01 · Purpose
Why and when to use it
Use it before building a baseline from historical extracts or combining sources.
Who takes part?
The measurement owner works with people who understand the process and the recorded data. Statistical or measurement-system decisions should involve someone able to check the assumptions and study design.
02 · Application
How to apply it
Start with an agreed measurement purpose, explicit units and trustworthy observations. Identify missing cases and assumptions before calculating.
- Confirm field definitions against the actual process.
- Check required fields, duplicate keys and impossible values.
- Inspect timestamp sequence, units and code consistency.
- Compare selected records with independent evidence and check coverage across relevant groups.
- Document corrections and exclusions; retain raw records and unresolved cases.
03 · Example
A worked measurement example
Original fictional teaching example. Small datasets illustrate the method; they are not proposed as sufficient study sizes. Supplied parameters are assumptions, not estimates from a real process.
| Quality check | Illustrative finding | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Completeness | 20 of 1,000 handover timestamps missing | Report 2% missing; investigate by shift |
| Uniqueness | Five duplicate order rows | Resolve whether duplicates are split shipments or repeated records |
| Validity | Three handovers precede order release | Check time zones and event mapping |
04 · Interpretation
What the result tells you
The checks identify reasons a late-dispatch calculation may be biased. Do not simply delete the troublesome records and report the remaining rate as complete-population performance.
Completion check: A data-quality report and reproducible cleaning record supporting the baseline.
05 · Judgement
Mistakes and limitations
Automated checks find structural problems but cannot establish that recorded events happened as described. Missingness related to delays can bias the estimate even at a small percentage.
07 · Reading
Sources and further reading
The tool list follows the accepted LeanTrainingLab overview and its reference to Six Sigma+Lean Toolset, second edition (Lunau, editor; Springer, 2013). The book chapters were not available for direct review during this build. Explanations, examples and worksheets are original teaching material. Further reading supplies professional background; local conventions are stated explicitly.