Spider Charts: A Training Course

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Spider ChartsA Training Course
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Spider Charts Training Agenda

• What Are Spider Charts?
• How Can Your Organization Use Them?
• Developing Spider Charts
• Spider Charting Exercise
• Summary
• References

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What Are Spider Charts?

• A graphical way to compare data
• Displayed in a web-like form
• Used to evaluate multiple alternatives based on
  multiple criteria

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How Can Your Organization Use Spider Charts?

• Do you want to graphically compare multiple
  potential projects?
• Do you need to analyze the strengths and
  weaknesses of different supply chain strategies?
• Are you finding it difficult to make logical
  comparisons between business opportunities?
• If your answer is yes, then Spider Charts may be
  your solution!

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Developing Spider Charts (Six Easy Steps)

1. Identify the alternatives to be compared
2. Generate criteria to rate each alternative
3. Rate each alternative based on criteria
4. Draw and label the axis arms of the chart (one
   arm for each criterion)
5. Draw and label each alternatives ratings on the
   chart, connecting between arms
6. Analyze the chart

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Developing Spider Charts
What a Finished Spider Chart Might Look Like
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Developing Spider ChartsStep 1 Identify the
alternatives to be compared

• Spider Charts could be used to compare
• Potential Projects
• Performance of Vendors
• Employee Performance
• No more than 5 (five) alternatives should be
  compared using Spider Charts

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Developing Spider ChartsStep 2 Generate
criteria to rate each alternative

• Projects can be rated based on risk, return,
  initial cost, or any other criteria
• At least three criteria must be used, more may be
  helpful, but more than seven may be too complex

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Developing Spider ChartsStep 3 Rate each
alternative based on criteria

• It is helpful to standardize ratings to some
  uniform scale (for example 0-10, or 0-100)

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Developing Spider ChartsStep 4 Draw and label
the axis arms of the chart (one arm for each
criterion)

• If there are five criteria (C) on a scale of 0-10

C-1
10
C-2
5
C-5
0
C-3
C-4
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Developing Spider ChartsStep 5 Draw and label
each alternatives ratings on the chart,
connecting between arms

• Using different colors for each alternative is
  best

C-1
10
C-2
5
C-5
Alternative 1 Alternative 2
0
C-3
C-4
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Developing Spider ChartsStep 6 Analyze the
chart

• For this example, possible analyses might include

• Alternative 1 is better in criterion 1, 2 and 5
• Alternative 2 is better in criterion 3 and 4
• The largest difference is found in criterion 4

C-1
10
C-2
5
C-5
0
Alternative 1 Alternative 2
C-3
C-4
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Spider Charting Exercise

• Now, lets go through an exercise to create a
  Spider Chart
• Suppose you want to compare how well three
  different vendors have delivered goods on time
  over the past five years.
• You have the following data

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Spider Charting Exercise (continued)
Data
On-time Delivery Percentages Vendors
AppleGate Patriot, Inc.
Franklin Year 1 45 67 83 2 57 64 65 3
68 70 77 4 63 66 91 5 75 71 55
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Spider Charting Exercise (continued)

• Refer to the data on the previous slide and use
  the Six Steps to create a Spider Chart comparing
  the three vendors
• Hint The criteria used in this example are
  actually the five years

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Spider Charting Exercise (continued)

• As a reminder, here are the Six Steps
• Identify the alternatives to be compared
• Generate criteria to rate each alternative
• Rate each alternative based on criteria
• Draw and label the axis arms of the chart (one
  arm for each criterion)
• Draw and label each alternatives ratings on the
  chart, connecting between arms
• Analyze the chart

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Spider Charting Exercise (continued)

• More hints for the example problem
• The alternatives are the three vendors
• The criteria are the five years
• The ratings are given as the percentages
• Your chart should have five arms (for the five
  years)
• You should have drawn three webs, one for each
  vendor
• What does the chart tell you about the vendors?

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Spider Charting Exercise Solution
Here is what your Spider Chart should look like
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Spider Charting Exercise Solution

• This Spider Chart was developed using Microsoft
  Excel, which is a quick and flexible way to make
  the chart
• To make it in MS Excel, input the data in the
  cells, then Insert a Chart and select Radar
  as the Chart Type

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Summary

• Spider Charts are very useful for visually
  comparing a few alternatives
• Just follow the Six Easy Steps to create your own
  Spider Chart
• Microsoft Excel provides a quick and easy way to
  create a Spider Chart

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References (Where to Find More Information)

• http//www.internet4classrooms.com/excel_radar.htm
  
• The Spider Chart A Unique Tool for Performance
  Appraisal, 1995, ASQC, Rogers, Cephas B.
• Go to www.asq.org (the American Society for
  Quality website) and search for spider chart
• http//www.asq.org/education/docs/radarchart.pdf
• Beyond Strategic Vision Effective Corporate
  Action with Hoshin Planning, Michael Cowley, 199,
  page 76.
• The Ultimate Six Sigma Beyond Quality
  Excellence, Keki R Bhote, 2001, page 180.