Using Data for Decision Making


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Course Number: V20D_23



The usual responsibilities of an engineer or manager include data collection, analysis, process troubleshooting and process improvement. Using established and logical methodology can improve problem-solving and troubleshooting skills while guiding process improvement strategies and efforts. Identifying and implementing process improvements enable us to become more effective engineers or managers and increases our value to an organization.

Process Improvement requires an organized approach, knowledgeable people, teamwork and the appropriate tools. There are a number of recognized approaches in use today. “Using Data for Decisions” focuses on the analytical tools of a branch of statistics known as statistical inference. The simple methods presented will be a review for many engineers and for others it will be an ‘eye-opening’ approach to using data in business and industry.

Statistical inference is an area with a different focus than in several other courses in this series.  With statistical inference, the objective is to infer conclusions about populations by using information obtained from samples.  Statistical inference involves mathematical procedures and calculations which allow us to draw these conclusions. This course presents an overview of the subject and gives practical information and examples.

“Using Data for Decisions” presents an overview of statistical inference and hypothesis testing using practical information and examples. It is intended to provide practical information that will enable you and your organization to develop and implement an effective, logical and organized approach to process improvement based on data. It will lead to evidence-based decision making and help you to eliminate emotional or biased judgments for process improvement by stating conclusions with a high degree of confidence.

“Using Data for Decisions” is a practical course that uses real world examples. It is intended to provide an understanding of using the tools of statistical inference for process improvement by looking into several scenarios and using the methodology to lead to solutions. This is not a theoretical statistics course, or series of courses. It is intended to be practical and a such is not a comprehensive statistics course, either. Don’t be ‘scared off’ by the idea of statistical test for determining the effects of a process change, upset or experiment. This course is about understanding and using the correct statistical tools in a variety of situations to draw conclusions with an associated degree of confidence.

The instructor for “Using Data for Decisions”, Davis M. Woodruff, PE has over three decades of real-world experience with clients on 3 continents and in 35 states. He uses a practical approach based on ‘real world’ experiences.

The learning objectives are for participants to:

  1. Review/Understand the fundamentals of statistical methods for process improvement
  2. Learn to select the correct statistical inference test to use in given situations
  3. Be able to test hypotheses and state conclusions at a known confidence level
  4. Become a more effective problem solver while making process improvements


Course Length: 2 Hours, ( 0. 2CEUs or 2PDHs or 2CPCs )

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