word doc

Student Name:(1 point deducted if missing)

Workshop 5: Cause-and-Effect Diagrams & Pareto Charts

The tools practiced in this workshop are:

· 5 whys/why-why analysis

· Cause-and-effect diagrams

· Pareto charts

Situation:

For this workshop assume that you are working on a project focused on low literacy rates among children. Childhood literacy efforts are essential to reducing the rates of adult illiteracy. Some 36 million adults in the U.S. don’t have basic reading, writing, and math skills above a third-grade level, according to ProLiteracy. And adult education programs are insufficient to meet the demand for services. If literacy can be improved during childhood development, it opens new opportunities for individuals later in life. (“ Child Illiteracy in America: Statistics, Facts, and Resources”, Regis College, Jun. 29, 2023, https://online.regiscollege.edu/blog/child-illiteracy/.)

In the Analyze phase of your Lean Six Sigma project, you decide to investigate potential causes of this issue. To do this, you plan to use 5 whys/why-why analysis in conjunction with a cause-and-effect diagram. Then, you will collect data about the most significant potential causes of your problem and create a Pareto chart to determine the leading cause of this problem.

Instructions:

Use information from your slides in Analyze Phase Part 2 to assist you with the activities that follow. Be sure to follow the “best practices” for each tool you use in this workshop.

After completing your cause-and-effect diagram, reflect on all the items listed and select what you believe are the top five potential causes of the problem (these can be causes, sub-causes, and/or sub-sub-causes). Please label these with the numbers 1-5, where “1” represents what you believe is the leading cause of the problem. Then, obtain the file Workshop 4 Pareto Chart Data.xlsx from Canvas. This file is meant to simulate the process of you collecting data about the top 5 causes of your problem. Pretend the data in this file was collected from your observations and records. The data in this file are already “coded” for you, so all you need to do is fill-in the “key” and create the “Bins” or number of bars (based on the items you labeled 1-5 in your cause-and-effect diagram) so you will know what each number represents. You can then create your Pareto chart using this data in Microsoft Excel using the Analysis ToolPak add-in. Use data for a group based on the following (for this Workshop only). Determine which tab on the spreadsheet to use from your last name.

Group A – Last name begins with A-D

Group B – Last name begins with E-H

Group C – Last name begins with I-L

Group D – Last name begins with M-P

Group E – Last name begins with Q-T

Group F – Last name begins with U-Z

(see Activities on next page)

Activities:

1. Create a cause-and-effect diagram (using 5 whys/why-why analysis) that organizes potential causes for the problem in the scenario. Remember to have causes, sub-causes, and sub-sub-causes. Use the Visio or PowerPoint template as a guide only. You should have much more detail than the template including more causes, sub-causes, and sub-sub-causes. Categories are not causes. There must be at least 5-6 categories. I will grade the assignment on thoroughness and completeness.

2. Circle and number the 5 main causes for problem in the scenario. These can be causes, sub-causes, or sub-sub-causes. See the examples.

[Paste your cause-and-effect here (use template provided in Canvas). Please ensure your work is readable on an 8½ in. x 11 in. piece of paper or you will not receive credit for your work.]

3. Create a Pareto chart that depicts the causes of the problem in the scenario.

[Paste your Pareto Chart here (use Excel and the Data Analysis ToolPak Excel add-in-required). Please ensure your work is readable on an 8½ in. x 11 in. piece of paper or you will not receive credit for your work. Use black and white only.]

4. Based on the Pareto chart you created for Activity #2 of this Workshop, what cause of the problem should you address first in your Lean Six Sigma project and why?

5. Did the results of your Pareto chart surprise you (i.e., was the order of the actual top 5 causes of the problem shown in your Pareto chart different than what you had originally identified in your cause-and-effect diagram)? What does this illustrate about the importance of collecting data about a problem versus using only instinct/intuition?

©UH-COT 2023-Do not share this or any assignments, completed or not completed, with any persons or websites except the Canvas assignment drop-box.2022 Semester

Student Name:

Workshop 5: Cause-and-Effect Diagrams & Pareto Charts

The tools practiced in this workshop are:

· 5 whys/why-why analysis

· Cause-and-effect diagrams

· Pareto charts

Situation:

For this workshop assume that you are working on a project focused on low literacy rates among children. Childhood literacy efforts are essential to reducing the rates of adult illiteracy. Some 36 million adults in the U.S. don’t have basic reading, writing, and math skills above a third-grade level, according to ProLiteracy. And adult education programs are insufficient to meet the demand for services. If literacy can be improved during childhood development, it opens new opportunities for individuals later in life. (“ Child Illiteracy in America: Statistics, Facts, and Resources”, Regis College, Jun. 29, 2023, https://online.regiscollege.edu/blog/child-illiteracy/.)

In the Analyze phase of your Lean Six Sigma project, you decide to investigate potential causes of this issue. To do this, you plan to use 5 whys/why-why analysis in conjunction with a cause-and-effect diagram. Then, you will collect data about the most significant potential causes of your problem and create a Pareto chart to determine the leading cause of this problem.

Instructions:

Use information from your slides in Analyze Phase Part 2 to assist you with the activities that follow. Be sure to follow the “best practices” for each tool you use in this workshop.

After completing your cause-and-effect diagram, reflect on all the items listed and select what you believe are the top five potential causes of the problem (these can be causes, sub-causes, and/or sub-sub-causes). Please label these with the numbers 1-5, where “1” represents what you believe is the leading cause of the problem. Then, obtain the file Workshop 4 Pareto Chart Data.xlsx from Canvas. This file is meant to simulate the process of you collecting data about the top 5 causes of your problem. Pretend the data in this file was collected from your observations and records. The data in this file are already “coded” for you, so all you need to do is fill-in the “key” and create the “Bins” or number of bars (based on the items you labeled 1-5 in your cause-and-effect diagram) so you will know what each number represents. You can then create your Pareto chart using this data in Microsoft Excel using the Analysis ToolPak add-in. Use data for a group based on the following (for this Workshop only). Determine which tab on the spreadsheet to use from your last name.

Group A – Last name begins with A-D

Group B – Last name begins with E-H

Group C – Last name begins with I-L

Group D – Last name begins with M-P

Group E – Last name begins with Q-T

Group F – Last name begins with U-Z

(see Activities on next page)

Activities:

1. Create a cause-and-effect diagram (using 5 whys/why-why analysis) that organizes potential causes for the problem in the scenario. Remember to have causes, sub-causes, and sub-sub-causes. Use the Visio or PowerPoint template as a guide only. You should have much more detail than the template including more causes, sub-causes, and sub-sub-causes. Categories are not causes. There must be at least 5-6 categories. I will grade the assignment on thoroughness and completeness.

2. Circle and number the 5 main causes for problem in the scenario. These can be causes, sub-causes, or sub-sub-causes. See the examples.

3. Create a Pareto chart that depicts the causes of the problem in the scenario.

4. Based on the Pareto chart you created for Activity #2 of this Workshop, what cause of the problem should you address first in your Lean Six Sigma project and why?

Based on the Pareto chart for child illiteracy, the primary cause to address in my Lean Six Sigma project is access to educational resources. This cause, identified as the most significant, allows for targeted efforts that can create substantial impact, ultimately improving literacy rates and educational outcomes for underserved children.

Child illiteracy effects

Technology Access

Teaching Methods

School Management

Socioeconomic Environment

3.Excessive screen time, lack of educational software, limited computer access.

5.Large class sizes, underqualified teachers, limited professional development.

6.Poverty, food insecurity, unstable housing

5. Did the results of your Pareto chart surprise you (i.e., was the order of the actual top 5 causes of the problem shown in your Pareto chart different than what you had originally identified in your cause-and-effect diagram)? What does this illustrate about the importance of collecting data about a problem versus using only instinct/intuition?

The results of my Pareto chart were indeed surprising. The order of the top five causes of child illiteracy, as indicated by the chart, differed from my initial assumptions made during the cause-and-effect diagram analysis. For example, I initially believed that parental involvement would be the most significant factor affecting child literacy rates, but the data revealed that the most substantial cause was access to educational resources, as indicated by the highest bar in the chart.

This highlights a critical lesson about the importance of collecting data when addressing problems. While I relied on intuition and general knowledge to identify potential causes, the Pareto chart provided concrete evidence that prioritizes the factors most impacting child illiteracy. Relying solely on instinct can lead to overlooking vital issues that require immediate attention, making data collection and analysis essential for effective problem-solving and decision-making.

©UH-COT 2023-Do not share this or any assignments, completed or not completed, with any persons or websites except the Canvas assignment drop-box.2022 Semester