Main Menu

The main menu for STRATEGY lists the inputs you need to make to use the NINE STEP STRATEGIC METHOD for design and analysis of experiments. This method is taught in the Basic Experiment Strategies course from The Experiment Strategies Foundation.

The choices presented on this screen take you from planning of an experiment to successfully analyzing the results. With the File Menu, you can examine any of the files that you have created or reload part or all of a previously run experiment.

X,Y List Options

Select the XY List option to prepare the data set. This includes generating an experiment design, entering the data after the experiment has been run, or importing data files from other applications.

Specifying a Model

This option opens a common dialog box to select a previous created model file or give a name to a new model file. Once the file is named, the Model Type Form appears.

Select a model to predict responses for the trials that you did not run. Check the Current Files Panel to make sure that you have the correct design file before selecting a model. Model files are stored in the \Models sub-folder.

Regression: s, b’s, CL’s and Residual Plots

The regression is the mathematical analysis that computes the b coefficients in the model and other helpful information. Several types of files are produced when you run a regression analysis, and they can all be found in the \Regress sub-folder.

You must have the names of the appropriate X,Y List (DES file) and model (MOD file) showing in the Current Files Panel before you can run a regression. You must run a new regression each time you change the model files, and, if the design file is changed, the model file must also be updated before the regression can be run.

GridSearch

When you have run the regression analysis, you can use STRATEGY for Windows to find the sweet spot which is the best set of values for your factors for best performance of your product.

GridSearch computes predictions for many settings of your factors and saves the sweet spots that meet your goals. GridSearch might find one or more sweet spots that meet your goals.

Four files are produced by any GridSearch having the following extensions: .sum (summary), .yrs (sweet spot responses), .xrs (factor settings for sweet spots), and .spt (continuation information). These files will be found in the \Grids directory when your GridSearch is complete.

Contour Plots

The response surface computed from the b coefficients to interpolate your data can be contour plotted at any time after the regression is run. One choice is to find the sweet spots using Grid Search and then contour plot in the vicinity of the sweet spot to show how sensitive the performance of you product will be to variations in your factor settings.

Contour plots will probably be part of your report to show the sweet spot to others.

Current Files Panel

These files will become the ones you need for analysis as you proceed through the menu system.

File Menu – The File Menu contains a number of commands to make your work easier. Note particularly the Reload commands which allow you to quickly and easily reload part or all of an experiment.

Shortcut:

On screens that have no text boxes (like this screen), you can activate the choice by pressing the single underlined letter associated with the item on the screen. For example, pressing R starts the regression process. Note that pressing Alt-R merely selects the regression option. Alt keystrokes will automatically execute for buttons, however. Alt-O, for example, does click the OK button and causes it to execute.