1. Minitab® 15 Tips and Tricks
-Use the Weld Strength.xls and Production.mdb files.

2. Importing and Manipulating Data
Worksheets
Graphics
Customizing Minitab
Additional Tips

3. Importing Excel Files
In Minitab, choose File > Open Worksheet

4. Importing Excel Files
In the File > Open Worksheet dialog, use Options and Preview before opening file

5. Importing Excel Files
Correctly-formatted sheets open into separate worksheets

6. Importing Data from a Database
In Minitab, choose File > Query Database (ODBC), select Machine Data Source and then your database
Note: Use File > New > Minitab Worksheet to import data into a blank worksheet

7. Importing Data from a Database
Select the tables and fields that you want to import
Select Use rows… to specify a condition statement
Production.mdb – A productivity improvement team tracks equipment downtime for two manufacturing lines. For each manufacturing line, daily production sheets track downtime information. At the end of each day, the manufacturing clerk enter info about each downtime occurrence into a Microsoft Access database.
[Use this data until slide 22.]
If you get a account/user name error, choose Start > Control Panel > Admin Tools > Data Sources (ODBC) > select MS Access Database > Configure > under System Database, select None > OK > OK.

8. Tally Individual Variables
Use Stat > Tables > Tally Individual Variables to get a list of unique values for a given column
Tally will help you easily identify any inconsistencies
Using the imported data from Production.mdb…

9. Coding and Conversion Tables
Use Data > Code > Text to Text if you need to code up to 8 values
Use Data > Code > Conversion Table to code any number of text or numeric values
To create a conversion
table:
Use Alt to highlight the column of values > Copy
Paste the column into the worksheet
Create a column of the new, coded values
Data > Code > Use Conversion Table
Input Column: Reason
Output Column: Reason
Conversion Table
Column of Original Values: c8
Column of New Values: c9

10. After Data are Coded
Now we can create Pareto charts, get Descriptive Statistics, etc. for the downtime reasons

11. Split and Subset Worksheet
Use Data > Split Worksheet to create new worksheets for each unique value in a column
Use Data > Subset Worksheet to create a new worksheet based on a condition, brushed rows or specific row numbers

12. Value Order Value order determines the ordering of variables
Right-click on a column and choose Column > Value Order to define an order
Speeds displayed in
Alphabetical Order (default)
Speeds now displayed in a User-Specified Order

13. Extract from Date/Time
Suppose we want to evaluate the variation across the different days of the week
Use Data > Extract from Date/Time to record date or time components in a numeric or text column

14. Change Data Type
Suppose you import data and find that a numeric column is incorrectly formatted as text
Use Data > Change Data Type > Text to Numeric to change the column format

15. Importing and Manipulating Data
Worksheets
Graphics
Customizing Minitab
Additional Tips

16. Formulas in the Worksheet
Use Calc > Calculator to assign formulas to columns in the worksheet
Columns update when data in the worksheet change

17. Worksheet and Column Descriptions
Right-click on a column and choose Column > Description to add notes for future reference
Right-click on to add a Worksheet Description

18. Worksheet Zooming
Use the Control key and your mouse wheel to zoom in and out of the worksheet

19. Multiple Undo and Redo
Use the arrows on the toolbar to undo or redo changes made to cells in the worksheet
undo
redo

20. Autofill Use autofill to create patterned data
Use the Control key to create repeated patterned data

21. Importing and Manipulating Data
Worksheets
Graphics
Customizing Minitab
Additional Tips

22. Split Graph into Panels
Right-click on a cluttered graph and choose Panel to reduce the clutter
Before paneling
After paneling

23. Brushing Options
We see strength values that are lower than expected and want to do further investigation
Right-click > Brush > right-click > Set ID Variables

24. Brushing Options Brush multiple groups of points using the Shift key
The brushing window shows that all lower weld strengths are associated with the third shift

25. Brushing Options
The Data Options button for any Graph or Control Chart allows you to include or exclude data based on brushed rows

26. Graph Annotation Tools Toolbar
Choose Tools > Toolbars to enable the Graph Annotation Tools toolbar
The Graph Annotation Tools toolbar is useful for adding text, circles, and arrows to graphs
Select Mode Rectangle Line Polyline
Text Ellipse Marker Polygon

27. Graph Editing Toolbar
Choose Tools > Toolbars to enable the Graph Editing toolbar
The Graph Editing toolbar is useful for editing graphs and obtaining graph coordinates
Select List Select Crosshair Add List Zoom
Edit Brush Plant Flag Delete

28. Graph Editing Toolbar examples
Use the Add List dropdown to add gridlines, reference lines, subtitles and data labels
Use Crosshair mode to explore graphs

29. In-Place Graph Editing
Double-click on the graph components to change fonts, colors, add a date/time stamp, etc.
Right-click on the graph to add titles, gridlines, data labels, etc.
Before Editing
After Editing

30. Make Similar Graph
Use Editor > Make Similar Graph to create a similar graph using different variable(s)

31. Layout Tool
To combine multiple graphs into one window, choose Editor > Layout Tool

32. Updating Graphs Available for core graphs and Control Charts
Right-click on icon in upper left corner to update graph
Automatic Updates – sets graph to automatically update anytime data in worksheet change
Update Graph – performs one-time update
Core Graphs and Control Charts
All Other Graphs
Graph is up-to-date
Graph is up-to-date, but cannot be updated
“Core graphs” corresponds to any graphs created using the Graph menu.
Note: If you move columns, a core graph or control chart’s icon can turn to a white ‘X’.
Data used to create graph have changed
Data used to create graph have changed, and graph cannot be updated
On-hold, some condition prevents auto-update

33. Importing and Manipulating Data
Worksheets
Graphics
Customizing Minitab
Additional Tips

34. Tools > Options Use Tools > Options to set default preferences
For example, specify a default file location that Minitab will go to when using File > Open Project

35. Tools > Options > My Footnote
To easily keep track of which worksheet was used to create each graph, set a footnote to automatically display the worksheet name

36. Tools > Options > Descriptive Statistics
Select the statistics you need when using Stat > Basic Statistics > Display Descriptive Statistics

37. Tools > Options > Capability Analysis
Display Benchmark Z’s by default instead of Cp and Pp

38. Tools > Options > Residual Plots
Display the Anderson-Darling Normality Test results on normal residual plots for regression, ANOVA and DOE

39. Exec macros
If you need to conduct the same analysis on a regular basis, consider creating an Exec, a type of macro, to easily re-run the same analysis
Click to go to the History window and highlight the desired commands

40. To save an Exec
To save the commands as an Exec, right-click on the highlighted History commands and choose Save As…
Save the *.MTB file to your hard-drive

41. To run an Exec
Run the Exec at any time using File > Other Files > Run an Exec > Select File and browse to your *.MTB

42. Tools > Customize Use Tools > Customize to:
Move, add, edit, or delete any item on a toolbar or menu
Create a new toolbar or menu
Set custom keystrokes for frequently used commands
Add a button to call your Exec file
To add a button to call an Exec, see

43. Tools > Customize to move or add
To move or add toolbar or menu items, choose Tools > Customize and then click and drag

44. Tools > Customize to create new toolbars
To create a new toolbar, use the Toolbars tab > New
To add functions to a new toolbar, use the items available under the Commands tab
The DMAIC toolbar is available at
To create a new toolbar:
Choose Tools > Customize > Toolbars tab > New
Enter a toolbar name > OK
Drag the new toolbar to the top of Minitab
To add menu items to the toolbar:
Click on the Commands tab
Click and drag menus/commands up to the toolbar
To add drop-down menus to the toolbar:
Select Categories: Tools and then click and drag the Commands: Toolbars up to the toolbar

45. Tools > Customize to create new menus
To create a new menu, use the Commands tab > New Menu
To add items to a new menu, click and drag the items available under the Commands tab
To create a new menu:
Choose Tools > Customize > Commands tab
Select Categories: New Menu and then click and drag the Commands: New Menu up to the menu bar
To add menu items to the new menu:
Click on the Commands tab
Click and drag menus/commands up to the menu

46. Creating a Profile
To save all of your customizations, create a profile
Click to create a new profile
Use Tools > Manage Profiles to import or export a profile

47. Importing and Manipulating Data
Worksheets
Graphics
Customizing Minitab
Additional Tips

48. Using the ReportPad Use the ReportPad to write a report
Right-click on a graph and choose Append Graph to Report
Right-click on Session output and choose Append Section to Report
Click on the toolbar’s to open the ReportPad

49. Saving and Exporting the ReportPad
Save Report As saves the report as a .RTF or .HTML
Move to Word Processor moves the ReportPad contents to your default word processor (i.e. cut and paste)
Copy to Word Processor copies the ReportPad contents to your default word processor (i.e. copy and paste)

50. Help Help includes a glossary, methods and formulas, and examples
Access Help from the Help menu, the toolbar, or from the Help button found in every dialog box 1 2 3

51. StatGuide StatGuide provides examples and their interpretation
Access StatGuide from the Help menu or the toolbar