Quality eLine Newsletter
September 2004
Vol. 6, No. 9

Reports? What reports? SQCpack gives you what you need

Many SQCpack users—even long-time customers—are unaware of the potential that the software offers in creating a variety of useful reports. SQCpack can generate reports much faster and with fewer steps than the ponderous reports that Excel creates, according to PQ Systems software consultant Matt Savage.

The reports function in SQCpack offers concise summary information related to critical key metrics. These can be determined by you or your customer, but many reports show a column of Cpk and/or Ppk values, percent of data out of specification, and background information about the characteristics and groups from which the data has been derived. What is especially appealing to users is that they decide not only what is included in the report, but its layout. "Reports are tailored to meet the needs of the customer," Savage says. The user determines the data to be used, for example, as well as the time period to be reported and the amount of data to be used in the report.

Each item selected for the report will appear as a column heading. Each row will consist of different characteristics from the same or from many different "groups" or part numbers.

SQCpack's report function was a response to customers themselves, Savage says. Often, users would gerryrig their own reports by printing histograms and control charts, then using a spreadsheet with the same information. This cumbersome method involved re-typing data on a regular basis. SQCpack eliminates retyping entirely. By creating a Report Template, a customer determines which columns to use in the report. Actual reports will be generated from this template. By creating reports for a week or month or shift, for example, it is "a snap" to indicate to SQCpack which time period or item to include in a report. A Report Template might be created for workers, another for management, and another for customers.

To use SQCpack Reports:

  1. Decide what columns you want to be included in the final report.
  2. Create a Report Template that uses these columns.
  3. Create the actual report. When you create a new report, be sure to select the Report Template that you have designed. Then, simply add the characteristics in the groups that you want to include in the report.
  4. If you want to create a report for a specific time period or identifier, use the Data Selection button.
  5. Done! Okay, not exactly. Save this report, then run it by right-clicking on the report itself. You will see options such as previewing it, printing, saving it to a file to e-mail or paste into a Certificate of Analysis.

Questions? Call Matt Savage or other members of PQ Systems technical support team at 800-777-8090.

To learn more about SQCpack, or download a free 30-day trial go to www.pqsystems.com

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