By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
SmartData CollectiveSmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
  • Analytics
    AnalyticsShow More
    data-driven white label SEO
    Does Data Mining Really Help with White Label SEO?
    7 Min Read
    marketing analytics for hardware vendors
    IT Hardware Startups Turn to Data Analytics for Market Research
    9 Min Read
    big data and digital signage
    The Power of Big Data and Analytics in Digital Signage
    5 Min Read
    data analytics investing
    Data Analytics Boosts ROI of Investment Trusts
    9 Min Read
    football data collection and analytics
    Unleashing Victory: How Data Collection Is Revolutionizing Football Performance Analysis!
    4 Min Read
  • Big Data
  • BI
  • Exclusive
  • IT
  • Marketing
  • Software
Search
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: How to Track Your Data for Six Sigma Use
Share
Notification Show More
Aa
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
Aa
Search
  • About
  • Help
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
SmartData Collective > Analytics > How to Track Your Data for Six Sigma Use
Analytics

How to Track Your Data for Six Sigma Use

knowwareman
Last updated: 2011/12/13 at 5:45 PM
knowwareman
4 Min Read
SHARE

While most companies have too much data, people can always identify something they aren’t tracking that they should be tracking. Then they think they have to set up a whole system to collect the measurement. This is a mistake. You don’t know if the measurement is useful until you have collected some. Rather than wait for a measurement system, start today using the simplest of tools: a checksheet.

checksheet

While most companies have too much data, people can always identify something they aren’t tracking that they should be tracking. Then they think they have to set up a whole system to collect the measurement. This is a mistake. You don’t know if the measurement is useful until you have collected some. Rather than wait for a measurement system, start today using the simplest of tools: a checksheet.

More Read

football data collection and analytics

Unleashing Victory: How Data Collection Is Revolutionizing Football Performance Analysis!

What to Know Before Recruiting an Analyst to Handle Company Data
How Residential Proxies Help Improve Data Gathering
Four Strategies For Effective Database Compliance
Discover the Power of Analytical Insights in Your Business Data

checksheet

I’ve use these kinds of checksheets when I’m working with a team to implement Six Sigma. They find causes, I write them down and tally the number of times each occur. By the 30th data point, a pareto pattern appears that points us at the most common (i.e., root) cause of the problem.

Checksheet Data Collection
Nothing could be simpler than data collection with a checksheet. The QI Macros have a template in the improvement tools to get you started:

Excel Checksheet for collecting data

Simply print it out and start writing on it. What to write?

  • In column A, write the first instance of any defect, problem or symptom you detect. For example, if someone is calling us for support and they have a problem with understanding GageR&R, then we’d write “GageR&R” in A3 and put a stroke tally in the day of the week (e.g., Monday):

    Excel Checksheet with stroke tally

  • Then continue as the week goes on, adding defects, problems or symptoms. By the end of the week, we’ll have an interesting picture of support calls.

    Excel Checksheet for support

Just add up the number of calls and “Excel disabled macros ” jumps out as the majority of the calls. Create a pareto chart to better demonstrate this.

Pareto chart in Excel of Checksheet data

But now the questions arise:

  • Does a specific version of Excel disable the macros?
  • What are the SPC Questions about? Histograms? Control Charts? Which control chart?
  • And so on.

Well, if we spent a lot of time and money setting up a measurement system to track just these items, it wouldn’t do us much good. Now we can tune up the checksheet to give us better data:

Excel Checksheet for support revised

Use a checksheet to prototype your data collection efforts. Iterate until you start to understand what you really need to know to make improvements. A series of checksheets may be all you need to solve a pressing problem. If necessary, you can implement a measurement system to collect the data over time.

So please, don’t wait for a magical, all encompassing measurement system to deliver data. It’s not going to happen. And I often find it’s just an excuse to avoid making improvements (“I can’t because I don’t have the measurements I need.”) 

TAGGED: data, data collection, six sigma
knowwareman December 13, 2011
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn
Share

Follow us on Facebook

Latest News

big data and IP laws
Big Data & AI In Collision Course With IP Laws – A Complete Guide
Big Data
ai in marketing
4 Ways AI Can Enhance Your Marketing Strategies
Marketing
sobm for ai-driven cybersecurity
Software Bill of Materials is Crucial for AI-Driven Cybersecurity
Security
IT budgeting for data-driven companies
IT Budgeting Practices for Data-Driven Companies
IT

Stay Connected

1.2k Followers Like
33.7k Followers Follow
222 Followers Pin

You Might also Like

football data collection and analytics
Big Data

Unleashing Victory: How Data Collection Is Revolutionizing Football Performance Analysis!

4 Min Read
analyst,women,looking,at,kpi,data,on,computer,screen
Analytics

What to Know Before Recruiting an Analyst to Handle Company Data

6 Min Read
residential proxies
Big Data

How Residential Proxies Help Improve Data Gathering

7 Min Read
database compliance guide
Data Management

Four Strategies For Effective Database Compliance

8 Min Read

SmartData Collective is one of the largest & trusted community covering technical content about Big Data, BI, Cloud, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, IoT & more.

ai in ecommerce
Artificial Intelligence for eCommerce: A Closer Look
Artificial Intelligence
giveaway chatbots
How To Get An Award Winning Giveaway Bot
Big Data Chatbots Exclusive

Quick Link

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Go to mobile version
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?