Analysis of variance is most often used for data from designed experiments. You can use the PLAN procedure to construct designs for many experiments. For example, PROC PLAN constructs designs for completely randomized experiments, randomized blocks, Latin squares, factorial experiments, certain balanced incomplete block designs, and balanced crossover designs.

Randomization, or randomly assigning experimental units to cells in a design and to treatments within a cell, is another important aspect of experimental design. For either a new or an existing design, you can use PROC PLAN to randomize the experimental plan.

Additional features for design of experiments are available in SAS/QC software. The FACTEX and OPTEX procedures can construct a wide variety of designs, including factorials, fractional factorials, and D-optimal or A-optimal designs. These procedures, as well as the ADX Interface, provide features for randomizing and replicating designs; saving the design in an output data set; and interactively changing the design by changing its size, use of blocking, or the search strategies used. For more information, see the SAS/QC User's Guide.