QOS: Activity 3 – System for Obtaining Information
In a recent blog post (here), I shared how Dr. Deming’s theory of Organizations Viewed as a Production System evolved into a five-part approach: Quality as an Organizational Strategy (QOS). In this series, we’ll take a deeper look at each of the five activities, including Establishing and Communicating the Purpose of the Organization, Organization Viewed as a System (includes measurement), System for Obtaining Information, Planning for Improvement, and Managing Improvement Efforts.
Activity 3 – System for Obtaining Information
Many organizations are data-rich and knowledge-poor. Various sources can contribute information about customers and insights into the need the organization intends to fulfill. Having a system of methods to gather information to support understanding your organization and to act effectively helps learning and focuses attention.
Organizations already have many sources of information. From people and internal and external sources. Here are examples of common sources:
- People sources: surveys, personal interviews, focus groups, observations, trading places.
- Internal sources: customer relationship management, purchasing and accounts receivables, compliments/complaints and feedback, web analytics, defect and bug tracking
- External sources: papers, publications and conferences, the Internet, technology, benchmarking, consultant and external assessments.
These data need to be collected, organized, and summarized for use. For example, with data over time, use the last 24 months and display in a Shewhart Statistical chart. This allows leaders to see whether a process is random and predictable, or not, and to make the correct decision on how to act.
Figure. Example Shewhart Chart (source).
Qualitative data are rich in identifying themes for learning. Summarizing these data into categories and displaying them in a Pareto chart can help prioritize attention on right opportunities for improvement.
Figure. Pareto Chart
It’s not uncommon to find areas without built-in systems for collecting information. Leaders can introduce and test new methods to add to the holistic view. This information supports problem-solving and improvement activities and will serve as input to planning. It’s okay to start with what you have and then build a more comprehensive system over time. In the future, a proactive approach to identifying the information needed, collecting the data, and summarizing the findings will make the process easier to execute.
In Activity 4, I’ll look at the planning process.
Reference: Clifford M. Norman, Lloyd P. Provost, and David M. Williams. Quality as an Organizational Strategy: Building a System of Improvement. (Provident-Heierman Press, Austin, TX). 2024
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