The plural of anecdote is data

In Operation's management data is vital.  But calibrating data is equally as important.  Mark Twain is famously quoted as saying "Lies, damn lies and Statistics" as data can always be misinterpreted if the information is not used correctly.  But the reality is anecdotes have no place in Operations Management...indeed I would go so far as to say they are the enemy of any decent operations manager.  Particularly as for non-operationally focused managers they seem to carry such weight.  My personal pet hate is the Sales manager who uses the 'customer anecdote" as if that in itself should carry the day.  Don't get me wrong every customer issue should be treated based on the individual circumstances of their situation but one incident alone does not a trend make.  Just because one customer has an issue or questions your process does not mean that everything else you have done to date is wrong.


It is important that you set appropriate measurements for operational performance because it is only based on these that you know whether to fix the problem with a scalpel or a hammer.  Changing a process is hard and takes a long time, tweaking it less so.  So before changing direction you want to be sure you are doing the right thing.  And for that I will always rely on data, and never just an anecdote - even if it is a customer one.