Automatically Send an Email when a Control Chart Fails

From a previous blog post (reference blog post) we discussed automating Minitab to generate reports on the capability of our process.  Today I would like to use the same methods for automating the analysis, but instead of generating a report, we will send an email when the control chart fails.

I will start by using the same Minitab executable file (blog.mtb) that was covered in my previous posts, and then show how to extend the functionality with C#.

Prerequisites

1. You will need a working version of the blog.mtb file (covered here)
2. You will need to have access to Visual Studio.
3. Programming experience would be helpful to customize the code to fit your scenario, but I will provide comments along the way.

Code in C# to Test for Out of Control Points

//Declare Minitab Variables (Reference Mtb 17.0 Type Library in Visual Studio)
Mtb.Application mtbApp = null;
Mtb.Project mtbProj = null;
Mtb.Worksheet mtbSheet = null;
Mtb.UserInterface mtbUI = null;
int oocPoints;

//Create Minitab Instance
mtbApp = new Mtb.Application();
mtbProj = mtbApp.ActiveProject;
mtbSheet = mtbProj.ActiveWorksheet;
mtbUI = mtbApp.UserInterface;

mtbUI.Visible = false;
mtbUI.DisplayAlerts = false;

//Execute Minitab Command Language
mtbProj.ExecuteCommand(@"Execute 'C:\Users\dgriffith\Desktop\blog.mtb' 1.");

//Find out if points are out of control
oocPoints = (int)mtbSheet.Constants.Item(1).GetData();

Code in C# to Send Email if Chart is Out of Control

//Declare directive for Outlook 
using Outlook = Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook;

// If out of control points are more than 0 then send email
if (oocPoints>0)
{
       //If out of control, save control chart and send email
       mtbProj.Commands.Item(4).Outputs.Item(1).Graph.SaveAs(
         @"C:\Users\dgriffith\Desktop\controlchart.JPG", true,
         Mtb.MtbGraphFileTypes.GFJPEG);

       Outlook.Application oApp = new Outlook.Application();
       Outlook.MailItem eMail =
        (Outlook.MailItem)oApp.CreateItem(Outlook.OlItemType.olMailItem);

       eMail.To = "mentoring@minitab.com";
       eMail.Subject = "Control Chart Failed";
       eMail.Body = "Attached is the Control Chart that failed";
       eMail.Attachments.Add(@"C:\Users\dgriffith\Desktop\controlchart.JPG");
      ((Outlook._MailItem)eMail).Send();

}

Scheduling a Task to Run Daily

After adding the C# code, you will want to build the Solution and ensure that the program runs correctly.  If everything works as desired, you can set up a scheduled task to automatically run your program using the steps below:

1.    In Windows, go to the Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Task Scheduler.

2.    Choose the Option to Create Basic Task.

3.    Name and provide a Description for the program we built; click Next.

4.    Check the option Daily; click Next.

5.    Specify the date and time of day you would like the program to run.

6.    Check the option for Start a Program; click Next.

7.    Browse to the .exe file that was created when building the program; click Next.

8.    Click Finish.

Congratulations!  If you have successfully automated the sending of an email when a control chart is out of control in addition to automatically creating Monthly Reports, we are getting closer to putting you out of a job.  Let's see what we can do next!

If you have questions, feel free to send me an email at mentoring@minitab.com.  If you are looking for a customized solution, we are always glad to help.