Chapter 13

1. Chapter 13 Management and Planning Tools

2. Objectives • Define, select, and apply the following tools: • Affinity diagrams • Tree diagrams • Process decision program charts (PDPC) • Matrix diagrams • Interrelationship diagraphs • Prioritization matrices • Activity network diagrams

3. Management and Planning Tools • 1. Affinity diagrams are used to produce numerous possible answers to an open question. • Example: What are some of the ways to reduce cycle time for process A? • First step: Brainstorm to obtain several responses. • The next step: is to move the responses into natural groups for example machine, personnel, infrastructure, vendor, and maintenance (fig 13.1, page 53).

4. Management and Planning Tools • 2. Interrelationship diagraphs: are used to identify cause and effect relationships. • A typical application begins with listing concerns to a question (example: barrier to on time deliveries)around a board. • Draw arrows to indicate cause and effect relationships between concerns (fig 13.2 on page 53). • The cause that has the most outgoing arrows (example: poor scheduling practices) is called the driver. • The driver is often the key cause of the problem.

5. Management and Planning Tools • 3. Tree diagrams: help break a general topic into a number of activities that contribute to it. • This is accomplished by a series of steps each one digging deeper than the previous one. • Have the team suggest more specific topics (example: welds, paint) that contribute to the general topic (example: rejected tables). • Continue each branch of the tree as far as seems practical (fig 13.3, page 54). • When a tree diagram is used to study defects, it is sometimes called a fault tree.

6. Management and Planning Tools • 4. A prioritization matrix: aids in deciding among several options. • The team determines by consensus the criteria against which the options will be measured and the relative importance (weight) of each criteria (fig 13.4 and 13.5, page 55). • Each option is ranked for each criterion. • The option with the highest total represents the team selection.

7. Management and Planning Tools • 5. A matrix diagram: is typically used to discover and illustrate relationships between two groups of items. • In fig 13.6, page 56, the two groups are the units of a training course and the objectives of the course. • The team examines each square in the matrix and assigns a symbol: bullet= strong relationship, circle =moderate relationship, triangle = weak relationship, blank = no relationship. • The team then examines the completed matrix and discusses possible conclusions.

8. Management and Planning Tools • 6. The process decision program chart (PDPC): is a tree diagram used to illustrate anticipated problems and list possible solutions. • It may be treated as a dynamic document and updated as the project proceeds (fig 13.7, page 57).

9. Management and Planning Tools • 7. The activity network diagram (AND): also known as a arrow diagram is similar to the PERT chart. • See fig 13.8, page 57. • PERT charts are discussed in chapter 17.

10. Summary • Affinity diagrams are used to produce numerous possible answers to an open question. • Interrelationship diagraphs: are used to identify cause and effect relationships. • Tree diagrams: help break a general topic into a number of activities that contribute to it. • A prioritization matrix: aids in deciding among several options. • A matrix diagram: is typically used to discover and illustrate relationships between two groups of items. • The process decision program chart (PDPC): is a tree diagram used to illustrate anticipated problems and list possible solutions.

11. Home Work • 1. Where are affinity diagrams used? • 2. Where are interrelationship diagraphs used? • 3. What do tree diagrams do? • 4. What does a prioritization matrix do? • 5. Where is a matrix diagram used? • 6. Where are process decision program charts (PDPC) used?