Continuous Improvement

Toolkit

Affinity Diagram
The Continuous Improvement
Map
Managing Deciding Selecting Planning & Project Management*
Risk PDPC Decision Balance Sheet Importance-Urgency Mapping Daily Planning
PERT/CPM
FMEA RAID Log* Force Field Analysis Cost Benefit Analysis MOST RACI Matrix Activity
Networks
Risk Assessment* Break-even Analysis Voting TPN Analysis
Four Field Matrix SWOT Analysis
Fault Tree Analysis Decision Tree Pick Chart
Critical-to Tree QFD Portfolio Matrix Stakeholder Analysis Project Charter
Traffic Light Assessment PDCA Policy Deployment Gantt Charts
Matrix Diagram Paired Comparison DMAIC
Improvement Roadmaps
Lean Measures Kano Analysis
Kaizen Events Control
Cost of Quality* Pugh Matrix Prioritization Matrix Planning
Bottleneck Analysis** A3 Thinking Standard work Document control
Pareto Analysis C&E Matrix
Process Yield OEE KPIs
Understanding Cross Training Implementing
Descriptive Statistics ANOVA Chi-Square
Cause & Effect Value Solutions**
Capability Indices
Probability Distributions Hypothesis Testing Ergonomics
Design of Experiment Analysis
Mistake Proofing
Gap Analysis*
Histograms & Boxplots Multi vari Studies Simulation
Confidence Intervals TPM Automation
Reliability Analysis
Graphical Analysis Scatter Plots Correlation Regression Pull
Understanding Flow Just in Time
MSA Root Cause Analysis
Performance Run Charts 5 Whys Data Snooping Visual Management 5S
Benchmarking** Control Charts Fishbone Diagram Tree Diagram* SIPOC* Waste Analysis Quick Changeover

Data collection planner* Sampling Morphological Analysis How-How Diagram** Process Redesign Time Value Map

Check Sheets Brainstorming SCAMPER** Attribute Spaghetti Diagram Value Stream Mapping
Interviews
Analysis Service Blueprints
Questionnaires Affinity Diagram Relationship Mapping* Flow Process Charts
Focus Groups
Data Mind Mapping* Lateral Thinking Flowcharting Process Mapping
Collection Observations IDEF0
Suggestion systems Creating Ideas Designing & Analyzing Processes
Affinity Diagram

 Affinity Diagram helps categorize and organize a large number

of fragmented uncertain information into logical cohesive
groups.
 The goal is to create a limited number of groups.
 This results in better idea selection or a problem that is better
understood.
 Also known as KJ Analysis.
Affinity Diagram
When to Use It?
 During idea-generation brainstorming sessions.
• It stimulates creative right-brained thoughts.

 During problem-solving sessions.

• When information is subjective or held by different people, but no
clear picture of the problem is emerging yet.
Affinity Diagram
When to Use It?
 To capture the voice of the customer.
• Feedback from customers is a valuable source for improvement
• It needs to be collected, organized and analyzed to be useful.
• Affinity diagrams are used to find messages in customer
statements which might come from different sources:
• Complaints.
• Interviews.
• Focus groups.
• Telephone discussions.
Affinity Diagram
How to Conduct an Affinity Session:
 Present the topic or define the problem clearly.
 Give the team index cards or sticky-notes.
 Ask them to write an idea or issue per card.
 Call out the ideas or issues and hang them on the wall.
 Lead the team to silently sort the ideas or issues into categories.
 Lead them labeling each group of cards.
 Eliminate duplicate ideas.
 Add arrows between items and

groups to show significant relationships.

Affinity Diagram
Three Basic Steps:

Capture Group Label

Affinity Diagram
Example – Identify How to Successfully Implement Change:

Change Obstacles Planning Implementation

A vision to Sense of Communicate Encourage

Paradigms Change change personal
urgency change vision
resistance development

A blaming Leadership A change Training at Performance

culture agent all levels management

A change Quick
Some plan Empower
It may take wins
people will -ment
longer to
never change
change
Affinity Diagram
Further Information:
 The ideas shouldn’t be discussed until the final affinity

diagram is complete.
 Record the actual spoken words when data is verbal (during

interviews or observations).
 The best results tend to be achieved when the exercise is

implemented by a cross-functional team.