Technique 57
Cause & Effect Matrix
Identify the key input-output relationships in need of attention.
A cause & effect (C&E) matrix helps you determine which critical process inputs have the most impact on process outputs. For example, you might have a new product that stores an exabyte of data on a very small device. However, the process used to create the device might have an extremely poor yield. You could use a C&E matrix to identify which factors you should focus on to improve the yield.
In essence, a C&E matrix allows you to qualitatively determine the importance of cause-and-effect relationships between process inputs and outputs. This can be especially beneficial when you don't have enough quantitative data to define cause and effect, as may be the case with a new product, service, or process. The only caveat is that participants must be familiar with the process, its inputs, and its customer-driven outputs.
Steps
Scenario: In the DVD-by-mail example from the Cause & Effect Diagram (Technique 56), we looked for the root causes (inputs) contributing to customer dissatisfaction. We can also use a cause & effect matrix to discover which process inputs affect customer satisfaction the most and, therefore, need attention and improvement.
1. Identify and Rank Process Outputs ...
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