APPLY QUALITY

STANDARDS
 LESSON 1
PERSONAL ENTREPRENEURIAL
COMPETENCIES (PECS)
Short Quiz

Write QN if the statement affects the quantity of work and QL if

the statement affects the quality of work. Write your answer on
your notebook.
 ______ 1. Poor scheduling of work
 ______ 2. Failure to meet expectations for product quality,
cost or service
 ______ 3. Customer/client dissatisfaction
 ______ 4. Preventable accidents
 ______ 5. Misuse of sick leave
 LESSON 1
PERSONAL ENTREPRENEURIAL
COMPETENCIES (PECS)

1. Why is it to know the important

characteristics to be an effective and a
good entrepreneur?

2. What are the important skills to be a

successful entrepreneur?
 ALIGNING ONE’S PECS

1. Why is it to know the important

characteristics to be an effective and a
good entrepreneur?

2. What are the important skills to be a

successful entrepreneur?
 ALIGNING ONE’S PECS
Directions: Choose from the list below the characteristics and traits that best
describe your own per sonal entrepreneurial characteristics. Find ways on how
to align them according to the per sonal entrepreneurial characteristics of an
entrepreneur which were discussed earlier.
 WHAT ARE ENTREPRENEURIAL
COMPETENCIES?
Entrepreneurial competencies refer to the
ability to develop, organize and manage a
business venture along with any of its risks.
It includes key characteristics that should be
possessed by a person in order to successfully
run a new venture.
Among those characteristics are social,
managerial and networking competences.
IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS / TRAITS /
ATTRIBUTES OF A GOOD
ENTREPRENEUR
IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS / TRAITS /
ATTRIBUTES OF A GOOD
ENTREPRENEUR
IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS / TRAITS /
ATTRIBUTES OF A GOOD
ENTREPRENEUR
 LESSON 2: APPLYING QUALIT Y
STANDARDS

What kind of stores are in the picture?

• What are the things that are being sold in a computer store?
• How are you going to buy a new computer?
 What are Quality
Standards?
• Quality standards are defined as
documents that provide
requirements, specifications,
guidelines, or characteristics that
can be used consistently to
ensure that materials, products,
processes, and services are fit for
their purpose.
• Standards provide organizations
with the shared vision,
understanding, procedures, and
vocabulary needed to meet the
expectations of their
stakeholders. communicate and
conduct business
Who uses Quality
Standards?
Organizations turn to standards for
guidelines, definitions, and
procedures
that help them achieve objectives
such as:
• Satisfying their customers’
quality requirements
• Ensuring their products and
services are safe
• Complying with regulations
• •Meeting environmental
objectives
• Protecting products against
climatic or other adverse
conditions
• Ensuring that internal processes
are defined and controlled
Standards Operating
Procedures
Standard operating procedures are
written, step-by-step instructions that
describe how to perform a routine
activity. Employees should complete
them in the exact same way every
time so that the business can remain
consistent. Standard operating
procedures help maintain safety and
efficiency for departments such as:
• Production/operations
• Sales and customer service
• Employee training
• Legal
• Financial
A good standard operating procedure
should clearly outline the steps and
inform the employee of any safety
concerns.
 WHY DO YOU NEED STANDARD
OPERATING PROCEDURES?

Standard operating procedures are detailed, written

instructions on how to perform a routine business
activity.
They are easy to read and they explain every detail
of the process being described.
 It is important to keep in mind that a good standard
operating procedure does not focus on what needs
to be done but rather how it should be done.
A standard operating procedure is an effective tool
that every business should have.
 SOP
An SOP is a useful business tool as it communicates the correct
way of carr ying out an activity within your organization. Standard
Operating Procedures at a minimum give you the following:

 Consistency - The number one reason for procedures is consistency in

the way an individual carries out a task or activity. The more
consistent a process is from person to person, the less chance there
will be quality problems.
 Reduction of errors - A written procedure details a set of instructions
for per forming a task . If ever yone within your team per forms the task
as it is written, there is a greater chance of reducing errors.
 Communication - Another great reason you need SOPs in your
organization is for the benefit of communication. With improvements
made to processes, the operating procedures are updated, and each
update requires new training.
CHARACTERISTIC OF MATERIALS USED IN
SPECIFIC PROJECTS
T he student must relate material proper ties to product and process quality. T hese are th e factor s th at
must be taken into consideration when choosing the right material for their components and assemblies:

1 . Selection of material

 Material selection is one of the most common tasks for design engineering. The ability to assess the
material’s impact on the per formance of a product is crucial for reliable per formance.
 Buyers are also considering the label or name of the company which are producing great quality of materials
and are known in the market.

Examples are the name HP for printer and Intel for some computer hardware

2 . Te s t i n g o f m a t e r i a l

 The testing of material proper ties is widely understood to be the key to obtaining data for a project,
per forming failure analysis, or understanding material interactions.
 Provides information on the quality of incoming and outgoing products. Inspection test equipment and
techniques are demonstrated for a wide range of materials and assemblies during the class.
 Provides the participants with both knowledge of the common failure modes.

3. Cost of material

 The cost of material is also considered when buying or selecting materials for a specific project.
 The amount may var y but never taken for granted the quality and the reliability of the material.

 W i l l yo u bu y m ater i al w h i c h i s l e s s ex p e nsi ve b ut w or s t i n qua l i ty ?

 W i l l yo u bu y m ater i al w h i c h yo u c a nnot a f for d ?

 People look for places which can meet their standards and right cost for materials
 THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE MATERIALS TO BE
USED FOR SPECIFIC PROJECT MUST BE:

1. OF GOOD QUALITY
This is the most important factor when choosing materials to buy.
Products with good quality are long-lasting and safe to use because you
know that it follows certain standards before being commercialized.
2. RELIABLE
It means that you can be sure that it will perform its function well,
will operate safely and will give the best it could give.
3. SUITABLE FOR THE APPLICATION/PURPOSES
Choose the materials which are very necessary to make the
project possible. Making a list of products/materials to buy is a good trait
of a wise consumer. Products which are not to be used must be crossed
out.
4. LOW COST
It doesn’t mean that you will choose for the less expensive one
and exclude the quality. Low cost means you can afford to buy the
materials without hurting your pocket and being assured of better quality
 FAULT IDENTIFICATION AND REPORTING
These are the things to be considered when:
Receiving Materials:
1. Match the packing slip
to the items received and
ensures that the materials
are
destined on tour
department.
2. That you are receiving
the materials indicated on
the purchase order
regarding
quantity and discount.
3. That the materials are in
acceptable condition.
4. That terms regarding
installation and/or set up
of equipment are met.
Receiving Reports
Whenever goods are
received:
1. The person receiving the
goods must document,
using the administrative
software,
that all goods were
received for each
requisition before any
payment can be made to
the vendor.
2. Any exceptions must be
noted so that partial
payments can be
processed, or
defective goods can be
returned.
Returning of
Merchandise
When merchandise is
received which is
incomplete or defective,
the supervisor
will return the materials to
the supplier or to the store
where it was bought and
decide with the vendor for
replacement.
Making an Inventory
Report of the
Materials
Effective management
checks are an important
means of providing
assurance
of the integrity and security
of the benefit processes.
They are also useful in
identifying training needs;
indicating possible
weaknesses in procedure
and
ensuring the section meets
its accuracy target set for
Best Value Performance
Indicators purposes.
 WORKPLACE PROCEDURE

A s e t o f w r i t te n i n s t r u c t i o n s t h a t i d e n t i f i e s t h e h e a l t h a n d s a fe t y i s s u e s t h a t
m ay a r i s e f ro m t h e j o b s a n d t a s k s t h a t m a ke u p a s y s te m o f w o r k

A s a fe w o r k i n g p r o c e d u r e s h o u l d b e w r i t te n w h e n :
• Designing a new job or task
• Changing jobs or task
• Introducing new equipment
• Reviewing a procedure when problems have been identified, example from an
accident or incident investigation

T h e s a fe w o r k i n g p r o c e d u r e s h o u l d i d e n t i f y :
• the teacher for the task or job and the students who will undertake the task
• the tasks that are to be undertaken that pose risks
• the equipment to be used in these tasks
• the control measures that have been formulated for these tasks
• any training or qualification needed to undertake the task
• the personal protective equipment to be worn
• action to be undertaken to address safety issues that may arise while undertaking
the task
 FO L LOW I N G C E R TA I N P R O C E D U R E S I S V E RY I M P O R TA N T T O P E R FO R M A G I V E N O P E R AT I O N .
T H E TA B L E B E LO W S H O W S D I F F E R E N T E L E M E N T S A N D T H E I R C O R R E S P O N D I N G
P E R F O R M A N C E C R I T E R I A T O B E A B L E T O I D E N T I F Y O C C U PAT I O N A L H E A LT H A N D S A F E T Y
HAZARDS, AND ASSESS RISK, AS WELL AS FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS AND PROCEDURE IN THE
WO R K P L AC E W I T H M I N I M A L S UP E RV I S I O N . T H E S T U D E N T S W I L L A L S O B E C A PA B L E O F
PA R T I C I PAT I N G A N D C O N T R I B U T I N G T O O H S M A N AG E M E N T I S S U E S .

ELEMENT PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

.
1. Identify hazards and assess risk. 1.1 Identify hazards in the work area and during the performance of workplace duties.
1.2 Assess level of risk

2. Follow procedures and strategies
for risk control.
2.1 Report hazards in the work area to designated personnel according to workplace
procedures
2.2 Follow workplace procedures and work instructions for assessing and controlling risks
with minimal supervision.
2.3 Whenever necessary, within the scope of responsibilities and competencies, follow
workplace procedures for dealing with hazards and incidents, fire and/or other emergencies.

3. Contribute to OHS in the workplace
3.1 Describe employee rights regarding consultation on OHS matters
3.2 Raise task and/or job specific OHS issues with appropriate people in accordance with
workplace procedures and relevant OHS legislative requirements
3.3 Contribute to participative arrangement for OHS management in the workplace within
organizational procedures and the scope of responsibilities and
competencies
3.4 Provide feedback to supervisor on hazards in work area in line with organizational OHS
policies and procedures
3.5 Provide support in implementing procedures to control risks in accordance with
organizational procedures

4. Work instruction may be: Verbal

• Written
• In English
• In a community language
• Provided visually e.g. video, OHS signs, symbols and other pictorial, presentation, etc.
 FO L LOW I N G C E R TA I N P R O C E D U R E S I S V E RY I M P O R TA N T T O P E R FO R M A G I V E N O P E R AT I O N .
T H E TA B L E B E LO W S H O W S D I F F E R E N T E L E M E N T S A N D T H E I R C O R R E S P O N D I N G
P E R F O R M A N C E C R I T E R I A T O B E A B L E T O I D E N T I F Y O C C U PAT I O N A L H E A LT H A N D S A F E T Y
HAZARDS, AND ASSESS RISK, AS WELL AS FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS AND PROCEDURE IN THE
WO R K P L AC E W I T H M I N I M A L S UP E RV I S I O N . T H E S T U D E N T S W I L L A L S O B E C A PA B L E O F
PA R T I C I PAT I N G A N D C O N T R I B U T I N G T O O H S M A N AG E M E N T I S S U E S .

ELEMENT PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

.
1. Identify hazards and assess risk. 1.1 Identify hazards in the work area and during the performance of workplace duties.
1.2 Assess level of risk

2. Follow procedures and strategies
for risk control.
2.1 Report hazards in the work area to designated personnel according to workplace
procedures
2.2 Follow workplace procedures and work instructions for assessing and controlling risks
with minimal supervision.
2.3 Whenever necessary, within the scope of responsibilities and competencies, follow
workplace procedures for dealing with hazards and incidents, fire and/or other emergencies.

3. Contribute to OHS in the workplace
3.1 Describe employee rights regarding consultation on OHS matters
3.2 Raise task and/or job specific OHS issues with appropriate people in accordance with
workplace procedures and relevant OHS legislative requirements
3.3 Contribute to participative arrangement for OHS management in the workplace within
organizational procedures and the scope of responsibilities and
competencies
3.4 Provide feedback to supervisor on hazards in work area in line with organizational OHS
policies and procedures
3.5 Provide support in implementing procedures to control risks in accordance with
organizational procedures

4. Work instruction may be: Verbal

• Written
• In English
• In a community language
• Provided visually e.g. video, OHS signs, symbols and other pictorial, presentation, etc.
 ELEMENT
5. Controlling risks in the work
area may include:
6. Reports identifying. workplace
hazards may be verbal or written
and may include:
7. Examples of OHS issues which
may need to be raised by workers
with designated personnel may
include:
8. Examples of contributions may
include:
PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
Application of the hierarchy of control,
namely:
• Eliminate the risk
• Reduce/minimise the risk through
• Engineering controls
• Administrative controls
• Personal protective equipment
• Face to face
• Phone messages
• Notes
• Memos
• Specially designed report forms .
Hazards identified
• Problems encountered in managing
risks associated with hazards
• Clarification on understanding of OHS
policies and procedures
• Communication and consultation
processes
• Follow up on reports and feedback.
• Effectiveness of risk controls in place
• Training needs
• Recommendations on changes to work
processes, equipment or practices
• Listening to the ideas and opinions of
others in the team
• Sharing opinions, views, knowledge and
skills
• Identifying and reporting risks and
hazards
• Using equipment according to
guidelines and operating manuals
 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFET Y
(OHS)
 r e l a te to h e a l t h , s a fe ty, a n d w e l f a r e i s s u e s i n t h e w o r k p l a c e .
 O H S i n c l u d e s t h e l aw s , s t a n d a r d s , a n d p r o g r a m s t h a t a r e a i m e d a t m a k i n g t h e
w o r k p l a c e b e tte r fo r w o r ke r s , a l o n g w i t h c o - w o r ke r s , f a m i l y m e m b e r s , c u s to m e r s ,
a n d o t h e r s t a ke h o l d e r s .
 I m p r ov i n g a c o m p a ny ' s o c c u p a t i o n a l h e a l t h a n d s a fe t y s t a n d a r d s e n s u r e s g o o d
b u s i n e s s , a b e t te r b r a n d i m a g e , a n d h i g h e r e m p l oye e m o r a l e .
 O c c u p a t i o n a l h e a l t h a n d s a fe t y a r e c o n c e r n e d w i t h a d d r e s s i n g m a ny t y p e s o f
workplace hazards, such as:

• Chemicals
• Physical hazards
• Biological agents
• Psychological fallout
• Ergonomic issues
• Accidents

 O c c u p a t i o n a l h e a l t h a n d s a fe t y s t a n d a r d s a r e i n p l a c e to m a n d a te t h e r e m ov a l ,
r e d u c t i o n , o r r e p l a c e m e n t o f j o b s i te h a z a r d s .
 O H S p r o g r a m s s h o u l d a l s o i n c l u d e m a te r i a l t h a t h e l p s m i n i m i z e t h e e f fe c t s o f t h e
h a z a r d s . E m p l oye r s a n d c o m p a ny m a n a g e m e n t a r e o b l i g e d to p rov i d e a s a fe
w o r k i n g e nv i r o n m e n t fo r a l l t h e i r e m p l oye e s .
 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFET Y
MANAGEMENT ISSUES
Types and Work-related errors

A . Quantity of work (untimely completion, limited production)

1. Poor prioritizing, timing, scheduling
2. Lost time
• Tardiness, absenteeism, leaving without permission
• Excessive visiting, phone use, break time, use of the Internet
• Misuse of sick leave
3. Slow response to work requests, untimely completion of assignments
4. Preventable accidents

B. Quality of work (failure to meet quality standards)

1. Inaccuracies, errors
2. Failure to meet expectations for product quality, cost or service
3. Customer/client dissatisfaction
4. Spoilage and/or waste of materials
5. Inappropriate or poor work methods
 STANDARDS
 Are sets of rules that outline specification of dimensions,
design of
 operation, materials and performance, or describe quality of
materials, products or systems.
 These standards should cover the performance expectations
of the product for applications.
 The intent of standards is to provide at least minimum
quality, safety or performance specifications to ensure
relatively uniform products and performance, and to remove
ambiguity as to the suitability of certain commercial products
for applications.
 Following standards may reduce the risk of error in working.
 SPECIFIC QUALIT Y STANDARDS FOR:

1. Hardware
The durability of the work depends on the quality of its
component parts and the assembly skills of those who install it.
If the best-quality products or hardware are used but are
installed incorrectly, the system will be a failure. The
application of suitable hardware and products must be
supported by adequate levels of training of person who use
them so that they can identify and use only appropriate
products. In judging a product or hardware, the person must
consider factors such as the following:
• Is the product or hardware under consideration suitable for the
application or purpose?
• Will it be harmful to the health of the community in its normal use?
• Is there a risk of this hardware being released into the environment
(e.g. the water) in the first instance or after the working life of the
product or hardware has expired?
 SPECIFIC QUALIT Y STANDARDS FOR:

2. Production Process
In production process, checking of quality assurance must be highly considered.
Q u a l i t y a s s u r a n c e c ove r s a l l a c t i v i t i e s f r o m d e s i g n , d ev e l o p m e n t , p r o d u c t i o n ,
i n s t a l l a t i o n , s e r v i c i n g a n d d o c u m e n t a t i o n . T h i s i n t r o d u c e d t h e r u l e s : " f i t fo r p u r p o s e "
a n d " d o i t r i g h t t h e f i r s t t i m e " . I t i n c l u d e s t h e r e g u l a t i o n o f t h e q u a l i t y o f r aw
m a te r i a l s , a s s e m b l i e s , p r o d u c t s a n d c o m p o n e n t s ; s e r v i c e s r e l a te d to p r o d u c t i o n ; a n d
management, production, and inspection processes.

A. FAILURE TESTING
A valuable process to perform on a whole consumer product is failure testing,
the operation of a product until it fails, often under stresses such as increasing vibration,
temperature and humidity. This exposes many unanticipated weaknesses in a product,
and the data is used to drive engineering and manufacturing process improvements.

B. STATISTICAL CONTROL
Many organizations use statistical process control to bring the organization to
Six Sigma levels of quality, in other words, so that the likelihood of an unexpected failure
is confined to six standard deviations on the normal distribution. Traditional statistical
process controls in manufacturing operations usually proceed by randomly sampling and
testing a fraction of the output. Variances of critical tolerances are continuously tracked,
and manufacturing processes are corrected before bad parts can be produced.
 SPECIFIC QUALIT Y STANDARDS FOR:

C. COMPANY QUALIT Y
The company -wide quality approach places an emphasis on three
aspects:
1. Elements such as controls, job management, adequate processes,
performance and integrity criteria and identification of records
2. Competence such as knowledge, skills, experience and qualifications
3. Soft elements, such as personnel integrity, confidence, organizational
culture, motivation, team spirit and quality relationships. The quality of the
outputs is at risk if any of these three aspects are deficient in any way.

D. TOTAL QUALIT Y CONTROL

Total Quality Control is the most necessar y inspection control
of all in cases where, despite statistical quality control techniques or
quality improvements implemented, sales decrease.
 SPECIFIC QUALIT Y STANDARDS FOR:

3. Final Product
 SPECIFIC QUALIT Y STANDARDS FOR:

3. Final Product
 SPECIFIC QUALIT Y STANDARDS FOR:

3. Final Product
 SPECIFIC QUALIT Y STANDARDS FOR:

4. Customer Service
According to Turban et al, 2002, Customer
service is a series of activities designed to
enhance the level of customer’s satisfaction 3
that is, the feeling that a product or service has
met the customer’s expectation=. Its
importance varies by product, industry and
customer.
 HOW TO MONITOR WORKPLACE
OPERATIONS?
Continually monitoring and looking for ways to improve
workplace operations can help an organization stay on financial
track and keep delivering top quality products and services. You
need to monitor workplace operations so you can develop
strategies to improve procedures and protocols. As a business
scales up in sales or in size, the task of monitoring becomes
more important and complicated.

Monitoring operations requires management oversight,

employee feedback and customer reviews. It can help provide
specific directions for employees, which can lead to improved
time management and increased productivity.
 F E W KE Y ST E PS TO QUA LI T Y M ON I TOR I N G YO UR BU SI N E SS
OP E R ATI ON S TO E N SUR E YO UR ORG A N I Z ATI ON R E M A I N S
C OM P E T I T I V E .

 Me as ur e me n t of t h e ope r at ive pe r for man ce . .

To me as ur e your company’ s pe r for man ce company in an e f fe ct ive way,
you n e e d to e s t abl i s h i n di cator s t h at allow you to kn ow t h e r e sult s an d h ow to
make t h e s ui t abl e adj us t me n t s w h e n it is n e ce ssar y. E ac h ar e a w it h in t h e
company h as i t s ow n me c h an isms , n e e ds an d r e source s. I t is impo r tan t to h ave an
an alysis o f h ow e ac h s e par ate ar e a is pe r for min g to ac h ieve it s spe cific
obj e ct ive s.
 I mple me n t ope r at i on al proce ss improve me n t s.
A r e s ul t s - or i e n te d improve me n t plan focuse s on improv in g cost , q ualit y,
s e r vice or s pe e d. Ac t i on s te ps r an ge f rom makin g min or c h an g e s t h at e limin ate
duplicate ste ps or oth e r wo rkflow r e dun dan cie s to r e de sig n in g an e n t ir e proce ss.
An imple me n t at i on i n cl ude s an alyzin g , pr io r it izin g an d r e asse mblin g t asks an d
ope r at ion al s te ps .
 Colle ct r e l eva n t dat a.
Th e r e ar e many ways to colle ct dat a v ia r e g ular mon itor in g an d
s ur veyin g . Many bus i n e s s e s use a custome r r ete n t ion man ag e me n t (CRM)
s of t wa r e . Sof t wa r e capabi lit ie s va r y but most of fe r s eve r al ways to mon itor
wo rkplace ope r at i on s . Al l r e leva n t in for mat ion comin g out f rom out bo un d calls,
prospe ct con t act s cal l s , co r r e spo n de n ce , of flin e an d on lin e s ur veys, follow -ups
an d sale s s h oul d be r e g i s te r e d an d an alyze d. Rig h t n ow, you can fin d in t h e
market sof t wa r e t h at eve n h e lp t r ac k or de r s an d se n d follow up of fe r s .
 SEVEN SIMPLE TOOLS CAN BE USED BY ANY
PROFESSIONAL TO EASE THE QUALIT Y
IMPROVEMENT PROCESS:
1 . FLOWCHART S
 Flowchar ts describe a process in as much detail
as possible by graphically
displaying the steps in proper sequence.
A good flowchar t should show all process steps
under analysis by the quality improvement team,
identify critical process points for control, suggest
areas for fur ther improvement, and help explain
and solve a problem.
 The flowchar t is a simple production process in
which par ts are received, inspected, and sent to
subassembly operations and painting.
 Af ter completing this loop, the par ts can be
shipped as subassemblies af ter passing a final
test or they can complete a second cycle
consisting of final assembly, inspection and
testing, painting, final testing, and shipping.
 SEVEN SIMPLE TOOLS CAN BE USED BY ANY
PROFESSIONAL TO EASE THE QUALIT Y
IMPROVEMENT PROCESS:
2. CHECK SHEET S
Check sheets help organize data by
categor y. They show how many times each
value occur s, and their information is
increasingly helpful as more data are
collected. Check sheets minimize clerical
work since the operator merely adds a mark
to the tally on the prepared sheet rather than
writing out a figure. By showing the frequency
of a defect (e.g., in a molded par t) and how
of ten it occur s in a specific location, check
sheets help operator s spot problems. The
check sheet example shows a list of molded
par t defects on a production line covering a
week’s time. One can easily see where to set
priorities based on results shown on this
check sheet. Assuming the production flow is
the same on each day, the par t with the
largest number of defects carries the highest
priority for correction.
 SEVEN SIMPLE TOOLS CAN BE USED BY ANY
PROFESSIONAL TO EASE THE QUALIT Y
IMPROVEMENT PROCESS:
3. PARETO DIAGRAMS
The Pareto diagram is named af ter Vilfredo
Pareto, a 19th-centur y Italian economist who
postulated that a large share of wealth is
owned by a small percentage of the
population. This basic principle translates
well into quality problems4most quality
problems result from a small number of
causes. Quality exper ts of ten refer to the
principle as the 80-20 rule; that is, 80% of
problems are caused by 20% of the potential
sources.
A Pareto diagram puts data in a
hierarchical order, which allows the most
significant problems to be corrected fir st. The
Pareto analysis technique is used primarily to
identify and evaluate nonconformities,
although it can summarize all types of data. It
is perhaps the diagram most of ten used in
management presentations.
 SEVEN SIMPLE TOOLS CAN BE USED BY ANY
PROFESSIONAL TO EASE THE QUALIT Y
IMPROVEMENT PROCESS:
4 . C AU S E A N D E F F E C T D I AG R A M S
T h e c a u s e - a n d - e f fe c t d i a g r a m a r e s o m e t i m e s c a l l e d a n I s h i k awa d i a g r a m a f te r
i t s i nv e n to r. I t i s a l s o k n ow n a s a f i s h b o n e d i a g r a m b e c a u s e o f i t s s h a p e . A c a u s e a n d
e f fe c t d i a g r a m d e s c r i b e s a r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n va r i a b l e s . T h e u n d e s i r a b l e o u t c o m e i s
s h ow n a s e f fe c t , a n d r e l a te d c a u s e s a r e s h ow n a s l e a d i n g to , o r p o te n t i a l l y l e a d i n g to , t h e
s a i d e f fe c t . T h i s p o p u l a r to o l h a s o n e s ev e r e l i m i t a t i o n , h ow ev e r, i n t h a t u s e r s c a n
ov e r l o o k i m p o r t a n t , c o m p l ex i n te r a c t i o n s b e t w e e n c a u s e s . T h u s , i f a p r o b l e m i s c a u s e d by
a c o m b i n a t i o n o f f a c to r s , i t i s d i f f i c u l t to u s e t h i s to o l to d e p i c t a n d s o l ve i t .
A f i s h b o n e d i a g r a m d i s p l ay s a l l c o n t r i b u t i n g f a c to r s a n d t h e i r r e l a t i o n s h i p s to
t h e o u t c o m e to i d e n t i f y a r e a s w h e r e d a t a s h o u l d b e c o l l e c te d a n d a n a l y z e d . T h e m a j o r
a r e a s o f p o te n t i a l c a u s e s a r e s h ow n a s t h e m a i n b o n e s , e . g . , m a te r i a l s , m e t h o d s , p e o p l e ,
m e a s u r e m e n t , m a c h i n e s , a n d d e s i g n . L a te r, t h e s u b a r e a s a r e d e p i c te d .
 SEVEN SIMPLE TOOLS CAN BE USED BY ANY
PROFESSIONAL TO EASE THE QUALIT Y
IMPROVEMENT PROCESS:
5. HISTOGRAMS
The histogram plots data in a frequency
distribution table. What distinguishes the
histogram from a check sheet is that its data
are grouped into rows so that the identity of
individual values is lost. Commonly used to
present quality improvement data, histograms
work best with small amounts of data that var y
considerably. When used in process capability
studies, histograms can display specification
limits to show what por tion of the data does not
meet the specifications.
Af ter the raw data are collected, they
are grouped in value and frequency and plotted
in a graphical form. A histogram’s shape shows
the nature of the distribution of the data, as
well as central tendency (average) and
variability. Specification limits can be used to
display the capability of the process.
 SEVEN SIMPLE TOOLS CAN BE USED BY ANY
PROFESSIONAL TO EASE THE QUALIT Y
IMPROVEMENT PROCESS:
6. SCATTER DIAGRAMS
A scatter diagram shows how two
variables are
related and is thus used to test for cause
and effect relationships. It cannot prove
that one variable causes the change in the
other, only that a relationship exists and
how strong it is. In a scatter diagram, the
horizontal (x) axis
represents the measurement values of one
variable, and the vertical (y) axis
represents the measurements of the
second variable
 SEVEN SIMPLE TOOLS CAN BE USED BY ANY
PROFESSIONAL TO EASE THE QUALIT Y
IMPROVEMENT PROCESS:
7. CONTROL CHARTS
A control chart displays statistically determined upper and
lower limits drawn on either side of a process average. This chart
shows if the collected data are within upper and lower limits
previously determined through statistical calculations of raw data
from earlier trials.