Statistics is an integral part of today's information-rich industrial environment.
One key function of statistics is to learn from data or turn data into useful information and knowledge. Statistical techniques such as design of experiments provide a systematic approach to examine the effects of many contributing factors efficiently, and offer the opportunity to discover how to desensitize systems of the effects of uncontrollable sources of variation. Both design of experiments and statistical process control are very important in the manufacturing industry. In addition, methodologies such as multivariate techniques, reliability and life models, categorical data analysis and response surface modeling are used on a daily basis to improve quality of products and productivity of processes. Statistics plays an equally essential role in non-manufacturing areas such as data mining, credit scoring, marketing, pattern recognition, environmental sciences and medical research.