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A METHODOLOGY TO PROVIDE QUALITY INFORMATION

A METHODOLOGY TO PROVIDE QUALITY INFORMATION. I K RAVICHANDRA RAO Professor and Head INDIAN STATISTICAL INSTITUTE Documentation Research and Training Centre 8 TH Mile Mysore Road, Bangalore 560 059 E-mail: ikrrao@hotmail.com. QUALITY INFORMATION. Information Society

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A METHODOLOGY TO PROVIDE QUALITY INFORMATION

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  1. A METHODOLOGY TO PROVIDE QUALITY INFORMATION I K RAVICHANDRA RAO Professor and Head INDIAN STATISTICAL INSTITUTE Documentation Research and Training Centre 8TH Mile Mysore Road, Bangalore 560 059 E-mail: ikrrao@hotmail.com

  2. QUALITY INFORMATION • Information Society • What is Information? • What is Quality? -- Conformance to requirement -- Inherent Quality Information -- Pragmatic Quality Information I K R Rao

  3. TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT • User or Customer Focus • Leadership • Team work • Continuous Improvement • Measurement • Bench marking I K R Rao

  4. MEASUREMENTS QI metrics are used to translate the users' needs into measurable specifications. This specifications should be designed into the information solution. Once the solutions are provided, QI metrics are used to assess the solution’s actual performance against the requirements and effectively against user needs. I K R Rao

  5. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT • Cultural Aspects • What is the meaning of high quality of information? • How is it defined and measured? • Do I really require, high quality information? • Do I provide such information? • What should I do to provide such information? Etc I K R Rao

  6. METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS Here, we deal with Planning, Doing, Checking, Acting Stage, and Bench marking (PDCAB). I K R Rao

  7. PLANNING Objectives (of improvement) are identified, scope is defined; metrics are specified and targets are set. I K R Rao

  8. DOING Here the improvement activities are conducted (e.g. introducing a new service, extend the scope of the databases, etc) I K R Rao

  9. CHECKING The performance of the new solution (i.e. the quality of the information) is checked against pre-defined metrics -- recall, precision, cost, no. of uses, no. of xerox copies made, no. of reviews, etc. I K R Rao

  10. ACTING STAGE The actions required to close the gaps between the required and actual QI performance are designed and conducted I K R Rao

  11. BENCHMARKING It supports the QI improvement team in setting high but realistic targets that energize the process. Benchmarking is also a useful to discover new and practicable metrics and methods to measure QI. QI levels may be achieved if we examine the other similar organisations! I K R Rao

  12. Operations on QI Needs and Metrics • Operation EXTRACT needs • Description Find out what are the users’ QI needs, expressed in his word (voice of users) • OutputExamples Timeliness, Relevancy, Accuracy I K R Rao

  13. Operations on QI Needs and Metrics • Operation TRANSLATE needs Description Translate abstract needs into concrete metrics. • OutputExamples Need = Accuracy Metrics = error rate, precision I K R Rao

  14. Operations on QI Needs and Metrics • Operation DEFINE metrics • Description Define how the metric will be measured (definition, unit, scale, data source) • OutputExamples Error rate, defined as % of documents with at least one erroneous field I K R Rao

  15. Operations on QI Needs and Metrics • Operation ANALYZE metrics. • Description Explore interdependencies between metrics (tradeoffs, synergy). • OutputExamples Tradeoff between completeness & response time. I K R Rao

  16. Operations on QI Needs and Metrics • Operation PRIORITIZE metrics • Description Rank metrics by importance according to user needs and other considerations • OutputExamples In application X importance order is: Response time, error rate, format standardization I K R Rao

  17. Operations on QI Needs and Metrics • Operation MEASURE current performance Description Measure the current QI performance OutputExamples Response time = 8 days (average) I K R Rao

  18. Operations on QI Needs and Metrics • Operation BENCHMARK performance Description Explore QI performance in other organisation OutputExamples In library Y: Response time = 4 hours. I K R Rao

  19. Operations on QI Needs and Metrics • Operation SET TARGETS values Description Determine target values OutputExamples Response time = say, 3 hours I K R Rao

  20. Operations on QI Needs and Metrics • Operation NORMALIZE metrics Description Each metric has different scale and unit. This operation creates a common scale. In order to enable the evaluation of the overall QI performance (integrated QI index) Output Examples Performance Scale: 5-outstanding 4-good, 3-acceptable 2-poor I K R Rao

  21. Operations on QI Needs and Metrics • Operation COMMUNICATE performance and targets Description Communication of metrics information to all stakeholders, including management OutputExamples A report I K R Rao

  22. The important aspects in QI methodology are identifying users and their needs and selection of appropriate tools for the data analysis. Some of these aspects of methodology may be covered in the library and information science curriculum. There are 8 stages or levels in information cycle -- generation, publication, collection, processing, storage, retrieval, dissemination and feedback. Contd…. I K R Rao

  23. In order to have "Quality information" one has to introduce a TQM, appropriately at all levels. If we concentrate only on one or few of the levels, we may not achieve the target of providing quality information. I K R Rao

  24. Six Sigma Applications to Library and Information Science I K R Rao

  25. Outline • Library Processes • Six Sigma Methodologies • Examples • A Problem in a commercial special library • A Problem in an open access system • A Problem in a network of financial Institutions I K R Rao

  26. LIBRARY PROCESSES "library processes" must be continuously maintained, improved and controlled, particularly in academic and special libraries. • Acquisition of documents • Technical processing of documents • Diffusion of information • Information services I K R Rao

  27. Quality Improvement(QI) methodologies • "evolutionary" TQM Quality circles, • "revolutionary • re-engineering • six sigma I K R Rao

  28. Revolutionary QI • Reengineering is defined as the "fundamental rethinking and radical re-design of processes to achieve dramatic improvement in critical, contemporary, measures of performance. • Six sigma philosophy focuses on making improvements in all operations within a process, producing results far more rapidly and effectively. I K R Rao

  29. Revolutionary QI… Thus re-engineering and six sigma recognize that • Processes are key to quality • Most processes are poorly designed and implemented • Over all success rates are very sensitive to individual critical sub processes success rates • Rapid dramatic change requires looking at the critical processes. I K R Rao

  30. In recent times many libraries applied the methodologies of re-engineering; however, hardly any library applied six-sigma methodologies directly! • I could trace only one literature on application of six sigma methodologies to libraries; i.e. "Adopting Manufacturing-based Six Sigma Methodology to the Service Environment of a Radiology Film Library" by Anthony R Benedetto (1) • Biswanath Dutta carried out a study (under the supervision of K.K Chowdhury of SQC Unit ISI BC) to apply six sigma techniques to ISI BC Library, as a part of his project; based on these two case studies an attempt has been made to discuss "Six Sigma methodologies for libraries". I K R Rao

  31. SIX SIGMA METHODOLOGIES The steps involved in six sigma applications are • Recognize: Identify or recognize a problem where six sigma can be applied appropriately. • Definition: Define clearly the problem and the final state in written form. • Measuring: use historical data or collect the data, relevant to the problem, so as to characterize current quality, costs, and other factors. I K R Rao

  32. SIX SIGMA METHODOLOGIES • Analyze -- apply statistical tools to the data to characterize the key drivers of the problem areas identified in the measuring phase. • Improve -- develop alternative solutions, evaluate them and test them on a pilot basis. • Control -- determine the best methods for ensuring that any new solution is actually working. • Standardization -- write a few Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and provide training to all persons involved in the process. • Integrate -- implement the new SOP and persistently use the appropriate control measures to ensure that the process. I K R Rao

  33. Steps Involved in Implementation of Six Sigma I K R Rao

  34. Example - A Problem in a network of Financial institutions: Finding There was no co-coordinated provision of information services within the department staff operated within specialist units and each unit kept its own collection of records and publications. The information audit revealed considerable duplication (some records were kept in up to 12 versions.) It was not possible to tell where the latest version of a document was kept and considerable time as space was wasted by the duplication of efforts. . I K R Rao

  35. Example- A Problem in a Network of Financial Institutions: the Solution: The information audit identified the classes of document that were needed. The department has recognized into a team-based project oriented group -- so that multidisciplinary teams are brought together for specific projects. A central information unit was established to provide a pool of resources that any team could call on. This helped to eliminate most of the duplication and provided a more rapid response to information resources. Additional staff was recruited to deliver this service on the basis that would improve the productivity of the department I K R Rao

  36. A Problem in a Commercial Special LibraryFindings The library has been established some years ago but because of lack of resources it has not been able to review its services in the light of changing research priorities. An audit was conducted to document the needs of existing users, to identify collections and to make recommendations for changes in strategy. I K R Rao

  37. A Problem in a Commercial Special Library: the Solution The remoteness of the library from the users was identified as one of the problems that needed addressing. The solution was to establish a branch library of key reference works and specialist literatures near to the laboratories. Users were also given access to the library catalogue via the LAN. Central Co-ordination of the service was still managed by the librarian. I K R Rao

  38. Problem in an open access system • In an open access system, there is a problem to locate books in a pre-defined position; further, due to wrong placement of books on the shelf, • a project on Six Sigma Application was undertaken jointly by Choudhury and Dutta The main objectives of the project were • Every user should get his/her right books at right time. • Change potential user to actual user • Increase the user satisfaction I K R Rao

  39. Problem in an open access system • Data were collected, by applying appropriate sampling methods, • on wrongly racked books (type A error), • rightly but wrongly shelved (type B error), • misplaced within the shelves (type C error) • rightly placed books (zero error, called as type D error); • process sigma was calculated appropriately and then defect-wise analysis was carried out; cause and effect study was carried out in order to identify the causes of defects. I K R Rao

  40. Problem in an open access system • After implementing the recommendations, mostly related to monitoring of certain operations of maintenance, the study was repeated. • There was considerable improvement -- significant improvement on Types A,B & C errors; sigma level was improved form 2.02 to 3.9 which was remarkably good but the improvement was for a small period of time so to sustain the result and for further improvement of sigma level, it was needed to control the present processes and systems. I K R Rao

  41. Much of the works in libraries and information centers are repetitive types and also they are of routine in nature. There is a plenty of scope for statistical application such as six-sigma re-engineering, etc to library and information field. I K R Rao

  42. Some techniques to Evaluate Library Collection • Simple Counting of uses (But then what is “use of a document?” • Analysis of the Lorenz Curves of distribution of circulation data. I K R Rao

  43. Distribution Of Documents (Computer Science) I K R Rao

  44. Measures (Computer Science) Unused Documents = 50.87% X- bar = 1.3525 Variance = 5.4894 Standard Deviation = 2.3429 p = 0.2463 q = 0.7536 k = 0.4421 χc 2 = 47.5231 χ 2 (α= 0.05, 14) = 23.70 I K R Rao

  45. Lorenz Curve for the Distribution of Circulation Data (Computer Science) I K R Rao

  46. Distribution of Documents(Economics) I K R Rao

  47. Measures(Economics) Unused Documents = 78.58% X-bar = 0.4946 Variance = 1.6059 Standard Deviation = 1.2552 p = 0.3139 q = 06860 k = 0.2257 χc 2 = 34.12 χ 2 (α= 0.05, 4) = 9.49 I K R Rao

  48. Lorenz Curve for the Distribution of Circulation Data(Economics) I K R Rao

  49. Distribution Of Documents (Generalia) I K R Rao

  50. Measures (Generalia) Unused Documents = 76.33% X bar = 0.4946 Variance = 1.3256 Standard Deviation = 1.2552 p = 0.3139 q = 0.6860 k = 0.2257 χc 2 = 54.12 χ 2 (α= 0.05, 9) = 19.9 I K R Rao

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