When to Use Matrix Diagrams

Matrix Diagrams are helpful whenever you want to establish pairings between two items, and/or whenever you want to rate an item according to its relationship to another item (or items). For instance, you might choose to make a matrix showing the relationship between all the departments in your organization and the various jobs that need to be completed. You can use matrix charts to assign primary responsibility, secondary responsibility and other levels of interest for each task. Or, you might choose to make a matrix showing the relationship between customer demands and various tasks to be done in product development. Matrix charts will help you see which tasks are related, and to what degree, to customer requirements. Quality America's Lean Six Sigma software is designed for use in any of these applications, or many more!

You can include up to four groups of information on a matrix. For example, you could make one matrix on which you compared the customer demands and product tasks and assigned departmental responsibility for each task. (In that case, you would want to use a T-shaped matrix, which allows for three separate groups of items.)

Learn more about the Quality Improvement principles and tools for process excellence in Six Sigma Demystified (2011, McGraw-Hill) by Paul Keller, or his online Green Belt certification course ($499).