To do accurate investigations, you have to have an excellent understanding of logic and of the various types of outpoints and pluspoints. Having these as your foundation, you then use two general steps to ”find out what is really going on.” These steps are:

1. Analyze the data,
2. Using the data that has been analyzed to analyze the situation.

Data is defined as facts, statistic graphs, statements, decisions, actions and descriptions, which are supposedly true.

Situation is defined as the broad general scene on which a body of current data exists.

For example, the decline in the statistics of the number of new computers in a computer sales store would be a situation.

Analyze means examine or study something carefully and in detail so as to understand it better. In doing investigations, the data and the situation are both analyzed and here is how this is done.

The way to analyze data is to compare each item of data to the outpoints and see if any of those appear in the data. (For example, a statement that is supposed to be true actually turns out to be a lie, which is an outpoint, a falsehood.)

The way to analyze the situation is to take each of the pieces of data analyzed as above and assign each outpoint to the person or part of the area that it belongs to. (For example, if Bill was the person who told the above falsehood, that outpoint gets placed by Bill’s name.) When all the data has been analyzed, count up the outpoints to see where most of the outpoints are placed.

Doing this gives you the locations or people of greatest error or disorganization. It also gives you areas of greatest effectiveness, which will be the areas with the least number of outpoints.

For example, there is trouble in the Refreshment Unit. There are three people in the unit. Doing a data analysis on the whole area gives us a number of outpoints. Then we assign these to employees A, B and C who work in the unit. Let us say that when the investigation is complete, you find B had the most outpoints. This indicates that the trouble in the Refreshment Unit is with B. B can then be handled in various ways, such as training him on the duties of his job, getting him to come to work on time, etc. Note that we analyzed the data of the main area. We assigned each piece of data to the smaller sections in the area. By seeing which section had the most outpoints, we then had an analyzed situation and we could work out what to do to handle this section.

For example, we analyze all the data we have about the Bingo Car Plant. We assign the data thus analyzed as outpoints to each function of the Bingo Car Plant. We thus pinpoint what function is the worst off. We then handle that function in various ways, mainly by organizing it and training its executives and personnel.

There are several variations.

WE OBTAIN AN ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION BY ANALYZING ALL THE DATA WE HAVE AND ASSIGNING THE OUTPOINT DATA TO THE AREAS OR PARTS. THE AREA HAVING THE MOST OUTPOINTS IS THE AREA THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED.

When we look at a broad situation to be handled, we have of course the problem of finding out what’s wrong before we can correct it. The steps of data analysis followed by situation analysis are the steps to use in finding out what is wrong.

We do this by comparing all the data against the outpoints (illogics). We now have a long list of outpoints. This is the step of data analysis.

We sort the outpoints we now have into the main areas of the scene. Most of the outpoints will appear in one area. This is the step of situation analysis.

We now know what area to handle.

For example, seventy data exist on the general scene. We find twenty-one of these data are irrational. These are the outpoints. We slot the twenty-one outpoints into the areas they came from or apply to. Sixteen came from area G. We handle area G.

Experience

The remarkable part of such an exercise is that while it may take a day to complete the data analysis, this compares to three months operating experience. So data and situation analysis is an instant result where experience takes a lot of time.

One gets an analysis of a situation by analyzing all the data one has and assigning the outpoints to the areas or people. The area or person having the most outpoints shows where correction is needed.

How well the data analysis is done depends on how well the person doing the investigation knows the ideal organization and purpose that the activity is based on. This means one has to know what its activities are supposed to be from a rational (reasonable), or logical, viewpoint.

For example, a clock is supposed to keep running and indicate time and be of practical and pleasant design. A clock factory is supposed to make clocks. It is supposed to produce enough clocks cheaply enough that are good enough to have customers want to buy them. And the clocks have to sell for enough money so that the clock factory can continue to operate.

The factory buys the materials to make the clocks with. It repairs and replaces its tools and equipment. It hires workmen to make the clocks and executives to supervise the work done in the factory. It has smaller companies that handle repairs of clocks. These are located in areas away from the factory. And it has other companies that sell the clocks to the larger types of stores, where people can go and buy them.

All the above show what is meant by ”ideal” structure of the clock company and its organization.

Those points are rational and logical. They are what should be occurring and if they are, this indicates that the clock factory is doing well and will be able to keep operating.

If we take a look at the actual current data on the clock company, we can spot outpoints and do a data analysis. For example, if the company is supposed to have received materials to make the clocks with, but these materials haven’t arrived yet, this would be an outpoint, contrary facts.

One assigns the outpoints to the whole as a situation analysis. In this example, the materials were not delivered because the person in charge of the company ’s money forgot to pay the supplier who sends the materials. So this outpoint is assigned to the person in charge of the money.

If the rest of the data analysis and situation analysis turn up further outpoints about this person, then that shows who needs to be corrected.

One uses his know-how and skill in administration (the actions involved in managing or organizing an office, organization or specific activity) to repair the smaller section that has the most outpoints.

In this way, we get a functioning clock factory that runs closer to the ideal.

Any problems in organizations of whatever kind are handled in the same way.

We call these two actions:

• DATA ANALYSIS
• SITUATION ANALYSIS