The Experimental Design section of STATGRAPHICS contains a new wizard that assists users in constructing and analyzing designed experiments. It guides the user through twelve important steps in the creation of the design:

Step 1: Define responses
Step 2: Define exp. factors
Step 3: Select design
Step 4: Select model
Step 5: Select runs
Step 6: Evaluate design
Step 7: Save experiment
Step 8: Analyze data
Step 9: Optimize responses
Step 10: Save results
Step 11: Augment design
Step 12: Extrapolate

It also includes:

1. New diagnostic plots such as Prediction Variance Plots, Prediction Profiles, Variance Dispersion Plots, and Fraction of Design Space plots.

2. The ability to include both process and mixture variables in a single design.

3. Integrated facilities for multiple response optimization based on desirability functions.

4. An option for interactively exploring multiple dimensions using either response surface or contour plots.

5. Easier extrapolation of fitted models, including path of steepest ascent identification.

6. New facilities for creating robust parameter design using either crossed factors or Montgomery's combined approach.

3-D Contour Plot

3-D Mesh Plot

Variance Dispersion Graph

Fraction of Design Space Plot

Sequential probability ratio tests can be constructed for testing the mean or standard deviation of a normal distribution, the probability parameter of a binomial distribution, or the rate parameter of a Poisson distribution. Unlike tests with a predetermined sample size, sequential tests obtain samples one at a time. After each sample is obtained, one of three decisions is made: accept the null hypothesis, reject the null hypothesis, or continue sampling. In many cases, a decision will be reached more quickly than from a fixed size hypothesis test. In addition to the test, operating characteristic (OC) and average sample number (ASN) curves are provided.

This procedure creates a map of the rows and columns in a two-way contingency table for the purpose of providing insights into the relationships amongst the categories of the row and/or column variables. Often, no more than two or three dimensions are needed to display most of the variability or “inertia” in the table. An important part of the output is a correspondence map on which the distance between two categories is a measure of their similarity.

This procedure creates a map of the associations among categories of two or more variables. It generates a map similar to that of the Correspondence Analysis procedure. However, unlike that procedure which compares categories of each variable separately, this procedure is concerned with interrelationships amongst the variables.

Two procedures have been added to analyze data consisting of failure times from systems that can be repaired, one for continuous times and one for interval data. It is assumed that when the system fails, it is immediately repaired and placed in service again. The goal of the analysis is to develop a model that can be used to estimate failure rates or quantities such as the MTBF (mean time between failures).

Constructs models for events occurring in one dimension (usually time or space). Includes homogeneous and non-homogeneous Poisson process and renewal models with various interevent time distributions.

This procedure analyzes a single column containing previously tabulated counts. It displays the counts using either a barchart or piechart. Statistical tests may also be performed to determine whether the data conform to a set of multinomial probabilities.

The Sampling Distributions procedure calculates tail areas and critical values for four common sampling distributions. It also plots the calculated results.

Create gages to display the status of critical quality statistics.

The Variance Check pane now conducts F-tests for all pairs of samples, in addition to performing the overall test for equality of variances.

The Analysis Options dialog box has been modified to allow an offset value to be specified.

Calculated tail areas and critical values may now be saved.

If only one distribution is plotted, users may elect to shade an area of the pdf.

The Six Sigma Calculator has been converted from a single dialog box to a full procedure.

The data input dialog boxes have been modified to accept a second column containing the times associated with each data value.

1. The model list has been reworked so that Random Walk and Random Walk with Drift are separate models.
2. The option of estimating or specifying parameters has been structured to be on a model-by-model basis, as is the choice to optimize parameters.
3. Additional Model Selection Criteria have been added.
4. An Adjustments button has been added to allow adjustments to be applied before the models are fit:

1. The data input dialog boxes now have a field for specifying the date or time associated with each observation or subgroup.

2. Certain control charts now give the option of plotting specification limits in addition to control limits.

3. Alerts can be automatically generated whenever points fall beyond the control limits, runs rules are violated, or selected capability indices fall below specified limits.

The new STATGRAPHICS Data Viewer allows the user to create a table showing all or part of the currently loaded data. The data may be sorted based on up to 3 columns. The Select field may also be used to display only a subset of the rows.

DataViewer (MPG City >= 25)
Selection variable: MPG City >= 25
Number of columns: 6
Number of rows: 24
Number of complete cases: 24

All restrictions on special characters in variable names have been removed.

The maximum number of sheets in the DataBook has been increased from 10 to 26.

The primary STATGRAPHICS data file format has been changed from a proprietary binary format to human-readable XML. This enables users to edit the files outside of STATGRAPHICS using any text editor.

Workbook created in Excel 2007 format can now be imported directly into the STATGRAPHICS DataBook.

StatFolios may be set to automatically generate alerts whenever certain conditions occur. Message boxes, audio alarms, and automatic e-mail notification are available options.

The sequence of steps for executing procedures has been modified as follows:

1. A data input dialog box is displayed.
2. If the analysis has an Analysis Options dialog box, it is displayed so that the user can select options before the analysis is run.
3. A combined Tables and Graphs dialog box is displayed so that the user can select the desired tables and graphs.
4. An analysis window opens with the selected tables and graphs.

The Tables and Graphs dialog box contains a button labeled Store. When pressed, the current selection of tables and graphs becomes the default selection for the current analysis.

A new option has been added to the Edit menu that allows users to run an analysis for each unique value contained in a “BY” variable.

The MRU (most recently used file) list has been extended to 6 files each for StatFolios, data files, and XML scripts.

Users may now exchange system preferences by exporting them to an XML file and importing them into another copy of the program.

The File menu has two new additions: Execute XML Script and Create XML Script. XML scripts are an alternative to StatFolios that allow users to read data and create analyses through a scripting language. This same scripting language is understood by the new STATGRAPHICS .NET Web Services.

A new procedure has been added to assist user in setting graphics profiles. It displays sample 2D and 3D plots that use all of the STATGRAPHICS graphics attributes so that they may be easily set and saved in user profiles.

Colors may now be selected based on common web names, in addition to the interactive color selection dialog boxes.

Point Labels

Labels may now be attached to points displayed on scatterplots. The labels will be automatically repositioned if necessary in order to remain close to the points.

Response surface and contour plots can be explored interactively using the dialog box on the right. The sliders change the levels of the variables in the underlying statistical model, which is immediately reflected in the plot. The Ascend and Descend buttons instruct the program to move in steps along the path of steepest ascent, which causes the surface or contour plot to change dynamically.

A new icon has been added to the toolbar in the shape of a magnifying glass  that allows users to zoom in on a graph and then scroll and pan. This is particularly helpful when displaying a large number of data points.

When a 3D graph is maximized, scrollbars are now placed below and to the right of the graph. The scrollbar at the bottom allows the user to interactively rotate the graph left or right. The scrollbar at the right rotates the graph up or down.