Six Sigma Suite Software

By Dale Farris, Secretary Golden Triangle PC Club June 2005 General Overview Six Sigma Software Suite provides the tools you need to attain the six sigma level of process performance. This super set of tools comes from Quality America, Inc., long known for their quality software for the quality profession and for companies committed to excellence. Quality America, Inc. was one of the first companies to provide statistical process control software, and has now branched out with many additional quality applications that provide great value to companies that understand Lean, Six Sigma, and the never-ending process of improvement. This suite contains these software modules: SPC-PC IV DOE Module 7MP Module Flowcharting/Cause & Effect Module The Suite is more than just a bundle. Quality America has enhanced the integration of these packages so that data and other information is more easily shared between them. Multivariate Regression analysis and plotting within the DOE Module can be easily performed on SPC-PC IV data files. Control charting can be done on DOE data files. Flowcharting files can be easily converted to 7MP diagrams, and visa versa. Files can be attached to control charts, useful for showing flowcharts or design analyses to operators and analysts. What is Six Sigma? Six Sigma is a Quality Improvement methodology structured to reduce product or service failure rates to a negligible level (roughly 3.4 failures per million opportunities). To achieve six sigma levels, the Six Sigma process encompasses all aspects of a business, including management, service delivery, design, production and customer satisfaction. Six Sigma companies typically spend less than 5 percent of their revenues addressing and repairing quality problems. As a philosophy Six Sigma drives business culture and requires a nearly flawless execution of key processes making Six Sigma a high standard for companies and individuals to achieve. Customers place a high value on predictably consistent business processes and Six Sigma is a proven methodology for delivering consistent incremental improvement. By reducing process variation Six Sigma frees the organization to focus on improving process capability and as sigma levels increase, the cost of poor quality decreases and profitability increases. This is why Six Sigma is highly associated with the delivery of consistent world-class quality. Software / Vendor Support Help System and Product Tutorial Six Sigma Training is available No-cost telephone support 30-day satisfaction guarantee SPC-PC IV Module SPC-PC IV provides many statistical process control features for an affordable price. Data can be accessed in a variety of ways. Read directly from Excel Files. This allows you to take data previously recorded and immediately begin to analyze with control charts! Gages: A wide variety of gages can be used to add data directly to the spreadsheet using our optional Real-Time Gage Module. Data goes in automatically! ODBC import. Any database that supports Microsoft's ODBC can easily be accessed. Data stored in Access or other database programs can be retrieved in seconds. Entered directly into SPC-PC IV's spreadsheet. Our spreadsheet contains many functions for calculating user-defined parameters. Follow this link for other Data Entry features. Reporting of data is superior with SPC-PC IV. You can print completed charts as jpeg images, to be linked from your web pages. You can effortlessly embed charts in word processing files (like MS Word) so reports to vendors, customers and associates contain all the information they need. Annotation of charts allows you to assign causes, allowing identification for improvement opportunities. Foreign Language Supported include: Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Swedish and Finnish. SPC Analysis Features SPC Charts for Variables Data SPC Charts for Attribute Data Gage Analysis (aka Measurement Systems Analysis) Flowcharting / Cause & Effect Module DOE Module The DOE Module's powerful analysis features free you from tedious calculations, opening paths to new understanding of your processes. Experimental data may be entered manually, through the Windows clipboard, or imported from ASCII or SPC-PC IV files. Casual factors observed during the experiment are readily incorporated into any of the analyses. You can then perform numerous types of analyses, while maintaining the option to have the results displayed either graphically in the form of plots, or numerically. Analysis of Variance tables may be viewed, and full Regression results are displayed. Response Surface analyses produce both natural and canonical results. Plotting View the state of your design and the results of your analysis in a variety of graphical plots. Plotting experimental results can often improve the interpretation of the experiment, so numerous plot types are available, including : Box and Whisker Point and Line Square and Cube Half Normal Probability Interaction Charts Response Surface Contours To give even more analysis power to graphical plots, you can overlay one plot onto another to easily compare the results of multiple data sets. Factors, their interactions, and the regressed variables may be conveniently plotted. The DOE Module has the widest set of designs available in a commercial package. It does not require extensive knowledge of design standards, limitations, or capabilities. Creating a design is as easy as entering the factors believed to influence the process, and the levels to run them. Each factor can have different levels; two and three factor, linear and quadratic interactions may be incorporated. A selection of the feasible designs will be displayed, and the most efficient design recommended! 7MP Module The Six Sigma Software Suite's 7MP Module provides the tools to make any Six Sigma project a success. The days of hit and miss planning are over. You need to state the goal, create the plan, and establish the method before starting the action. Use the 7MP Tools and take the guesswork, and the rework, out of any project. By using the 7 Management and Planning Tools, you can take a seemingly complex, abstract idea and narrow it down to an understandable, orderly plan of action, considering the time to complete, the specific tasks to undertake, and the order in which to complete them. Net effect: Cycle Time Reduction, Reduced Waste, Better Service. These 7MP Tools integrates with the Flowcharting Tools: For example, use the ideas generated in your Cause and Effect Diagram in an Interrelationship Digraph. Affinity Diagram Interrelationship Digraph Prioritization Matrix Matrix Diagram Process Decision Program Chart Tree Diagram Activity Network Diagram Flowchart / Cause & Effect Module The Flowchart / Cause & Effect Module allows you to concentrate on what you should be concentrating on - your process, not your flowcharting package. Create professional looking charts quickly and effortlessly using either a text-based system which translates your typed words into process diagrams, cause & effect diagrams or tree diagrams, or using simple drag and drop symbol placement. You can even use both methods at the same time on the same chart! The Flowchart / Cause & Effect Module integrates with 7MP-PC IV: Use the ideas generated in your Cause and Effect Diagram in an Interrelationship Digraph. Simple, fast flowcharting It thinks like you do Flowcharting is a Snap Complete Control Advanced Charting Features System Recommendations IBM PC or compatible computer 386/16 or better CPU 4MB RAM At least 10MB of free disk space Windows compatible graphics card (VGA or better is recommended) Windows 3.1 or later Windows 95, 98, ME, and XP, or Windows NT 3.51 or later, Windows 2000 A network with Windows support (including Novell NetWare and IntraNetWare, Microsoft NT Server, Artisoft LANtastic, and Windows for Workgroups) is optional Target Customers This program offers super software support for any company committed to making Six Sigma real in their operations. Price $795 About Quality America Founded in 1983, Quality America & Quality Publishing offers Statistical Process Control and Document Control software, as well as ASQ Certification materials, SPC Training, and Six Sigma software, training, and consulting. Quality America embraces a customer-driven approach, and leads in many software innovations, continually seeking ways to provide their customers with the best and most affordable solutions. Leaders in their field, Quality America & Quality Publishing have provided software, books and training services to tens of thousands of companies in over 25 countries. Quality America is also an active member of its community. Each year the company sponsors activities for the American Society of Quality, as well as non-profit organizations and schools. For instance, this year the company has taken an active role in supporting Project Yes - an after school organization for at-risk kids that provides mentoring and tutoring. Another organization they support is the Science Olympiad, a non-profit organization which encourages kids to learn, and excel, in the various fields of science. Many of their employees volunteer their hours for fundraising and children's activities in their community. Quality America believes helping kids is one of the best investments they can make for our future. QA Inc.'s History of Technical Leadership 2002 - Green Belt XL is released, an Excel based Six Sigma product that combines the power of SPC analysis and Management tools with the simplicity of Microsoft Excel. 2001 - SPC IV Excel is released, an easy to use and affordable SPC solution that allows SPC charts to be created in Microsoft Excel with just a few mouse clicks. eNet SPC, an SPC package that allows users to access data or charts from any web browser, is released. 2000 - Six Sigma Software Suite is released. QA-Active SPC software, an ActiveX control, is upgraded and customized programming services are announced. QA enters into the Partnership for Six Sigma, a consultancy specializing in Six Sigma implementation. QA releases a web-based SPC application that is customizable and requires no client based installs. 1998 – QA-Shop Floor is released, providing control chart analyses in an easy to use interface for production processes. QA Inc. acquires Quality Publishing, offering a product line with superior Training Products for Quality professionals. 1997 – QA-Quality Builder is released. This Active-X control provides developers with a programming tool for constructing and analyzing statistical control charts and related tools. 1996 – QA Inc. begins distribution of Q-Pulse Quality Management Software, a Document Control software package for ISO/QS 9000. 1995 – QA Inc. begins distribution of SPC:Control Charts, an interactive multimedia training program for Statistical Process Control on CD-ROM, and TQM ToolSchool, reference software for the Quality Improvement Tools. 1994 – QA Inc. releases 7MP-PC IV, the 7 Management Planning Tools. QA Inc. becomes the only software publisher to produce all the major Quality Improvement Tools. 1993 – SPC-PC IV Version 3 is released, the most advanced SPC Windows product available. 1992 – QA Inc. releases DOE-PC IV and GRR-PC IV, the first Design of Experiments and Gage Repeatability & Reproducibility software available for Microsoft Windows. 1991 – QA Inc. releases SPC-PC IV, Version 1, the first SPC program to run as a true Microsoft Windows application. 1990 – SPC-PC II is upgraded with Johnson Control Charts, the first and only tool for controlling non-normal processes. 1988 – QA Inc. releases SPC-PC II, the first SPC Software with pull-down menus, on-line help, extensive printer support, and easy data editing. 1986 – SPC-PC I is released. Program uses distribution functions to provide the fastest, most accurate and versatile SPC program available. Quality Publishing is the first company to publish a Study Guide for an ASQ Certification Exam. 1984 – QA Inc.'s SPC software is the first to offer color printing of charts, user-selectable fonts, and batch printing. 1983 – Company releases the first SPC program to correctly analyze Non-normal and Folded normal processes. Contact Quality America, Inc. 1984 N. Kolb Road Tucson, Arizona 85715 P.O. Box 31055 Tucson, Arizona 85751-1055 800-643-9889 520-722-6154 www.qualityamerica.com