Data Decisions: Read Carefully!

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Put your analytical thinking to the test! Use each scenario to identify problem types, SMART questions, and effective questioning techniques. Several answers may seem reasonable, but look closely—the goal is to choose the concept that best fits the situation.

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Jessica Shellenhamer

United States

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Data Decisions: Read Carefully!Online version Put your analytical thinking to the test! Use each scenario to identify problem types, SMART questions, and effective questioning techniques. Several answers may seem reasonable, but look closely—the goal is to choose the concept that best fits the situation. by Jessica Shellenhamer 1 An analyst reviews customer complaints about a delivery service. Complaints mentioning “driver arrived late,” “package arrived after the promised date,” and “delivery took too long” are grouped based on their similarities. The analyst plans to use these groups later to determine broader customer concerns. What problem type is being performed right now? 2 An analyst has already sorted employee comments into categories such as “unclear expectations,” “insufficient feedback,” and “conflicting instructions.” The analyst determines that these categories collectively represent a larger issue involving workplace communication. What problem type is being performed? 3 Maintenance records show that equipment failures have repeatedly occurred after three specific warning indicators appear together. Management wants to use the analysis to prevent future breakdowns. What problem type does the analysis itself represent? 4 Historical purchasing data show that customers with certain buying behaviors frequently repurchase within 30 days. An analyst uses that relationship to determine which current customers are most likely to purchase again next month. What problem type is the analyst ultimately solving? 5 Two distribution centers have experienced recurring shipment delays. Historical records show that delays at both locations increase when orders must pass through the same third-party carrier. Which problem type best describes the analyst's key finding? 6 An analyst reviewing several years of transaction data notices that sales normally increase gradually each December. This year, however, sales tripled in a single day with no similar increase in previous years. Which problem type best describes investigating this result? 7 Which question best demonstrates the time-bound characteristic of SMART? A. How many hours per week do employees spend resolving customer complaints? B. How many complaints did employees resolve? C. How did the number of complaints resolved change between January and June? D. What percentage of complaints require more than two hours to resolve? 8 A retailer wants a question that most strongly satisfies the action-oriented component of SMART. Which is best? A. What percentage of customers abandon their carts? B. How many customers abandoned their carts last month? C. What changes to checkout could reduce cart abandonment? D. Is cart abandonment affecting quarterly revenue? 9 A manager wants detailed employee feedback about a new scheduling system. Which question is open-ended but still inappropriate because it may introduce bias and why? A. What has your experience with the new scheduling system been? B. Why has the new scheduling system made your job easier? C. Has the new scheduling system made your job easier? D. Do you prefer the new or previous scheduling system? Hints 1 - 2 L 10 A stakeholder believes declining customer satisfaction may be related to delivery problems. The analyst needs to understand the problem without assuming that explanation is correct. Which question is most effective? A. Are late deliveries causing customer dissatisfaction? B. How often have customers complained about late deliveries? C. Which delivery issue causes the most complaints? D. What factors have customers identified when describing their dissatisfaction?