Quality Analyst

NWA Quality Analyst is a statistical process control (SPC) charting and analysis software solution designed for manufacturers and quality professionals. The software enables users to graphically analyze process behavior, optimize product quality, minimize cost, and reduce risk with minimal training in statistical techniques. It is used by a range of roles including quality professionals, process engineers, plant managers, operators, and executives, and has been trusted in manufacturing environments since 1982.

The platform offers a suite of analytical and problem-solving tools, supporting both new users—who can quickly generate SPC charts—and experienced engineers handling more complex process improvement tasks. Key features include comprehensive charting and analysis capabilities, interactive operation, and a spreadsheet-like user interface that provides access to configuration, charting, and analytical functions from a single screen. Users benefit from advanced data management tools, robust data structures, user-defined calculated variables with a visual equation builder, multi-key data sorting, multi-criteria data filtering, and pop-up windows for descriptive characteristics and rule violations.

NWA Quality Analyst integrates with various manufacturing databases, such as process historians, LIMS/Quality Systems, and MES, using 64-bit ODBC drivers for enhanced database connectivity and performance. The tool is built on a 64-bit code base and is compatible with the latest Microsoft operating systems. Its user interface is modeled after the Microsoft 365 look and feel to facilitate faster adoption. Additional features include support for Partial Least Squares (PLS) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in the Multivariate Analytics Module, charting for shifting specifications, faster graphics display, multipoint selection on SPC charts, sampling methods for time-series data, and an 'IN' function for connectivity filters.

The software allows extensive customization of charts to meet internal, customer, or regulatory requirements, including combining attribute, measurement, and descriptive information in datasets, selecting from over 20 process capability indices and 8 distributions, and defining patterns and run rules. It also provides Stability Analytics for routine product-lot stability studies and shelf-life prediction in line with FDA/ICH guidelines, as well as a Multivariate Analytics module for detecting shifts among related parameters through integration with Infometrix's Pirouette and Sartorius' SIMCA Q applications.