Overview for P Chart

Learn more about Minitab 19

Use P Chart to monitor the proportion of defective items where each item can
be classified into one of two categories, such as pass or fail. Use this control
chart to monitor process stability over time so that you can identify and
correct instabilities in a process.

For example, a delivery service manager uses a P chart to monitor the

proportion of delivery vehicles that are out of service each day for 2 months.
A vehicle that is out of service is considered a defective item.

The chart shows that, on average, 8% of the delivery vehicles are out of
service on any particular day. The proportion of defective units for day 19 is
out of control. The manager should identify any special causes that
contribute to the unusually high rate of defectives.

Where to find this control chart

To create a P chart, choose Stat > Control Charts > Attributes
Charts > P.

When to use an alternate control chart

 If you can count the number of defects on each item, use U
Chart, Laney U' Chart, or C Chart to plot the number of defects per unit.
 If your data exhibit overdispersion or underdispersion, Laney P'
Chart may more accurately distinguish between common-cause
variation and special-cause variation. Overdispersion can cause a
traditional P chart to show an increased number of points outside the
 control limits. Underdispersion can cause a traditional P chart to show
too few points outside of the control limits. The Laney P' chart adjusts
for these conditions. You can test your data for overdispersion and
underdispersion with P Chart Diagnostic. For more information, go
to Overdispersion and underdispersion.
NOTE
The NP chart also plots defective items. However, whereas the P chart plots
the proportion of defective items, the NP chart plots the number of defective
items.

Data considerations for P Chart

Learn more about Minitab 19

To ensure that your results are valid, consider the following guidelines when
you collect data, perform the analysis, and interpret your results.

Items must be classified into one of two categories, such as pass or

fail

A defective item has one or more defects that make it not

acceptable. If you can determine only whether an item is defective or
nondefective, use this chart. If you can count the number of defects on
each item, use U Chart, Laney U' Chart, or C Chart to plot the number
of defects per unit.

If your data exhibit overdispersion or underdispersion, a

traditional attributes chart may be misleading
If your data exhibit overdispersion or underdispersion, Laney P'
Chart may more accurately distinguish between common-cause
variation and special-cause variation. Overdispersion can cause a
traditional P chart to show an increased number of points outside the
control limits. Underdispersion can cause a traditional P chart to show
too few points outside of the control limits. The Laney P' chart adjusts
for these conditions. You can test your data for overdispersion and
underdispersion with P Chart Diagnostic. For more information, go
to Overdispersion and underdispersion.

The data should be in time order

Because control charts detect changes over time, the order of the data
is important. You should enter the data in the order it was collected,
with the oldest data at the top of the worksheet.

The data should be collected at appropriate time intervals

 Collect data at equally spaced time intervals, such as every hour, every
shift, or every day. Select a time interval that is short enough that you
can identify changes to the process soon after the changes occur.

Collect data in subgroups

A subgroup is a sample of similar items from the process that you want
to evaluate. The items in each subgroup should be collected under the
same process conditions, such as personnel, equipment, suppliers, or
environment.

If the subgroup is a collection of units, they should be collected under

the same process conditions, such as personnel, equipment, suppliers,
or environment. If you don't collect data in subgroups where items are
subject to the same process conditions, you may not be able to
distinguish between common-cause and special-cause variation.

The subgroups must be large enough

If the subgroup sizes are not large enough, the control limits may not
be accurate when they are estimated from the data. The required
subgroup size ( ) depends on the average proportion of defective items
( ). Use the following formula to determine whether your subgroups
are large enough, . For example, if the average proportion of
defective items is 0.06, then all subgroups must have at least 9
items: , rounded up to the nearest whole number = 9.

The data must include enough subgroups to obtain

precise control limits

If you don't have enough subgroups, you can still use the control chart,
but you should consider the results preliminary because the control
limits may not be precise. If you are using the chart on an ongoing
basis, re-estimate the control limits after you have collected enough
subgroups.

Example of P Chart
Learn more about Minitab 19

The supervisor for a call center wants to evaluate the process for answering
customer phone calls. The supervisor records the total number of incoming
calls and the number of unanswered calls for 21 days. The supervisor creates
a P chart to monitor the proportion of unanswered calls.
 1. Open the sample data, UnansweredCalls.MTW.
2. Choose Stat > Control Charts > Attributes Charts > P.
3. In Variables, enter Unanswered Calls.
4. In Subgroup sizes, enter Total Calls.
5. Click P Chart Options.
6. On the Tests tab, select 1 point > K standard deviations from
center line (Test 1) and K points in a row on same side of center
line (Test 2).

If you are not sure which tests apply in your specific situation, use
Tests 1 and 2 when you first establish the control limits based on your
data.

7. Click OK in each dialog box.

Interpret the results

The chart shows that, on average, 9.57% of calls are unanswered. None of
the subgroup proportions are outside of the control limits. Furthermore, the
points inside the limits display a random pattern. This P chart does not
provide any evidence for lack of control. Thus, the process is in control.

Enter your data for P Chart

Learn more about Minitab 19

Stat > Control Charts > Attributes Charts > P

Complete the following steps to specify the data to analyze for your control
chart.
 1. In Variables, enter the column that contains the process data. Each
row contains the number of defectives for one subgroup. If you enter
more than one column, Minitab creates a separate P chart for each
column.
2. In Subgroup sizes, do one of the following:
 If all subgroups are the same size, enter the size (for example,
55).
 Enter a column that contains the size of each subgroup.
In this worksheet, the Rejected Parts column contains the number of
defective parts in each subgroup. The Parts Sampled column contains the
total number of parts that were sampled for each subgroup.

C1 C2

Rejected Parts
Parts Sampled

9 120

8 110

5 110

6 115

Time scale for P Chart

Learn more about Minitab 19

Stat > Control Charts > Attributes Charts > P > Scale > Time

Specify a time scale for the x-axis.

Index
 Label the x-axis with the number of the subgroup.

Stamp
Label the x-axis with values from a column. In Stamp columns (1-3,
innermost first), enter up to three columns that contain date/time,

numeric, or text values for the scale.

Axes and ticks for P Chart

Learn more about Minitab 19

Stat > Control Charts > Attributes Charts > P > Scale > Axes and
Ticks

Specify which scale elements to display and where to display them. The
following example illustrates the components of the y-axis for a typical
control chart.

 A: Y-scale axis lines

 B: Y-scale major tick
 C: Y-scale major tick label
 D: Y-scale minor tick
Gridlines for P Chart
Learn more about Minitab 19

Stat > Control Charts > Attributes Charts > P > Scale > Gridlines

Display gridlines at major and minor tick positions.

 A: Horizontal gridline at Y major tick

 B: Horizontal gridline at Y minor tick
 C: Vertical gridline at X major tick
Reference lines for P Chart
Learn more about Minitab 19

Stat > Control Charts > Attributes Charts > P > Scale > Reference
lines

Display reference lines at one or more values on the x-axis or the y-axis.
Separate multiple values with spaces.

Show reference lines at Y values

Enter the y-scale values to display reference lines at.

Show reference lines at time scale positions

Enter the x-axis values to display reference lines at.

The following example shows a vertical reference line at 30 on the x-axis

and a horizontal reference line at 0.65 on the y-axis.

Labels for P Chart

Learn more about Minitab 19

Stat > Control Charts > Attributes Charts > P > Labels

Specify a title, subtitles, and footnotes.

Multiple graphs for P Chart
Learn more about Minitab 19

Stat > Control Charts > Attributes Charts > P > Multiple Graphs

If you enter more than one column, Minitab creates a separate control chart
for each column. Select Same Y to use the same y-scale for each control
chart.

In this example, the measurements for Machine 2 are larger than those of
Machine 1. By default, the ranges on the y-scales of the charts are different.
When you select Same Y, Minitab uses the same range for the y-scale on
both charts.

Default
 Same Y

Data options for P Chart

Learn more about Minitab 19

Stat > Control Charts > Attributes Charts > P > Data Options

In This Topic

 Include or Exclude
 Specify Which Rows to Include/Exclude
 Leave gaps for excluded points

Include or Exclude
Specify whether to include or exclude rows from the control chart.
Specify Which Rows to Include/Exclude
All rows/No rows

Include or exclude all rows.

Rows that match

Include or exclude rows that match specified conditions.
Click Condition to enter the conditional expression.

Brushed rows
Include or exclude all brushed rows.

Row numbers
List the rows to include or exclude. Use a colon (:) to denote an
inclusive range. For example, enter 1 4 6:10 to signify the rows 1, 4, 6,
7, 8, 9, and 10.

Leave gaps for excluded points

Leave a space in the graph for the points that you exclude. Minitab
treats these values as missing values in the calculations, which
affects the estimates of the control limits.

Data options for P Chart

Learn more about Minitab 19

Stat > Control Charts > Attributes Charts > P > Data Options

In This Topic

 Include or Exclude
 Specify Which Rows to Include/Exclude
 Leave gaps for excluded points

Include or Exclude
Specify whether to include or exclude rows from the control chart.

Specify Which Rows to Include/Exclude

All rows/No rows
 Include or exclude all rows.

Rows that match

Include or exclude rows that match specified conditions.
Click Condition to enter the conditional expression.

Brushed rows
Include or exclude all brushed rows.

Row numbers
List the rows to include or exclude. Use a colon (:) to denote an
inclusive range. For example, enter 1 4 6:10 to signify the rows 1, 4, 6,
7, 8, 9, and 10.

Leave gaps for excluded points

Leave a space in the graph for the points that you exclude. Minitab
treats these values as missing values in the calculations, which
affects the estimates of the control limits.

Enter the historical proportion for P

Chart
Learn more about Minitab 19

Stat > Control Charts > Attributes Charts > P > P Chart
Options > Parameters

Enter the historical value for the proportion that Minitab uses to calculate the
center line and control limits. If you do not specify a parameter, Minitab
estimates the proportion from the data. You can enter a single proportion for
the entire chart, or you can enter a proportion for each stage.

Specify subgroups to estimate

parameters for P Chart
Learn more about Minitab 19

Stat > Control Charts > Attributes Charts > P > P Chart
Options > Estimate
If some subgroups have erratic data because of special causes that you have
already corrected, you can omit these subgroups from the calculations to
avoid incorrect parameter estimates.

1. From the drop-down list, specify whether you want to list the
subgroups to omit or the subgroups to include.
 To list the subgroups to omit, select Omit the following
subgroups when estimating parameters (eg, 3 12:15).
 To list the subgroups to include, select Use the following
subgroups when estimating parameters (eg, 3 12:15).
2. List the subgroups. Use a colon to indicate a range of subgroups. Leave
a space between each subgroup or range of subgroups.

For example, to specify subgroups 4, 7, 11, 12, 13, and 14, enter 4 7
11:14.

Modify the control limits for P Chart

Learn more about Minitab 19

Stat > Control Charts > Attributes Charts > P > P Chart
Options > Limits

In This Topic

 Display additional σ limits at

 Place bounds on control limits
 Force control limits to be straight

Display additional σ limits at

In These multiples of the standard deviation, enter one or more values
to display additional standard deviation lines on your control chart.

For example, you can display additional limits at ±1 and ±2 standard

deviations. Values that you enter affect only the line position on the control
chart, not the test results.
Default 3 sigma limits

Additional sigma limits at 1 and 2 standard deviations

Place bounds on control limits

You can specify a lower bound and an upper bound for the control limits. If
the calculated control limit is farther from the center line than the value that
you specify, Minitab displays the bound instead of the control limit. Minitab
labels the lower bound as LB and the upper bound as UB.

NOTE
Upper bounds and lower bounds do not affect the calculations for any of the
tests for special causes.

Force control limits to be straight

By default, Minitab calculates the control limits using the actual subgroup
sizes. When the subgroup sizes differ, the control limits are uneven, but you
can force the control limits to be straight. Under When subgroup sizes are
unequal, calculate control limits, select Assuming all subgroups have
size, and enter a subgroup size.

CAUTION
When you specify a subgroup size, you change the calculations for the
control limits, which can change the results of the tests for special causes.
Use this option only if the differences between the subgroup sizes are small.
Don't use this option when the difference between subgroup sizes is more
than 25%. For example, if the largest subgroup has 10 observations and the
smallest subgroup has 8 observations, then the difference is 20% ((10 – 8) /
10 = 0.2 = 20%).
For example, the data for the following charts is the same, but the control
limits for the second chart were calculated based on a fixed subgroup size.
Actual subgroup sizes

Fixed subgroup size

Select tests for special causes for P

Chart
Learn more about Minitab 19

Stat > Control Charts > Attributes Charts > P > P Chart
Options > Tests

Minitab provides four tests for special causes. By default, Minitab uses only
Test 1. Select additional tests based on company or industry standards. Use
the tests to determine which observations to investigate, and to identify the
specific patterns and trends in your data.

In the drop-down list, specify whether to perform some, all, or no tests for
special causes. You can make each test more or less sensitive by changing
the value of K.

TIP
To change the default settings for future sessions of Minitab,
choose File > Options > Control Charts and Quality Tools > Tests.
1 point > K standard deviations from center line

Test 1 identifies subgroups that are unusual compared to other

subgroups. Test 1 is universally recognized as necessary for detecting
out-of-control situations. If small shifts in the process are of interest,
you can use Test 2 to supplement Test 1 in order to create a control
chart that has greater sensitivity.

K points in a row on same side of center line

 Test 2 identifies shifts in the proportion of defectives for the process. If
small shifts in the process are of interest, you can use Test 2 to
supplement Test 1 in order to create a control chart that has greater
sensitivity.

K points in a row, all increasing or all decreasing

Test 3 detects trends. This test looks for a long series of consecutive
points that consistently increase in value or decrease in value.

K points in a row, alternating up and down

Test 4 detects systematic variation. You want the pattern of variation
in a process to be random, but a point that fails Test 4 might indicate
that the pattern of variation is predictable.

Define stages for P Chart

Learn more about Minitab 19

Stat > Control Charts > Attributes Charts > P > P Chart
Options > Stages

In This Topic

 What are stages?

 Start a new stage with each new value from a column
 Start a new stage with the occurrence of specific values in a column

What are stages?

Use stages to create a historical control chart that shows how a process
changes over specific periods of time. By default, Minitab recalculates the
center line and control limits for each stage. For more information, go to Add
stages to show how a process changed.

This historical control chart shows three stages of a process, which represent
before, during, and after the implementation of a new procedure.
Start a new stage with each new value from a
column
1. In Define stages (historical groups) with this variable, enter the
column that identifies the stages.

In the example below, the values in the Stage column change from 1 to
2 to indicate the beginning of stage 2. The values change from 2 to 3
to indicate the beginning of stage 3.

2. Under When to start a new stage, select With each new value.

C1 C2

Defectiv Stag
es e

... ...

9 1

10 1

8 2

11 2
 C1 C2

Defectiv Stag
es e

... ...

7 2

8 2

5 3

7 3

... ...

NOTE
Ellipses indicate additional rows of data that are not shown.

Start a new stage with the occurrence of specific

values in a column
1. In Define stages (historical groups) with this variable, enter the
column that identifies the stages.

In the example below, the Date column contains the date that each row
of data was collected. New stages began on November 9 and
December 11.

2. Under When to start a new stage, select With the first

occurrence of these values and enter the values. Enclose date/time
or text values in double quotation marks.

In this example, the values to enter are "11/9" "12/11".

 C1 C2-D

Defectiv Date
es

... ...

9 11/8

10 11/8

8 11/9

11 11/9

... ...

7 12/1
0

8 12/1
0

5 12/1
1

7 12/1
1

... ...

NOTE
Ellipses indicate additional rows of data that are not shown.

Specify the display options for P

Chart
Learn more about Minitab 19

Stat > Control Charts > Attributes Charts > P > P Chart
Options > Display

In This Topic

 Choose subgroups to display

 Split chart into a series of segments for display purposes
 Other display options

Choose subgroups to display

To see only the most recent subgroups instead of all subgroups, enter the
number of subgroups to include in the chart. Minitab still uses all the data to
calculate the control limits and the center line.

In this example, analysts collect data each hour for one week.
All

By default, Minitab displays all subgroups.

Last

This chart displays only the most recent number of subgroups that you
enter. By default, Minitab displays the last 25 subgroups.
Split chart into a series of segments for display
purposes
When you have a large number of subgroups or observations, consider
splitting your control chart into segments for easier interpretation.

If your chart has stages, Minitab calculates separate control limits and
center line estimates for each segment.

This control chart is split into two segments, by stage.

Other display options

Select Display test results in output tab to show a text summary of
the test results.

Select Display control limit / center line labels for all stages to
display labels for the control limits and the center lines for all stages. If
you don't display the labels for all stages, you can still view the labels by
holding the pointer over the lines.

Display labels only for the final stage

This is the default setting.
 Display labels for all stages
You can choose to display labels for all stages.

Store statistics for P Chart

Learn more about Minitab 19

Stat > Control Charts > Attributes Charts > P > P Chart
Options > Storage

You can save statistics from your analysis to the worksheet so that you can
use the statistics in other analyses, graphs, and macros. Minitab stores the
statistics after the last column of data. The names of the storage columns
end with a number that increases as you store the same statistic multiple
times.

Store these estimates for each chart

Proportions

Store the mean proportion of defectives. Minitab stores these values in

the column PROP. If your control chart includes stages, Minitab stores a
separate value for each stage.

Store these values for each point

Point plotted

Store the value of each plotted point. Minitab stores these values in the
column PPOI.

Center line value

 Store the center line values. Minitab stores these values in the
column CENL.

Control limit values

Store the control limit values. Minitab stores these values in the
columns CONL and CONL_1.

Stage
Store the name or the number of each stage. Minitab stores these
values in the column STAG.

Subgroup size
Store the size of each subgroup. Minitab stores these values in the
column SSIZ.

Test results
Store the results of each test for special causes. Minitab stores a 1 if
the point fails a test and a 0 if the point does not fail the test. Minitab
stores these values in the columns TRES, TRES_1, and so on.

Interpret the key results for P Chart

Learn more about Minitab 19

Complete the following steps to interpret a P chart. Key output includes the P
chart and test results.

In This Topic

 Step 1: Determine whether the proportion of defective items is in

control
 Step 2: Identify which points failed each test

Step 1: Determine whether the proportion of

defective items is in control
The P chart plots the proportion of defective items (also called nonconforming
units) for each subgroup. The center line is the average proportion of
defectives. The control limits, which are set at a distance of 3 standard
deviations above and below the center line, show the amount of variation
that is expected in the subgroup proportions.
Red points indicate subgroups that fail at least one of the tests for special
causes and are not in control. If the same point fails multiple tests, then the
point is labeled with the lowest test number to avoid cluttering the graph. If
the chart shows out-of-control points, investigate those points.

Out-of-control points can influence the estimates of process parameters and

prevent control limits from truly representing your process. If out-of-control
points are due to special causes, then consider omitting these points from the
calculations. For more information, go to Specify subgroups to estimate
parameters for P Chart.

In these results, the average proportion of defectives is approximately 0.066.

The process does not appear to be in control because the last two subgroups
each failed at least one test for special causes. When you hold the pointer
over a red point, you can get more information about the subgroup. To
determine which tests each point fails, review the output.

Step 2: Identify which points failed each test

Investigate any subgroups that fail the tests for special causes. By default,
Minitab conducts only Test 1, which detects points that fall outside of the
control limits. However, if you conduct additional tests, then points can fail
multiple tests. The output shows exactly which points failed each test, as
shown here.

These results show that subgroup 52 failed both Test 1 and Test 2. Subgroup
53 failed Test 2.
Test Results for P Chart of Defective Units

TEST 1. One point more than 3.00 standard deviations from center
line.

Test Failed at points: 52

TEST 2. 9 points in a row on same side of center line.

Test Failed at points: 52, 53

NOTE
When you use several tests at the same time, the sensitivity of the chart
increases. However, the false alarm rate also increases, which can make you
react to the test results unnecessarily.
For more information on each of the tests and when to use them, go to Using
tests for special causes in control charts.

All statistics and graphs for P Chart

Learn more about Minitab 19

Find definitions and interpretation guidance for every statistic and graph that
is provided with the P chart.

In This Topic

 Plotted points
 Center line
 Control limits
 Tests for special causes
 Stages

Plotted points
Each point on a P chart represents the proportion of defective items or units
for one subgroup.
Interpretation
If the process is in control, the points vary randomly around the center line,
and the process exhibits only common-cause variation. Investigate points
that fall outside the control limits or that exhibit nonrandom patterns for
possible special-cause variation.

Center line
The center line on a P chart represents the average proportion of defective
units for the process. The average proportion of defective units is also called
the process proportion.

Interpretation
Use the center line to observe how the process performs compared to the
average. If the process is in control, then the points vary randomly around
the center line.

CAUTION
Do not confuse the center line with the target value for your process. The
target is your desired outcome. The center line is the actual outcome.

Control limits
Control limits are the horizontal lines that are above and below the center
line. The control limits indicate whether a process is out of control, and they
are based on the expected variation in the plotted points. By default, Minitab
displays control limits at 3 standard deviations above and below the center
line.

CAUTION
Do not confuse control limits with specification limits. Specification limits
represent customer requirements and indicate the amount of variation that
you want to see in the process. Control limits represent the actual amount of
variation that is in the sample data. A process can be in control, yet not be
capable of meeting specifications.

Tests for special causes

The tests for special causes assess whether the plotted points are randomly
distributed within the control limits.
Interpretation
Use the tests for special causes to determine which observations you may
need to investigate and to identify specific patterns and trends in your
data. Each of the tests for special causes detects a specific pattern or trend in
your data, which reveals a different aspect of process instability. For
example, Test 1 detects a single out-of-control point. Test 2 detects a
possible shift in the process.

Four tests are available with this control chart.

Test 1: One point more than 3σ from center line

Test 1 identifies subgroups that are unusual compared to other

subgroups. Test 1 is universally recognized as necessary for detecting
out-of-control situations. If small shifts in the process are of interest,
you can use Test 2 to supplement Test 1 in order to create a control

chart that has greater sensitivity.

Test 2: Nine points in a row on the same side of the center line
Test 2 identifies shifts in the proportion of defectives for the process. If
small shifts in the process are of interest, you can use Test 2 to
supplement Test 1 in order to create a control chart that has greater

sensitivity.

Test 3: Six points in a row, all increasing or all decreasing

Test 3 detects trends. This test looks for a long series of consecutive
points that consistently increase in value or decrease in value.

Test 4: Fourteen points in a row, alternating up and down

 Test 4 detects systematic variation. You want the pattern of variation
in a process to be random, but a point that fails Test 4 might indicate

that the pattern of variation is predictable.

Stages
Use stages to create a historical control chart that shows how a
process changes over specific periods of time. By default, Minitab
recalculates the center line and control limits for each stage. For
more information, go to Add stages to show how a process changed.

Interpretation
This historical control chart shows three stages of a process, which
represent before, during, and after the implementation of a new
procedure.

Methods and formulas for P Chart

Learn more about Minitab 19

Select the method or formula of your choice.

In This Topic

 Plotted points
 Center line
 Control limits

Plotted points
Each plotted point represents the proportion of defectives for one
subgroup, pi:

Data points on a P chart follow the binomial distribution.

Notation

Ter
Description
m

xi number of defectives for

subgroup i

ni size of subgroup i

Center line
The center line represents the proportion of defectives for your process, . If
you do not specify a historical value, then Minitab uses the average
proportion of defectives from your data, , to estimate .

Notation

Ter
Description
m

number of defectives in
subgroup

size of subgroup

Control limits
Lower control limit (LCL)
The LCL for each subgroup is equal to the greater of the following:

or

Upper control limit (UCL)

The UCL for each subgroup is equal to the lesser of the following:

or

Notation

Ter
Description
m

process proportion

parameter for Test 1. The default

is 3.

size of subgroup