Statistical Analysis System (SAS) Quality Control (SAS/QC)

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	Statistical Analysis System (SAS) Quality Control (SAS/QC) software provides several procedures for statistical quality control and quality improvement. This technology includes procedures for Shewhart control charts, cumulative sum control charts, moving average control charts, process capability analysis, Ishikawa diagrams, Pareto charts, and experimental design. SAS/QC does not store data or utilize a database. However, this technology is a component of VA-supported SAS Base, which can store data in a variety of locations.
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has not been assessed by the Section 508 Office. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v23.4
Decision Date:	04/17/2023 at 16:02:58 UTC
Aliases:	SAS/QC
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	SAS

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
6.1
8.2
9.1
9.2 Phase 2	02/01/2009
9.3	07/01/2011
12.1	08/01/2012
13.1	12/01/2013
13.2	08/01/2014
14.1	07/31/2015
14.2	11/30/2016
14.3	09/30/2017
15.1	11/30/2018
15.3	09/30/2022

Current Decision Matrix (04/13/2023)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VA IT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported. Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered unapproved for use.

Legend:

White	Approved: The technology/standard has been approved for use.
Yellow	Approved w/Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Unapproved: This technology or standard can be used only if a POA&M review is conducted and signed by the Authorizing Official Designated Representative (AODR) as designated by the Authorizing Official (AO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the POA&M Compliance Enforcement, has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Divest: VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unapproved may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Prohibited: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Planning/Evaluation Constraint:The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

VA decisions for specific versions may include ‘+’ symbols; which denotes that the decision for the version specified also includes versions greater than what is specified but is not to exceed or affect previous decimal places.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 12.6.4+ would cover any version that is greater than 12.6.4, but would not exceed the .6 decimal ie: 12.6.401 is ok, 12.6.5 is ok, 12.6.9 is ok, however 12.7.0 or 13.0 is not.

<Past

CY2024

CY2025

CY2026

Future>

Release

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

9.1

Unapproved

9.2 Phase 2

Unapproved

9.3

Unapproved

12.1

Unapproved

13.2

Unapproved

14.1

Unapproved

14.2

Unapproved

14.3

Unapproved

15.1

Unapproved

15.3

Approved w/Constraints
[4, 6, 7, 8]

Decision Constraints


[1]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is protected properly in accordance with VA Handbook 6500 and the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA). Per VA Handbook 6500, FIPS 140-2 certified encryption must be used to protect and encrypt data in transit and at rest if Personally Identifiable Information/Protected Health Information/VA (PII/PHI/VA) sensitive information is involved. If FIPS 140-2 certified encryption in not used, additional mitigating controls must be documented in an approved System Security Plan (SSP). In addition, the technology must be implemented within the VA production network (not in a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)) unless the specific uses and instances of the technology are approved by the Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB). In these cases, Memorandum of Understanding and Interconnection Security Agreements (MOU/ISA), which detail the security requirements for users and systems that share information and resources outside of the VA production network must be included.

[2]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[3]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[4]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period.

[5]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[6]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information System Security Officer (ISSO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not approved and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[7]	The Federal Information Processing standards (FIPS) 140-2 certification status of this technology was not able to be verified. This technology will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 or 140-3 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information, where applicable. More information regarding the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) can be found on the NIST website.

[8]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with both VA Handbook 6500 and VA Directive 6500.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 15.3 is the most current version, released 09/30/2022.

References

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description
Vendor Provided*	Technical Documentation		This webpage outlines the documentation for the technology.
*NOTE: Vendor provided information is subject to the accuracy of the manufacturer.

Technology Components

Note: This list may not be complete. No component, listed or unlisted, may be used outside of the technology in which it is released. The usage decision for a component is found in the Decision and Decision Constraints.
Name	Description
Advanced Directional Index (ADX) Interface for Design of Experiments	The ADX Interface is a point-and-click interface for the design and analysis of experiments. This component is designed for users who require an interface for each stage of the experimental process, from building the designs and determining significant effects to optimization and reporting.
Analysis of Mean (ANOM)	The ANOM procedure provides tools for simultaneously comparing a group of k treatment means with their overall mean at a specified significance level alpha. The procedure creates ANOM charts for various types of response data, including continuous measurements, proportions, and rates.
CAPABILITY	The CAPABILITY procedure compares the distribution of output from an in-control process to the specification limits of the process to determine the consistency with which the specification limits can be met.
CUSUM	The CUSUM procedure creates cumulative sum control charts.
FACTEX	The FACTEX procedure constructs factorial experimental designs, which are useful for studying the effects of various factors on a response.
ISHIKAWA	The ISHIKAWA procedure creates a cause-and-effect or fishbone diagram, which displays factors that affect a quality characteristic or problem.
MACONTROL	The MACONTROL procedure creates moving average charts.
Mulitivariate Process Model (MVPMODEL)	The MVPMODEL procedure builds a principal component model from multivariate process data.
Multivariate Process Diagnose (MVPDIAGNOSE)	The MVPDIAGNOSE procedure produces plots that can be used to investigate unusual variation.
Multivariate Processing Monitor (MVPMONITOR)	The MVPMONITOR procedure creates multivariate control charts that are used to detect unusual variation in the process.
OPTEX	The OPTEX procedure searches for optimal designs in situations in which standard designs are not available.
PARETO	The PARETO procedure creates charts that display the relative frequency of problems in a process or operation.
RAREEVENTS	The RAREEVENTS procedure creates specialized control charts for rare events.
RELIABILITY	The RELIABILITY procedure provides tools for reliability and survival data analysis and for recurrence data analysis.
SHEWHART	The SHEWHART procedure creates all commonly encountered Shewhart charts for variables and attributes.
Statistical Quality Control (SQC) Menu System for Statistical Quality Control	The SQC Menu System provides facilities for standard statistical quality-control applications and is intended for quality analysts and quality-control managers, rather than for statisticians.

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Domain Area	Category	Customer Guidance	Category Locked By ELT Date
Information Management Technologies Data Management	Data Quality Management

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) - Approved w/Constraints
Windows Client - Approved w/Constraints
Windows Server - Approved w/Constraints
z/OS - Approved w/Constraints

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This technology has a comprehensive set of documentation.
At the time of writing, no National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) vulnerabilities had been reported and no VA Cyber Security Operations Center (CSOC) bulletins had been issued for the latest versions of this technology.
This technology may improve productivity for specific staff whose responsibilities include data analysis and management.
There are minimal other TRM-approved technologies that provide the same functionality.

Adoption Risks

There is no indication based on available vendor documentation that this technology is Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 compliant.
This technology has a free trial period, which carries the potential for the disruption of service delivery and inaccurate financial planning.
The technology requires the purchase of licenses from vendor, which could potentially lead to vendor lock-in.
The potential exists to store Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI) and/or VA Sensitive data and proper security standards must be followed in these cases.

Architectural Benefits

This technology is portable as it runs on multiple TRM-approved operating systems.

Inside VA

Budget and Performance

Inside the Media Room

National Observances

Special Events

VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (04/13/2023)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

CONNECT

VA HOME

QUICK LIST

RESOURCES

ADMINISTRATION

VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (04/13/2023)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

EMAIL UPDATES