Overview for Define Custom Split-Plot Design

Use Define Custom Split-Plot Design to create a design from data you already have in the worksheet. Use a split-plot design when one or more of your factors is difficult or impossible to change every experimental run. A split-plot design may save time and expense by holding hard-to-change factors fixed for several runs while easy-to-change factor levels vary.

Usually, you define a custom design for one of the following reasons:

You created a design in Minitab and modified the worksheet so that Minitab could no longer analyze the design. For example, Minitab cannot analyze the design if you move or delete the column that contains the standard order of the design.
You typed the design information directly into the worksheet.
You imported the design from a non-Minitab file.
You created the design using Minitab Session commands.
You created the design with a version of Minitab older than version 13.

For example, an engineer has a 2-level split-plot design in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The engineer wants to use Minitab to simplify the analysis. The engineer opens the worksheet in Minitab. Then, the engineer defines the design as a custom 2-level split-plot design. Last, the engineer uses Minitab to analyze the response data.

Where to find this analysis

Stat > DOE > Factorial > Define Custom Factorial Design