SEO info
- Target keywords: QC current-state analysis / how to show what's wrong in QC / how to use a Pareto chart in QC / how to present data in QC / current-state analysis example
Current-State Analysis Isn't a Dumping Ground for Data
The most common mistake in current-state analysis is simply lining up data.
- Missed clock-ins per month
- Number of people it happened to
- When it happened
- Time spent checking and fixing
- How much it clusters around the payroll closing date
These all matter.
But just listing them is weak.
Here's what your audience is thinking.
So what are you trying to tell me?
What a current-state analysis needs isn't the data itself.
It's what the data tells you is wrong.
What Reviewers Look For in a Current-State Analysis
Reviewers usually look at two things.
- Is it shown objectively, with data, how things are bad?
- Does the problem stand out clearly?
So here's what you need to do.
Show the problem with numbers
↓
Show where it's worst
↓
Show how that problem hurts the actual work
Depth Comes From Objectivity
You don't get depth in a current-state analysis by writing more words.
You get it by putting out numbers.
Here's the ladder of depth.
| Level | Stage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Lv1 | Impression | "It happens a lot," "It's a pain" |
| Lv2 | Record | "It really does happen" |
| Lv3 | Numbers | "X cases, X people, X minutes a month" |
| Lv4 | Comparison | "You can see differences by month, by type, and around the closing date" |
| Lv5 | Structure | "You can see where it's concentrated and what to fix to get results" |
The depth of a current-state analysis isn't about word count.
It's whether the numbers reveal the structure of the problem.
Only Now Do You Use a Pareto Chart
Don't start by making a Pareto chart.
A Pareto chart (a bar graph sorted from biggest to smallest, with a cumulative line) is there to answer this question:
What is the worst problem?
Take missed clock-ins as an example.
| Category | Cases |
|---|---|
| Forgot to clock out at end of day | 25 cases |
| Forgot to clock in at start of day | 10 cases |
| Forgot to clock back in after going out | 5 cases |
| Other | 3 cases |
Show this as a Pareto chart,
and "forgetting to clock out is the biggest problem" is clear at a glance.
In other words, a Pareto chart is
a tool for making the problem stand out.
It's not decoration to make your report look like proper QC.
Numbers and QC Tools for Current-State Analysis
| What you want to see | The question | The numbers | How to show it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall volume | How often does it happen? | Missed clock-ins per month | Line or bar chart |
| Core of the problem | What is the most common cause? | Cases of missed clock-in, missed clock-out, missed return clock-in, etc. | Pareto chart |
| Timing | When does it happen most? | Around the closing date, day of week, time of day | Bar chart, split by category |
| Who is affected | Whose time does it eat up? | Checking time for the employee, their boss, and the admin department | Stacked bar chart |
| Wasted effort | How much productivity does it cost? | Checking time per case × number of cases | Work-hours conversion table |
| Persistence | Is it a one-off or monthly? | Month-by-month trend | Line chart |
A Weak Current-State Analysis vs. a Strong One
A weak current-state analysis.
Current state of missed clock-ins
We looked at monthly counts, number of people, timing, and time spent checking.
This is just a dumping ground for data.
A strong current-state analysis.
Missed clock-ins happen every month, especially at the end of the day and around the closing date.
And if you want to connect it to what the workplace actually needs, it goes like this.
Missed clock-ins cluster at the end of the day and around the closing date, and they create checking work for the employee, their boss, and the admin department.
Now it's clear what the problem is.
Connecting Current-State Analysis to Root-Cause Analysis
A current-state analysis ends by leading into the next step, root-cause analysis.
Say the current-state analysis shows this.
Missed clock-outs are the most common.
Checking work piles up just before the closing date.
Then the next questions come naturally.
Why do people miss clocking out?
Why does nobody notice until just before the closing date?
Why can't the employee fix it alone, so the work spills over to their boss and the admin department?
That's a clean handoff from current-state analysis to root-cause analysis.
Summary
A current-state analysis isn't a step for lining up data.
It's the step where you put numbers on the problem and make the worst part stand out.
This is where the Pareto chart finally shows up.
QC tools aren't something you pick first.
You use them to present, clearly, the numbers that answer the questions on the evaluation sheet.
