---
alias: user-guide-data-collection-index
tags:
- data collection
description: "This documentation outlines plans for gathering data, defining parameters, and creating instances"
---

# Data Collection

:lock: DataCollection.**Show**

## Overview

A **Data Collection** refers to a plan to collect quantitative and qualitative data at ad-hoc or specific processing points. It consists of a set of qualified **Parameters** associated to the **Data Collection** that specify the sample material form (batch, lot, wafer), number of samples, number of readings per sample, whether the parameter is mandatory or not, the parameter calculation (if any), and how limits are checked.

Limit checking is controlled at two levels:

* **Data Collection**: defines when warning and error limits are evaluated for long-running instances.
* **Data Collection Parameter**: defines whether limits are checked against each individual value or against the calculated value.

The **Data Collection** version can evaluate warning and error limits as follows:

* **On Post**: limits are checked whenever data is posted.
* **On Close**: limits are checked only when the **Data Collection Instance** is closed.

At parameter level, limits can be evaluated as follows:

* **Individual Value**: limits are checked against individual values.
* **Calculated Value**: limits are checked against the calculated value defined by the parameter calculation and `CalculationGroupingMode`. This is only available when `CalculationGroupingMode` is different from `None`.

**Data Collections** will be used to create **Data Collection Instances**. A **Data Collection Instance** can be:

* Immediate - all the data is collected at one time according to a pre-defined **Data Collection**.
* Immediate Ad-hoc - all the data is collected at one time and without any pre-defined **Data Collection**.
* Long Running - the data is collected according to a pre-defined **Data Collection** and at different points in time, usually over a long period of time. The **Data Collection Instance** needs to be opened and closed.

**Data Collections** can be used stand-alone or integrated with Material Tracking, Resource Tracking, and Maintenance Management.

## Global and Versioned Data

A **Data Collection**, being a change controlled object, contains global and versioned data components as shown in the following diagram:

```mermaid
graph TD
subgraph Data Collection
Main1["Global Data<br>(Without Change Control)"] --- A1[Data Collection Limits]
Main2["Versioned Data<br>(With Change Control)"] --- A2[All other]
end


classDef mermaid_title color:#000, fill:#fafafa, stroke:#fafafa, stroke-width:0x, font-size:100%, font-weight:200;
classDef mermaid_start color:#000, fill:#fafafa, stroke:#fafafa, color:#fafafa, stroke-width:0x, font-size:100%, visibility: hidden;
classDef mermaid_businessdata color:#000, fill:#65CDE8, stroke:#65CDE8, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_nonbusinessdata color:#000, fill:#B7DEE8, stroke:#B7DEE8, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_entity color:#000, fill:#FB9F53, stroke:#FB9F53, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_entitylinked color:#000, fill:#FCD5B5, stroke:#FCD5B5, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_context color:#000, fill:#B9CDE5, stroke:#B9CDE5, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_optional color:#000, fill:#B7DEE8, stroke:#65CDE8, stroke-width:1px, font-size:100%, stroke-dasharray: 5 5;
classDef mermaid_state color:#000, fill:#d7e4bd, stroke:#000, stroke-width:1px, font-size:100%, font-weight:300;
class Main1,Main2 mermaid_entity
class A1,A2 mermaid_entitylinked
```

A **Data Collection** is resolved for **Material** at a given context using the `Step Data Collection Context` smart table. For a **Resource** at a particular context, the **Data Collection** is resolved using the `Resource Data Collection Context` smart table.

## Tying Everything Together

```mermaid
graph TD
    Main[Data Collection] === L1[Data Collection Limit Set]
    L1 --- A5[Maintenance Activity]
    Main === L2[Data Collection Instance]
    Main === L3[Data Collection Parameter]
    L4[Data Collection Parameter Sample Name] --- Main
    L5[Data Collection Parameter Reading Name] --- Main
    C1[Material Data Collection Context] -.- Main
    C2[Resource Data Collection Context] -.- Main
    L2 --- L6[Data Collection Point]
    L2 --- A1[Resource]
    L2 --- A2[Material]
    L2 --- A3[Other]
    L2 --- A4[Maintenance Activity Order]
    L1 --- L3
    A5 --- Main
    L3 --- A6[Parameter]
    L3 --- A7[Protocol]

classDef mermaid_title color:#000, fill:#fafafa, stroke:#fafafa, stroke-width:0x, font-size:100%, font-weight:200;
classDef mermaid_start color:#000, fill:#fafafa, stroke:#fafafa, color:#fafafa, stroke-width:0x, font-size:100%, visibility: hidden;
classDef mermaid_businessdata color:#000, fill:#65CDE8, stroke:#65CDE8, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_nonbusinessdata color:#000, fill:#B7DEE8, stroke:#B7DEE8, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_entity color:#000, fill:#FB9F53, stroke:#FB9F53, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_entitylinked color:#000, fill:#FCD5B5, stroke:#FCD5B5, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_context color:#000, fill:#B9CDE5, stroke:#B9CDE5, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_optional color:#000, fill:#B7DEE8, stroke:#65CDE8, stroke-width:1px, font-size:100%, stroke-dasharray: 5 5;
class Main mermaid_entity
class A1,A2,A3,A4,A5,A6,A7,A8,A9,A10,A11,A12 mermaid_businessdata
class L1,L2,L3,L4,L5,L6,L7,L8,L9 mermaid_entitylinked
class C1,C2,C3,C4,C5,C6 mermaid_context
class N1,N2,N3,N4,N5,N6 mermaid_nonbusinessdata

click Main "../../business-data/data-collection"
click L1 "../../business-data/data-collection-limit-set"
click L2 "../../business-data/data-collection/data-collection-instance"
click A1 "../../business-data/resource"
click A2 "../../business-data/material"
click A4 "../../business-data/maintenance-activity-order"
click A6 "../../business-data/parameter"
click A7 "../../business-data/protocol"
click C1 "../../administration/tables/smart-tables/materialdatacollectioncontext"
click C2 "../../administration/tables/smart-tables/resourcedatacollectioncontext"
```

## Sequence Of Steps

The necessary steps for correctly using a **Data Collection** are the following:

1. Create all the **Parameters** required by the **Data Collection**.
2. Create a **Data Collection** - the **Data Collection Version** must be associated with a **Change Set**.
3. Approve the **Change Set**, which contains the **Data Collection** that was created.
4. Optionally, create **Data Collection Limit Sets** for the **Data Collection**.
5. Decide whether limit checking for long-running instances should happen on each post or only on close.

!!! info
    For convenience, the Data Collection can be configured to use implicit Change Sets.

For more information, see the [[tutorials-data-collection-index]] tutorial.

{{ generate_index() }}