ASSIGNMENT NO. 15.

** MATRIX DIAGRAM *
A. What Is Matrix Diagram?
Definitions / Other names / Introduction/History
B. Basic Blc! Diagram " Matrix Diagram.
#. Exam$l% " Matrix Diagram
D. #as% St&'(.
Basic Procedure /How to conduct/ When to use /
Why to use
E. A')a*tag%s a*' Disa')a*tag%s
+. T($%s
G. D%scri$ti*
,. A$$licati*
I. #*cl&si*

- ABHISHEK TIWARI

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ASSIGNMENT NO. 15.
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A. What is Matrix Diagram?
*Definitions of Matrix Diagram:
1) The Matrix Diagram is an analysis tool that facilitates the systematic analysis of the strengths
of relationships between two or more sets of elements. It consists of a table whose main rows
and columns contain the elements being inter-related with the rest of its cells containing symbols
or numbers that denote the strengths of relationship between the elements.
!) The matrix diagram organi"es data into sets of items to be compared. The diagram
graphically shows relationships and#or e$aluates the strengths of relationships between the items
in each set.
%) & brainstorming tool that can be used in a group to show the relationships between ideas or
issues.
*Other Names:
Matrix matrix chart

*Introduction to Matrix Diagram:
The Matrix Diagram allows a many-to-many comparison of two lists by turning the second list
on its side to form a matrix. The illustration below shows how the relationship between two
items can now be indicated in the cell where the row and column of the two items cross.
'ommon extensions to the Matrix Diagram include the use of different symbols to indicate
different comparison le$els and the weighting of the items being compared.
There are a number of different shapes of matrix for comparing more than the basic two
lists. These include the (-Matrix )the basic matrix as below) '-Matrix T-Matrix *-Matrix and
+-Matrix.The Matrix Diagram is a core tool in ,uality -unction Deployment ),-D).
The elements belonging to the same row or column should ha$e something in common so
that they comprise a set that represents something. -or instance a matrix diagram that relates
$arious reliability tests to $arious failure mechanisms might show in its main row industry-
standard reliability tests and on its main column commonly-encountered failure mechanisms.
The strength of relationship between each reliability test and each failure mechanism may
then be denoted on the cell where they intersect with a symbol or a number )say 1-% with %
denoting the strongest relationship). Table 1 shows a simplified $ersion of such a matrix
diagram. This matrix diagram shows for instance that if one wants to chec. the reliability of a
set of samples with respect to pac.age crac.ing and ball lifting then T'T should be the
reliability test used instead of /'T or 0T1(.

Table 1. A Matrix Diagram Relating Reliability Tests to Failure Mechanisms

TCT PCT HTOL
Package Cracking 3 2 1
Corrosion 1 3 1
Ball i!ting 3 2 1
"xi#e Break#o$n 1 1 3
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B. Basic Blc! Diagram " Matrix Diagram-
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#. Exam$l% " Matrix Diagram-
& personnel department wanted to impro$e social acti$ity within the company in order to
increase loyalty le$els. & theory was put forwards that soft-s.ills training contributed
significantly towards this in-house sociali"ing. The personnel manager conse2uently decided to
use a Matrix Diagram to in$estigate this. The steps ta.en were
O./%cti)%- In$estigate effect of soft-s.ills training on social acti$ity.
Matrix- T-matrix with people on main stem in-house training courses to left attendance of
social clubs to right plus an extra column for years of ser$ice.
#m$aris*- In-house training - tic. for attendance within last three years3 social clubs - three
bands corresponding to under %45 %45 to 645 and o$er 645 attendance in the same period.
The resultant matrix as shown below showed that people with higher le$els of social training
also tended to be more committed members of social clubs. It was also noticed that there
seemed to be a particular increase in commitment after going on the team-building course. The
length of ser$ice showed no particular pattern.


Fig.1. Building the example Matrix Diagram
&s a result the training was expanded and people were gi$en more encouragement to attend
)particularly the team-building course). This resulted in a steady increase in social acti$ity and a
reduction in attrition rates.
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D. #as% St&'(-
*Matrix Diagram Basic Procedure:

1) Decide what group)s) of items must be compared.
!) 'hoose the appropriate format for the matrix.
%) (ist the items in each group along the axes of the matrix.
/roblems#choices#conflicts#decisions#potential methods# are listed on the $ertical axis.
'riteria#e$aluati$e items#re2uirements#characteristics for consideration are listed at the top. The
criteria represent what is important to the e$aluation. 7ach criterion may be assigned a relati$e
weight to rate importance. 8ymbols may be used to establish strength of relationships. 'reate a
legend to guide understanding of the symbols.
'riteria often designed to indicate the most impact greatest importance least difficulty greatest
li.elihood of success. 8cales typically set high end rating to be the choice selection.

9) 'ompare each choice against the criteria. Mar. the appropriate box at the intersection of the
two items.
:) &naly"e the matrix for patterns#relationships.
*How to conduct a Matrix Diagram:
1. Define the ob;ecti$e of using the Matrix Diagram. This may be a statement such as <-ocus
design impro$ements on .ey customer re2uirements< which will be used later to direct
acti$ities.

!. =ecruit a team who ha$e the time and .nowledge to wor. on achie$ing the ob;ecti$e.
>uilding a Matrix Diagram can ta.e a lot more effort than some of the other diagrams
described in this boo. and a longer term commitment may be re2uired.

%. Decide what needs to be compared to achie$e the ob;ecti$e. This will result in two or more
lists being identified where the in$estigation of their relationships will help to achie$e the
ob;ecti$e.
This might also include identification of criteria to help decide what should and should not be
included in the list. -or example if comparing insects with diseases one criterion may be to
exclude any insects which are unli.ely to appear in the geographical area of study.
9. Identify the appropriate matrix to use. In approximate order of common use these are?
a% The (-matrix is by far the most common diagram. If there are more than two lists then a
set of (-matrices may still be the best approach unless the additional relationship mapping
gi$en by other matrices is re2uired.
b% The T-matrix is useful when there are two distinct sets of 2uestions about a core list for
example comparing school sub;ects against students and against teachers. &n indirect
relationship can be inferred between the two side lists.
c% The +-matrix closes the loop on the T-matrix and is useful for comparing three tightly
coupled lists. It can also be used as a practical simplification of the '-matrix.
#% The *-matrix is useful for comparing two pairs of complementary lists with each pair
occupying diagonally opposite lists )as they ha$e nothing in common and need not be
compared). -or example comparing men and women against acti$ities in athletic and
intellectual pastimes with men and women opposite.
e% The '-matrix compares three lists simultaneously such as the people products and
processes in a factory. >eing three-dimensional it is difficult and complex to produce and
draw. It becomes easier if there are few relationships to map.
:. Decide how list items are to be compared. The most common is the strong#medium#wea.
relationship although there may well be circumstances where other relationships may be more
appropriate. -or example when comparing a list of people against tas.s the comparison may
indicate prime responsibility influence and interest.
This stage may also include identification of symbols to use. The most common symbols are
as shown in the diagram abo$e although any other symbol set may be chosen. &lthough
symbols are easier to interpret $isually numbers may be preferable particularly if a computer
spreadsheet is being used.
@. Deri$e the lists using guidelines from step %. Indi$idual items may be easily a$ailable or may
re2uire significant effort to ac2uire for example when determining .ey customer
re2uirements.
>eware of long lists resulting in large and unwieldy matrices. Initial lists may need to be
trimmed down for an early focus on .ey areas.
6. /erform the comparison of the matrices consistently using the rules defined in step :. It is
often preferable to aim for a relati$ely sparse matrix than to identify e$en the wea.est
relationship as a symbol in e$ery cell can result in .ey relationships being difficult to spot.

A. 7$aluate the final matrix loo.ing for items of significance which will result in specific
actions being carried forwards. Things to loo. for include?
a% Bnimportant items which ha$e few or no relationships with the other lists.
b% Cey items which relate to many of the items in the other lists.
c% /atterns which stri.e you as odd and which may bear further in$estigation.
*How to understand Matrix Diagram:

Dhen comparing two lists there is sometimes a simple one-to-one relationship which can be
easily documented in a side-by-side table. 0owe$er when a single item from one list may be
related to several items in the other list then the side-by-side format does not wor. as in -ig. 1.

+ig. 1. R%lati*shi$s .%t0%%* lists
The Matrix Diagram allows two lists to be compared by turning the second list on its side to
form a matrix. -ig. ! shows how the relationship between two items can now be indicated in
the s2uare or cell where the row and column of the two items cross.
+ig. 1. Ma*(2t2ma*( r%lati*shi$s i* a matrix
The matrix can be thought of as a special form of table where the cells contain a simple symbol
or number which is deri$ed from a defined set of rules.
& common extension to matrices is to use different symbols in the matrix cells in order to show
the strength of the relationship between pairs of items. The o$erall strength of the relationship
between an indi$idual item and the whole of the other list can also be determined either by
$isually chec.ing the diagram or by allocating a numerical $alue to each symbol and summing
rows and columns as in -ig. %.
The most common relationship symbols and their corresponding $alues are shown below. The
non-linear relationship between the numeric symbol $alues indicates how a strong relationship
is typically much stronger than a medium or wea. relationship. &nother factor that may be
included in this calculation is the relati$e priority of each list item.

+ig. 3. Sh0i*g a*' s&mmi*g str%*gth " r%lati*shi$
The basic matrix shown abo$e is the most common matrix in use and is called an L-Matri
due to its shape. Dhere more than a simple comparison of two lists is re2uired other matrices
are a$ailable and are shown in -ig. 9. These also ha$e descripti$e letter names which indicate
their shape.

+ig. 4. Di""%r%*t t($%s " Matrix Diagram

& typical use of the Matrix Diagram to compare two lists is where the list on the left represents
a problem )the <what<) and the list abo$e represents a solution to that problem )the <how<). -or
example the first list details customer re2uirements for a product whilst the second list shows
how this is translated into design specifications. The relationship $alues now can be used to
identify specific problems and other points of interest for example?
a) =ows with low totals indicate customer re2uirements which are not well met.
b) 'olumns with low totals may indicate o$er-engineered or unnecessary design items.
c) 'olumns with high totals indicate design items which are particularly important for meeting a
number of customer re2uirements.
& constraint when using a Matrix Diagram is in the number of comparisons that may
practically be made. & ten-by-ten matrix re2uires 144 comparisons which needs a moderate
effort to complete. 0owe$er a complex product might ha$e hundreds of re2uirement details
and a corresponding number of design specification elements but a hundred-by-hundred
matrix needs a prohibiti$e 14444 comparisons to be madeE
& practical use of the Matrix Diagram in a complex situation is for focusing on the detail of
critical suspect or difficult parts of the problem rather than trying to use it for the entire
situation.
*When to Use the Matrix Process:
Bse it when comparing two lists to understand the many-to-many relationship between
them )it is not useful if there is a simple one-to-one relationship).
Bse it to determine the strength of the relationship between either single pairs of items or
a single item and another complete list.
Bse it when the second list is generated as a result of the first list to determine the
success of that generation process. -or example customer re2uirements $ersus design
specifications.
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E. A')a*tag%s a*' Dis')a*tag%s-
*d!antages:
In the MatrixDiagram ? -
1) Bnimportant items which ha$e few or no relationships with the other lists.
!) Cey items which relate too many of the items in the other lists.
%) /atterns which stri.e you as odd and which may bear further in$estigation.
*Disd!antages:
In the MatrixDiagram ? -
1) =ows with low totals indicate customer re2uirements which are not well met.
!) 'olumns with low totals may indicate o$er-engineered or unnecessary design items.
%) 'olumns with high totals indicate design items which are particularly important for meeting a
number of customer re2uirements.
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+. T($%s-
(-8haped Matrix Diagram
This (-shaped matrix summari"es customersF re2uirements. The team placed numbers in the
boxes to show numerical specifications and used chec. mar.s to show choice of pac.aging. The
(-shaped matrix actually forms an upside-down (. This is the most basic and most common
matrix format.
Customer Requirements

Customer
D
Customer
M
Customer
R
Customer
T
Purity % > 99.2 > 99.2 > 99.4 > 99.0
Trace metals ppm! < 5 < 10 < 25
"ater ppm! < 10 < 5 < 10
#iscosity cp! 20-35 20-30 10-50 15-35
Color < 10 < 10 < 15 < 10
Drum
Truc$
Railcar
T-8haped Matrix Diagram
This T-shaped matrix relates product models )group &) to their manufacturing locations )group
>) and to their customers )group ').
7xamining the matrix in different ways re$eals different information. -or example concentrating
on model & we see that it is produced in large $olume at the Texas plant and in small $olume at
the &labama plant. Time Inc. is the ma;or customer for model & while &rlo 'o. buys a small
amount. If we choose to focus on the customer rows we learn that only one customer &rlo buys
all four models. Gig buys ;ust one. Time ma.es large purchases of & and D while (yle is a
relati$ely minor customer.
Products%Customers%Manu&acturing 'ocations
+-8haped Matrix Diagram
This +-shaped matrix shows the relationships between customer re2uirements internal process
metrics and the departments in$ol$ed. 8ymbols show the strength of the relationships? primary
relationships such as the manufacturing departmentFs responsibility for production capacity3
secondary relationships such as the lin. between product a$ailability and in$entory le$els3
minor relationships such as the distribution departmentFs responsibility for order lead time3 and
no relationship such as between the purchasing department and on-time deli$ery.
The matrix tells an interesting story about on-time deli$ery. The distribution department is
assigned primary responsibility for that customer re2uirement. The two metrics most strongly
related to on-time deli$ery are in$entory le$els and order lead time. 1f the two distribution has
only a wea. relationship with order lead time and none with in$entory le$els. /erhaps the
responsibility for on-time deli$ery needs to be reconsidered. >ased on the matrix where would
you put responsibility for on-time deli$eryH
Responsi(ilities &or Per&ormance to Customer Requirements
'-8haped Matrix Diagram
Thin. of ' meaning Icube.J >ecause this matrix is three-dimensional it is difficult to draw and
infre2uently used. If it is important to compare three groups simultaneously consider using a
three-dimensional model or computer software that can pro$ide a clear $isual image.
This figure shows one point on a '-shaped matrix relating products customers and
manufacturing locations. Gig 'ompanyFs model > is made at the Mississippi plant.
*-8haped Matrix Diagram
This figure extends the T-shaped matrix example into an *-shaped matrix by including the
relationships of freight lines with the manufacturing sites they ser$e and the customers who use
them. 7ach axis of the matrix is related to the two ad;acent ones but not to the one across. Thus
the product models are related to the plant sites and to the customers but not to the freight lines.
& lot of information can be contained in an *-shaped matrix. In this one we can obser$e that
=ed (ines and Gip Inc. which seem to be minor carriers based on $olume are the only carriers
that ser$e (yle 'o. (yle doesnFt buy much but it and &rlo are the only customers for model '.
Model D is made at three locations while the other models are made at two. Dhat other
obser$ations can you ma.eH
Manu&acturing )ites%Products%Customers%Freight 'ines
=oof-8haped Matrix Diagram
The roof-shaped matrix is used with an (- or T-shaped matrix to show one group of items
relating to itself. It is most commonly used with a house of 2uality where it forms the IroofJ of
the Ihouse.J In the figure below the customer re2uirements are related to one another. -or
example a strong relationship lin.s color and trace metals while $iscosity is unrelated to any of
the other re2uirements.
Frequently *sed Matrix Diagram )ym(ols
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G. D%scri$ti*-
The matrix diagram shows the relationship between two three or four groups of information. It
also can gi$e information about the relationship such as its strength the roles played by $arious
indi$iduals or measurements.
8ix differently shaped matrices are possible? ( T + * ' and roof-shaped depending on how
many groups must be compared.
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*,. A$$licati*-
The matrix diagram can be used in almost all types of decision ma.ing that in$ol$es se$eral
options or alternati$es or is affected by se$eral factors. 7xamples of these include?
1) 72ual distribution of ma;or and minor assignments among members of a gi$en pro;ect3
!) 8election of a process e2uipment or material for a gi$en purpose3
%) Identifying the most critical factors affecting a gi$en problem area3
9) Matching of tas.s to ob;ecti$es etc.
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*I. #*cl&si*-
&s we ha$e seen the example of personnel department of a company it is seen that this tool can
be widely used in industry.
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