Core Concepts
Entities
In GS, entities are the configurable objects used to define the system’s structure and behavior. Parts, Characteristics, Defects, Inspections, Dashboards, and similar items are all considered entities.
The entities required to collect and analyze data are:
- Parts: Physical items produced during manufacturing, such as bolts, cookies, or jet engines.
- Processes: Operations which Parts undergo during production, such as packaging, machining, or welding.
- Characteristics: Variable properties of a Part, such as length, weight, density, or force.
- Defects: Reasons for part failures or potential customer complaints.
- Traceability: Information that is stored alongside data, such as shift, machine, department, temperature, or humidity.
- Inspections: Collections of tests to evaluate process and part quality.
- Dashboards: Collections of visualizations used to gain insights into data and explore root cause analysis.
- Locations: Physical locations, such as separate facilities in Seattle and Chicago.
Data
There are several different types of data that GS can collect and analyze. All data must be linked to a Process and may be tagged with Traceability. A data record refers to a single measurement along with its associated Traceability, Process, Part, Location, and other context.
SPC Data
SPC data is numeric data which is typically collected by taking measurements of various Characteristics on the Parts you produce.
For example:
- The length of a bolt.
- The torque required to open the lid of a pickle jar.
- The weight of a package of cookies.
See Also
Defect Data
DMS Data is the count of Defects in a sample from a Process.
For example:
- A scratch on a car chassis.
- A burnt cookie.
- A misprinted label.
See Also
OEE Data
Subscription Tier Required
This feature requires the Premier subscription tier or higher.
OEE Data is the accumulated Process run data which represents the efficiency of equipment. This includes the number of parts produced, how many of those parts were defective, and the amount of downtime in a given production run.
For example:
- A machine broke down for 20 minutes of a 6 hour run.
- A machine produced parts more slowly than expected.
- A machine produced a high number of defective parts.
See Also
Task Data
Task Data is a record of an operator completing a specific check or task. This data may include sign-off from a manager.
For example:
- Checking that a refrigerator powers on.
- Cleaning the workstation at the end of a shift.
- Recording the reason for a halted production run, with sign-off from a supervisor.
See Also
Accountability Data
Accountability Data is a record of whether Scheduled Inspections are performed as required. For example:
- Line 3 must record the Width and Length of 3 samples every 30 minutes.
- At the beginning of each shift, Parts produced by Machine 3 must be checked for surface finish quality.
- Taking a variety of hourly measurements based on the Part selected during start-of-shift checks.
Accountability Data includes whether these checks were completed, and at what time they were actually done. Users who are logged in to GS will also be notified when they are required to perform these checks.
Accountability Data is automatically created when Schedules are triggered, and is automatically updated as Users run Inspections from the My Schedules page.
See Also
- Schedules
- In-Depth Guide: Static Schedules
- In-Depth Guide: Dynamic Schedules
- Accountability Data Table
Entering Data
An Inspection is a collection of quality checks, like a digital representation of a paper form. Inspections are comprised of Sub-Inspections and Tests.
- Sub-Inspections are groupings of checks. All data in a Sub-Inspection is submitted at the same time, and Tag Tests on a Sub-Inspection will only affect other Tests in that Sub-Inspection.
- There are a few different categories of Tests. Tests are found in the top toolbar of the Inspection Designer.
- Tag Tests affect the Traceability and other context stored with data, such as a data record's Part or Process.
- Data Tests are the actual quality checks performed, such as the recorded measurements of a bolt or the signoff of a task.
- Display Tests are the supporting material in an Inspection, such as a part diagram or a chart.
- Scripting Tests, such as buttons, have no functionality by themselves, but can be used in Inspection scripts for pinpoint customizations.
- Layout Tests, such as the Data Canvas, have no impact on how data is stored, but can be used to structure Tests visually.
Real-Time Failures
A Real-Time Failure occurs when a Test violates a preconfigured rule. For the SPC Test, these rules are defined by the Test's Characteristic. For Tests that submit DMS or OEE data, these rules are defined by the Test's Process. Real-Time Failures are recorded with the data submitted by these Tests.
For example, a real-time failure might occur when:
- The length of a bolt is above its upper specification limit.
- Seven pressure measurements in a row are decreasing.
- The number of defects in a sample is above an acceptable limit.
When a failure occurs, GS notifies the operator entering data, and may optionally send an Alert to notify other Users. Alerts can be sent via email or SMS. The Alerts which are sent when a Real-Time Failure occurs are configured on each Inspection Data Test.
Using Inspections While Offline
GS allows users to run Inspections even if they have an unreliable internet connection.
Other Methods of Entering Data
Besides Inspections, data can also be entered by:
- Importing data using a CSV.
- Using the API.
- Using Quick Data Entry.
Analyzing Data
A Dashboard is a collection of visualizations and their linked data retrievals.
- Visualizations include charts, tables, grids, and other supporting items.
- Charts, such as a Control Chart, are visual representations of data.
- Tables, such as an SPC Data Table, are tabular representations of data and can display all information stored in a data record.
- Grids, such as a Stats Grid, display statistics and other summary information in a tabular layout.
- Other supporting items include buttons used in dashboard scripts.
- Retrievals are a collection of settings that define how data is retrieved from GS.
- GS includes a full reference of how various statistics are calculated.
Reports
A Report may be used to view data in a paginated layout, which can be exported to a static format like a PDF. This is useful for generating Certificates of Analysis, or sending a regularly scheduled Report to a corporate office for a plant overview. In addition to the visualizations provided by Dashboards, Reports include several typographic and layout tools for customizing generated PDFs.
Short Run
Short Run SPC is a technique for analyzing SPC data combined from multiple Characteristics. It is especially useful when individual production runs are too short to provide enough data for traditional per-Characteristic analysis. However, its applications go beyond short runs and are helpful in evaluating performance across Machines, Lines, Processes, or other Traceability. This allows:
- Analyzing machine capability.
- Viewing the data for multiple Parts on a single control chart.
- Comparing the performance of different Processes.
When Short Run is performed, the data from different Characteristics will be normalized. For information about how data is normalized, see SPC Statistics.
GS automatically performs Short Run when data is split in a way that results in multiple Characteristics in a single logical grouping. For example:
- Drawing a Control Chart and selecting Process for the Split By.
- Drawing a Stats Grid and using the Machine Traceability as the Grouping column.
Any groupings which contain a single Characteristic will not use Short Run, and Short Run will only be calculated if at least 80% of the data belongs to Characteristics with a Target X and at least one specification limit (Lower or Upper Spec).