This document provides an overview of scatter diagrams as a quality and business process improvement tool, emphasizing their purpose in plotting relationships between multiple variables. It outlines the goals and learning objectives, as well as the steps involved in developing a scatter diagram, including data collection and stakeholder engagement. Additionally, it offers insights into the necessary time allocation for creating a scatter diagram.

1. 1
LEAN: Understanding a Basic
Scatter Diagram
Part of Series on Quality Systems Management Tools
Dr. Sharon L. Burton, DBA, LSSBB, HCS, SWP

2. Goal
The goal of this lesson is for users to understand
the usage of a Scatter Diagram as a quality and
business process improvement tool.

3. Learning Objectives
At the end of this lesson users should be able to
 Articulate the usage of a scatter diagram
 Explain how to develop a scatter diagram
 Demonstrate the development of a scatter
diagram

4. What is a Scatter Diagram?
The scatter diagram is also known as:
 Scatter plot
 Scatter chart
 Scattergram
This tool is referred to as a plot or a mathematical
diagram.

5. Purpose of the Scatter Diagram
 The purpose of the scatter diagram is to plot
relationships between multiple variables for a set
of data in a single view.
 Data sets
X – horizontal
Y – vertical
 The plots, which can be colorful, are known as
cartesian coordinates.

6. Creation Time to Allot for the Scatter Diagram
From Start to Finish Allow 5 hours
• Data Collection: 1-3 hours
• Diagramming the Scatter Diagram: 1 hour
• Walk through of Scatter Diagram with Stakeholders: 1
hour

7. How to Develop Scatter Diagram?
Gather pairs of data where a relationship is
believed to exist

8. How to Develop Scatter Diagram?
 Construct a graph wherein the independent
variable on the horizontal axis and the dependent
variable on the vertical axis

9. How to Develop Scatter Diagram?

10. Bibliography
Doherty, M. E., & Anderson, R. B, (2009). Variation in scatterplot displays.
Behavior Research Methods, 41(1), 55-60. doi: 10.3758/BRM.41.1.55
Friendly, M., & Denis, D. (2005). The early origins and development of the
scatterplot. Journal of the History of The Behavioral Sciences, 41(2), 103-
130.
iSixSigma. (2016). Scatter Plot. Retrieved from
https://www.isixsigma.com/dictionary/scatter-plot
Scatterplots. (n.d.) Scatterplots. Retrieved from
http://mste.illinois.edu/courses/ci330ms/yousey/scatterinfor.html