Companies that need to analyze data often use different tools that present it in various forms. Many people prefer to see data as graphs, because graphs make it easier to understand many things about it.
A run chart is a graphical representation of data plotted over time. It helps a company see how a measurement changes from one point to the next. When you want to judge whether a process is stable and decide what action to take to improve it, a run chart can play a great role.
Keep in mind that a run chart is always based on the information a company already has. For this purpose, a company has to pay attention to its processes, products and services, because these provide the measurements that are plotted. Examples include waiting time per week, defects per batch or orders delivered on time.
The measurements are taken from products, services or processes over a reasonable period of time and are then plotted on the run chart. Using accurate measurements ensures that the chart shows the right information.
The data points are entered in the order in which they happened. You can start the chart at any point in time, but the points must stay in time order. At least 10 points that are not on the centre line are needed to apply the run rules. Using 20 to 25 or more points is recommended, because a longer series gives more reliable results.
Use the following run chart maker to make your work easier:
Run Chart Maker
Enter your measurements in time order. The chart, centre line and run analysis update as you type, and the tool tells you whether the pattern looks random.
Chart Titles
Centre Line & Target
The median is the usual centre line for run charts because it is not pulled by extreme values.
Display Options
Paste Data
Excel columns can be pasted directly: a label column and a value column.
Data Points
Report Notes
To mark an event on the chart, add a note to that data point in the Data tab. Noted points get a letter on the chart and are listed below it.
A run chart is a good tool for spotting shifts and trends in a process. The generator draws a centre line, which is usually the median, and counts the runs, which are groups of consecutive points on the same side of that line. It then checks for an unusually long run, too few crossings of the centre line, a shift of six or more points on one side, and a trend of five or more points rising or falling. These checks show whether the pattern looks random or whether something in the process has changed. A run chart cannot tell you why a change happened, so you still need to investigate the cause.
A run chart can provide a lot of important information, especially when it is created carefully. It is particularly valuable at the start of an improvement project. If you have not yet calculated control limits, you can use a run chart to get an early view of how a process behaves.
The run chart generator helps you create the chart from your own measurements. You can paste your data or enter it point by point, set a target if you have one, and get the chart, analysis and plain-language interpretation instantly. It makes creating a run chart easy and saves time, and you can download the result as an Excel file or print it.
File: Excel (.xlsx)
Size 26 KB
