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Minitab^® - QI Macros Comparison

Before you spend $2,500 on a single copy of Minitab®, you might want to know that you can do everything a Black Belt will ever need to do in Excel using the QI Macros for only $249 USD.

I am studying lean enterprise at masters level in the UK. In a recent spc course, your software blew all the Minitab® users away.
– Steve Wood

As a 15+ year user of Minitab, two things stood out for me. The first was the ease with which pivot tables can be created – something that I’ve seen many people struggle with. The second was the logic that has been built in to recommend analytical tools. Tool selection has been a significant challenge for many of the Green Belts (and BBs as well) I have trained and coached thru the years. Your approach is much easier to use than Minitab’s tool.
–Mike Frihart

SPC Software Comparison Table (PDF, 304 KB)

Big Differences	Minitab®	QI Macros
Price Why spend a lot more money for tools you will never use?	$1,495 + $1,195	$249 USD
Development History and User Interface Do you want to learn statistics or solve problems and get breakthrough improvements?	Developed by Penn State Instructors to teach students every nook and cranny of statistics	Developed by a business user to get immediate results
Training or Learning Curve Do you want to spend days in class learning every option or start solving problems immediately?	Days/Weeks	Minutes
Data Orientation With the QI Macros you can select data vertically or horizontally. Which way is your data oriented?	Columns Only	Columns and Rows
Data and Chart Selection Most users have data BUT don't know which chart to use.	Minitab® Menus of Options Chart Then Data: Minitab® requires users to choose a chart first then define the data range.	QI Macros Wizards Data then Chart: QI Macros Wizards analyze the data and can select the right chart for you.
More Detail on Ease of Use
Statistics and Charts	Everything under the sun	Most commonly used
Control Chart Wizard - Chooses charts automatically	No Requires a decision tree	Yes
Pivot Table Wizard - Automates analyzing data	No	Yes
Stat Wizard - Automates hypothesis testing	No	Yes
Application	Stand Alone, which means you have to import data from Excel	Excel Add-on, which means you can work on data directly

I am in the process of evaluating the QI Macros 30-day trial, and so far I am very pleased with its capabilities. I've been using Minitab® for 12 years now, but can see the benefits of having Green Belts and most Black Belts using QI Macros at a fraction of the cost of Minitab®. I love how in addition to the statistical capabilities, it has all the basic forms that a company would need for all of their quality needs.

– Craig Martek, LSS Master Black Belt

Here's what our customers tell us:

Minitab® costs a lot more, is more complex and takes a lot longer to learn and use.
Why do people think costly and complex is somehow more important or "better"?
The QI Macros has all the tools I need.
The QI Macros works in right in Microsoft Excel where my data is normally stored, no cutting and pasting required.

If you're like 99% of all employees who don't work on a factory floor, the QI Macros offers all the tools that you'll ever need. Our experience suggests that 4% of the Six Sigma Tools will solve 99% of the problems. (The other 96% will only be used 1% of the time.) The design of the QI Macros reflects this mindset; Jay put the most frequently used tools where you can get to them easily.

If you're building spacecraft, jet engines or complex medical machinery, by all means get your Black Belts Minitab®. But to maximize their productivity, get them a copy of the QI Macros because it works in Excel and most of your data is in Excel, isn't it? Doesn't your home toolbox contain both a Phillips and a flat-head screwdriver? You probably own two or more hammers or saws for different projects. Why should SPC software be any different?

QI Macros Wizards - the Big Difference for Ease of Use:

In Minitab®, you have to first choose a chart and then choose the data for the chart; in the QI Macros, you choose the data then choose the chart or statistic. This subtle difference explains everything when it comes to ease of use: Minitab® uses many decision trees to "help" you choose a chart; while the QI Macros wizards automate the choice for you: Statistics Wizard, PivotTable Wizard, Control Chart Wizard and Chart Wizard:

I had one office person go to a Greenbelt training class which used Minitab®. He came back and couldn't even create a Pareto chart. I showed him how to do it with QI Macros and he learned how to do it in, well, 5 seconds. tough stuff.

– Patient Safety Manager

I have tested your software and also tested Minitab®. Your software just seems to be the better of the two. I will place my order today.

– Jim Riepe, Quality Specialist

After testing this program I like it so much (even though I have both Statistica and Minitab®), I am recommending it to several engineers in different sites of our company. Since it is embedded in Excel, I don't need to go back and forth like the other software. Most of time QI Macros can do the job.

– Engineer at a software company

Questions That Frequently Should Be Asked:

How long will it take to learn to use the software effectively, minutes or days?
Is training available online 24/7/365?
Will the software help me choose the right chart or statistic automatically?
How easily can I use Excel data?
Do I have to import the data or can I use it directly in Excel?
How easily can I share the results with coworkers and customers?
How easily can the Black Belt hand off control charting to a "no belt" for ongoing "Control" of the process?
Does the software require an annual fee or is it a perpetual use license?
Do we have the budget to give every Black Belt, Green Belt and No Belt a copy of the software?
Even if we do go with Minitab, shouldn't we spend a couple hundred bucks more to make Black Belts and Green Belts wildly more efficient and effective in Excel?

Download a Minitab®-QI Macros Comparison Sheet - Click Here

How to do Minitab Homework using QI Macros and Excel

Mikel Harry, the guru of Six Sigma, says that the next wave of Six Sigma benefits will come from white and yellow belts saving $10-20,000 per year.

To do so, these people will need an easy-to-use tool belt for data analysis. Don't miss this opportunity. Isn't it time you gave all of your employees the benefits of the QI Macros for Excel?