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.

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. For more information on using the data collection form when you use an equation to calculate your data, go to Calculated measures.
  1. Select Start Collection from the station on the operator dashboard.
    Note

    If you use a Connect data table as your data source, Real-Time SPCTM retrieves the latest subgroup from the Connect data table and populates the data collection form for that measure or descriptor.

  2. Enter subgroup descriptors first. If you have subgroup descriptors, you enter one value that applies to the entire subgroup.
  3. 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.
  4. Enter individual descriptors for each measurement in the subgroup.
  5. 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.

  6. 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.
  7. 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.

  8. 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.