How to Increase Accuracy and Precision in Your Organization

Whether you’re a manufacturer trying to improve the consistency of your industrial processes or a digital marketer trying to prove that their tactics are working, both precision and accuracy are imperative. But how exactly can you increase precision and accuracy within your organization at the global level?

Precision vs. Accuracy

First, it’s important to identify the differences between precision and accuracy. In casual settings, these terms are used interchangeably, but they actually carry very different meanings.

Formally, accuracy is a measure of how close a given measurement is to the true value of the measurement. For example, let’s say you weigh 170 lbs. A scale that displays your weight as 170 lbs. is an accurate one. A scale that displays your weight as 169 lbs. is more accurate than a skill that displays your weight as 160 lbs. Both of them are much more accurate than a scale that displays your weight as 5 lbs.

Formally, precision is an indication of how close repeated measurements are to each other, even if those measurements differ from the true value being measured. For example, let’s assume you still weigh 170 lbs. A scale that consistently shows your weight as 160 lbs. may not be accurate, but it is precise. A scale that shows your weight as 168, then 172, then 171, then 173 isn’t as precise, but is more accurate. A scale that shows your weight as 3, then 247, then 130 is neither accurate nor precise.

The Impact of Accuracy and Precision in an Organization

Why do accuracy and precision matter in an organization?

Both accuracy and precision are important for helping us collect correct information and verify that our tools are working properly. Depending on the industry you work in and what you’re measuring, precision and accuracy serve different purposes.

In an industrial setting, it’s crucial to measure things like absolute pressure and gauge pressure both accurately and precisely. You need to be able to measure pressure accurately, or else you won’t be able to properly assess safety or confirm that your machinery is working properly. You also need to be able to take those measurements precisely, or else your data won’t be reliable.

In a data analytics setting, precision and accuracy both matter as well. If your accuracy is off, you won’t be able to form proper conclusions to facilitate better organizational decision making. If your precision is off, your tools will no longer be considered reliable.

How to Increase Accuracy and Precision in Your Organization

So what steps can you use to increase accuracy and precision within your organization?

  •       Use the right tools (and recalibrate them often). Much of your success depends on your ability to choose and use the right tools. Well-made tools for specific applications should be accurate and precise by nature. However, sometimes you’ll have to take the extra step of recalibrating those tools to ensure they’re taking measurements appropriately.
  •       Provide proper training and education. Tools can save you time and give you better readouts, but you’ll still need human beings to take those readouts and interpret the data. Accordingly, it’s important for you to provide proper training and education for all your employees.
  •       Establish clear procedures and standards. Standard operating procedure (SOP) documents help you formally standardize the procedures your data analytics and accuracy specialists follow in the course of gathering and recording data. Make sure you establish clear procedures and standards for all your employees to follow consistently.
  •       Institute checks and balances. It’s also a good idea to institute checks and balances to verify the precision and accuracy of your data. This could be as simple as asking a supervisor to review employee work or something more complicated, like employing automation to validate data.
  •       Provide time and space. Accuracy and precision mistakes are much more likely when employees are rushed or constrained. Give them more time and space to improve the quality of your results.
  •       Utilize root cause analysis. Root cause analysis (RCA) is the most effective strategy for determining how and why an incident occurred. If and when you notice deviations in accuracy or procedure, conduct a root cause analysis to discover why and make adjustments as necessary.
  •       Keep refining. Never stop improving. There’s no such thing as a tool or system that’s perfectly accurate or perfectly precise, so continue refining your approach to get closer to that unreachable ideal.

In most organizations, of all shapes and sizes and across all different industries, both accuracy and precision are of vital importance. It’s your responsibility to choose the right tools, provide the right training, and establish the right procedures, checks, and balances to ensure your precision and accuracy remain as high as possible.