Six Sigma Tool Navigator: The Master Guide for Teams

2017-07-07 02:10:07

AKA

Bar Graph

Classification

Analyzing/Trending(AT)

Tool description

A simple bar chart is useful to present information for a quick problem or opportunity analysis. It provides a comparison of quantities of items or frequencies of events within a particular time period.

Typical application

To display a "snapshot" comparison of categories.

To depict the relationship between variations over time.

To illustrate process variability or trends.

To indicate a potential problem area (high or low frequencies).

Problem-solving phase

→	Select and define problem or opportunity
→	Identify and analyze causes or potential change
	Develop and plan possible solutions or change
	Implement and evaluate solution or change
	Measure and report solution or change results
→	Recognize and reward team efforts

Typically used by

	Research/statistics
	Creativity/innovation
	Engineering
1	Project management
	Manufacturing
3	Marketing/sales
	Administration/documentation
2	Servicing/support
	Customer/quality metrics
	Change management

links to other tools

before

Data collection strategy

Frequency Distribution (FD)

Checksheets

Events log

Observation

after

Pie Chart

Stratification

Variance Analysis

Pareto chart

Presentation

Notes and key points

Care should be taken not to insert more than five bars or cover more than five time periods. This would make the Bar Chart cluttered and difficult to interpret.

f = frequency

Step-by-step procedure

STEP 1 Collect data from sources such as a checksheet. See example Customer complaints.

STEP 2 Construct a bar chart. Apply the 3:4 ratio rule. The height of the Y axis must be 75 percent of the length (100 percent) of the X axis.

STEP 3 Label the axes and insert the bars as shown in the exaple.

STEP 4 Check all information and date the bar chart.