Northwest Analytical Inc.
By using statistical process control (SPC) and statistical quality control (SQC) methods, NWA customers reduce process variation and thereby improve quality and efficiency, lower manufacturing costs, and create more satisfied customers. SPC and SQC are applicable across many vertical markets.
NWA has achieved recognition in many industries as the "best-of-breed" by customers who value the ease-of-use and flexibility of NWA products, and NWA's training and customer support. NWA software also works with many databases, from corporate quality databases to laboratory and manufacturing information systems databases.
NWA Mission Statement: NWA helps manufacturers achieve higher quality and efficiency by providing analytical software tools, training and technical support.
Industries Served: Northwest Analytical software is used by more than 4,500 corporate customers in almost every industry; many are Fortune 1000 manufacturers.
Partnerships: NWA believes in developing business partnerships with positive mutual interests. NWA has established several strategic partnerships with multinational customers that have standardized on NWA and which products and services are discussed, planned and deployed cooperatively. NWA also has OEM partnerships with key Manufacturing Information System vendors for its vertical markets so that data capture, manipulation and SPC analysis can be seamless for the customer. NWA is actively growing its list of partnerships with SCADA, HMI, MES, LIMS and CIM developers.
NWA Products: NWA's suite of packaged software spans the manufacturing enterprise: from the plant floor to the laboratory to process engineering to operations to management. NWA software typically is used to monitor and analyze variation in a product's chemical or physical characteristics, defect rates and their critical production process parameters. NWA software also is used to analyze raw material supplier quality, customer complaints, just-in-time shipping and other areas where reducing variation provides competitive benefits.
NWA Quality Analyst® is NWA's flagship product and is used for SQC charting and analysis. It provides the best combination of power, flexibility and ease-of-use of any SQC software available. With a universal spreadsheet-like interface, it is adaptable to the analysis of any variable or defect in the manufacturing process. NWA QA connects easily to manufacturing or corporate databases. Its data filtering capabilities allow extraordinary ease in investigating process improvements.
NWA Quality Monitor® is a quality data collection software package for Plant-Floor SPC. With it, manufacturers can configure workstations to exactly match plant-floor data collection and SPC charting requirements. NWA Quality Monitor has a smart interface for direct data input from any standard measurement device that automates the measuring process for the inspector or operator. The graphical designer creates ‘customized' operator screens that match the standard operating procedures for measurements of each particular part number – thereby improving training and acceptance by the plant floor personnel. Collected data can be automatically displayed as control charts to review process performance.
NWA Quality Supervisor displays the status of multiple products going through NWA Quality Monitor sampling on the plant floor. It is targeted for supervisory or management personnel in the Quality and Operations Departments who need an on-line alert when products exceed specifications or SPC control limits, or when pattern rules predict a trend towards an out-of-control situation.
NWA Quality Analyst Web Server instantly distributes NWA Quality Analyst control charts and reports over an intranet or the Web. Any qualified person can view control charts with their web browser or drill down for more details using a NWA chart viewer. Typical users include internal plant personnel, raw material suppliers checking audits or customers receiving SPC compliance reports. This product supports corporate supply chain strategies that qualify products as they move through each step in the supply chain.
NWA Quality Analyst ActiveX Components provide NWA Quality Analyst functions as a set of Microsoft ActiveX components, which OEM partners can embed in their systems. This enables the OEM to provide its customers with the same rigorous SPC charts in its manufacturing software, as delivered by NWA Quality Analyst, and thereby add value by using one SPC standard.
Maintenance: Customers can enroll in annual software maintenance, which automatically provides major version updates and e-mail notification of patches posted on NWA's web site. Alternatively, customers can directly purchase major version updates when available.
Support: NWA provides no-charge technical support for its stand-alone SPC software via telephone, fax, e-mail and the Web. Value-added resellers are trained to locally represent the latest NWA software. OEMs are responsible for support of NWA software sold as part of the OEM system.
Training: To simplify in-plant training, NWA includes on-line help and tutorial documentation in its SPC products. NWA also provides two-day open-enrollment seminars and similar on-site training to teach new users more advanced techniques related to the software. Value-added resellers sponsor one-day basic SPC training at their locations.