| Understanding Your Data! | | | | The following are some areas that may be of |
| A major element of any management system is | | | | interest: |
| having an effective process designed to capture all | | | | Workers' Compensation. Workers' Compensation data |
| of the essential data required by the organization. | | | | can provide a wealth of information concerning the |
| This includes a wide array of information such as | | | | types of injuries, where the injuries are occurring, as |
| general employee concerns (workplace violence), use | | | | well as occurrence by time of day, day of week, |
| of contractors and sub-contractors (third-party | | | | month, department, by supervisor, incurred costs, |
| liability), equipment, materials, facilities, and other | | | | etc. depending on the quality of the risk management |
| sources that can be used to correct and/or drive | | | | information system. A combination of first reports of |
| organizational behavior. In order to understand your | | | | injury, injury investigations (root cause analysis), loss |
| data requirement, you need to ask questions of | | | | runs, and analysis can assist the targeting of your |
| those individuals who have experience in various | | | | efforts to specific loss producing situations. If you |
| disciplines and who understand how the organization | | | | find gaps in your data, your insurance carrier or |
| really works. As this a sensitive area, you must | | | | broker can probably help you answer any additional |
| proceed cautiously, as you are new to the | | | | questions. |
| organization and other individuals may not appreciate | | | | General and Auto Liability, Property,Security. This |
| you digging or nosing into their areas of expertise. | | | | type of data can all provide further insights on |
| I remember one case when I was a safety manager | | | | operational risk areas that are harming |
| and was asked to take over workers'; compensation. | | | | non-employees. Incidents that may harm |
| The Human Resources manager has previously had | | | | non-employees may also be setting conditions that |
| responsibility for this area. As I reviewed the loss | | | | harm employees and in turn productivity. If |
| data, I found huge gaps and trying to get answers | | | | non-employees are being harmed by operations, the |
| about the issue from this individual was next to | | | | overall safety culture is weak. What products and |
| impossible. This manager was very defensive about | | | | services have caused harm or created legal issues. |
| asking questions. I was invading her turf. | | | | These reports can give indicators of fire protection |
| To provide you an idea of areas to that you may be | | | | and life safety issues and risks. |
| concerned with, we have listed some typical | | | | Quality. Who has the QC data and how is it used? |
| questions that to ask about data. This list of | | | | What are the patterns and trends? This data can |
| questions will help you in your research. | | | | parallel the loss data in the assessment of who, |
| - What data does the organization gather in my | | | | what, when, where and how issues as we discussed |
| assigned area and how much of the history is still | | | | above. |
| valid? How good is the data? Are there any gaps? | | | | Human Resources. Human Resources can provide any |
| - Does the data allow comparison with similar | | | | information on turnover, absenteeism, injuries, type |
| organizations in this industry? | | | | of orientation, training provide insight on morale, skills |
| - Can I plot and graph the "patterns of behavior" | | | | sets, health of the workforce. This data is a very |
| written by Peter Senge, "Fifth Discipline" | | | | sensitive and you must proceed with caution. What |
| - Which way is the organization data trending? Have | | | | are the perspectives of the HR function as to the |
| you inherited a process that has events trending up, | | | | health and welfare of the personnel? |
| down, or flat? | | | | The goal of this research is to have as clear a picture |
| - Based on the data history, could the organization be | | | | as possible about your organization so that you can |
| targeted by governmental regulators (OSHA (data | | | | present the information to management. As each of |
| must be kept for 5 years), EPA (cradle to grave | | | | the parts are interconnected, each area can impart |
| data, chemicals manifest), Tax Audits, Sarbane-Oxley, | | | | its problems and issues on your area of expertise or |
| lawyers, and/or dare we mention them activist? | | | | discipline. |
| Using historical data is like looking in the side mirror of | | | | Management Presentation |
| a car, "Things looks closer than they appear." While | | | | Data has no meaning and is just information until |
| historical data appears to be backward looking, data | | | | through analysis it becomes knowledge. And it is a |
| serves a two-fold purpose in the development of a | | | | leap from knowledge to real learning. As you develop |
| successful management process | | | | your information, begin considering how you must |
| - First, you can identify patterns and trends by using | | | | structure any reports or presentations for |
| "Who, What, When, Where and How", as used in Six | | | | management review. Determine the style, format, |
| Sigma or Root Cause analysis to identify these | | | | types of charts, etc. used by the organization. While |
| trends. You can quickly understand reoccurring issues | | | | you may have a great style of presentation, the |
| and problems? Where are they happening? When are | | | | organization may have a style it prefers and already |
| they happening? Who is involved? What information | | | | understands. Check with the quality control, a Black |
| do you have as to why they might be occurring? | | | | Belt, as a possible source to help you perform |
| - Second, data must be analyzed before it can be | | | | various analysis in a format that you can use. If you |
| knowledge. Determining what data to look at brings | | | | cannot present your data in a form that is usable to |
| different perspectives into any analysis. You must | | | | management, supervisors, and employees, then you |
| ask if the data is extensive enough, gathered | | | | may as well be speaking a different language. In |
| properly, and timely. What other data needs to be | | | | most case you probably are! |
| developed to better provide you with a better | | | | Dr Mike Waite, California State University, Fresno, |
| picture of what is happening? | | | | commented: write in the format for the specific area |
| The most important is the data correct. In Six Sigma | | | | that you are working. For example, you are and if |
| you are told to trust your data. However, you are | | | | you are in a quality driven company, write in terms |
| also told to question the data is it does not look right. | | | | of the quality program. Write in the style of the |
| In the conditions we are describing here you many | | | | culture. Think in terms of your process assuring a |
| not be able to trust the data and you may have to | | | | goodness of fit with the organization. How well does |
| generate new data to validate the current process. | | | | your process work with the rest of the organization? |
| As we stated before, just be careful to "step on | | | | Do you mesh and blend your process into the |
| other individual toes." | | | | system? |
| You must have a clear understanding and knowledge | | | | In a recent article Prologger, discussed writing an |
| of the specific data that impacts your success in | | | | elevator speech. "An elevator pitch is an overview of |
| your area of expertise or discipline. Decisions should | | | | an idea for a product, service, or project. The name |
| be made on data and not just historical data, Has any | | | | reflects the fact that an elevator pitch can be |
| future or scenario planning been done? Various | | | | delivered in the time span of an elevator ride (for |
| techniques can be used to dig out opinions, concerns | | | | example, thirty seconds or 100-150 words)." - |
| and perspectives. Tom Peters, famous management | | | | Wikipedia, Problogger. |
| guru suggested a simple direct method, "MBWD" | | | | Finally, Donella Meadows who was a leading writer in |
| (Management by Wandering Around). Go talk to | | | | Systems Thinking offered a cautionary note in an |
| people! Listen and engage in dialog and discussion! | | | | article, "Dancing with Systems in Whole Earth," winter |
| At the end of the day, your goal is to clearly | | | | 2001. Don't be stopped by the "if you can't define it |
| identifying the quality of the current management | | | | and measure it, I don't have to pay attention to it" |
| system. Review the flow of data, where does it | | | | ploy. "No one can precisely define or measure any |
| come from, has anyone looked at the entire process | | | | value. She stresses that some things are of such |
| recently. Nathan read a story about a priest in a very | | | | value that they must simply be done to prevent |
| small parish church whose diocese required a special | | | | harm, injustice, or human demeaning." Does your data |
| report to be filled out every Monday. It asked about | | | | present an honest, straight forward view of reality? |
| how many attended the services, how money was | | | | She says never "distort, delay, or sequester |
| collected, how many visitors attended, etc. It also | | | | information. " You may have to make a stand on just |
| had a line item for Square Footage of Church? To | | | | being simple because it is the right thing to do. Use |
| get a reaction from his church member, he began | | | | the data to develop knowledge and wisdom. Donella |
| doubling the size of his church each week until it | | | | also stressed for us not to focus on just the |
| reached the size of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, then | | | | problems, but look for things that are going well and |
| began reducing it back to its real size. He never got a | | | | are good. This is one thing that we tend to forget. |
| response and began ignoring that line item! What data | | | | We can find many things wrong, but you also can |
| are you gathering that are unnecessary, confusing, or | | | | find things that are good. In my opinion, when an |
| of no value? | | | | "audit" is performed, the object is to find as many |
| Gathering the Loss Data | | | | things wrong as we can. I have always asked the |
| To get correct data, you should call a meeting with | | | | question, what you happen of during audit, you could |
| the key data gathers at your organization. In this | | | | not find anything wrong and provide a report as to |
| meeting you need to find out as much as possible | | | | such. Tell me how many times this happens. |
| about the data history from their perspective. Ask | | | | Summary of Day 6 |
| them about outstanding issues, cases, costs, etc. | | | | Review and analyze the data. Use the data to move |
| Even in this era of data driven programs, many | | | | from just information to knowledge about the |
| managers may not be taking full advantage of | | | | processes you are concerned about. Begin further |
| potential information from various associated | | | | refinement of the issues and problems that must be |
| department. Loss information can help identify areas | | | | prioritized for targeted activities to reduce problems, |
| where a process has serious problems and may be a | | | | inefficiencies of all. Do not forget to report on the |
| drain on resources and creating legal, medical and | | | | good things and successes that are occurring and not |
| other issues. | | | | just bad things. |