Tips and Techniques for Statistics and Quality Improvement

Trying to solve a complex problem? You should begin by listing all suspected variables. Then, identify the few critical factors and separate them from the others that are not essential to understanding the cause. Let’s take a look at a very simple graphical tool that is very intuitive, can be used by virtually anyone, and does not require any prior statistical knowledge: the Multi-Vari Chart.

Whether you're drinking beer, cocktails, wine or water, nothing is more frustrating than sitting at a bar waiting for a bartender to take your order. With the price of a drink (especially where I live in New York City!) costing nearly as much as the hourly wage of each bartender, I’ve always wondered why bars consistently have people waiting.

Good data analysis allows you to make smarter decisions faster. Here at Minitab, we are constantly striving to make it easier for you to analyze data and communicate those results so you can keep your projects moving forward. Case in point: the improved Multi-Vari Chart in the latest update to Minitab 19 (19.2.0).

At Minitab, we want our users to focus their time on drawing sensible conclusions from their data that they can use to resolve business problems or take advantage of opportunities. However, with more and more sources of data available, you often spend more time getting ready for analysis and less time interpreting it.

Here are four ideas that demonstrate how Minitab macros deliver “one-click analysis” for the...

We might not be able to observe the progressive loss of cognitive and intellectual abilities someone with dementia is experiencing from the outside, but healthcare clinicians can detect it when they observe their ability to bathe, groom or dress themselves deteriorate. Minitab consultant  and Insights 2019 speaker David Patrishkoff is researching how to help with the aid of Minitab software. 

As technology continuously makes our lives easier than ever, it’s no wonder that companies and instructors everywhere have been revamping education to include digital components in the learning process. This approach of combining traditional face-to-face training led by expert instructors, with e-learning modules, online educational materials and digital opportunities for interaction (including games, quizzes, web...

Data and analytics capabilities have taken center stage in recent years. The volume of available data has grown exponentially, and the exposure to analytics have steadily improved and become a topic of focus across organizations. The convergence of these trends is fueling business efficiencies and innovation. 

How the taste of wine is described often reads like a poem: “full-bodied and rich but not heavy, high in alcohol, yet neither acidic nor tannic, with substantial black cherry flavor despite its delicacy...” Flowers and fruits are commonly used as descriptors, meant to help drinkers understand the flavors in a glass of wine. This poetry reflects that some consider the conversion of fruit to wine be an art form.

Yet...

Colin Noone reveals that improvement activities have delivered over £2.6bn validated savings over 15 years at Rolls-Royce plc. With over 40 years experience at the power generation engineering company he is enthusiastic to share his takeaways with the Minitab community.

Colin is the company's Global Master Black Belt for Methods & Capability. Next month he is speaking at the Minitab Insights event in the UK, part of...

Most people who have taken a statistics class, whether it be Six Sigma or a college course or elsewhere, learned about the assumptions from which each test was developed. And boy are there a lot of assumptions!

Chances are a rather large and complicated flowchart was presented to help students navigate to the right hypothesis test – in my original course the chart was so big it had to be printed on 11x17 paper and...