What is the difference between a complaint signal and a trend?
A trend is a measurement: how the rate of complaints for a product, version or problem changes over time compared with its history. A signal is a recorded observation that something may need attention, such as a cluster of similar complaints or a rate above its history, which a person then triages. A trend can lead to a signal, but neither is a conclusion about cause.
A trend is always there
Every product version has a complaint rate at any time, whether anyone looks at it or not. A trend analysis compares that rate with what came before and says whether it is in line, higher, or too thin to judge.
A signal has an owner
A signal is an item someone must act on: it has its complaints, a priority, an owner and a decision, such as investigate, escalate, monitor until a review date, or no action needed, with the reason recorded. Closing a signal is a decision; a trend line is not.
Why the difference matters
The trend shows that the data was analysed; the signal's triage shows what was done about it. A rising trend that never became a signal, or a signal closed without looking at the trend, leaves a gap in the record. The words are used differently between companies and regulations, so write down in your procedure what each one means for you.
What MDARIX does
- The Signal inbox holds every signal with its complaints, what they have in common (each point linked to its complaints) and its trend check.
- Triage records the priority and the disposition (investigation required, escalate, monitor with a date to review again, no action needed, or a duplicate of another signal) with a reason, in the signal's history and the audit trail.
- The trend check compares each version's complaint rate with its own history; it raises no signal on its own, and a person raises one from a rising row.
- Readiness names the signals waiting past their triage date, and a case opens from a signal in one click with every complaint.