Announcing Levey Jennings Charts for Excel

KnowWare International Inc. announces the addition of the Levey Jennings (a.k.a. standard deviation) chart to the QI Macros SPC Software for Excel. Hospital labs and patients use the Levey Jennings chart to track key measures of health like cholesterol and glucose. The American Diabetes Association recommends tracking glucose levels to evaluate the effects of diet and exercise (www.diabetes.org/uedocuments/DiabetesRecordkeeping.pdf) and the Levey Jennings chart is an excellent way to do it. Many diabetes monitors download directly into Excel.

The Levey Jennings Chart shows 1) the measurement (e.g., glucose ml/dL), 2) an average, and 3) 1-2-3 standard deviations. A diabetic patient might ask: "Am I near my target—the average? How much do I vary from the average? Are there potentially unstable trends in my data?" SPC (statistical process control) offers ways to analyze the data for unstable conditions. These conditions are described at www.qimacros.com/qiwizard/stability.html.

The QI Macros are an add-in for Microsoft Excel that automate all of the charts and diagrams required for statistical process control (SPC) and Lean Six Sigma. There are over 75,000 registered users. The QI Macros consist of four parts:

      1. 21 Macros that use existing Excel data to create pareto, control charts, and histograms.

      2. Over 60 fill-in-the-blank templates for Lean Six Sigma including the Levey Jennings Chart.

      3. Statistical analysis tools like ANOVA, f-test, regression, and a sample size calculator.

      4. Data transformation tools like restacking, word counts and cross tabulation.

Unlike complex statistical tools, the QI Macros tools can be used by anyone from nurses to Six Sigma Black Belts. Users most often say that the QI Macros are convenient and hassle free:

            · Easy to learn. The pull-down menu gives immediate access to all tools.

            · Works directly on Excel data.

            · Automates the most commonly used Lean Six Sigma improvement tools.

30-day evaluation copies of the QI Macros for Excel can be downloaded at www.qimacros.com/freestuff.html. Readers can also signup for a free email course on Lean Six Sigma.