Glossary Terms Archive

Cause and Effect Diagram: Fishbone, Ishikawa, Six Sigma Analyze Phase

A cause and effect diagram is a visual tool that maps all potential causes of a specific problem into structured categories, displayed as branches off a horizontal spine that leads to the problem statement. The diagram’s shape resembles a fish skeleton — the...

Baseline Measure

When organizations embark on improvement initiatives, they often overlook a critical first step that determines success or failure. This fundamental component, known as a baseline measure, serves as the cornerstone for meaningful progress evaluation and strategic...

Balanced Scorecard: Definition, Four Perspectives, and How It Connects to Six Sigma

The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is a strategic management framework that measures organizational performance across four perspectives instead of relying on financial results alone. Robert Kaplan and David Norton introduced it in a 1992 Harvard Business Review article...

Malcomb Baldridge

When American businesses struggled with declining competitiveness in the 1980s, one visionary leader stepped forward to champion excellence. Howard Malcolm “Mac” Baldrige Jr. served as the United States Secretary of Commerce from 1981 until his tragic...

Bar Chart

Bar charts stand as one of the most fundamental and versatile tools in data visualization. Whether you’re analyzing business metrics, presenting research findings, or tracking performance indicators, bar charts provide clear, immediate insights that audiences...