Affinity Diagram

Affinity Diagram is a powerful business tool, one of the Seven Management and Planning Tools. It helps to gather and organize in groups the large number of information, opinions or ideas, which are typically generated during brainstorming session, and is based on the natural relationships that exist between ideas. Affinity Diagram is indispensible for analysis the complex problems, ideas and results of oral surveys. It effectively depicts the structure of large and complex factors that influence on a problem, divides them into smaller with simpler structure, but doesn't show a causal relationship between the factors. Typically Affinity Diagram contains approximately 40-50 topics and is widely used for a completely different goals, for the project definition, for analyzing product evaluations, for identifying the main violations in a process and the ways of their improvement. ConceptDraw Office applications are ideal for designing professional-looking Affinity diagrams. This Affinity diagram is created to prepare the data for further analysis of cause-and-effect relationships.

Affinity Diagram

The Affinity Diagram, also known as a KJ diagram, is a business tool invented for organization the large quantity of ideas and data. It is a part of Seven Management and Planning Tools, it is usually used right after brainstorming to sort large numbers of ideas into the corresponding groups. The Affinity Diagram helps to represent in a better way the structure of large and complex factors which influence on a problem, divides these factors into the smaller and simpler structures, and helps team members to see the patterns and identify possible solutions to problems they have. The diagrams of this type don't show the causal relationships between the factors, but they are designed to prepare the data for holding further analysis of the cause-effect relationships. Another area of Affinity Diagram usage is contextual inquiry as a way to sort observations and notes from field interviews, support call logs, open-ended survey responses organizing, etc. ConceptDraw MINDMAP software offers you the tools for easy holding brainstorming, generation ideas and creation MINDMAP Affinity Diagram.

Root Cause Tree Diagram

The Root Cause Tree Diagram is a chart that helps determine the root causes of factors that influence the problem, to represent and analyze them. This diagram is constructed separately for each high priority factor. First it is needed to identify the root causes for a factor, display their structure and then propose the possible corrective actions. But how to create Root Cause Tree Diagram with the least efforts and time? ConceptDraw MINDMAP will effectively help you in drawing MINDMAP Root Cause Tree Diagram and Root Cause Analysis Tree Diagram used for further formulation of actions. The Root Cause Tree Diagram template, which can be opened at the program from the Input tab, supplies you with a basic mind map structure for your diagram. The central idea describes briefly a problem, the main topics represent the high-level causes of a problem, their subtopics give more details about the different parts of given causes. At the last level of tree are described the potential solutions to each of detailed parts of the causes.

Relations Diagram

The Relations Diagram is used to identify how the factors influence each other, to determine what factors are causes and what are effects. The factors mostly influencing are called “drivers”, the primarily affected factors are “indicators”. The problem solving is focused on the change of "drivers" factors by applying the corrective actions. The "indicators" factors help establish the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to monitor the changes and also define the effectiveness of the corrective actions in resolving a problem. ConceptDraw MINDMAP software ideally suits for designing Relations Diagrams. The easiest way to create the MINDMAP Relations Diagram, is to use the included Relations Diagram input template. Open it in ConceptDraw MINDMAP application from the Input tab and hold a new brainstorming session, identify the central issue and the contributing factors to this issue. Click the Finish Brainstorm button to generate a Mind Map and begin the further work with it, or select Relations Diagram item from the Output tab to automatically draw it in ConceptDraw PRO application.

How To Create Onion Diagram

An onion diagram is a kind of chart that shows the dependencies among parts of an organization or process. The chart displays items in concentric circles, where the items in each ring depend on the items in the smaller rings. The Onion Diagram is able to show layers of a complete system in a few circles. But how to create Onion Diagram? Now, it's very easy thanks to the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software extended with Stakeholder Onion Diagrams Solution from the Management Area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.

7 Management & Planning Tools

The 7 Management and Planning Tools solution available from ConceptDraw Solution Park implements well-known methodologies and provides the comprehensive set of tools for problems' analysis and solving. Different products from multifunctional ConceptDraw Office suite may be used as a complete solution for any of methodologies offered by this solution and provide a visual communication during every stage of work. Use the MINDMAP 7 Management & Planning Tools for step-by-step identification and analysis the problems, for planning solving and corrective actions, and also countermeasures to address the risks. 7 Management and Planning Tools solution is perfect for managers in medium to large companies, who require effective tools to address the management issue, for business consultants, trainers and coaches to help visualize the problem's solving by using 7 MP Tools methodology, to structure the problem's affecting factors, analyze their root causes and cause and effect relations, to highlight drivers and indicators factors, to prioritize factors using ranking by criteria set.

Fishbone Diagram

The use of specific types of visual diagrams is effective way to problems solving and decisions making. Fishbone diagram is a graphical tool used for visual and systematical analyzing the relationships between the solved problem and causes affecting its occurrence. It has hierarchical structure and that's why is well-suited for capturing in a mind map for a process of reviewing what branch is a real root cause of a given issue. ConceptDraw Office products and PM solutions offered by ConceptDraw STORE give the powerful help in questions of planning and project management. ConceptDraw PRO and ConceptDraw MINDMAP applications perfectly suit for designing professional-looking Fishbone Diagrams and allow effectively identify the root causes of quality issues using the Fishbone diagrams. The PM Response solution from the Project Management area of ConceptDraw Solution Park is powerful for improvement the response time to project changes, helps with iteration planning, with solving project challenges and discussing project layout approaches.

Product Overview

The role of ConceptDraw MINDMAP is to organize and plan idea development and communicate between process participants. Mind maps are convenient to prepare presentations for team and management and send task lists and related information.

Business Productivity - Management

The widespread of Mind Maps in the field of management is justified and very convenient. The managers and leaders work with large amount of information and data, and need the useful tools for its structuring and systemizing. They prefer to use the powerful Mind Mapping software that gives them a lot of benefits. ConceptDraw MINDMAP is professional software for management, business planning, strategic planning, business productivity and development. It provides the powerful tools which help managers to be effective and improve their productivity, supports them in easy visual documenting and communication the management information. Use ConceptDraw MINDMAP to build the Management Diagrams (Matrices, Organizational Charts, Deployment Charts, Timelines, Cause & Effect (Fishbone) Diagrams) and key management Mind Maps (SWOT analysis, problem solving, decision making, business planning, scheduling, thinking ideas, company organizing, preparing and holding the meetings and presentations) quickly and easily.