Visual Six Sigma: Making Data Analysis Lean

4.3. Uncovering Relationships

Given their goal to identify projects, Alex and Alice will not need to work through all six steps in the Visual Six Sigma Data Analysis Process. They nonetheless follow the guidance that the Visual Six Sigma Roadmap provides for the Uncover Relationships step. They will use dynamic linking to explore their variables one at a time and several at a time. Given the nature of their data, they will often need to connect anomalous behavior that they identify using plots to the records in their data table. This connection is made easy by dynamic linking. Their exploration will also include an analysis of missing records.

4.3.1. Visualizing the Variables One at a Time

Alex and Alice begin to explore their data. Their first step consists of obtaining Distribution reports for the seven variables. To do this, following Alex's direction, Alice selects Analyze > Distribution. She populates the launch dialog as shown in Exhibit 4.5.

Figure 4.5. Launch Dialog for Distribution

When Alice clicks OK, the report that is partially shown in Exhibit 4.6 appears. Alice notes that Account and Description are nominal variables with many levels. The bar graphs are not necessarily helpful in understanding such variables.

Figure 4.6. Partial View of Distribution Report