Quality Companion 2 Tips and Tricks

1 General Features
1.1 Not Sure? Right-click
1.2 Managing Windows and Panes

2 Filling Out Forms
2.1 Moving Between Controls
2.2 Entering Dates
2.3 Quick Fill
2.4 Creating a Ballot from a Form

4 Brainstorming
4.1 Why 3 Different Tools?
4.2 Using the Drag-and-Drop Preview
4.3 Adding Items to a Map

5 Process Maps
5.1 Adding Shapes to a Process Map
5.2 Adding Connectors to a Process Map
5.3 Adding Text to Shapes and Connectors

6 Project Today
6.1 Open Project Today by default

General Features

Not sure? Right-Click.

Because Quality Companion was designed with flexibility in mind, there are usually more than two ways to do anything. All commands are accessible through the main menu and some commonly-used commands are available on the toolbar and task pane. However, if you ever forget how to access a command, try right-clicking. Right-click menus are context-sensitive and may be the fastest and easiest way to find a command specific to where you are in the application.

Managing Windows and Panes

Every time you open a tool in Quality Companion, you open a new window. Because the window is maximized inside the workspace, you may have many open windows without realizing it. Like with any Windows application, too many open windows can diminish system performance, so it is good practice to close tools that are not in use. Closing a tool's window does not remove it from the project. You can always re-open it by double-clicking it in the Project Manager.

You can use the tool icons in the upper right corner of the window or the Windows menu to control how your windows are displayed. Tool icons display below the application icons when the tool is maximized inside the workspace. (Clicking closes Quality Companion.)

You can also close, open, and resize the Project Manager and task pane.

• Click in the upper-right corner of the pane to close it.
  
• Choose View > Project Manager or View > Task Pane to reopen (or close) the panes.
  
• Use the buttons in the Standard toolbar to toggle the state.

The inside edge of the panes (right side of Project Manager and left side of the task pane) can be used to resize the width of the pane.

Filling Out Forms

Moving Between Controls

Save data-entry time using keyboard shortcuts instead of your mouse to move between controls or data entry fields on a form.

• Press the Tab key to move forward.
• Press the Shift+Tab keys to move backward.

Entering Dates

Forms use a special control called a date picker. You can type the date directly, for example, 8/7/2006.

Or, you can click to display a calendar and pick a date.

Quick Fill

In Quality Companion forms, drop-down controls are great for quick data entry because they let you pick items from a list, but they don't let you type in something new. You need a text box for that, but the problem with text boxes is that you may end up typing items over and over. Quick Fill gives you the best of both.

Quick Fill is an option available in text boxes that allows you to pick items from a drop-down list rather than typing, but doesn't change the fact that the control is still a text box, so you can still type anything you want. In fill-out mode, you can tell when Quick Fill is enabled by the round button that appears when you hover over the text box:

Clicking the button will drop down a list of items to choose from, and the text box can be populated in one of three ways.

Column Quick Fill gives you a list of everything you previously typed into the column, so you never need to type the same thing twice:

Custom List Quick Fill lets you pick from a fixed list:

Data Source Quick Fill populates the list with data from your project, such as the list of tools you've used or the phases of your project:

Creating a Ballot from a Form

In Quality Companion, you can create a ballot from a data table and, after the voting is complete, export the aggregated results directly into the relevant form. This is a great way to keep your projects moving forward without having to wait for the big team meeting.

For example, supppose you need to come to consensus on a C&E matrix. First, create a ballot from the main data table in the matrix. It's easy -- just right-click in the data table:

Next, have voters fill out the ballot individually, rating importance to the customer for each activity (the X input variable) based on specific criteria (Y output variable). When everyone has voted, the aggregated results can be automatically sent back to the C&E matrix:

Using Data Tables

Data tables are used for creating a spreadsheet-like form to which users can add more rows. For example, you might want to set up a simple data table with project contact information or create a data table with formulas to calculate monthly profits.

Moving Between Cells

Keyboard shortcuts can be the fastest way to enter data into a data table. Use Tab and Shift+Tab to move between cells or use the arrow keys (left, right, up, and down) to move between cells in different columns and rows.

Adding Rows and Columns

It is hard to know how many rows of data will be entered at fill-out time, so Quality Companion makes it easy for users to add rows and columns to data tables as needed.

When you hover your cursor over certain rows or columns in a data table -- what we call repeating rows and columns -- a floating menu button appears:

• (for rows)
• (for columns)

Clicking the button will bring up different options depending on whether or not the (or column) is set up to share data with other tools in the project.

With data sharing off, the floating menu simply lets you add and delete rows (or columns):

But when data sharing is on, you can choose between importing existing data or adding new data. Here's an example where the repeating row is shared with X variables in the project:

You can also add rows (not columns) using a keyboard shortcut. To add rows automatically to the end of a table, move your cursor to the last data entry field in the last row of the data table, then press the Insert key.

Pasting Data from the Clipboard

You can quickly import data from another application into a Quality Companion data table. Quality Companion automatically adds new rows for each row of data copied to the clipboard.

Try it:

• Select and copy data from Excel.

• Click a cell in the data table in Quality Companion.

• Choose Edit > Paste Cells, right-click and choose Paste Cells, or press Ctrl+V.

Quality Companion populates the cells of the table with the data, adding new rows as needed.

Brainstorming

Why Three Different Tools?

Quality Companion offers three brainstorming tools. They share similar features, but differ slightly in their use, layout, and terminology:

	Common Use	Layout	Terminology
Idea Map	General purpose mind-mapping or brainstorming		Central Question, Idea, and Affinity
Fishbone	Cause/effect mappings		Effect, Cause, and Affinity
CT Tree	Critical-to-quality mappings		Critical To, Input, and Affinity

Note: You can instantly change the appearance of any of these tools to look like another by right-clicking anywhere on the map and choosing Layout. For example, if you decide that your idea map should really be a fishbone, you do not need to re-create it.

Adding Items to a Map

Right-click anywhere on a brainstorming diagram and use the Insert menu to quickly add child shapes and affinities.

If you are unsure which affinities your ideas/causes/inputs fall into, you can capture them (along with affinities) and build your map using the brainstorm list. Choose View > Brainstorm List or click Brainstorm List in the task pane.

Type an idea into the box at the top of the task pane, then press the Enter key to add it to the list. Now, drag an idea from the list to the map. (Hold the Ctrl key to select multiple ideas simultaneously.) Refer to the drag-and-drop preview rules listed below, if necessary.

Using the Drag-and-Drop Preview

You can quickly rearrange items in your brainstorming diagram. Drag the item anywhere on the map to see a preview of where the item will be placed after you release the mouse. Once you have determined the item's new location, release the mouse button.

Drag-and-drop preview rules:

• If you hover the mouse directly over a target, the item will become a child branch of the target. This is the easiest way to make an item the child of another item.

• If you do not hover the mouse over a specific target, the item nearest the mouse becomes the target. The preview updates based on the location of the mouse relative to the target item.

Process Maps

Adding Shapes to a Process Map

Shapes represent an operation or step in your process; for example, a rectangle represents a process, a diamond represents a decision, etc. To add a shape to a process map:

• Click the shape on the process map toolbar or choose Insert > Shape, then choose the shape you want to add.
• Click in the workspace to insert a default-sized shape. (To insert a custom-sized shape, click the workspace, but drag the shape to the desired size before releasing your mouse.)

Adding Connectors to a Process Map

Connectors indicate process flow. To add a connector to a process map:

• Click the connector on the process map toolbar or choose Insert > Connector, then choose the connector you want to add.
• Place your cursor over a shape until you notice the starting connection point (denoted by a red square), the area on a shape where the connector can be anchored.

• Drag the square to the ending connection point, then release the mouse button to anchor the connector to the shape.

Note: Connectors must be anchored to each shape to maintain the process relationship when moving shapes.

Adding Text to Shapes and Connectors

Adding captions to shapes or connectors is easy. Just select the shape or connector and start typing! To edit existing text:

• Select the shape and press F2.
• Right-click the shape or connector and choose Edit Text.
• Double-click the shape or connector.

Project Today

Open Project Today by default

Project Today is a collection of links and summary information about your project. If Project Today does not display in the workspace when you first open Quality Companion, double-click Project Today in the Project Manager or choose View > Go To > Project Today.

If you would like Project Today to display automatically when you open a project so you can see your project at a glance:

• Double-click Project Today in the Project Manager.
• Click Customize Project Today in the upper right corner.
• Check Display 'Project Today' when project is opened.

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