You’ve worked on your project for weeks—collecting data, making graphs, and analyzing results. With so much material, how do you find just the right graph or Session window output for a presentation, check the creation date of a data set to ensure that you have the latest observations, or compile a few select results into a compact report? You turn to Minitab’s Project Manager, a feature that automatically organizes your project elements so that you can find exactly what you need, when you need it, and create a report without leaving Minitab.
From the minute you open a worksheet and start data analysis, the Project Manager automatically organizes all of your project elements into a familiar folder structure so that you have quick and easy access to any item in your project.
Project Manager’s folder view
To display the Project Manager, just click Project Manager on the toolbar. With one click, you can see how the Project Manager has organized all of your project elements into folders.
View individual folders
You can use the toolbar to jump directly to the contents of an individual folder. For example, click Show Graphs Folder to view a list of all the graphs in your project.
Repeat this technique to view Session window output and worksheets.
View individual elements
From within an individual folder, double-click any item in the list to display its contents in the right pane next to the Project Manager.
Manage your output
Whether you are in the Session, Worksheets, or Graphs folder, you always have several options that make managing your project elements even easier. Simply right-click any item in the folder to see what options are available. Here are just a few.
Rename Session window output
Suppose that you have some Session window output that you want to flag as “FINAL” to make it easier to find later.
In the Session folder, right-click the title, choose Edit Title, and then type the new name.
Store comments in worksheets
You can add comments to your worksheets to capture important details about your data.
In the Worksheets folder, right-click the worksheet title, and then choose Set Description.
You can enter the author of the data set, the date it was created, and comments about the data.
Tile graphs
Perhaps you have several graphs in your project that you want to compare. You can view multiple graphs at the same time using the Project Manager’s tiling feature.
In the Graphs folder, while you hold down the [Ctrl] key, select the graphs to compare, right-click, and then choose Tile.
Share your results
The Project Manager also makes sharing your results simple. Just add Session window output or graphs to the ReportPad, Minitab’s built-in word processor.
Create a report
To create a report, right-click the Session window output or graph to include, and then choose Append to Report.
Repeat this technique to include additional graphs or Session window output.
View a report
Once you have finished adding items to your report, click Show ReportPad on the toolbar.
In the ReportPad, you can add text, such as notes, headings, or captions, to enhance your report.
Share your report
After you review the report, right-click the ReportPad folder in the Project Manager, and then choose Print Report to include it as a handout for your next meeting.
You can also move or copy the report to a word processor for additional editing or viewing outside of Minitab.
Putting the Project Manager to use
The Project Manager helps you to find what you need quickly, to manage your output efficiently, and to share your results easily. In addition to the time-saving features shown here, you can also:
- View a running log of session commands so that you can create macros
- View summaries of worksheet information so that you can keep track of variables
- Quickly access project-related, non-Minitab files for easy reference
For more information on taking full advantage of the Project Manager, see Minitab Help.
