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MINDMAP 16

Affinity Diagram

Affinity Diagram

The Affinity Diagram shows the structure of large, complex factors that have an influence on a problem, and then divides them up into a smaller and simpler structure. The Affinity Diagram does not show a causal relationship between the factors. This diagram is designed to prepare the data for further analysis of the cause-effect relationships. It's also known as a KJ diagram.

The History of Affinity Diagrams

The affinity diagram is a business tool for large idea and data organization. It's a part of the Seven Management and Planning Tools.

The term affinity diagram was invented by Jiro Kawakita in the 1960s, so now it could be referred to as the KJ Method sometimes.

Project Managers use this method right after brainstorming to sort large numbers of ideas into groups, based on their natural relationships.

Another area of affinity diagrams usage is contextual inquiry as a way to sort notes and observations from field interviews, open-ended survey responses organizing, support call logs, etc.

Other tools include:

  • Affinity Diagram
  • Relations Diagram
  • Prioritization Matrix
  • Root Cause Analysis Tree Diagram
  • Involvement Matrix
  • PERT Chart
  • Risk Diagram (PDPC)

When to Use Affinity Diagrams?

Once you finished a big brainstorming session with your team or on alone, next handy step will be - Affinity diagram.

It is used within Project Managers to organize a large number of ideas and represent it to team members in a better way, so they may see the patterns in what's been discussed and identify possible solutions to problems they have.

ConceptDraw STORE offers the Mind Map Exchange Solution from the Collaboration Area which allows to get instantly the access to the ConceptDraw MINDMAP for create Affinity Diagram.

Mind Map Exchange Solution in ConceptDraw STORE

Example 1. Mind Map Exchange Solution in ConceptDraw STORE

Best Practices When Creating Affinity Diagrams

  • Affinity Diagram template (located in Input tab) opens a new Brainstorming session
  • Use this Brainstorming session to identify the central issue, contributing factors to that issue, and the details of those factors
  • Drag and drop to connect factors to the central issue
  • Drag and drop to organize details to their respective factors
  • Save map when finished
  • From Output tab, under "7 Management & Planning Tools", select Affinity Diagram
  • Affinity Diagram will be automatically drawn in ConceptDraw DIAGRAM

Collect and structure factors that impact on a problem.

Affinity Diagram *

Example 2. Factors of Sales Problems


The Benefits for ConceptDraw MINDMAP Brainstorming Software

  • ConceptDraw MINDMAP is effective for brainstorming, designing mind maps, idea generating, creative and lateral thinking, creativity and problem solving.
  • ConceptDraw MINDMAP is ideal for team and personal work in Business, Marketing and Project Management.
  • The libraries with large quantity of vector objects help to illustrate your mind maps and to make them bright, visual and comprehensible.
  • Use of View Navigator tool lets create presentations from a mind map: you can simply select the map parts you want to present, sequence your slides, and preview the presentation.
  • ConceptDraw MINDMAP provides wide capabilities of importing and exporting in various formats: Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, MS Excel, Mindjet MindManager, image, HTML, PDF file.





TEN RELATED HOW TO's:
You can design the Prioritization Matrix by hand on the paper, but we offer you the most easier way — to use the ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software extended with Seven Management and Planning Tools Solution from the Management Area.Prioritization Matrix *
Picture: Prioritization Matrix
Related Solution:
Analyze the root causes of factors that influence the problem. A diagram is constructed separately for each high priority factor. Identify the root causes for a factor and then propose possible corrective actions. The diagram displays the structure of causes for a factor and possible corrective actions. The Root Cause Analysis Tree Diagram is used for further formulation of actions.Root Cause Tree Diagram *
Picture: Root Cause Tree Diagram
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Venn diagrams are illustrations used in the branch of mathematics known as set theory. Use ConceptDraw DIAGRAM to quick and easy design your own Venn Diagram of any complexity.Venn Diagram - Sustainable Development
Picture: Venn Diagram
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Helps to create professionally looking and detailed Sales Flowcharts with all sales steps visually represented on them. Use the Sales Flowcharts Solution for ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software to create your own Sales Flowcharts of any complexity quickly, easily and effectively to use them successfully in your work activity. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software supplied with unique Sales Flowcharts solution from the Marketing area of ConceptDraw Solution Park allows fast and easy visualize all sales steps of the sales process on a sales process Map or sales process flowchart, and then realize them easily.Sales Steps *
Picture: Sales Steps
Related Solution:
While creating flowcharts and process flow diagrams, you should use special objects to define different statements, so anyone aware of flowcharts can get your scheme right. There is a short and an extended list of basic flowchart symbols and their meaning. Basic flowchart symbols include terminator objects, rectangles for describing steps of a process, diamonds representing appearing conditions and questions and parallelograms to show incoming data. This diagram gives a general review of the standard symbols that are used when creating flowcharts and process flow diagrams. The practice of using a set of standard flowchart symbols was admitted in order to make flowcharts and other process flow diagrams created by any person properly understandable by other people. The flowchart symbols depict different kinds of actions and phases in a process. The sequence of the actions, and the relationships between them are shown by special lines and arrows. There are a large number of flowchart symbols. Which of them can be used in the particular diagram depends on its type. For instance, some symbols used in data flow diagrams usually are not used in the process flowcharts. Business process system use exactly these flowchart symbols.Flowchart example showing a customer request approval process with start, input output, process steps, decision branches, and end
Picture: Flowchart Symbols: Meaning and Examples
Related Solution:
An onion diagram is a kind of chart that shows the dependencies among parts of an organization or process. The chart displays items in concentric circles, where the items in each ring depend on the items in the smaller rings. The Onion Diagram is able to show layers of a complete system in a few circles. But how to create Onion Diagram? Now, it's very easy thanks to the ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software extended with Stakeholder Onion Diagrams Solution from the Management Area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.How To Create Onion Diagram *
Picture: How To Create Onion Diagram
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Process Decision Program Chart (PDPC) is a commonly used technique that was designed in order to help prepare the contingency plans. The emphasis of the PDPC is identifying the consequential impact of failure on activity plans as well as creating the appropriate contingency plans in terms of limiting the risks. Planning to make the tree diagrams and/or the process diagrams can be extended by a couple of levels when the PDPC can be applied to the bottom level tasks on those diagrams.Risk Diagram (Process Decision Program Chart) *
Picture: Risk Diagram (Process Decision Program Chart)
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Visualizing sales data help you see the facts and KPIs about your sales process to make conclusions and see how your business can improve.The Facts and KPIs *
Picture: The Facts and KPIs
To support you in your tasks you can use the power of ConceptDraw DIAGRAM providing intelligent vector graphics that are useful for management diagramming and ConceptDraw MINDMAP for key management mind maps.Business Productivity - Management *
Picture: Business Productivity - Management
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Picture: Types of Flowcharts
Related Solution:
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MINDMAP 16