Chapter 13

Management and Planning Tools

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

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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?