The Cusum Chart: A Supergraph for Personnel Managers

Abstract

The cusum (cumulative sum) chart is a type of graph which takes a little longer to draw than one of the traditional kind but which gives a lot more information. It is particularly useful for plotting the evolution of processes like recruitment, promotion and wastage because it presents information in a way that enables the eye to separate true trends and changes from a background of random variation. It may be used both for retrospective analysis and for monitoring; in the latter role it can give early warning of changes in (for example) wastage rates. Though the technique is not one which demands masses of data as a prerequisite, it offers its richest rewards in the field of large computer‐based data banks.

Citation

Mahon, B.H. and Jones, D.G. (1976), "The Cusum Chart: A Supergraph for Personnel Managers", Personnel Review, Vol. 5 No. 3, pp. 29-37. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb055313