Real-time SPC
Hertzler Systems' manufacturing SPC suite for shop-floor data collection, alarms and quality dashboards.
- SPC
- Real-time monitoring
- OEE
- Pricing
- Published pricing
- Deployment
- Self-hosted, Desktop
SPC software: choosing statistical process control toolsCatch the drift before the defect.
SPC software, or statistical process control software, collects measurements from gauges and operators and plots them on control charts as the process runs. When a point breaks a run rule, it alerts the operator and records the reaction, which is hard to do with paper charts and spreadsheets across many lines.
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1 2 Enterprise SPC
Enterprise SPC platform (ProFicient on-prem, Enact cloud) for real-time quality data collection and control charting.
- SPC
- Real-time monitoring
- Capability analysis
- Pricing
- Price on request
- Deployment
- Cloud, Self-hosted
3 Real-time SPC
DataNet Quality Systems' real-time SPC software that collects gauge data and raises alarms on out-of-control processes.
- SPC
- Real-time monitoring
- Capability analysis
- Pricing
- Price on request
- Deployment
- Self-hosted, Desktop
The basics
What is spc software?
SPC software collects measurements, plots them on control charts and flags signals that a process has changed. Many tools also calculate capability indices.
A control chart separates normal variation from special causes. The NIST/SEMATECH e-Handbook explains the chart types and rules.
SPC links to lean through jidoka: a signal should trigger a defined reaction, so problems are fixed before defects pile up.
Paper, spreadsheet or software?
Paper charts at the machine still work for a few characteristics. They keep operators close to the data.
Software helps when you measure many characteristics, collect from gauges directly, or need alerts and records across lines. Check the measurement system before you chart anything.
The routine it supports
- 1Pick the critical characteristic
- 2Verify the gauge
- 3Capture data at the source
- 4Chart and apply the rules
- 5React with the reaction plan
- 6Recalculate limits after a change
How the listed tools are priced
- Price on request: 2
- Published pricing: 1
Real-time SPC vs SPC in Excel
Spreadsheets and desktop statistics packages can draw control charts from data collected earlier. They suit capability studies, one-off analyses and small volumes of data. For a quick check, the free control chart calculator draws an individuals chart from pasted readings.
Real-time SPC charts each reading as it is taken, at the station, and alerts the operator while the parts are still being made. It also keeps an audit trail of readings, signals and reactions, which spreadsheets do not do well.
Many quality teams use both: real-time SPC on the floor, and a statistics package for deeper analysis in Six Sigma software.
SPC data collection: gauges, machines and operators
The most reliable data comes straight from the source: digital gauges, measuring machines or machine controls. Manual entry still has a place, but it needs input checks and should be quick for the operator.
Each reading should carry its context: part, lot, machine, operator and time. That context is what lets you trace a signal back to a cause.
Check the measurement system before charting. If the gauge varies as much as the process, the chart shows gauge noise rather than process changes.
Reaction plans: turning SPC alerts into action
A control chart only helps if a signal leads to a defined response. A reaction plan, sometimes called an out-of-control action plan, lists what to check and who to call for each type of signal.
Good SPC software shows the reaction plan with the alert and asks for the cause and action before the operator continues. Over time those records show which causes recur. The statistical process control page covers the method.
Buying guide
How to choose SPC Software
Who it's for: Quality engineers, process engineers and operators in machining, molding, filling and chemical processing. It suits any process where a measured characteristic can drift between inspections.
What to look for
Data capture at the source
Direct input from gauges, machines or a simple operator screen. Retyping readings later adds delay and errors.
Run rules with clear alerts
Configurable out-of-control rules that alert the operator in real time, with a required reaction note for each signal.
The right chart for the data
Support for variables and attribute charts, short-run charts and subgroups, so you are not forcing every process onto one chart type.
Capability on demand
Cp, Cpk, Pp and Ppk calculated from the chosen data range, with a warning when the process is not stable enough to trust them.
Common mistakes
- Drawing specification limits on control charts. Control limits come from the process, and mixing the two hides real signals.
- Charting everything. Too many charts means none get watched, so focus on characteristics that matter to the customer.
- Reacting to every point. Adjusting a stable process for normal variation makes it worse. This is known as tampering.
Before you choose
Questions to ask vendors
- 1Which gauges and machine interfaces can feed data directly, without manual entry?
- 2Can operators record a cause and action against each out-of-control signal?
- 3How are control limits recalculated, and who approves the change?
- 4Does it work offline at the station and sync when the network returns?
FAQ
SPC Software: common questions
What is the difference between SPC and Six Sigma software?
SPC software monitors a running process in near real time. Six Sigma software is for deeper analysis during improvement projects, such as hypothesis tests and designed experiments.
When is a capability index meaningful?
Only when the process is in statistical control. Calculate Cpk on an unstable process and the number describes a moment, not the process.
How many readings do I need to set control limits?
A common rule of thumb is 20 to 25 subgroups from a stable period. Revisit the limits after a deliberate process change.
Is SPC a lean tool?
SPC comes from quality management rather than the Toyota Production System. Lean and Lean Six Sigma programs use it to detect problems early.
Which control chart should I use?
It depends on the data. Charts for measured values, such as X-bar and R, differ from charts for counts of defects. The NIST e-Handbook explains the choice.
What is real-time SPC?
SPC where each measurement is charted as it is taken, at the station, with alerts during production rather than a review afterwards.
What are the Western Electric rules?
A set of run rules for control charts. Examples include one point beyond three sigma, or eight points in a row on one side of the center line.
Can SPC software read data from gauges?
Many tools can take readings from digital gauges and measuring machines directly. Check the supported list against the gauges you own.
Sources
- NIST/SEMATECH e-Handbook: control charts ↗
- NIST/SEMATECH e-Handbook: process capability ↗
- NIST/SEMATECH e-Handbook: gauge R&R studies ↗
Written by the lean-stack editors following our methodology. Updated October 3, 2026.
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