Kaoru Ishikawa developed the basic seven tools of quality - histograms, Pareto charts, cause-and-effect diagrams, check sheets, scatter diagrams, flowcharts, and control charts - to help average people analyze and interpret data for quality improvement. These visual tools have been widely adopted by companies worldwide to continuously improve processes. The presentation provided an overview of each tool and examples of how they can be applied in organizations.

1. Basic 7 Tools of
Quality
Presentation by:
Carla Scardino
The Pennsylvania State
University
September 27, 2001

2. Basic 7 Tools of Quality
Histograms
Pareto Charts
Cause and Effect Diagrams
Check Sheets
Scatter Diagrams
Flowcharts
Control Charts

3. Kaoru Ishikawa
Ishikawa wanted to change the way
people worldwide think about work.
He developed the basic seven tools
of quality to be used company-wide
as an advancement in total quality
management.
Ishikawa believes that quality
improvement is a continuous process.

4. Kaoru Ishikawa
Ishikawa invented and adapted the
basic seven visual tools of quality so
that the average person could
analyze and interpret data.
These tools have been used by
thousands of companies and by
different levels of managers and
employees throughout the world.

5. Brainstorming Exercise
How can these tools be used in an
organization?
Think of some specific processes
that can be improved as a result of
the basic seven tools of quality.

6. Basic 7 Tools of Quality
Histograms
Pareto Charts
Cause and Effect Diagrams
Check Sheets
Scatter Diagrams
Flowcharts
Control Charts

7. Histograms
A histogram is a graphical
representation of data in a bar
chart format.
Histograms are also used to observe
the “shape” of data.

8. Histograms
The standard normal
distribution
A skewed
distribution

9. Histograms
The width of the histogram bars
must be consistent.
The classes must be mutually
exclusive and all inclusive.
The number of the classes is decided
by 2k>=n where n is the number of
data values and k is the number of
classes.
Some rules for developing
histograms

10. Histograms
Histograms can be used to show the
relationships of many different
collections of data including any
process that requires random
samples to determine if the process
is performing properly.

11. Pareto Charts
Vilfredo Pareto was the first to
develop the 80/20 rule.
A Pareto chart was first developed
by Joseph Juran who adapted the
histogram to be used with the
80/20 rule.
Pareto charts identify and prioritize
problems that need to be solved.

12. Pareto Charts
Information must be selected based
on types of defects that occur as a
result of a process.
Data must be collected and
categorized.
A histogram or frequency chart is
constructed showing the number of
occurrences.
Rules for developing Pareto
Charts

13. Pareto Charts

14. Pareto Charts
Pareto charts can be used for a
variety of analyses.
Some examples of times when
Pareto analysis would be useful:
identifying and prioritizing
complaints from customers, store
inventory, and distribution of
wealth among countries.

15. Cause-and-Effect Diagrams
The cause and effect diagram is
also called the fishbone diagram or
the Ishikawa diagram.
It gets its name because the
diagram looks like the skeleton of a
fish, with the problem being the
head and the causes being the
“ribs” and the sub-causes being the
smaller “bones” stemming from the
ribs.

16. Cause-and-Effect Diagrams
State the problem clearly in the head of
the fish.
Draw the backbone and ribs.
Continue to fill out the diagram asking,
“why?” about each cause of the problem.
View the diagram and identify core
causes.
Set goals to address the core causes.
Steps in creating a
Fishbone Diagram

17. Cause-and-Effect Diagrams
example from: http://www.smartdraw.com/resources/examples/business/orgchart10.htm

18. Cause-and-Effect Diagrams
Cause and effect diagrams are used
as an abstract way to depict the
causes and effects of the major
problems in the process.
Some examples of times when
fishbone diagrams may be used:
causes of delayed flight
departures, broken/faulty products,
late product delivery

19. Check Sheets
Check Sheets are data gathering
tools that can be used in forming
histograms and Pareto charts.
Check sheets are a form used to
record the frequency of occurrence
of certain product or service
characteristics related to quality.
Check sheets can be either tabular
or schematic.

20. Check Sheets
Identify common defects occurring
in the process
Draw a table
The user places check marks on the
sheet when a defect is
encountered.
Steps in designing a check sheet

21. Check Sheets
Examples of when check sheets may
be helpful: tracking customer
complaints at a restaurant; slow
production times; faulty/defective
products.

22. Scatter Diagrams
The scatter diagram is used to
examine the relationships between
variables.
Scatter diagrams are used to
investigate the possible relationship
between two variables that both
relate to the same "event." A
straight line of best fit (using the
least squares method) is often

23. Scatter Diagrams

24. Scatter Diagrams
Determine the X (independent) and Y
(dependent) variables
Gather process data relating to the
variables identified in step 1
Plot the data
Observe the plotted data to see if
there is a relationship between the
variables.
Steps in setting up a scatter plot

25. Scatter Diagrams
Examples of when Scatter diagrams
can be used to determine if there
is a relationship: prevention costs
and conformance; overtime hours
versus days absent; determining if
a particular defect is due to run-
size.

26. Flowcharts
Slide 1 of 4
A flowchart is a graphical
representation of a process.
The first step in many process
improvement projects is to create a
flowchart.

27. Flowcharts

28. Flowcharts
Develop a general process and then
fill in the elements of the process.
Observe the people doing the
process.
Determine which steps add value
and which do not, to simplify work.
Determine whether the work
actually needs to be done.
Steps in creating a flowchart

29. Flowcharts
An example of a process that could
use a flowchart would be a
restaurant. When the patron
enters the restaurant, if there is a
table available they are seated. If
not, they can wait or sit at the bar
and have a drink. When the table
becomes available, the patron is
seated. After eating, the patron
pays for the food and can either

30. Control Charts
A control chart is used to
determine whether a process will
produce a product or service with
consistent measurable properties.
A control chart has a nominal value,
or central line, and an upper and
lower control limit.

31. Control Limits

32. Control Charts
Take a random sample from the
process, measure the quality
characteristics, and calculate a
variable or attribute measure.
If the statistic falls outside the
control limits look for assignable
cause.
Either eliminate or incorporate the
cause. Reconstruct the control chart
Steps in forming a Control Chart

33. Control Charts
Examples of when to use control
charts: quality inspection and
checking for defects in products.

34. An Exercise in Quality
A real-time histogram activity.
This activity lets you gather data
while clicking your mouse every two
seconds and creates a histogram
while you are clicking.
The module will then display the
results of the activity in a
histogram.

35. Summary
Basic 7 Tools of Quality
Ishikawa developed the basic seven
tools of quality so the average person
could analyze and interpret data.
These tools have been used in
thousands of companies to achieve
quality in the organization.
Quality improvement is a continuous
process that can be made easier by
applying these seven tools.

36. Bibliography
Foster Thomas S. Managing Quality An Integrative Approach. New Jersey: Prentice
Hall, 2001
Krajewski, Lee J., Larry P. Ritzman. Operations Management, Strategy and Analysis.
New Jersey: Prentice Hall 2002
http://www.skymark.com/resources/leaders/ishikawa.asp
http://quality.enr.state.nc.us/tools/fishbone.htm
http://www.smartdraw.com/resources/examples/business/orgchart10.htm
http://www.robertluttman.com/Week5/page11.htm
http://www.wiley.co.uk/college/busin/icmis/oakman/outline/chap05/slides/symbols.ht
m
http://www.skymark.com/resources/tools/management_tools.asp

37. Basic 7 Tools of
Quality
Presentation by:
Carla Scardino
The Pennsylvania State University
September 27, 2001