PMP Exam Prep Question of the Week

While analyzing defects, the project team is attempting to isolate the cause of a quality problem on a project. They theorize the problem may be centered around the impact of one variable on another. Which of the following quality control techniques will confirm a relationship between the variables and why?

1. Either a run chart or control chart, because these clearly show both the mean of all the desired outcomes and valuable trend indicators. If the mean and trends align, that shows a relationship.
2. A Pareto chart, because it shows the percentages of each defect’s occurrence, and, therefore, it logically follows that the defects that have near the same percentage are related.
3. A scattergram, because it shows the relationship between independent and dependent variables.
4. A RAM chart, because it will show what resources are working on more than one task in the project. The fact that a particular resource is doing work on more than one task will lead to the origin of the problem.

The correct answer is 3.

Scattergrams show the relationship between independent and dependent variables, and the closer this comparison follows the diagonal line, the more related the variables are to each other. This allows the quality team to study and identify possible relationships between these variables.

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