Data Visualization, Volume II

Amar Sahay

• Publisher: Business Expert Press
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781631577314
• eBook ISBN: 9781631577321
• Topic: Economics
• Subtopic: Statistics for Business & Economics
• Index: Economics

This book discusses data and information visualization techniques-the decision-making tools with applications in health care, finance, manufacturing engineering, process improvement, product design, and others. These tools are an excellent means of viewing the current state of the process and improving them. The initial chapters discuss data analysis, the current trends in visualization, the concepts of systems and processes from which data are collected. The second part is devoted to quality tools-a set of graphical and information visualization tools in data analysis, decision-making, and Lean Six-Sigma quality. The eight basic tools of quality discussed are the Process Maps, Check Sheets, Histograms, Scatter Diagrams, Run Charts, Control Charts, Cause-and-Effect Diagrams, and Pareto Charts. The new quality tools presented are the Affinity, Tree, and Matrix Diagrams, Interrelationship Digraph, Prioritizing Matrices, Process Decision Program Chart, and Activity Network Diagram along with Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and Multivari Charts.

CHAPTER 1

Overview and Data Visualization

Introduction

This book is about visual representation of data commonly known as data visualization. The visualization tools or the graphical displays can be divided into the following two categories:

1. Data Visualization

2. Information Visualization

Data Visualization

Data visualization usually represents graphs and charts that are visual representations of data. These graphical displays provide a powerful way of summarizing and presenting data in a way that most people find easier to comprehend. Charts and graphs enable us to see the main features or characteristics of the data. The graphs not only enable us to present the numerical findings of a study, but also provide the shape and pattern of the data which are critical in data analysis and decision making.

Some examples where visual displays (in the form of graphs) are used to summarize data are presented below. These graphs summarize the sales and revenue of the top computer companies—Amazon and Apple Inc.

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words; this is particularly true when a large set of data is effectively presented using charts and graphs that quickly reveal important features. Visual displays of data are easily recognizable and are found ubiquitously in business periodicals, financial magazines, on the Internet, and televisions.

Figure 1.1 Examples of Visual Display using Different Charts and Graphs

The above examples show how a number of charts and graphs are used to describe the key features of data. A solid understanding of these graphs will enable you to describe the key concept of the data visually, and will aid in both your personal and professional life. With the advancement in technology, high-quality and complex charts and graphs can be produced easily. A number of charts and graphs can be found in reports of financial periodicals like The Economist, Business Week, Fortune, and many other business and engineering periodicals. Almost every issue of USA Today and The Wall Street Journal contains a number of visual displays in their articles.

Information Visualization

The other major category of data visualization tools is information visualization. Some of the visual displays, for example, flow diagrams, flow process charts, SIPOC (supplier, input, process, output, and customer) diagrams, and value stream mapping (VSM), are examples of this category. These are commonly known as the quality tools and have been successfully used in studying, developing, and improving business and engineering processes. They also help redesign more efficient processes. Besides improving the process design, many specially designed graphs and charts are used in product and process design and improvement. In many cases these visual tools provide an idea about the variation in the process that allows the opportunity for reducing variation, thereby improving the quality.

Quality tools are a set of graphical and information visualization tools that have been developed and used over the years in quality improvement and Lean Six Sigma programs. The use of these data visualization and quality tools is not limited to quality programs. The key areas where these tools are applied include business process improvement, business data analysis, health care, finance, manufacturing, engineering process improvement, and product and process design, to name a few. These are powerful decision-making tools.

The majority of the book is devoted to quality tools. The quality tools in this text represent data visually that enables the analyst to immediately see the important features and characteristics of data. The graphs and charts provide the current state of the process and also can show the opportunities for improvement.

It is important to note that the data visualization tools enable us to present the numerical findings of a study using both quantitative and qualitative or categorical data. In a similar way, information visualization tools also display both the quantitative and categorical data, but use a number of flow diagrams and specially designed charts that reveal the essential characteristic of the process. They provide the current state of the process that is very helpful in studying and improving the processes.

The information visualization tools or the quality tools discussed in this book are critical in data analysis and decision making. Some examples of information visualization tools in the form of flow diagrams are provided below. Figure 1.2 shows the steps in the recruitment process of a company outlining the steps in the process. This type of flowchart is often used to study the current process and also to improve them.

A flow diagram depicting the online order process is shown in Figure 1.3. The diagram shows the steps in the process. In the subsequent chapters, we will discuss a number of information visualization tools with their applications.

Software Applications

Most of the graphs in this text can be produced using statistical and data visualization software. We will illustrate several examples where the computer software including EXCEL^® and MINITAB^® are used to construct the charts and graphs. Some other graphical displays, for example, flow diagrams, process maps, and value stream maps, widely used in studying and improving process are created using specialized software. MINITAB’s Quality Companion, Microsoft Visio, and Smart Draw^® are some of the widely used programs for this purpose. Another widely used software for Data Visualization and Visual Analytics is Tableau Software. This software is capable of handling big data and creates high-level graphs and charts to visually display data. An added feature of Tableau is the analytics feature built into it that can answer many queries not apparent from the graphs and charts alone.

Figure 1.2 Flow diagram of a recruitment process

Figure 1.3 Process map of online ordering process

Chapters at a Glance

The first part of the text provides the basic concepts and fundamentals of data and data analysis including the types of data and types of data visualization. It also presents the concepts of systems and processes followed by the current trend in data visualization and big data.

As outlined, visualizing data graphically helps to detect potential problems and identify the areas of improvement opportunities. The chapters in the text are divided into sections with different data visualization concepts and tools. A brief outline of the chapters in this book is provided below.

Chapter 1

This chapter provides an introduction to data and information visualization tools. It outlines how graphs and charts are used to summarize and present data. It provides an overview of the widely used software to create graphs and charts. Specially designed Data Visualization and Visual Analytics software capable of handling big data are briefly discussed. We also introduce information visualization tools that fall in the category of quality tools. These visual tools have been successfully used in analyzing processes and solving quality problems. Detailed discussions of these graphical tools are provided in separate chapters.

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 discusses the basic concepts related to data and data analysis. Types of data—qualitative or categorical data, quantitative data, and other classifications of data—are presented. This chapter also presents the concept of variables—both qualitative and quantitative. Almost all data show variation, and visual tools are an excellent way to study variation in the data. We discuss the sources of data and how data are collected for research and analysis. The types of data based on measurement scales and recent trends in data visualization are introduced.

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 introduces the concepts of Systems, Processes, and Variation. A process can be viewed as part of a system. A system usually consists of a group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent processes forming a complex whole. Thus, a system is a collection of processes with a specific mission or purpose. The concepts of systems and processes are important because all work occurs in a system of interconnected ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Abstract
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Graphical and Visual Tools for Improving Product and Service Quality
• Chapter 1 Overview and Data Visualization
• Chapter 2 Data and Data Analysis Concepts
• Chapter 3 Systems Processes and Variation
• Chapter 4 Current Trends in Data Visualization
• Chapter 5 Data Visualization Concepts and Applications
• Chapter 6 Seven Basic Quality Tools: Graphical Tools to Solve Quality Problems
• Chapter 7 The Seven New Tools for Quality Improvement
• Chapter 8 Other Visual Information Tools in Quality Improvement
• Bibliography
• Index