SPC software aids process improvement

Adept Scientific has a new version of Quality Analyst, the comprehensive statistical process control charting and analysis tool from Northwest Analytical.

Adept Scientific has a new version of Quality Analyst, the comprehensive statistical process control charting and analysis tool from Northwest Analytical.

Quality Analyst, the flagship product in the NWA SPC software suite, helps manufacturers understand and improve their processes to increase product quality, reduce defects, waste and costs, meet customer requirements, certify vendors and comply with regulatory requirements.

NWA Quality Analyst Version 6 enables manufacturers to more easily analyse their process data to identify process improvements and execute quality initiatives such as Six Sigma, CAPA (corrective action/preventative action) and ISO.

The new Version 6 also includes several key enhancements that further simplify the integration of SPC and process quality data with plant-level and enterprise manufacturing information systems such as ERP, MES and LIMS.

NWA Quality Analyst has always been recognised for its ease of integration, and it is even easier now than before.

Many of the enhancements in Version 6 were developed for users engaged in corporate quality initiatives.

For example, users can add assignable cause/corrective action information to any data point on a control chart and record the identified cause of an exception (eg an out of control point or rule violation) and the corrective action that has been taken to address the problem.

They can also generate consolidated AC/CA reports, view Pareto analysis and transfer information to other applications via XML.

AC/CA is required in many regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals (CAPA), consumer products, medical device manufacturing and food processing.

It also helps to ensure the success of inspection-based programs such as HACCP.

Descriptive characteristics, rule violations, comments and AC/CA can now be viewed with a single mouse click, delivering easier access to the relevant information needed to identify sources of variation, diagnose process problems and accelerate the implementation of corrective actions.

Users can communicate more information within charts and present information in more revealing ways to deliver sharper insight into process performance: a new graphics viewer includes unlimited data points on SPC charts, more flexible grouping of graphics output and reports, user-defined plotting symbols, improved call-outs, comments, direct editing of headers and footers, better font and colour control and point-and-click zoom; rainbow charts allow users to configure green/yellow/red zone options on SPC charts; and more graphic output formats allow users to create JPG, PNG, WMF and BMP files to enable mixed text and graphics reporting.

Other key enhancements address the growing need to integrate SPC and quality reporting with plant-level and e nterprise manufacturing information systems including ERP, MES, LIMS and SCM (supply chain management).

These include: improved setup of database connectivity; database synchronisation; the ability to Read specifications from external databases; and XML output and parameter files.

"Many SPC programs were originally initiated to meet customer and supply chain requirements", said Louis Halvorsen, NWA Vice President of Development.

"More of these customers now leverage their SPC investment to create greater efficiency and reduce costs through process improvement - the real purpose of SPC".

"NWA Quality Analyst 6 was designed to better meet these needs with enhanced graphical analysis, improved integration capabilities and complete database independence".

"We believe Version 6 will enable our users to more easily understand their processes and better communicate that understanding".

NWA Quality Analyst is supplied and supported in the UK and Ireland by Adept Scientific.

Back to top