Understanding Variation: The Key to Managing Chaos

Wheeler, Donald (1993) "Understanding Variation: The Key to Managing Chaos", SPC Press (ISBN 0-945320-35-3)

We live in the information age, and much of that information comes to us in the form of numbers. Data must be properly collected, analyzed, interpreted, and assimilated. Unfortunately, the process of collecting and analyzing data has been widely neglected at all levels of our educational system which is reflected in the misuse of data in business. The end result is a business community that has not been taught how to effectively use the basic mathematical tools to make good sense of numerical data! This book is a good introduction to alternative techniques for data acquisition and analyses. The anecdotes provided relate directly to the management audience. After reading this book, managers will look at monthly reports differently. This book will provide examples of control charts used to interpret management data. These techniques have been thoroughly proven in over 60 years of practice in a wide variety of settings. Table of Contents: Data Are Random and Miscellaneous Knowledge is Orderly and Cumulative The Purpose of Analysis is Insight The Best Analysis Is the Simplest Analysis But You Have to Use the Right Data Look What You've Been Missing Appendices reviewed by Ross