Home / Statistical Tools / Analysis Tools / Summarystats / How-To / Multiple Data Columns
Multiple Data Columns¶
When you have multiple data columns, Quantum XL displays statistics for all columns in a single table, making it easy to compare measures side by side. A box plot and dot plot show all distributions together.
Goal¶
Compare descriptive statistics across three production lines to see differences in center, spread, and distribution shape.
Sample Data¶
Press Copy for Excel, then paste the table into a blank worksheet.
| Line A | Line B | Line C |
|---|---|---|
| 48.2 | 55.1 | 30.1 |
| 51.3 | 62.4 | 30.5 |
| 49.7 | 58.7 | 29.8 |
| 50.8 | 67.3 | 30.3 |
| 47.5 | 53.2 | 30.0 |
| 52.1 | 60.8 | 29.9 |
| 49.0 | 56.5 | 30.2 |
| 50.4 | 64.9 | 30.4 |
| 48.9 | 59.1 | 29.7 |
| 51.6 | 70.2 | 35.6 |
Each column represents measurements from a different production line. Line A is centered around 50, Line B is higher with more spread, and Line C is tight around 30 with one potential outlier at 35.6.
Steps¶
-
Put the data in Excel
Press Copy for Excel above the table, click cell A1 in a blank worksheet, and press Ctrl+V. The header row lands in row 1 and the 10 data rows in rows 2 through 11.
-
Launch the analysis
From the Excel ribbon, select QXL Stat Tools → Analysis Tools → Summary Stats.
-
Select your data
Select cells A1:C11 (the header row plus all 10 data rows across all three columns).
-
Configure the analysis
In the Summary Statistics dialog:
- Data Columns: "Line A", "Line B", and "Line C" should all be checked
Click Finish to generate the output.
Result¶
Quantum XL creates a statistics table with three columns of results, one for each production line. You can compare means, standard deviations, and other measures side by side. The accompanying box plot shows three boxes and the dot plot shows three distributions, all sharing the same axis for easy visual comparison.