The Seven Management and Planning Tools

Adapted from Memory Jogger Plus by GOAL/QPC

AFFINITY DIAGRAM

• GATHERS LANGUAGE DATA

• ORGANIZES INTO GROUPING

• DEFINES GROUPS OF ITEMS

• CREATIVE PROCESS

TYPICAL USES OF AN AFFINITY

• Automotive Electronics - customer management

• Computer Manufacturing - QA operating functions

• Paper Manufacturing - designing TQM program

• Auto manufacturer - PM program

CHOOSE THE RIGHT TEAM

• Necessary knowledge

• Accustomed to one another

• Bring in new people

• Use resources (including people) as needed

• 5 to 9 members

PHRASE THE ISSUE

• Vague statement

• ‘Issues’

• Put the ‘Issue’ at the top of flipchart/blackboard used for recording

GENERATE AND RECORD IDEAS

• BRAINSTORM!!!

• NO CRITICISM

• LOTS OF IDEAS

• RECORD AS SPOKEN

• USE FLIPCHART/ BLACKBOARD

• CONCISE

• SUBJECT/VERB

• TRANSCRIBE ONTO SMALL CARDS

DISPLAY COMPLETED CARDS

• MIX CARDS RANDOMLY

• USE WORKSPACE EVERYONE CAN SEE AND TOUCH

ARRANGE CARDS INTO RELATED GROUPINGS

• Team or assigned individual

• Look for cards that are related

• Place related cards into groupings

• "React" don’t "Contemplate"

• Settle disagreements by consensus/attrition

• Be creative!

CREATE HEADER CARDS

• ‘Name’ for each group

• Concise

• Should reflect the common thread that connects the cards in a group

• AVOID JARGON, CLICHÉS!!!

DRAW THE FINISHED AFFINITY DIAGRAM

• Draw lines around each group connecting it with the header card

• Place related groupings near one another

• May create 'supergroups'

• For immediate use, draw on original sheets

• For sharing with others, spruce it up!

INTERRELATIONSHIP DIGRAPH

• Maps the logical links among related items

• Shows multidirectional relationships

• Creative process that allows people to step outside of ‘linear’ thinking

AGREE ON ISSUE

• Usually comes from Affinity Diagram
  -can be same issue
  -can be ‘critical’ header

• Can be any key issue , if so, then...
  -brainstorm!!
  -create cards
  -I recommend completing an Affinity

• ‘Effect’ statement in Ishikawa

DISPLAY COMPLETED CARDS
Three Methods

AFFINITY GROUPINGS

• Rearrange affinity groupings in cause/effect sequence

• Place related groupings next to one another

• Allow spacing to draw connecting lines

RANDOM DISTRIBUTION

• Remove header cards

• Mix the remaining cards

• place randomly on the work surface

ONE BY ONE

• Place cards where they are visible

• Randomly select a card

• Ask, "does any other card.......cause this card?.......result from this card?

• For each card chosen... CAUSE -> EFFECT

• Repeat until done, add cards if necessary

DRAW RELATIONSHIP ARROWS

• One card at a time

• "What other cards are ‘caused’ by this card"

• Repeat ‘caused by’ question for each card

• Don’t use two-way arrows

• Use bridges:

SELECTION OF KEY ITEMS

• Identify cards with most in/out arrows

• Review these:
  -Outgoing arrows dominant
  -Incoming arrows dominant

• Check others

• By consensus choose major items to pursue further

PROCESS DECISION PROGRAM CHART (PDPC)

• Identifies possible events in project implementation

• Identifies potential countermeasures

• Most useful in implementing complex projects with which little experience is available