4. What are the best statistical practices to use on a daily basis to ensure data reliability and rapid analysis?

The human brain has a tendency to focus on recalling the most recent events and those that are out of the ordinary. The risk is to base analyses on biased data and draw erroneous conclusions. To limit the risk, always use the following simple tools for initial data collection and analysis;

• survey sheets to collect objective data including all useful elements;

• frequency histogram for an "objective" view of the data distribution ;

• fishbone diagram (Ishikawa) to visualize the causes and origins of an event and better target areas for further analysis;

• Defect concentration diagram to show where defects appear in a process, and then target the stages on which to focus further analysis;

• correlation diagram (plotting...