DOE (design of experiments) helps you investigate the effects of input variables (​factors) on an output variable (response) at the same time. These experiments ...menuMinitab® 18SupportDesigninganExperimentLearnmoreaboutMinitab18 ObjectivesLearnaboutdesignedexperimentsinMinitabCreateafactorialdesignViewadesignandenterdataintheworksheetAnalyzeadesignandinterprettheresultsUseastoredmodeltocreatefactorialplotsandpredictaresponseOverviewDOE(designofexperiments)helpsyouinvestigatetheeffectsofinputvariables(factors)onanoutputvariable(response)atthesametime.Theseexperimentsconsistofaseriesofruns,ortests,inwhichpurposefulchangesaremadetotheinputvariables.Dataarecollectedateachrun.YouuseDOEtoidentifytheprocessconditionsandproductcomponentsthataffectquality,andthendeterminethefactorsettingsthatoptimizeresults.Minitaboffersfivetypesofdesigns:screeningdesigns,factorialdesigns,responsesurfacedesigns,mixturedesigns,andTaguchidesigns(alsocalledTaguchirobustdesigns).ThestepsyoufollowinMinitabtocreate,analyze,andvisualizeadesignedexperimentaresimilarforalltypes.Afteryouperformtheexperimentandentertheresults,Minitabprovidesseveralanalyticaltoolsandgraphtoolstohelpyouunderstandtheresults.Thischapterdemonstratesthetypicalstepstocreateandanalyzeafactorialdesign.YoucanapplythesestepstoanydesignthatyoucreateinMinitab.MinitabDOEcommandsincludethefollowingfeatures:CatalogsofdesignedexperimentstohelpyoucreateadesignAutomaticcreationandstorageofyourdesignafteryouspecifyitspropertiesDisplayandstorageofdiagnosticstatisticstohelpyouinterprettheresultsGraphstohelpyouinterpretandpresenttheresultsInthischapter,youinvestigatetwofactorsthatmightdecreasethetimethatisneededtoprepareanorderforshipment:theorder-processingsystemandthepackingprocedure.TheWesterncenterhasaneworder-processingsystem.Youwanttodeterminewhetherthenewsystemdecreasesthetimethatisneededtoprepareanorder.Thecenteralsohastwodifferentpackingprocedures.Youwanttodeterminewhichprocedureismoreefficient.Youdecidetoperformafactorialexperime