When a project review shows a negative correlation between effort (hours) and defect rate, what does this imply?

In analyzing the relationship depicted in the question, a negative correlation signifies that as one variable increases, the other decreases. Therefore, when a project review shows a negative correlation between effort (in hours) and defect rate, it indicates that as review effort increases, the defect rate decreases.

This means that increased effort in reviewing the project correlates with a reduction in the number of defects found. Consequently, if the defect rate is increasing, it implies that the effort in reviewing is not proportionately increasing, hence it's represented as decreasing. This kind of information is vital for understanding the effectiveness of review processes; higher effort typically leads to better quality outcomes.

So, the implication here aligns perfectly with the concept that as defect rates increase (more defects found), it suggests that less effort is being committed to reviewing, leading to a higher occurrence of those defects. This relationship is critical in total quality management, where the goal is always to enhance processes and reduce flaws through adequate investment of time and resources in reviews.