How to build an SPC control chart in an Excel .xls spreadsheet

Does anyone know where I can get easy step by step instructions on how to build a control chart in the Excel spreadsheet?

You might want to try the SPC Kiss software. No, I am not too familiar with it so you have to ask another one for more info (if anyone's who knows SPC Kiss is reading this, please help out!!!). If I would like to make a control chart using excel, what I do is that I graph four sets of data (upper limit, lower limit, x-bar and the actual data), with the upper and lower limits and average having the same values upto the nth data point (i.e. if you have 10 data points, you will have ten U.L. values of say 43 units, another ten L.L. values of 23 units and another 10 values for the average of maybe 33 units) and only the actual obtained data will be variable. If youl'd like more help just email me and I'll give you an excel file attachment. Rgds.

Here is a website that gives some examples of creating control charts in Excel. www.qualitydigest.com/oct97/html/excel.html

I'm no statistical expert, but I've managed to produce control charts and capability calculations using excel. If anybody wants a copy/explanation of the formula I'd be happy to oblige.

Preference for using excel is to avoid having to learn a "canned" package, plus most of my colleagues are already familiar with excel.

One are I am having a bit of difficult with is that although I can produce histograms it's a bit of a long winded process in sorting and sub-totalling data. Does anybody have a simple method for histograms in excel?

A simple and not too expensive way to get SPC for Excel is purchase the following book. It comes with a disk full of SPC charts, etc., written in Excel. All you have to do is copy to your computer and start using them.

I can't remember what I paid for this, but it wasn't a bad price.

Statistical Quality Control Using Excel
By Steven M. Zimmerman, et al
ISBN 0-87389-393-X
ASQ Press

With the ISBN you can get it almost anywhere, or order from:

www.asq.org

[Sam]

I purchased a canned version of excel charting By the name of the "QI coloring Book", 59.95 and well worth the price.
1-888-468-1535/1537.

[Marc]

Hot Off the Quality Press

Statistical Quality Control Using Excel (with software)
by Steven M. Zimmerman, Ph.D., and Marjorie L. Icenogle, Ph.D.

Quality practitioners from every industry have long used statistical quality control (SQC) to ensure that their products and services meet customer expectations. Too often, however, those less experienced with SQC find it difficult to interpret the complicated mathematical formulas and detailed sampling results associated with the application. As a result, many professionals have successfully turned to Excel® software to simplify their SQC endeavors and quickly reap the benefits of actually exceeding customer requirements.

Whether you’re new to SQC or the software product Excel, you’ll find all the information you need to understand and incorporate the two in Statistical Quality Control Using Excel. Nonmathematical descriptions guide you through the basics of both SQC and the methods of creating control charts using Excel. You’ll discover easy-to-read explanations of statistical distribution, outliers, and the analysis required for SQC methods. Statistical process control methods such as p and np control charts and Pareto charts are also demonstrated. This book will quickly become your most used source, as it will help you:

* Master the basics of structuring SQC problems using control charts and graphs
* Train those moving from Lotus 1-2-3® to the Excel spreadsheet software
* Reduce costly calculation errors

Practice problems, definitions of key terms, examples, and end of chapter summaries help make this book an outstanding tutorial for your desktop.

CONTENTS (Summarized): SQC and Spreadsheet Programs • Microsoft Excel Basics • Learning More About Excel • Statistical Fundamentals Using Excel • Distributions • Selected Functions and Data Analysis Tools • X Bar and Range Control Charts • X Bar and Sigma Control Charts • p and NP Control Charts • c and u Control Charts • Process Capability • Pareto and Fishbone Diagrams • Individual, Moving Average, and Moving Range Control Charts • Binomial and Hypergeometric Distributions • Operating Characteristics and Power Curves • Average Outgoing Quality

Additional Information:
System Requirements: Excel template disk will only run on Windows 95 running Excel 7
1998. 375 pages. ISBN 0-87389-393-X. 7 x 10 softcover.
Item: H0982 Member Price: $45.00 List Price: $50.00

This is a recently added title to our Quality Press collection and may or may not be listed in our Quality InfoSearch or our current Quality Press Publication Catalog. To save time, please call ASQ’s Customer Service Center at 800-248-1946 or 414-272-8575 to order this title.

[BRoyal]

I use the SPC KISS software, which is marketed by Air Academy Associates in Colorado Springs. It's inexpensive, fast, and very easy to learn and use. A bunch of other stuff is bundled with it, like Pareto charts, cumsums, etc.