Affinity Diagram

AFFINITY DIAGRAM

By Munro, Maio, Nawaz, Ramu and Zrymiak

Affinity diagrams are used to produce many possible answers to an open-ended question such as, “What are some of the ways to reduce cycle time for process A?”

The first step is to brainstorm to obtain two or three dozen responses. Each response is clearly written on self adhesive note paper. The next step is to move the notes around until they fall into five to ten natural groups. Some suggest this be done in silence with all team members participating, as they prefer. If a note gets moved back and forth between two groups several times, a duplicate may be made so that one can be placed in each group.

The next step is to find a name for each group. This may take several iterations before team consensus is reached. The last step is to draw lines containing all the notes in a group with the group name.

Often, it is easy to draw a cause-and-effect diagram taking inputs from the affinity diagram.

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EXAMPLE OF AN AFFINITY DIAGRAM

Possible solutions to reduce cycle time for process A

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Machine

+ Run machine faster

+ Get a new machine

+ Apply new controls

+ Reduce set-up time

+ Simplify machine

operations

Personnel

+ Assign more people

+ Provide additional

training

+ Let Joe run the

process/machine

+ Provide help during

set-up

Infrastructure

+ Reduce paperwork

+ Improve forklift

+ Better conveyor

+ New overhead

crane

+ Prompt delivery of

route sheets

Vendor

+ Improve vendor

communication

+ Use cell phone to

contact vendors

+ Have additional

sources

+ Work with vendor to

improve quality and

delivery

+ Reduce re-supply

time

Maintenance

+ Better lubricant

+ Reliability-centred

maintenance

+ More...