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Minitab is a statistics package. It was developed at the Pennsylvania State University by researchers Barbara F. Ryan, Thomas A. Ryan, Jr., and Brian L. Joiner in 1972.

Minitab began as a light version of OMNITAB, a statistical analysis program by NIST; the documentation for OMNITAB was published 1986, and there has been no significant development since then.^[1]

Minitab is distributed by Minitab Inc, a privately owned company headquartered in State College, Pennsylvania, with subsidiaries in Coventry, England (Minitab Ltd.), Paris, France (Minitab SARL) and Sydney, Australia (Minitab Pty.).

Today, Minitab is often used in conjunction with the implementation of Six sigma, CMMI and other statistics-based process improvement methods.

Minitab 16, the latest version of the software, is available in 7 languages: English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, & Spanish.

Minitab Inc. produces two other products that complement Minitab 16:^[2] Quality Trainer, an eLearning package that teaches statistical tools and concepts in the context of quality improvement that integrates with Minitab 16 to simultaneously develop the user's statistical knowledge and ability to use the Minitab software and Quality Companion 3, an integrated tool for managing Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing projects that allows Minitab data to be combined with project management and governance tools and documents.

Uses of Minitab [edit]

• Data and File Management - spreadsheet for better data analysis.
• Regression Analysis
• Power and Sample Size
• Tables and Graphs
• Multivariate Analysis - includes factor analysis, cluster analysis, correspondence analysis, etc.
• Nonparametrics - various tests including sign test, runs test, friedman test, etc.
• Time Series and Forecasting- tools that help show trends in data as well as predicting future values. Time series plots, exponential smoothing, trend analysis.
• Statistical Process Control
• Measurement System Analysis
• Analysis of Variance - to determine the difference between data points.

See also [edit]

• List of statistical packages
• Comparison of statistical packages

References [edit]

1. ^ NIST OMNITAB 80
2. ^ Source Minitab Products

• "Minitab Statistical Software Features - Minitab." Software for Statistics, Process Improvement, Six Sigma, Quality - Minitab. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. <http://www.minitab.com/en-US/products/minitab/features/>.
• Groebner, David F., Mark L. Berenson, David M. Levine, Timothy C. Krehbiel, and Hang Lau. Applied management statistics. Custom ed. Boston, MA: Pearson Custom Publishing/Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008. Print

Further reading [edit]

• Brook, Quentin (2010). Lean Six Sigma and Minitab: The Complete Toolbox Guide for All Lean Six Sigma Practitioners (3rd ed.). United Kingdom: OPEX Resources Ltd. ISBN 978-0-9546813-6-4. 
• Meyer, Ruth K.; David D. Krueger (2004). A Minitab Guide to Statistics (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall Publishing. ISBN 978-0-13-149272-1. 

External links [edit]

• Official website
• Quality Companion by Minitab
• Quality Trainer by Minitab
• Minitab Answers Knowledgebase
• Roberts, Dennis. "Minitab resource website". Penn State. 
• Collection of free Minitab tutorial videos
• Minitab 15 basics
• Alternative software - Visual-XSel

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