Minitab Makes Cleaning and Preparing Data for Analysis Easier

Minitab updated the leading statistical software used for quality improvement and statistics education, enhances tools to clean, format, and manipulate data.Minitab makes data analysis easier with Minitab 17.3. Data cleaning tools that are available upon import, a copy/paste warning that safeguards against improperly formatted columns, and improved tools for formatting and manipulating data help you reconcile dirty data before you begin your analysis.With an improved data import dialog, you can take advantage of data cleaning tools to identify and correct case mismatches, fix improperly formatted columns, or represent missing data appropriately—all before importing your data into the software. The data import workflow ensures your data are trustworthy and makes your analysis more efficient.

The new copy/paste warning safeguards against improperly formatted columns by alerting you if data with column names have been pasted in the wrong row of the worksheet. In one simple step, Minitab detects the problem, notifies you, and immediately makes the correction.

“We’ve improved the experience of getting your data into Minitab, so you have no doubt your data is clean and ready for analysis—all before the data even reach the worksheet,” says Meredith Griffith, product marketing manager.

Improved data formatting and manipulation tools provide users with an updated interface for changing data type, new options to recode data based on least or most frequent values or percentages, and a new choice to merge multiple worksheets side-by-side into a new worksheet.

“We’ve focused on removing any roadblocks you may experience when working with messy data, so you can focus less on the data itself and more on the exploration and analysis,” says Griffith.

Access to your subscription of Quality Trainer—Minitab’s e-learning course that teaches you statistics and data analysis—is also available from within the software, offering a refresher on statistical tools when you need it.

Minitab products include Minitab 17, the leading statistical software used for quality improvement and statistics education. Quality Trainer by Minitab, an e-learning course that teaches statistics and how to use Minitab Statistical Software. Devize, a powerful Monte Carlo simulation tool for engineers.Qeystone, a project portfolio management platform designed to manage an organization’s entire Lean Six Sigma deployment. Quality Companion by Minitab, process improvement software for executing quality improvement projects.