bearing
tightened!
Defect
%
Dates of action items and results confirmation
ILLUSTRATIVE
Source: Adapted from Sobek & Smalley
Line Graph

EXAMPLE 2: COMPARISON OF MARKET SHARE
14
60%
14%
7%
5%
3%
3%
8%
Browser Market Share Worldwide
Chrome
Safari
UC Browser
Firefox
Opera
IE
Others
Source: StatCounter, July 2018
ILLUSTRATIVE
Pie Chart

EXAMPLE: COMPARING 5S PERFORMANCE
15
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Sort
Set In Order
Shine
Standardize
Sustain
Area A
Area B
ILLUSTRATIVE
Radar Chart

RADAR CHART: PROCEDURES
16
1. Avoid Overlapping Axes: Ensure clarity by preventing axis overlap.
2. Normalize Data: Normalize values if scales differ significantly.
3. Limit Categories: A moderate number of categories for readability.
4. Use Consistent Colors: Maintain a consistent color scheme.
5. Highlight Key Areas: Emphasize critical data points for focus.
6. Provide Explanations: Include annotations to explain unusual patterns.

“
For many phenomena,
80% of consequences
stem from 20% of the
causes.”
JOSEPH M. JURAN
17

PARETO’S PRINCIPLE (80/20 RULE)
Examples:
● 80% of your net income comes from
20% of your customers
● 80% of your sales are generated by
20% of your products
● 80% of your emotions are created by
20% of your thoughts
● 80% of your work results from 20% of
your effort
18
Effort Result
20%
20%
80%
80%
Important Not Important

EXAMPLE 1: PIZZA DEFECTS
19
Wrong
Toppings
Pizza
Cold
Pizza
Late
Wrong
Crust
Tastes
Bad
Forgot
Breadstic
ks
Driver
Had No
Change
Smashed
in Box
Wrong
Price
Driver
Rude
All other
Quantity 29 25 22 13 10 7 4 3 2 1 2
Cum % 25% 46% 64% 75% 84% 90% 93% 96% 97% 98% 100%
% of Total 25% 21% 19% 11% 8% 6% 3% 3% 2% 1% 2%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
-
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Cumulative
Percent
Occurrences
Pareto Chart of Pizza Defects
ILLUSTRATIVE

EXAMPLE 2: COMPARING ‘BEFORE’ AND ‘AFTER’ RESULTS
20
ILLUSTRATIVE
Before:
Jan-Jun 2021
Errors Made on Faxed Orders
After:
Jul-Dec 2021
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
0
Missing
Information
Wrong Product
Information
Unreadable Wrong Billing
Information
PO and Order
Form don’t Match
Other
Count
Error Type
Pareto Chart

© Operational Excellence Consulting 21
5 WHYS: WHEN TO USE
Post-Incident
Analysis
After incidents or
failures for in-depth
analysis.
Process
Improvement
Projects
In continuous
improvement projects to
enhance processes
systematically.
Immediate Problem
Resolution
When addressing
immediate issues to
prevent recurrence.

EXAMPLE 1: 5 WHYS ANALYSIS
22
Symptom: The machine stopped!
Causes:
2. The shaft wore down and seized up
3. Metal cutting chips penetrated the area
4. Chips passed through the lubrication system
5. There was no strainer on the inlet pipe from the tank
1. The circuit overload tripped
1st Why
2nd Why
3rd Why
4th Why
5th Why
ILLUSTRATIVE

“
When we fail to grasp the
systemic source of problems,
we are left to ‘push on’
symptoms rather than
eliminate underlying causes.”
PETER SENGE
23
The Fifth Discipline

CAUSE & EFFECT DIAGRAM (MANUFACTURING)
24
EFFECT
CAUSES
S
u
b
-
c
a
u
s
e
Cause
Machines
Measurements Materials
Methods
Environment
Manpower
Problem
Statement

HIGH
SCRAP OF
BARCODE
LABELS
MAN MACHINE
MATERIAL METHOD
Handling
Wrinkled
Torn
Improper
training
Machine
Breakdown
Ineffective
adhesive
Illegible
Smear
Printwheel Dirty
Worn Ribbon
Design of label
Damage
Poor printing
Improper storage
Wrong orientation
Process changes
Improper storage
Size of label
Process changes
EXAMPLE 1: CAUSE AND EFFECT DIAGRAM FOR “HIGH SCRAP OF
BARCODE LABELS” ILLUSTRATIVE

EXAMPLE: HISTOGRAM OF TURNAROUND TIMES
ILLUSTRATIVE
Histogram of Pharmacy Drug Dispensing Turnaround Times
50
40
60
30
10
0
20
0 - 10 11 - 20 21 - 30 31 - 40 41 - 50 51 - 60 61 - 70 71 - 80 81 - 90 91 - 100
Frequency
Turnaround Time (mins)
26

● Clearly label and define the axes
to convey meaningful relationships
● Include descriptive titles for clarity
on the purpose of the scatter plot
● Use distinct symbols or colors for
multiple data sets to avoid
confusion
SCATTER DIAGRAM: PRACTICAL TIPS
● Add trendlines to highlight patterns
or relationships in the data
● Ensure the scaling of axes
accurately represents the data
range
● Provide explanations for any
outliers or unusual data points on
the scatter plot
27

EXAMPLE: AFFINITY DIAGRAM OF LATE ORDERS
28
Orders Consistently Late Last Quarter
Communications Issues
Sales & Marketing
Fail to alert when price
changes may affect
volume
Inconsistent adherence to
due dates
Fail to check production
schedule before promising
product
Manufacturing
Fail to keep production
schedule updated
Fail to keep inventory
updated
Fail to communicate
unscheduled equipment
down-time
Equipment Issues
Equipment Breakdown
Inconsistent adherence to
maintenance dates
Equipment operated
outside of specifications
Old equipment, due to be
replaced, not operating at
peak capacity
External Factors
Major Supplier Filed
for Bankruptcy
Just-in-time inventory
system failed
Lack of inventory affects
60 orders
New supplier overloaded
with new clients
ILLUSTRATIVE

CONTROL CHART SELECTION
29
TYPE OF DATA
Attribute Data
Count Classification
Defects Defectives
Equal
subgroup
size
Different
(or same)
subgroup size
Equal
subgroup
size
Different
(or same)
subgroup size
c-Chart u-Chart np-Chart p-Chart
Subgroup
size of 1
Subgroup
size 2-9
Subgroup
size >9
ImR Xbar & R Xbar & S
Variable Data
Poisson distribution Binomial distribution Normal distribution/
Central Limit Theorem

p-, np-, c-, AND u-CHARTS CREATION
30
1. Sampling Plan: Determine the appropriate sampling plan.
2. Data Collection: Collect sample data at specified intervals.
3. Metric Calculation: Calculate relevant metric (n, np, c, or u). Calculate
appropriate centerline.
4. Plotting: Plot the data.
5. Control Limits: After 20+ measurements, calculate control limits. Take
action if the chart is out of control.

© Operational Excellence Consulting 31
RELATIONS DIAGRAM: WHEN TO USE
Process
Optimization
In process improvement
projects to map out
interactions.
Systems Thinking
When adopting a
systems thinking
approach to problem-
solving.
Interdisciplinary
Collaboration
When multiple
disciplines or teams
collaborate on a project.

EXAMPLE: RELATIONSHIPS AMONG CAUSES OF LOW CUSTOMER
SATISFACTION
32
ILLUSTRATIVE
HR Management 3/0
Lack of Training 1/1
Bad Hiring 1/1
Low Staffing 2/1
Unskilled Employees 4/2
Bad Design 2/1
Wrong Answers 1/1
Poor Support 1/4
Long Hold Times 1/1
Faulty Market Surveys 1/1
Poor Materials 1/1
Low Quality Product 1/3
Ineffective Marketing 1/1
High Pricing 2/1
Low Customer Satisfaction 0/3

EXAMPLE 1: RISK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
33
Project Risks
Technical
Requirements
Technology
Complexity
External
Subcontractors
Regulatory
Market
Customer
Weather
Organizational
Project
Dependencies
Resources
Funding
Prioritization
Project
Management
Estimating
Planning
Controlling
Communication
ILLUSTRATIVE
Vertical Tree Diagram

EXAMPLE 2: PERFORMING 5 WHYS ANALYSIS
34
Late Pack Change
Technical Problem
MRP Parameter
Wrong
Short Lead
Time Order
Printing Problem
Wrong Specification
Production Problem
Storage / Handling
Problem
Late Order
from Supplier
Schedule Error
Documentation Error
Damaged Packs
QC Hold
Late Delivery
from Supplier
LATE DELIVERY
TO CUSTOMER
Production
Problem
WHY?
WHY?
WHY?
WHY?
WHY?
WHY?
WHY?
WHY?
KEEP ON ASKING WHY?
ILLUSTRATIVE
Horizontal Tree Diagram

EXAMPLE 1: L-SHAPED MATRIX DIAGRAM
35
Cost Handling Features Compact Size Quality of Shots
Nikon F4 ¢ ¤ Δ ¤
Nikon F90 Δ ¢ ¤ ¤
Nikon FM2 Δ Δ ¤ ¢
Nikon F50 ¤ Δ Δ ¢
Nikon F-601 ¢ ¤ Δ ¤
Evaluation of Cameras
Criteria
Camera Model
Key: ¤ Strong Relationship ¢ Average Relationship Δ Weak Relationship
ILLUSTRATIVE

EXAMPLE 1: CRITICAL PATH METHOD
36
ILLUSTRATIVE
10 30
20
50
40
A
B C
E
D F
T=3 wk
T=1 wk T=3 wk
T=4 wk
T=2 wk
T=3 wk
Arrow Diagram

EXAMPLE: PDPC FOR VACATION PLANNING
37
Can’t agree
All sites
already full
Can’t get time
off work
As vacation
approaches, get too
busy to leave
Will choose same
date as everyone
else - crowds
All hotels
already full
Won’t be able to
find quality hotel
in site area
Choose vacation
site
Choose vacation
date
Choose hotel
Make arrangements
for absence
Make basic
choices
PLANNING A
VACATION
Research
Develop budget
Start discussing
sites early
Choose off-peak
date and inform
work in advance
Go to site with
many hotels to
choose from
ILLUSTRATIVE

5W2H: QUESTIONS TO EXPLORE
38
Description
What?
§ Describe the problem adequately.
§ What is the defect and gap from “target”?
§ What part or object is involved?
§ Does the severity of the problem vary?
Why?
§ Define why this is a problem for the Customer or
organization.
§ Translates “how big” into total business impact.
When?
§ Identify the time when the problem started and
past history (trends).
§ Do all production shifts experience the same
frequencies?
§ What time of the year does the problem occur?
§ When did the nonconformance occur?
§ What was operating time?
§ What shift?
§ What season?
Description
Where?
§ If the defect occurs on a part, where is the defect
located? Use a location check sheet.
§ Where was the defect found (geographically)?
§ What is the geographic distribution of
complaints?
Who?
§ Identify who is associated with the problem.
§ Which customer(s) are complaining?
§ Which internal group(s) are complaining?
How?
§ In what mode of operation was the problem
discovered?
§ What procedures were being used?
§ What environmental conditions were present?
How
Much?
§ Quantify the extent and severity of the problem
(quantity, percent, cost, DPMO, etc.)

“
Quality is not an act, it is a
habit.”
ARISTOTLE
39

Operational Excellence Consulting is a
management training and consulting firm
that assists organizations in improving
business performance and effectiveness.
Based in Singapore, the firm’s mission is to
create business value for organizations
through innovative design and operational
excellence management training and
consulting solutions. For more information,
please visit www.oeconsulting.com.sg
ABOUT OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE CONSULTING

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