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LEAN: Understanding a Basic Scatter DiagramPart of Series on Quality Systems Management Tools

Dr. Sharon L. Burton, DBA, LSSBB, HCS, SWP

Goal

The goal of this lesson is for users to understand the usage of a Scatter Diagram as a quality and business process improvement tool.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson users should be able to Articulate the usage of a scatter diagram Explain how to develop a scatter diagram Demonstrate the development of a scatter

diagram

What is a Scatter Diagram?

The scatter diagram is also known as: Scatter plot Scatter chart Scattergram

This tool is referred to as a plot or a mathematical diagram.

Purpose of the Scatter Diagram The purpose of the scatter diagram is to plot

relationships between multiple variables for a set of data in a single view. Data sets

X – horizontalY – vertical

The plots, which can be colorful, are known as cartesian coordinates.

Creation Time to Allot for the Scatter Diagram

From Start to Finish Allow 5 hours• Data Collection: 1-3 hours• Diagramming the Scatter Diagram: 1 hour• Walk through of Scatter Diagram with Stakeholders: 1

hour

How to Develop Scatter Diagram?

Gather pairs of data where a relationship is believed to exist

How to Develop Scatter Diagram? Construct a graph wherein the independent

variable on the horizontal axis and the dependent variable on the vertical axis

How to Develop Scatter Diagram?

BibliographyDoherty, M. E., & Anderson, R. B, (2009). Variation in scatterplot displays.

Behavior Research Methods, 41(1), 55-60. doi: 10.3758/BRM.41.1.55

Friendly, M., & Denis, D. (2005). The early origins and development of the scatterplot. Journal of the History of The Behavioral Sciences, 41(2), 103-130.

iSixSigma. (2016). Scatter Plot. Retrieved from https://www.isixsigma.com/dictionary/scatter-plot

Scatterplots. (n.d.) Scatterplots. Retrieved from http://mste.illinois.edu/courses/ci330ms/yousey/scatterinfor.html