Enter data observations in a data collection form

Data collection forms for each Real-Time SPC sampling plan are accessible via the Operator Dashboard. Before you can collect data, you must have a defined sampling plan with specified measures, collection methods, and data sources.

In This Topic

Add a station to the operator dashboard
Enter data manually
Import data from a file with an existing template
Import data from a file with a new template
Data warnings and errors

Add a station to the operator dashboard

Go to the Operator Dashboard and select Add/Remove Stations at the top of the dashboard to add the stations that contain your sampling plans. If you have a manual collection that is due for collection, select Start Collection.

Note

The station must be Online and Running to start a data collection.

Each sampling plan must be defined within the product/process template. For more information, go to Define a new sampling plan. Specify the data collection methods and data sources at the appropriate station. For more information, go to Example of specifying data sources for a sampling plan.

Enter data manually

The sampling plan that you specify creates a data collection form with the appropriate measures, descriptors, defects, defectives, and subgroup sizes for each collection event.

Select Start Collection from the station on the operator dashboard.
Note
If you use a Connect data table as your data source, Real-Time SPC^TM retrieves the latest subgroup from the Connect data table and populates the data collection form for that measure or descriptor.
Enter subgroup descriptors first. If you have subgroup descriptors, you enter one value that applies to the entire subgroup.
Select whether to enter data down each column or across each row.
- Select By Row to enter data by sample. Thus, enter the first observation for each variable before entering the second observation.
- Select By Column to enter data by measure. Thus, enter all the observations for the first variable before entering observations for the next variable.
Enter individual descriptors for each measurement in the subgroup.
Enter the observations in the respective columns. All measures are first, then grouped defects and defectives.

The individual defective columns contain Pass or Fail, according to the specific defective measure. The column of grouped defectives indicates Pass or Fail for each unit. If a unit fails, the number in parenthesis indicates the number of reasons for failing. For instance, Fail (3) means that the unit is defective and contains 3 of the defective types.
Use the following buttons to advance through the data collection sheet.
- Select Skip to skip an observation.
- Select Previous to edit the previous observation.
- Select Next to advance to the next cell.
- Select Finish now to complete the data collection.
Select Add Row to add another row to the data collection form, if necessary.
Note
A measure that creates an I-MR chart can have only one observation.
When the collection is complete, save and exit, or cancel and exit.

Note

You can change the order of the descriptors or measures in your sampling plan. For more information go to Set data collection order.

Import data from a file with an existing template

Follow these steps to import data from a file using an existing template. If you do not have an existing template, then follow the steps in the next section to create a new template.

Note

Only individual descriptors and measures can be imported via a file. Subgroup descriptors and grouped defects and defectives cannot be imported via a file.

Select Import.
Select Use an existing template, then select the template that you want to use. Select Next to continue.
Select Choose Files, then browse to the file (CSV or TXT) that contains your data. Select Open.
Select whether to enter data down each column or across each row.
- Select One sample per file to import a single observation.
- Select Multiple samples per file to import a single subgroup. If your subgroup size is 1, Real-Time SPC imports only the first row and discards the remaining rows.
Select Next. Select Previous to go back to the previous screen, if necessary. Select Cancel to cancel this import event.
Verify that the measures and the data are correct.
- Select Previous to edit the measure, if necessary.
- Select Finish to import the data.

Import data from a file with a new template

Follow these steps to create a new template and then import data.

Note

Only individual descriptors and measures can be imported via a file. Subgroup descriptors and grouped defects and defectives cannot be imported via a file.

Select Import.
Select Create a new template, then select Next to continue.
Select Choose Files, then browse to the file (CSV or TXT) that contains your data. Select Open.
Select whether to enter data down each column or across each row.
- Select One sample per file to import a single observation.
- Select Multiple samples per file to import a single subgroup. If your subgroup size is 1, Real-Time SPC imports only the first row and discards the remaining rows.
Select Next.
Select Edit Variable to specify which column contains the data for each individual descriptor and each measure. Complete for all descriptors and measures.
Select Next.
Select whether to save this template.
- Select Add to templates to name and save this new template for future use.
- Select Import without saving to import the data without saving the template.
Verify that the measures and the data are correct.
- Select Previous to edit the measure, if necessary.
- Select Finish to import the data.

Data warnings and errors

You can use the specification limits and absolute limits to flag data points and alert you to a potential process issue or data entry problem.

Specification limit warning: A warning indicates that a continuous measurement is out-of-specification. You can add assignable causes, corrective actions, or comments to these measurements.
Absolute limit error: Use absolute limits to protect your data collection from data entry errors. For instance, if the jar weight target is 280g, a measurement of 50g or 500g would likely be an error. For manual data entry, you will receive an error when you try to enter data that exceed the absolute limits. For imported data, the values that exceed the absolute limits are converted to missing values.

To add specification limits and absolute limits, go to Specify process targets and process limits for each measure.