{"id":380,"date":"2007-04-07T21:07:38","date_gmt":"2007-04-08T04:07:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/380\/complexity-different-ways-same-output-or-is-it"},"modified":"2014-09-23T12:25:00","modified_gmt":"2014-09-23T17:25:00","slug":"complexity-different-ways-same-output-or-is-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/complexity-different-ways-same-output-or-is-it\/380\/","title":{"rendered":"Qualitative Variation Grid Example"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"a296a24fa2fc69ef5487857f02f111e8\" data-index=\"9\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Single Post readerboard -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:inline-block;width:728px;height:90px\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8207522353004717\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"1144967431\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>There are outputs and the processes that produce those outputs. \u00a0This article shows a way to measure qualitative variation via a simple experiement. In a business, if there are many processes that produce the same output &#8212; that can be a silent killer for a business.<\/p>\n<p>Consider an inventory management system, where associates on the factory floor are to use a scanner-based tool to adjust physical inventory in the cycle counting process.\u00a0 Ideally, there ought to be a tool that guides and helps the cycle counter do his or her job correctly.\u00a0 But, some, if not all, warehouse management systems aren&#8217;t built to actually help the associate on the factory floor.\u00a0 The result: <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/explaining-variation\/373\/\">variation<\/a> in processes, leading to potentially the same output, but ridden with errors.<\/p>\n<p>I once led a project that looked at how cycle counters adjusted inventory for a middle-market consumer packaged goods company.\u00a0 Our team conducted a Task-Based Usability Test, where we chose a random sample of associates, chose common tasks that Cycle Counters encounter everyday, and see what tools and steps they would take to accomplish that task.\u00a0 The result: A Qualitative and very revealing view of the variation in the approaches of the associates.\u00a0 Below is an example of what that test might look like (because of confidentiality, the image below is not the real output of that study, but an example for this article):<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-14842\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/qualitative-variation-grid.jpg\" alt=\"qualitative variation grid, experiment\" width=\"616\" height=\"311\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/qualitative-variation-grid.jpg 616w, https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/qualitative-variation-grid-600x303.jpg 600w, https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/qualitative-variation-grid-300x151.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 616px) 100vw, 616px\" \/><\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><\/div>\n<p>On the left, we see the various common tasks that Cycle Counters see everyday in their jobs.\u00a0 On the top column, we see the areas of responsibilities, followed by the associate ID, since this was a scrubbed, or anonymous test.\u00a0 The content is their answers based on the tasks.<\/p>\n<p>Notice that the tools used qualitatively vary &#8212; in other words, there is clearly variation in the tools used and in how people adjust inventory for this consumer packaged goods client.\u00a0 What does this mean?<\/p>\n<p>For one, variation in any process can lead &#8212; no, &#8212; it does lead to defects, errors, and <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/your-customers-dont-feel-the-average\/253\/\">customer dissatisfaction<\/a>.\u00a0 For another, this firm introduced complexity into their system by providing so many tools that seemingly all do the same thing.\u00a0 Later, we found out that there was wide overlap in the tools &#8212; their functions and goals.\u00a0 The wide selection of tools for the associates to choose from creates confusion, variation, and is unnecessary complexity.\u00a0 The culprit: The firm allowed complexity to be introduced to the system.<\/p>\n<h2>Lesson Learned<\/h2>\n<p>Complexity is a silent killer for a business.\u00a0 Prior to our study, little did this firm know, but this complexity problem alone &#8212; which was introduced by the firm itself &#8212; was causing the firm several million dollars in inventory write-off&#8217;s per year.\u00a0\u00a0 The root cause was a proliferation of internal tools that was too complex and encouraged variation in how Cycle Counters adjusted inventory.<\/p>\n<p>Is there uncontrolled proliferation of products, features, and processes in your business?<\/p>\n<!--CusAds0-->\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are outputs and the processes that produce those outputs. \u00a0This article shows a way to measure qualitative variation via a simple experiement. In a business, if there are many processes that produce the same output &#8212; that can be a silent killer for a business. Consider an inventory management system, where associates on the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12327,"featured_media":9620,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Qualitative Variation Grid Example<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Qualitative Variation Grid Example - example of experiment on qualitative data, not quantitative.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Qualitative Variation Grid Example\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Qualitative Variation Grid Example - example of experiment on qualitative data, not quantitative.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/complexity-different-ways-same-output-or-is-it\/380\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"OpEx Learning\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/get.shmula\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2007-04-08T04:07:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2014-09-23T17:25:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/complexity-simplicity-how.gif\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/gif\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Uday Kawar\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@shmula\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@shmula\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Uday Kawar\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/complexity-different-ways-same-output-or-is-it\/380\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/complexity-different-ways-same-output-or-is-it\/380\/\",\"name\":\"Qualitative Variation Grid Example\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/complexity-different-ways-same-output-or-is-it\/380\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/complexity-different-ways-same-output-or-is-it\/380\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/complexity-simplicity-how.gif\",\"datePublished\":\"2007-04-08T04:07:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2014-09-23T17:25:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/#\/schema\/person\/9335b5223b67189b35bda7d6be11c3fd\"},\"description\":\"Qualitative Variation Grid Example - 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