OCTOBER 16-19, 2011

Dr. Douglas Montgomery
Regents' Professor of Industrial Engineering and Statistics
Arizona State University

Statistically designed experiments have been more widely used during the last 20 years than ever before. They have been called the most important of the six-sigma tools--presenting an organized framework for making changes to the factors that potentially impact the output quality and performance of the process or product and determining which factors are most influential on these outputs. The last few years have seen many new developments in the field, including new techniques and methods for constructing and using optimal designs, methods for robust design, and designs for computer experiments. These techniques have widespread potential application in product design process improvement and are major parts of the toolkit for both operational six-sigma and design for six-sigma. Some of these new methods are described and illustrated, and their applications in product and process improvement are discussed.

In order for businesses to remain competitive, quality must be managed throughout the global enterprise, including the supply chain. Naturally this poses a challenge with various sites using different systems, each with their own IT requirements and limitations. So while many of us can understand the importance of global quality management and supplier quality monitoring in theory, the actual implementation of such a concept can seem daunting.

This presentation focuses on the how. How is it possible for a business to collect and compare quality data from manufacturing sites all over the world, not to mention hundreds of suppliers? This presentation will showcase how data coming from all over the world and from all types of systems (even those who don’t have an SPC solution in place) can be consolidated, analyzed and instantly acted upon from a high level.

Hear from InfinityQS' own experts about how to maximize your investment in the software to improve quality and drive down costs. Learn how to use the latest tools and features to fully automate your SPC system, eliminating the need for time-consuming data collection activities. Industry-specific sessions will address the most pressing issues in your industry and demonstrate how the software can help you stay ahead of standards and requirements.

1. Dynamic Scheduler: Never Miss A Quality Check

Even the best SPC system won't work if the data isn't collected properly! Our Dynamic Scheduler will prompt the operator to ensure that your sampling schedules are maintained. Dynamic Scheduler takes the guess work out of when to collect data or when to modify sampling schedules due to upsets or events in your process. It can ensure compliance when used and deployed properly. When implementing this tool it is important to detail when data will be collected, how it will be collected and what happens if a value exceeds specifications. This session will focus on those requirements and potential issues when implementing and configuring the Dynamic Scheduler.

2. Techniques for Simplifying Data Collection

Today's manufacturing processes have become even more lean and flexible. As a result, manufacturing as a whole has become more complex. This forces SPC system administrators to juggle the dual tasks of adapting to increasing complexities while simultaneously making SPC user experiences as positive as possible. The challenges of ever-increasing parts lists, changing production requirements and demanding users can seem daunting.

In this presentation, learn how projects can be created to handle very complex situations yet allow data collection to occur simply. Learn new InfinityQS software features that make administrators' lives easier and data collection more robust and less challenging.

3. ProForm: The New Frontier in Data Collection

InfinityQS ProForm gives you the ability to collect data from any device that can run a web browser, providing users unparalleled portability and flexibility for quality data collection. In addition to supporting data collection, the user-defined interface can be built to suit the needs of operators. Options like dropdown lists and checkboxes are dragged and dropped to make these forms more like the paper forms you are currently using. Once data has been collected, it can be analyzed and charted with standard ProFicient analysis tools and reports.

Topics that will be covered include:

• Demonstrations of different form types
• An overview of form creation
• Observing the results of forms data in ProFicient
• How ProForm works
• What's needed to run ProForm

4. Deployment Part 1: Organization, Installation and Licensing

In order to gain the most benefit from the InfinityQS ProFicient System, proper planning is critical. By involving the key decision making personnel, you can determine the needs of your organization and plan going forward. Organizing those needs and using simple techniques, the implementation of the system will make it easier to meet your current needs and will also be configurable for future expansion.

5. Deployment Part 2: Integration

A key strength of InfinityQS is its ability to integrate with other systems. During implementation planning, we also need to consider what information, measurement data, and process data will be used as well as any actions that InfinityQS will need to take. In this portion of the Implementation series we will look at a variety of ways in which other systems can integrate with the InfinityQS system.

Topics covered will include:

• InfinityQS integration with SAP and other MES system
• Integration with other InfinityQS databases
• Collecting information from non-InfinityQS databases
• Use of Automated Data Collection devices

6. Deployment Part 3: Strategies for a Successful Rollout

Planning your InfinityQS system rollout is critical to its success, but what steps should be taken in the planning and what items must be considered? This portion of the Implementation series focuses on what must be considered before the rollout, who should be involved, and some of the common reasons for rollout failure.

Key topics for the rollout session:

• Who needs to be involved in the rollout?
• Planning for a successful rollout
• What causes a rollout to fail?

7. Fully Automating Your SPC System

Achieving "Lights Out" in today's manufacturing environment requires automation well beyond automated data collection. By automating analysis, reactions, reporting, and escalation, you can ensure that critical information vital to the success of your business is never overlooked. Luckily, with ProFicient, automating these critical steps is easier than ever, resulting in significant cost savings for your business.

During this session you will observe a fully automated SPC system as it monitors a manufacturing process. You will see how a true "lights out" system automatically monitors everything and only turns on the lights when there is an issue. You will see all of the elements that make "lights-out" a viable solution for today's manufacturers. Additionally, you will learn about the various tools useful for both operators and managers when the lights are turned on.

8. How to Select The Right Control Chart

With over 300 types of control charts available within ProFicient, how does one determine the "best" chart to use for a given situation? The topics in this session, based on the technical best seller "Innovative Control Charting" book written by two InfinityQS industrial statisticians, will guide you through a simple decision tree to help you select the right control chart. Using the methods from this session, you will learn when an Xbar/R chart may not be the best option or how to make slight changes to your sampling strategy to illuminate the valuable information hidden in the data.

9. Quality System Integration

Quality system integration can be a vast subject and can encompass a wide range of definitions. Quality System Integration to some is best described as "ways in which quality data is shared with a Manufacturing System." Others will associate quality system integration as "ways in which quality data is obtained from Process Automation Systems, Automated Test Equipment and more." Your InfinityQS ProFicient system is already tracking many quality data and helping your manufacturing operations stay in control. But these systems can also connect to your process automation systems and special test equipment. And, this quality information can also be quite powerful when shared with your other business systems.

This session will focus on the benefits and challenges associated with monitoring quality data provided by other (downstream) process automation systems and will also describe ways to make the quality data available to other (upstream) business systems. Various integration tools and strategies will be introduced. We'll also explore the future of integration as it applies to InfinityQS.

Tools Included

• Data Management System (DMS)
• Data Collection Services (DCS)
• Enterprise Integration Service (EIS)
• SAP Specification Limit Importer
• OLE Specification Limit Importer
• Custom Software Development

10. Enterprise Integration Services: Connecting Your Global Facilities

With millions in operating costs on the line, product quality has become a performance imperative. Larger organizations typically have plants spread across the globe, so how can quality performance be assessed if each plant has its own database, separate from the others? InfinityQS' Enterprise Integration Services (EIS) makes consolidating data a snap - even when data resides in separate databases, in different plants, even in foreign countries.

Key topics covered:

• Configuration of a site/corporate EIS implementation, with subgroup data flowing from each site to a central corporate database, and "structure" data (parts, specs, etc.) being distributed from corporate to all of the site databases
• Using the IDEF Transporter along with EIS to enable suppliers to send quality data directly to their customers
• Examples of reports and charts useful for site-by-site comparisons

11. Calculations in ProFicient

There are many different ways to get data into the ProFicient database, including 50 different Equation Editor math functions. From simple math calculations to complex Boolean logic, Equation Editor can be used to significantly reduce data acquisition time, eliminate manual calculations and eliminate related errors.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Access the Equation Editor
• Apply calculations to historical data
• Perform math functions across and down data entry columns
• Use sample size in an equation to calculate yields
• Set up equations to accumulate a series of values from several different subgroups
• Use If/Then/Else statements to tally pass/fail statistics using variables data
• Assign Cost of Quality dollars to normal SPC data collection
• Incorporate Taguchi Loss logic into data collection configurations
• Use historical subgroup values in a current data entry session

Even users who are already familiar with Equation Editor and Previously Stored Database Values will benefit from this session as new ProFicient functionality is featured.

These hands-on sessions offer you the opportunity to sit down and learn from the InfinityQS experts! Presented by InfinityQS staff, these sessions will let you roll up your sleeves and dig into all the functionality highlighted during the presentations and learn how to get the most from your SPC system.

1. Data Entry Made Simple Part 1

This workshop is designed to illustrate and practice the many options available to simplify data entry for those using projects to enter data. This workshop is designed for relatively new ProFicient users. The goal is to familiarize the person designing end user projects with the many options available to minimize and accommodate the needs of shop floor data entry. We will discuss why some of those options are there and how you might use them.

The topics covered are:

• Changing Subgroup Sizes
• Cascading Item Choices
• Organizing Tests for Ease of Use
• Displaying Key Information
• Descriptors -- Hidden, Order and Last Used
• Understanding the Test Options
• When is a good time to allow incomplete subgroups and what happens when you do?

2. Data Entry Made Simple Part 2

A continuation of Data Entry Made Simple Part 1, this session allows project builders to explore often-missed options in the data entry configuration. We will illustrate data retrieval, equation editor, using toolbar commands to cycle through data entry windows, and simplifying multiple process subgroups.

• Database Values
• Historian Table data retrieval
• Equation Editor Functions
• Using the IPTC (Infinity Project Toolbar Command) File
• Combining Attribute Defect Codes
• Cycling through multiple processes

3. Lot Acceptance Sampling: Evaluating Incoming Product

Applying Acceptance Sampling techniques has never been easier. ProFicient provides the ability to simplify the creation of Acceptance Sampling plans and the reporting of Acceptance Sampling data. This hands-on session will focus on how to create the appropriate sampling plans, then deploy them using ProFicient Projects.

The objective is to familiarize users with ProFicient's Acceptance Sampling features including hands-on experience with:

• Creating sampling plans in Database Manager
• Specifying AQL, LPTD, Beta and Alpha
• Defining Part, Process and Test for Sampling Plans
• Exploring both Attribute and Variable sampling plans
• Creating Acceptance Sampling Projects
• Using Acceptance Sampling results for reporting purposes

4. Exploring Toolbar Buttons

You may be surprised at how some people are using toolbar buttons! Beyond the basics what else can be done with toolbar buttons? Find out what is new with the toolbar commands and also learn a few things that have always been available!

Use toolbar buttons to quickly direct users to important documents, help direct steps to be taken in the data collection process, minimize repetitious choices, access controlled documents and navigate to other projects.

• Supervisor sign off made easy
• Using tokens to pass parameters
• What is the IPTC (Infinity Project Toolbar Command) file and how to use it?
• Finding the incomplete subgroup
• Exporting data to other applications
• Innovative methods of utilizing the menu option

5. Introduction to Dynamic Scheduler

Dynamic Scheduler simplifies data entry by keeping track of when measurements are due and what actions should be taken when different situations arise. Understanding Process State and other requirements of Dynamic Scheduler are critical to integrating it into your work environment. This first session will focus on these requirements and demonstrate how various data entry scenarios are configured. This session is intended for users who haven't used Dynamic Scheduler and want to learn more about how it can be used.

To be discussed:

• Understanding Process State
• Sampling Requirement setup
• Subgroup data collection and checklist data collection
• Sampling Compliance report

6. Dynamic Scheduler: Advanced Applications

With so many options available using Dynamic Scheduler, it can be a challenge to strategize on how it should be implemented effectively in a given environment. This second session will focus on the details that make Dynamic Scheduler flexible enough to work in many different scenarios and will also provide helpful hints that our applications engineers have from working with customers during implementations to help avoid headaches during setup. This session assumes that the user has worked with Dynamic Scheduler, either in the first part of the session or in their work environment.

To be discussed:

• Connecting multiple sampling requirements
• Escalating sampling requirements
• Directing work flow
• Considerations for a successful implementation

7. Gages in ProFicient SPC

The use of gages with ProFicient helps reduce data entry error while speeding up data entry, but sometimes configuring gages can be a bit frustrating! Different gage brands and styles have different output types and there will be times when a custom configuration is needed. There are also gages that send data that needs to be filtered as well as gages that send more than one value at a time.

Some of the topics presented in this section include:

• Gage configuration and definition files
• Collecting multiple values from a single gage
• ProFicient gage options

8. Automated Data Collection

In any given manufacturing environment, reliable communication between a diverse set of hardware and software systems is a top priority. Automating your data collection reduces manual labor requirements, minimizes the chance for error, and ensures your entire plant is aware of manufacturing issues as soon as they occur. With InfinityQS' Data Management System (DMS), not only is automating data collection easier than ever, but combining information from different sources into a viable, useful subgroup is now a reality.

Learn how DMS simplifies data collection requirements, while still allowing clearly defined sampling strategies to provide the information needed to improve quality and costs.

Key topics covered:

• Description of the DMS Data Store
• Creation and configuration of various DMS providers
• Configuration of the Data Collection Service to support various sampling strategies

9. ProForm: Creating Forms for Mobile Data Collection

InfinityQS ProForm allows you to collect data on any device with a simple web browser, opening up many possibilities! This session will focus on using familiar web tools like buttons, lists and check boxes to create forms that will be used for data entry. Users will work with drag-and-drop tools to create/modify forms and select resource lists that will ensure their operators are presented with appropriate choices during data entry. Finally, the results will be viewed using ProFicient to verify successful data entry and provide the powerful analysis tools that InfinityQS customers have come to expect.

To be discussed:

• Form creation and publishing
• Modifying forms
• Data entry using forms
• Viewing form results

10. ProVision: Infinite Visibility With Web Dashboards and Reports

Keep an eye on your KPIs from anywhere in the world! Accessing your critical quality information is now only a browser away. With InfinityQS' new thin client reporting capability, you can monitor the health of your shop floor from your smart phone, tablet device or any device with a web browser. Create and utilize "performance dashboards" for your entire plant. With ProVision, you can access the very same ProFicient database being used on the plant floor, so the browser results are always current.

See this powerful new functionality in action as you create a variety of dashboards for a typical production shop floor, all from within a simple browser.

Learn how other InfinityQS software users are systematically improving quality, meeting requirements, complying with regulations, and reducing costs. Hear case studies and success stories from the users themselves to generate ideas about how you can better leverage your InfinityQS tools. Each session will be tied to a particular industry or job function, so you can choose the sessions that are most relevant to you.

1. Supporting Safety Programs with InfinityQS

Managing effective safety programs is critical in a manufacturing environment. InfinityQS software can be used to support these critical programs by collecting and analyzing hazard data, which can be used to reduce injuries from long-term exposure.

Traditionally, long-term hazards are monitored through periodic sampling. However, this process has three key weaknesses:

• Sampling may miss special cause variation
• High labor and service costs associated with setting up a system and post analysis
• Most safety issues are typically determined "after-the-fact"

This presentation will discuss the results of Greene, Tweed's pilot safety monitoring program using InfinityQS and how the software has been enrolled into our 5S (Sort, Set-in-Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain) activities.

As a statement of caution, Greene Tweed stresses that emergency monitor alert systems, such as oxygen detectors and smoke detectors, should be the primary system to alert personnel to immediate dangers. Our organization does not use systems geared towards monitoring long-term hazards as immediate emergency alert systems.

2. Using ProFicient to Measure OEE Metrics: Availability, Performance & Quality

OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) is a continuous improvement measurement of the efficiency of a manufacturing process. The three components of OEE - availability, performance, and quality can be used to help analyze the where the six big losses are occurring. By analyzing each of the OEE components, companies can address productivity losses more objectively InfinityQS' ProFicient software provides a versatile platform for determining the three components of OEE equation. ProFicient also allows users to categorize the six big losses through the use of assignable causes and corrective actions, hence providing real-time feedback about the manufacturing operation.

Schiff Nutrition is using ProFicient to determine OEE in their packaging and manufacturing departments. Data collection occurs through automated DMS/DCS, Dynamic Scheduler, and standard data entry methods. Each component of OEE is calculated using ProFicient and presented in various tables and charts. Using these metrics, Schiff Nutrition has been able to better understand where production inefficiencies and losses are occurring and take steps to produce higher quality product at a lower cost.

5. Automating Data Analysis for High-Volume Data Streams

ATK Aerospace Structures is currently involved in a high-volume manufacturing process that requires Operations, Quality and Engineering departments to evaluate large volumes of inspection data. It is also a requirement that data input be automated. Data sources include an electronic work instruction package (Solumina), large inspection files and other business systems. To meet required data processing requirements, it was necessary to divide the data acquisition system across three servers.

This presentation provides an overview of ATK's automated system and demonstrates the following functions:

• A combination of DMS/DCS configurations in conjunction with RTI configurations.
• A combination of REMS/RAMS used to evaluate data.
• Pareto charts and OPC monitor charts to determine nonconformance.
• Trend charts to evaluate affected process.
• Dynamic Scheduler used with electronic work instruction software.

6. Exploring Data Entry Flexibility - Useful Functionality You Might Be Missing

Complex data collection requirements may seem to present a challenge for an SPC implementation. However, with just a few configuration options, InfinityQS can accommodate extremely complex data collection requirements. In this presentation, some lesser known options for Data Entries will be explored along with some creative setups to meet complex requirements. Paulo will show how simple additional hardware or software may complement InfinityQS and addresses some of the cases where external help actually is required. Paulo will present real-life examples to include:

• Reading gages with (electrical) analog output
• Mobile data collection using an IPad
• Displaying gage values on screen without saving data to InfinityQS
• Changing projects without using keyboard or mouse
• Require one or more tests to be collected only every 5th time
• Complex test stations with no additional configuration

Paulo will also demonstrate how InfinityQS' database and projects can be used to provide all configuration required to an external software responsible for reading gages, making calculations and approving or rejecting parts (100% inspection) and also send measured data for InfinityQS SPC following a sampling plan.

7. Data Importing/Integration: Out with the Old - In with the New

In the medical device industry, extensive validation requirements can hinder taking advantage of new enhancements and emerging technologies (such as large-scale integration). Upgrading can be challenging in a regulated environment, so manufacturers need to make the most out of existing systems while carefully planning for future upgrades.

This two-part presentation will show how Medtronic, a leader in medical device manufacturing, integrated an older version of ProFicient into their manufacturing floor by importing data from 30+ equipments using on the Real-time Importer (RTI). Medtronic will also discuss their preparations for upgrading to the latest version of ProFicient, and the benefits they expect to receive.

8. Step by Step: A Real World Implementation Process

They say that in a process the first step is always the hardest. The implementation of a culture-changing SPC project is one thing but to sell the idea to the executive team and the people on the floor is another. This presentation goes over the InfinityQS roll-out approach taken by the QA team at Niagara in terms of resource allocation, Project Cost Approval, ROI determination and so on. It will be very beneficial for those looking to initiate InfinityQS in their organization. Here is a brief outline of the session:

• Defining the Project Scope
• Getting Stakeholders onboard
• Piloting
• Pilot Review
• Cost Analysis
• Resource Analysis
• Project Roll-out plan (Timelines)
• Standardization Plan