Clik here to view.
Regression Analysis: How to Interpret S, the Standard Error of the Regression
R-squared gets all of the attention when it comes to determining how well a linear model fits the data. However, I've stated previously that R-squared is overrated. Is there a different goodness-of-fit...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Minitab illustrates the need for fire safety
The January/February issue of Men’s Health includes an article by Michael Perry with photographs by Eric Ogden titled “Voices from the Flames.” The article contains a lot of statistics that I didn’t...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Setting the Stage: Accounting for Process Changes in a Control Chart
When looking at a control chart, it’s important to know that the data we are looking at is accurate. Let’s face it, if the control limits we are looking at don’t really reflect what’s actually...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Winning a Super Bowl Grid Pool: Frequency of Score Combinations in the NFL
It has come to my attention recently that amidst the fun of attending Super Bowl parties and watching the 2nd-most viewed sporting event on earth there are some people—seedy characters with...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Statistical History of the Super Bowl
Super Bowl Sunday is right around the corner! But instead of trying to break down and predict the outcome of the game (which will likely come down to turnovers, which are impossible to predict), I’m...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Applying Six Sigma to a Small Operation
Using data analysis and statistics to improve business quality has a long history. But it often seems like most of that history involves huge operations. After all, Six Sigma originated with Motorola,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Merge Data as You Open It
Did you know about the Minitab Network group on LinkedIn? It’s the one managed by Eston Martz, of Minitab blog fame. I like to see what the members are talking about, which recently got me into some...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lessons in Quality During a Long and Strange Journey Home
I didn’t expect that our family trip to Florida would end with me driving a plane load of passengers nearly 200 miles to their homes, but it did. Yes, it was a long and strange journey home. A journey...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Applying Six Sigma to a Small Operation, Part 2
In my previous post, I shared a case study of how a small bicycle-chain manufacturing company in India used the DMAIC approach to Six Sigma to reverse declining productivity. After completing the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Busting a Myth about the NHL and Olympic Games
In the sports world, it is generally accepted that the NHL players who participate in the Olympics (approximately 20%) put their NHL team at a disadvantage for the remainder of the season. The NHL...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Are Atlanta's Winters Getting Colder and Snowier?
Atlanta was a mess on January 28th, 2014. Thousands were trapped on the roads overnight while others managed to get to roadside stores to camp out. Thousands of students were forced to spend the night...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Say "I Love You" with Data on Valentine's Day
When we think about jobs with a romantic edge to them, most of us probably think of professions that involve action or danger. Spies, soldiers, cops, criminals -- these are types of professions...
View ArticleClik here to view.
R-Squared: Sometimes, a Square is just a Square
If you regularly perform regression analysis, you know that R2 is a statistic used to evaluate the fit of your model. You may even know the standard definition of R2: the percentage of variation in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
(We Just Got Rid of) Three Reasons to Fear Data Analysis
Today our company is introducing Minitab 17 Statistical Software, the newest version of the leading software used for quality improvement and statistics education. So, why should you care? Because...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Histograms are Even Easier to Compare in Minitab 17
Minitab 17 came out yesterday and it’s got quite a few neat features in it. You can check some of them out on the What’s New in Minitab 17 page. But one of my very favorite things is related to one of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Unleash the Power of Linear Models with Minitab 17
We released Minitab 17 Statistical Software a couple of days ago. Certainly every new release of Minitab is a reason to celebrate. However, I am particularly excited about Minitab 17 from a data...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is Your Statistical Software FDA Validated for Medical Devices or...
We're frequently asked whether Minitab has been validated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Minitab does extensive testing to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Gauging Gage Part 1: Is 10 Parts Enough?
"You take 10 parts and have 3 operators measure each 2 times." This standard approach to a Gage R&R experiment is so common, so accepted, so ubiquitous that few people ever question whether it is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Gauging Gage Part 2: Are 3 Operators or 2 Replicates Enough?
In Part 1 of Gauging Gage, I looked at how adequate a sampling of 10 parts is for a Gage R&R Study and providing some advice based on the results. Now I want to turn my attention to the other two...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Gauging Gage Part 3: How to Sample Parts
In Parts 1 and 2 of Gauging Gage we looked at the numbers of parts, operators, and replicates used in a Gage R&R Study and how accurately we could estimate %Contribution based on the choice for...
View Article