Why chart

Control charts are one of many statistical tools that can be used to aid in continuous process improvement. They are helpful in many types of processes. But not in all processes. You cannot really make a blanket statement that a control chart will always work here and never work there.

However, there is almost always an advantage to plotting data over time to see what is happening. The first question you must answer is: Why start a control chart? You should have some objective. Maybe you are working on a Six Sigma project and want to understand the type of variation you are dealing with. Maybe a customer requires it.

Maybe you want to reduce a variable over time. Maybe you want to simply track a process for special causes. The key is to start with a purpose. The blog I ran across was written by Eileen at this link. Again the website deals with the efforts to reduce healthcare-acquired infections in clinical settings - very worthwhile effort. I wish them many successes in their efforts. However, the blog was not written by someone who understands control charts, how they are used, or the information that is contained in this website.

Just about every paragraph contained misleading information - and no data. If she had left this website out of it, I probably would not have responded. Here is the link to my response. Thanks so much for reading our publication. We hope you find it informative and useful. Happy charting and may the data always support your position.

Thank you for a very informative, explanatory and practical use of SPC Newsletter. Regards, Didrik Strand. This came to me via our contact us page:. I commend you for your professional response. The only thing better than offering some training to them, would be to offer it to their competitor for the particular processes this blogger says it can not be applied!

Dear Bill,. I liked the newsletter it fitted in with my own ideas of using SPC for nearly 30 years. I also like the ideas of Donald Wheeler of trying to get the name control chart changed to a process behaviour chart, and that the aim of the SPC is to collect data to see how the process behaves over time, it was a shame it was ever called a control chart, but we have to live with it. Thanks Kevin. I also like Dr.

Wheeler's desire to change from control limits to process limits. It is a better description of what the chart does. I see you had a comment on their blog. They did not post my comment. I commend you for your restaint, I now see a development on the old addage on Lies and statistics,.

Bill, thanks for sharing this. We need to do all we can to have control charts become a celebrated tool of management, not something to misuse and then abuse. My work is in performance measurement, and I find that control charts are fantastic to help managers see the true signals in their performance measures rather than reacting to every month-to-month difference tampering. Don Wheeler's book is fabulous, and XmR charts are really quite simple and perfect for most management performance measures.

Loved your article, and intend to share it with my own subscribers. Smiles, Stacey Barr www. This is a really entertaining Article that you've put up there. I registered to your Page's RSS and hope you post more stuff that are equally perfect. This is really informative,helpful regarding the control charts newsletter.

Thanks a lot Bill. Great information and thanks for sharing! This was a VERY helpful article. This makes it clearer what he is attempting to do with Control Charts.

I would have asked him directly but he has a tendency to drone on at length. This just flat out made sense. Thank you for posting this! If we stop using control chart cos it's not working to achieve purpose, what else based on yoir exprrience would you suggest one use? Does Control chart falls in the space of causality or causal analysis than correlations or 'statistical' analysis? Thanks alot. If for some reason a control chart does not help you, then don't use it - but at a mininum plot the data over time.

Not clear on your second question but a control chart does not tell you a cause of anything - you have to find what causes out of control points.

So, it is more statisitcal analysis l think. Its reall y tremendous. Buy Now. Try Free. Click here to see what our customers say about SPC for Excel! SPC for Excel is used in over 60 countries internationally. Click here for a list of those countries. The Purpose of Control Charts. March This month's newsletter examines the purpose of control charts and some ways they can be used. So, in this issue we will answer the following questions: What is a process? What is a control chart? What is variation?

What does a control chart look like? When there is a clear relation between two or more levels, goals should be aligned the way OKR methodology suggests. Every employee is made aware of their roles and responsibilities in the workplace. New employees also benefit from the organizational charts.

Even before they get a chance to interact with their colleagues, they can easily determine who they are going to work with. It helps them connect more effectively and with purpose. Hierarchical organizational charts are the most common structures as well as the most popular one. In this model, the employees are grouped together in a team where each one has one clear manager to report to.

Hierarchical structures are commonly observed on larger companies where power and authority increases as it ascends to the very top level of management. For example, in Government organizations. Unlike traditional hierarchy, the structure of reporting is set up in the form of a grid or matrix. Employees with similar skills or expertise are grouped together for common tasks. However they may report to more than one manager.

For example, the sales team of a company may report to their Sales manager or Sales Head. But they also have to report to the Marketing Manager or Marketing Head to share the information collected through their interactions with prospects and customers.

In traditional organizational charts, this concept was known as solid line and dotted line reports. A flat structure or a horizontal structure is one where middle levels of management are eliminated to expedite the process of decision making in the workplace.

This can be especially seen in startup cultures or smaller companies and is near impossible to use in larger organizations. Flat organizational charts help to reduce bureaucracy and enable employees to take decisions independently.

It further helps to improve their productivity while at the same time empowering them to be more accountable towards their work. A popular misconception is that in flat hierarchies, employees do not have any managers or supervisors to report to.

The chart also shows relationships between staff in the organization which can be:. Line : direct relationship between superior and subordinate. This can be considered an ideal organizational chart type that clearly illustrates the relationship between the employees and shows their direct reporting person. Lateral : relationship between different departments on the same hierarchical level.

This one is added to an existing organizational chart and illustrates the relationship between the employees of different departments holding the same rank level, e. A Lateral Chart shows how communication takes place, and the information flows inter-departmentally.

Staff : relationship between a managerial assistant and other areas. The assistant will be able to offer advice to a line manager. However, they have no authority over the line manager actions. This chart shows the relationship between the employees of an organization holding managerial posts and their assistants. In many companies, the assistants are expected to offer suggestions to their reporting managers, thus helping them in coming up with a fruitful decision.

However, the assistants cannot compel their seniors to act as per the proposed advice. Functional : relationships between specialist positions and other areas. The specialist will normally have authority to insist that a line manager implements any of their instructions. The same chart can also talk about the other employees appointed to work in the downline of these general managers in their respective departments.

Usually, it is the HR who draws an organizational chart, and ensures that it is consistently updated with the modifications in the hierarchal structure of the company. A well-maintained organizational chart is important for both managerial staff and the newly recruited personnel.

While the seniors can check the chart to see the number of employees working in a company or its different departments so as to keep track of the strength, the new employees may use it to know which person is responsible for which task, and who should they report or seek help from if need be. A detailed organizational chart plays a vital role in a company in several ways.

There are several organizational chart benefits such as maintaining flawless workflow among the employees, ensuring a proper communication channel between the junior and senior personnel, and much more. Some of the most significant advantages of having an organizational chart in a firm include:. Administration - An organizational chart helps the managers and administrators check positions that need to be filled by hiring new people, assess the number applications that are in the pipeline and need attention, the existing employees that need appraisals or increments, etc.

Hierarchy - In a company with several employees, losing track of the command chain is pretty common. With an updated organizational chart, it becomes easy for both administrators and their subordinates to assess whom they should seek a report from and who is the right person to report to, respectively. Manpower Expansion - Because an organizational chart gives an aerial view of the departments, employees, and the business needs, it becomes extremely easy for the administrators to assess when the company needs more employees for further growth.