A quantitative evaluation is essentially a statistical assessment applied to a business or other organization. The method measures things such as product sales, customer growth, and other finite information mathematically. This data is used to create a strictly factual picture of the subject. It can be expressed in percentages or numbers, depending on the presentation style.
Some of the areas in which quantitative evaluation may be used include the performance of employees, products, and programs. The data collected may include any information that can be expressed numerically. It can be collected via methods such as interviews, surveys and relevant records.
A quantitative evaluation may analyze how well a production line is doing with a collection of data which includes the number of products made within a certain period of time, how quickly each segment works, and how much material is used. It may also measure employees’ performance by determining how much they are able to produce, how many errors they make, and how consistently they produce. The success of a program can be analyzed by the number of participants, their retention, and their level of satisfaction as determined by surveys or interviews.
Effective quantitative evaluation begins with the collection of information. Asking the right questions is a key part of this process. In many cases, researchers will have a specific objective in mind when performing this kind of evaluation. It is also possible that the information collected will reveal trends which inspire further exploration and potentially a new set of questions.
Once the data is collected, it can be arranged to express the findings statistically. Numbers in quantitative evaluation are often expressed in percentages, though the actual figures may also be used for comparison. The findings can be shared in text, but are more often displayed visually in a graph or chart. Information can be arranged a variety of ways, depending on the purpose of the evaluation.
Another common method of assessment is qualitative evaluation. This process is essentially the opposite of the quantitative evaluation method. Rather than tally statistics, it is used to determine how well something has done. While the quantitative method is based on facts, the qualitative method depends primarily upon opinion drawn from observation.
Often the quantitative and qualitative methods are used together. This is primarily because the two forms are complementary and provide a more complete picture of the subject. The quantitative information provides the facts while the more descriptive qualitative method explains the statistics and the different shades of meaning associated with them.
