Affinity Diagram


The affinity diagram is a project management tool for organizing ideas and data. The name was devised by Jiro Kawakita in the 1960s and is sometimes referred to as the K-J method. The benefit of this tool is that it allows large numbers of ideas stemming from brainstorming to be sorted into groups, based on their commonalities.18,19 An affinity diagram is a great tool to use when starting to identify possible issues,


challenges, or opportunities around an identified problem. For example, perhaps a foodservice department receives poor satisfaction scores on a recent survey; there could be many factors contributing to this (see Figure 13.7 for an example affinity diagram on this topic). In a brainstorming session, team members can take time to think about and write down all the possible reasons they feel food satisfaction scores might have declined. The ideas can then be grouped into categories. Some categories are likely to have more ideas than others, which can help a team know where to begin improving the process. The brainstorming process identifies the issues, and the affinity diagram helps sort these issues into categories. The affinity diagram process follows these common steps:


1. Present the topic or define the problem clearly to the team. 2. Give the team index cards or sticky notes. 3. Ask the team to write an idea or issue on each card or sticky note. 4. Collect the ideas or issues and read them to the team as you post them on the wall.


5. Lead the team in sorting the ideas or issues into categories. If there are duplicates of an idea, group them together rather than tossing out the duplicates.


6. Lead the team in labeling each category of cards. You should end up with the ideas grouped together into categories.


7. To complete your affinity diagram, draw arrows between the categories you’ve identified, indicating all notable relationships (affinities) between them.


Once the affinity diagram is complete, the team should have a better under-


standing of the causes of the problem, which will guide their discussion of the most effective, targeted solutions.


FIGURE 13.7 Sample affinity diagram Time to delivery


Delivery takes too long


Food arrives cold


enough choices


Don’t like the selections


Dislikes choices offered Not


Dislikes food


Don’t like the low-salt choices


Don’t like the diabetic diet choices


Food is bland


Ordering issues


Ordering process is complicated


Food looks bad


CHAPTER 13: Quality Management and Improvement


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