1
Case Study #1
Mavia Hamid Siddiqui
DS61270G423 Project Management Analytics
Campbellsville University
2
Rick Albany used the following technologies for data collection and analysis:
The brainstorming material was appropriately categorized and organized using an affinity
diagram. Large amounts of data, concepts, and information are arranged and categorized
using an affinity diagram according to their affinities, or natural relationships. Apply the
diagram of affinity. It is vital that this strategy helps organize a lot of ideas into meaningful
clusters. Teams may use it to systematically look at complex situations in order to find
themes and patterns in the data. The fact that it identifies themes and patterns makes this
possible. Gather ideas first, then put similar items together, and then give each group a name
(Rejikumar et al., 2020).
The following is how to create a cause-and-effect diagram, or fishbone diagram: used to
show how a disease may have many sources. The team's logical explanations are then
organized into the several categories shown in the figure. It's critical to identify any hidden
causes while handling complex circumstances. This diagram helps in determining the
underlying causes. Teams may target underlying causes rather than symptoms by using the
Fishbone Diagram (Rejikumar et al., 2020).
A Pareto chart stating: The Microsoft Excel figure assisted in pinpointing the primary
reasons for staff attrition. The most-voted categories were highlighted in order to achieve.
The frequency and impact of process problems or causes are shown in a bar graph. This
graph's illustration is a Pareto Chart. This hypothesis rests on the 80/20 rule, sometimes
known as the Pareto Principle. According to this theory, 80% of consequences result from
60% of causes. The visual is constructed using bars and a line graph. The bars represent the
individual numbers in decreasing sequence, while the line graph displays the cumulative
total. Prioritizing issues is made easier by utilizing the Pareto Chart to visualize the most
important elements that result in a problem (Rejikumar et al., 2020).
3
Analysis of Fish Bones in decision making:
It carefully identifies and displays every potential cause of a problem. It's another name for
the process of fishbone analysis. Visualizing an issue's components makes decision-making
easier and enables teams to focus on the causes of problems rather than their symptoms.
Teams may develop more complete and efficient solutions by using fishbone analysis. This is
accomplished by developing a methodical process for ideation of every facet that contributes
to a given scenario (Rares, 2023).
The intricate linkages producing the problem are neatly and clearly shown in the image. This
makes it easier to perceive the whole picture from a wider angle. An Improved Method for
Brainstorming: Encouraging team members to consider other perspectives and provide novel
explanations facilitates collaborative thinking (Rares, 2023).
Finding the Primary Cause: By looking at several paths rather than just the symptoms,
fishbone analysis assists in identifying the main cause of a problem.
Using knowledge to make decisions: Being aware of the underlying causes enables you to
make more informed and focused decisions to address the issue. This increases your
likelihood of success (Rares, 2023).
Electronic communication: Team members and stakeholders are given an explanation of the
problem and potential solutions using visual graphics.
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of data-driven Decision Making:
Decisions based on data were helpful in this instance. To collect, assess, and prioritize data,
Rick employed Pareto charts, affinity diagrams, and fishbone diagrams. This was made
possible by these tools. Important issue areas were discovered using this method. Examples
include compensation, benefits, future prospects, tools, and technology. By concentrating on
4
these factors, staff turnover decreased from 52.7% to 8.6%, as shown by quantitative data
from staff surveys and departure interviews. This resulted from the decision to emphasize
certain qualities. In light of this finding, using data to inform and sway organizational
decisions may result in measurable performance gains.
Because data-driven decision making offers factual justification for business choices, it is
effective. This yields more accurate, unbiased, and well-informed outcomes. Businesses may
now search through their enormous data sets for trends, patterns, and insights. Data analytics
may be used to achieve this. By eliminating guesswork and intuition, this technique lowers
biases and increases the precision of judgment and prediction (Hume & West, 2020).
Making data-driven choices may help businesses adapt more effectively to operational
challenges, consumer preferences, and market conditions. They are more capable of adjusting
to these factors. This facilitates the comprehension of user behavior, hence enhancing
customer experiences and customizing products and services. It may reduce costs and
increase profitability by streamlining processes, optimizing the use of resources, and
enhancing operational efficiency. Additionally, it could increase productivity. Data-driven
strategies provide flexibility and learning. An organization may promote ongoing
improvement by regularly reviewing outcomes and input. This enables the company to
gradually alter its operations and strategy (Hume & West, 2020).
Because it relies on the relevance and quality of the data, the tools for analysis, and the
decision-makers' capacity to comprehend and act upon the insights, this approach is not as
successful as it might be. Reluctance to change, inadequate data quality, and a lack of
analytical skills may all work against data-driven decision-making (Hume & West, 2020).
5
References
Hume, E., & West, A. (2020). Becoming a data-driven decision-making organization. The
Cpa Journal, 90(4), 32–35.
Rejikumar, G., Aswathy Asokan, A., & Sreedharan, V. R. (2020). Impact of data-driven
decision-making in lean six sigma: an empirical analysis. Total Quality Management
& Business Excellence, 31(3–4), 279–296.
https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2018.1426452
Rares, C. (2023). The role of optimization in some recent advances in data-driven decision-
making. Mathematical Programming, 200(1), 1–35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10107-
022-01874-9