Products Over Time Graphs

Products Over Time Graphs

Overview

For routine sensory test data collected on the same product in multiple tests over time, you can use the Products Over Time reporting feature to generate a comprehensive report (graphs or tables) within minutes. The report can provide an insight as to whether there are potential issues with production quality.




Considerations

Please consider the following before running the report: 
  • Products need to exist in the Products library. If you would like to start using the Products library, you may begin by importing your products. 

  • Product samples need to exist in tests with results. If samples in a test are not linked to products in the Products library, the report will ignore those samples. It is possible to retroactively link samples to products. Please contact Support Team for more information. 

  • The test status must be set to 'complete'. Results from tests that are not set to 'complete' are not available for the Products Over Time report. 

  • Select one product at a time to run the report. The report is not available when multiple products are selected. 

  • The product has to have at least one set of results associated with it. 

  • Results associated with the product have to be collected into compatible question types:  Category,  Choose,  Line Scale,  LMS, or  Numeric  (non-calendar type). 

  • Results associated with the product have to be collected using a Standard test type. If the design in a test was not a QD (quantitative descriptive) design (in other words it was a discrimination test design), even if the compatible question types were used for result collection and the test is set to Complete , the report will ignore the test's results.

Access The Products Over Time Report

The Products Over Time feature is available only from individual product groups because only one product has to be selected for the report to be available.

  1. From the black ribbon at the top, select Libraries > Products.

  2. On the left, in the list of product groups, select the group where your products is stored.

  3. Locate the product for which you wish to run the report and select it. Use the Search feature if necessary.

  4. Click the Products Over Time button. The button is located in the top right-hand corner. The Products Over Time window will open.  Follow the steps below for instructions on generating the reports.

If there are no tests  set to Complete with data from compatible question types and QD design associated with the selected product, you will be informed about that with a message. If you know that QD tests with compatible question types contain data on the selected product, search for the tests and set them to 'complete'. Alternatively, select a different product.


If you selected more than one product, you will be informed about that with a message. Review your selection and make sure that only one product is selected before running the report.


Select A Date Range

  1. Specify the date range you wish to include in your report. 
    The options are: Today, Yesterday, Last 7 Days, Last 30 Days (this is the default option), This Month, Last Month, Custom Range. 


    The Start  and  End  dates will automatically be set for all the above options. If you wish to use the   Custom Range  , specify the   Start  and   End   dates manually.

  2. The date range can refer to one of the two options: 


    • Sample Set Completion Date   - Click this option to include in the report all the data from sample sets completed in the specified date range. This is recommended as the sample set completion date is the most accurate time stamp. 

    • Test Completion Date  - Click this option to include in the report all the data from test set to complete in the specified date range. This option is reliable only if all analysts are setting their tests to Complete when done with data collection. 

      For example, if it was not your regular practice to mark test as 'complete' until now, going back and marking tests as 'complete' will make them available for Products Over Time report, but it might take you a very long time to go through every test, and using the Test Completion Date for the Date Range would be misleading for tests that were in reality done weeks, months, or even years prior.   

  3. Click Next  to advance to the next stage. You will be presented with the number of tests found. 

If zero (0) tests are found, click  Back  to refine your date range criteria or close the window to verify that your tests are set to complete, or select a different product to run the report.


Select Tests

  1. If tests were found, you will see the count of compatible tests. Click View tests to view a list of test IDs and names. Close when done viewing. 

  2. The toggle:
    1. Keep it set to Use all tests if you are happy with including all the tests in your report. You can click Next to advance to the next stage (for selecting the graph type).

    2. Toggle the option to Filter tests if you wish to exclude some of the tests from your report. See below for details on each available option.

Filter Types And Their Parameters
The available options are:
  • Test Name  - Select this option to base your filter criteria on the test names.  When selected, the search parameters available to you are:
    • Contains  - Select to base your filter criteria on keywords anywhere in the test name. 

    • Starts with  - Select to base your filter criteria on keywords at the beginning of the test name. 

    • Ends with  - Select to base your filter criteria on keywords at the end of the test name. 

      Type the keywords in the Filter box to filter the tests by. 

  • Test Properties  - Select this option to base your filter criteria on the test tags. If your tests do not have any tags included in them, this option will not be available for you to select. The parameter list will display the tags found in your tests.

  • Sample Custom Data  - Select this option to base your filter criteria on the custom sample fields. If your tests do not have any custom sample fields included in them, this option will not be available for you to select. If you are currently not using custom sample fields and would like to learn more about them, please contact our Support Team.

To add an additional layer of filtering complexity, click Add filter and specify the additional filtering criteria using the parameters described above. 
  1. When done with your filtering criteria setup, click Filter tests. An updated count of included tests will display below the button.


  2. If you would like to view the filtered tests' IDs and names, click View tests.


  3. Click Next  to advance to the next stage.


Select Graph Options

The available graph types and their parameters are as follows: 


Means 
Select the Means option to generate the Products Over Time  report on the product means.  Specify whether Days, Weeks or Months will represent the points on the x-axis. 

Click Next to generate a line graph similar to the screenshot below. 


In the Results screen for the means graph:
  1. Select an attribute you wish to analyze. 

  2. Specify a target value within the scale limits for the attribute. 

    A line graph displays the following (as outlined in the legend): 

    • Blue line  = panel mean score 
    • Orange line  = high score for the attribute 
    • Green line  = low score for the attribute 
    • Red line  = the specified target  

  3. Click Export to export the graph for all attributes. Download and open the file to view the detailed report.

Pass/Fail
Select the Pass/Fail option to generate the Products Over Time report on the product's pass/fail scores. 


Set the following  Action Standard  options: 
  1. Number of 'fail' responses - click to select how many 'fail' responses are required for the product to be deemed 'failed'. The available values are 1 through 10. 

  2. 'Fail' operator - select from the list of operators to specify the criteria. 

  3. 'Fail' threshold - specify the panelist response value that in combination with the operator decides whether the product 'fails'. 

  4. Click Next to generate a table similar to the screenshot below. 


    On this screen you can do the following: 

    • Click on a 'Fail' cell to see the details about the samples of your product in each test the sample failed. 

    • Click Switch Row/Column  to change the table layout. 

    • Click Export to export the table. Download and open the file to view the detailed report.


Choose
Select the Choose option to generate the Products Over Time report on choices from Choose n  and  Check All That Apply (CATA) question types. 

Click Next to generate a bar graph similar to the screenshot below. 


Select a question from the list you wish to analyze. The x-axis represents the number of times a choice was selected. 

The 'Choose' graphs cannot be exported in the same way the means and pass/fail graphs can. However, you can take screenshots and paste them into your report. 


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