Last month we examined the story of an engineer who used Quality methods to win at Jeopardy!; and I have made the argument more than once (for example here) that Quality methods are just a form of organized common sense that builds on re-using known solutions to known problems. There is nothing inherently industrial or commercial about the Quality mindset. All that is required is a desire to do things successfully in an organized way.
So why not use Quality tools in ... oh, I don't know ... let's say kindergarten? Well, it turns out someone has. And I've linked a five-minute video at the bottom of this post in which a couple of subject-matter experts (or SMEs, in this case kindergarteners) explain to an interviewer how their class uses process flow diagrams and control charts.
I don't know the origin of this video. If you do, please leave me a note in the comments. But the concept is straightforward.
In the first place, the SMEs explain their flow chart for how to begin the day. You come into the room, and then have to check whether you have a backpack. If yes, unpack it and hang it up, and then return to the regular flow; if no, just proceed with the regular flow. Then you put your name up for lunch, sign in, sit down on the rug, and focus on the calendar.
This all sounds pretty straightforward. Did the class really need a flowchart to tell them that? Well yes. The SMEs explain that before they had the chart, kids would wander into the room and not know what to do. Sometimes students with backpacks would forget to take them off or unpack them, but would just sit down on the rug still wearing their backpacks. Or students might forget to focus on the calendar, thus losing time later in the day.
Next they explain the control chart that tracks how long it takes them to clean up at the end of the day. Each day, the clean-up time is recorded (in minutes) with a dot on the chart. There is a line showing the expected average time, and bands showing the acceptable variation. The SMEs explain very clearly that the goal is to keep their time near or below the planned average, but not to drift too far above it. The interviewer asks, "Well what if it took you a lot longer? What if one day the dot was way up here, past the limit line?" His interviewee explained very soberly, "That would mean we were out of control." And there was no doubt in his voice that that would be a bad thing.
So yes, you can apply Quality tools in kindergarten. I hope you enjoy the video.
