Checksheets are simple and flexible tools for collecting data. When you begin an improvement project, you may find that you don't have any of the data that you need. A Checksheet is a simple, quick, and usually temporary tool for collecting the initial data that you need to get started. There is no single checksheet form that can be used in all applications. Therefore, the design of the form must be customized to the type of data that's to be evaluated. You can use check sheets to count or measure defects, complaints, phone calls, or many other things. There are three main types of checksheets. Recording checksheets, where you enter counts or measurement data. Checklists, which are written reminders. And the Measles chart, which can be used to identify the physical location of defects or other issues. An example of a checksheet is shown here. It's based on the method that customers use to make a complaint. Complaints were received four different ways: by letter to a post office box, by calling a toll free 800 phone number, by e-mail to a special email address, by walking into the store and complaining to a customer service representative. Each time one of these events happens, a corresponding mark is made in the appropriate row. This table summarizes how complaints were received during the past week. The total number of complaints is 25. We can calculate the percentages as follows: There were three written complaints. Three divided by 25 equal 0.12. We can multiply that by 100 to obtain the percentage. Repeat this for each row. An analysis of complaint methods like this might help you to start analyzing staffing needs. This is another example of a Recording Checksheet. This one is used to record the measured time to resolve a help desk issue. If a call lasts less than a minute, a mark is made in the first row in the calls column. If it's more than one minute but less than two, a mark is made in the second row in the calls column and so on. It's always a good idea to include important information about the process, the location, area, shift, and who is involved. This can be done at the top of the checklist. If you've ever made a grocery list, you've made a checklist. Pilots routinely use checklists to make sure that nothing important is forgotten. They're also used in areas such as housekeeping at a hotel or in medical procedures. Whenever there is a complex or delicate procedure, a checklist will help prevent errors. A Measles Chart is a physical representation of something of interest. This can be an accurate drawing or a rough sketch. The idea is to make a mark on the drawing each time you find a defect, and to make that mark in the same location on the drawing as the actual defect. In this case we have a drawing of a bumper with several X marks to indicate where defects have occurred. It's also possible with the Measles Chart to record more than one type of defect. And with every type of checkesheet you can separate data by shift or by different production lines. Before you collect any data, even with something simple like a checksheet, you should make a plan. You should know what data you want, how, and who is going to collect it, and what you think you will do with it. The data collection plan does not have to be complicated. Just create some columns and list the answers to these three questions. Checksheets are simple way to collect data that is not otherwise available. They're quick, flexible, and can be customized to suit your needs. When you don't have any of the data that you need this might be a good place to start.