Understanding Systems and Creating Conditions

If you want to get different outcomes you need to understand what is currently happening. You can use this knowledge to identify changes to test.

You can use tools and methods to help you understand your system. You should include your improvement team in the use of these tools. Involve any relevant others too.

Cause and effect analysis

Cause and effect analysis, sometimes referred to as a fish bone diagram, helps you to identify all of the likely causes of the problems you’re facing. 

Stakeholder analysis

Stakeholder analysis is a way of identifying, prioritising and understanding your stakeholders. 

Pareto chart

A Pareto chart is a bar chart which helps you to understand your system. You order the factors that contribute to an overall effect in order from most to least frequent to identify the factors which warrant the most attention.  

Process mapping

A process map visually describes the flow of work. They capture the events or steps in a process that produce an end result. They can help identify bottle necks, duplications and steps that don’t add value.