THE ESSENTIAL GLOSSARY OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT TERMS

A Breakdown maintenance: The process of repairing a

A3 thinking: A problem-solving approach based on the plan- machine or equipment only after it has failed or stopped
do-check-act cycle, often written on an A3 size paper (11 x working
17 inches) Business process reengineering (BPR): The process of
A3 report: A ledger-sized sheet of paper that includes all redesigning an organization's processes to improve
relevant information about a problem, as well as diagrams, efficiency, effectiveness, and competitiveness
charts, and other visual aids to help clarify the data and Business Value-added Activities: These activities are
improve communication required to stay in business but do not add value from the
Acceptance sampling: A statistical method used to evaluate customer's perspective.
a sample of products or services to determine whether they C
meet the required specifications
Capacity: The maximum amount of work that a process or
Action plan: A plan that outlines the steps that need to be system can handle within a specific period
taken to achieve a specific goal or objective
Capability: The ability of a process or system to produce
Affinity diagram: A tool used to organize ideas and conforming products or services within specified limits
information into logical groups or categories
Cause and effect diagram: A tool used to identify and
Agile methodology: A project management approach that organize the causes of a problem or issue. This is also called
emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and adaptability the Fishbone diagram or Ishikawa Diagram.
Analyze phase: The phase in the DMAIC process (define, Certification: The process of verifying that an individual or
measure, analyze, improve, control) where the data organization meets a specific set of standards or
collected during the measure phase is analyzed to identify requirements
the root cause(s) of the problem
Change management: The process of planning,
Andon: A visual management tool used implementing and controlling changes to an organization's
in lean manufacturing to signal and respond to problems in processes, products, or services.
real time
Charter: A document that outlines the purpose, goals, and
APQP: Advanced product quality planning, a methodology objectives of a project or initiative, as well as the roles,
used to ensure that a product meets or exceeds customer responsibilities, and expectations of the team members
requirements and expectations involved.
ASQ: American Society for Quality, a professional Control phase: The final step in the DMAIC process (define,
organization that provides education, training, certification, measure, analyze, improve, control), where the solutions
and networking opportunities to quality professionals implemented in the improve phase are put into place on a
Auditing: The process of evaluating a system, process, or long-term basis and monitored to ensure that the problem
organization to determine whether it complies with does not reoccur
established standards or requirements Control chart: A graphical representation of process data
Autonomation: The process of automating a manufacturing over time that is used to identify patterns, trends, and
process while still allowing operators to intervene and adjust special causes of variation
the process as needed Control plan: A document that outlines the measures and
Average: A measure of central tendency that represents the methods that will be used to ensure that a product or
value that is most typical of a set of data process remains within specified limits
Average cycle time: The average amount of time it takes to Corrective action: A specific course of action taken to
complete a process or task correct a problem or deviation from established standards
B or requirements to avoid the recurrence of the problem.
Cost of quality (COQ): The total cost of all activities that are
Balanced scorecard: A performance measurement tool that associated with ensuring that a product or service meets the
uses a combination of financial and non-financial metrics to required quality standards
evaluate an organization's performance
Customer satisfaction: The degree to which a product or
Benchmarking: The process of comparing an organization's service meets or exceeds a customer's expectations
processes, products, or services against those of other
organizations considered to be best-in-class D
Beta testing: The process of testing a product or service by a Data: The facts, figures, or information that are collected
group of users before it is released to the public and analysed to support decision making
Black belt: A lean manufacturing term for an expert in Six Data collection: The process of gathering, organizing, and
Sigma methodology who is trained to lead and facilitate recording data for a specific purpose
improvement projects Data mining: The process of extracting useful or meaningful
Brainstorming: A group activity that involves generating as information from a large dataset
many ideas as possible without judging or evaluating them
Data visualization: The process of using graphical Governance: The policies, processes, and practices that are
techniques, such as charts, graphs, and maps, to represent used to manage and control an organization or system
and communicate data in a clear and concise manner Green belt: A lean manufacturing term for a Six Sigma
Design for six sigma (DFSS): A methodology used to design practitioner who has been trained in the basics of the
and develop new products, processes, or services that meet methodology and is capable of leading and facilitating small
or exceed customer requirements and expectations, improvement projects
focusing on reducing defects and variability.
H
Design of experiments (DOE): A statistical method used to
test and evaluate multiple variables simultaneously to Hoshin planning: A strategic planning and deployment
determine the effect of each variable on the outcome of a method that aligns an organization's goals and objectives
process or experiment with its business plans and operational activities
DMAIC: Define, measure, analyze, improve, control, a House of quality: A tool used in new product development
problem-solving approach used in Six Sigma methodology to identify the relationships between customer
requirements, product characteristics, and technical
Documentation: The process of creating, organizing, and requirements
maintaining records or documents that provide evidence of
an organization's processes, products, or services Hypothesis: A testable statement or prediction that is made
based on limited evidence or data and that can be confirmed
E or rejected through further testing or observation
Effective: The degree to which a product or service meets or I
exceeds the intended purpose or objective
Implementation: The process of putting a plan, solution, or
Efficiency: The relationship between the output of a process strategy into action
or system and the input of resources, such as time, money,
or materials Improvement: The process of making changes to a product,
process, or system to increase its effectiveness, efficiency, or
Employee engagement: The degree to which employees are quality
committed to the success of an organization and are
motivated to contribute to its goals and objectives Inspection: The process of evaluating a product or service to
determine whether it meets the specified standards or
Error proofing: The process of designing or implementing requirements
controls or systems to prevent errors or defects from
occurring in a process or product. This is called Poka-yoke in J
Japanese. Just in Time (JIT): An approach to production scheduling that
F emphasizes delivering products at just the right time to meet
demand
Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA): A systematic
method used to identify and evaluate a product's or Jidoka - automation with a human touch. See also
process's potential failure modes and the effects of those Autonomation.
failures on the overall system. Related term: Risk Priority K
Number (RPN)
Kaikaku - radical change or innovation.
Flowchart: A diagram that represents the steps or tasks in a
process, as well as the relationships between those steps or Kaizen: A Japanese term that means "continuous
tasks improvement," often used in lean manufacturing to refer to
the process of making small, incremental improvements to
Focus group: A group of individuals who are selected and processes, products, or services on an ongoing basis.
brought together to discuss a specific topic or issue
Kanban: A Japanese term that refers to a visual signal or
Force field analysis: A tool used to identify the forces that symbol used to indicate what needs to be worked on next.
are driving or resisting change in a system or process Kanban boards are used to track the flow of materials
G throughout a manufacturing facility.
Gantt chart: A graphical representation of the planned and Key performance indicator (KPI): A metric that is used to
actual progress of a project, typically showing the tasks, measure the performance of an organization, process, or
resources, and dependencies involved in the project. individual against specific goals or objectives
Gemba: A Japanese term that means "the real place" or "the L
place where the work is done," often used in lean Lean manufacturing: A methodology that focuses on
manufacturing to refer to the factory floor or the place reducing waste and increasing value by eliminating or
where value is created minimizing activities that do not add value to the end
Genchi genbutsu: Literally translated as "go see for product or service
yourself." In quality management, this refers to visiting a Learning organization: An organization that fosters
company's production facilities to observe how it actually continuous learning and development and can adapt and
makes things happen change in response to new information or challenges.
Goal: A specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-
bound (SMART) objective or target that an organization or
individual strives to achieve
Level loading: The process of balancing the workload of a interactions with its employees, customers, and other
process or system over time to ensure that it operates at a stakeholders
consistent and optimal level Outcome: The result or impact of a particular course of
Limit: A maximum or minimum value that is used to define action or decision
the acceptable range of a process or product characteristic Outlier: A data point that is significantly different from the
Lower specification limit (LSL): the minimum value or other points in a dataset
threshold that a product or process characteristic can have P
without being considered defective or out of specification.
M Pareto analysis: A tool used to prioritize a set of issues or
problems by identifying the most significant ones that
Maintenance: The process of preserving, repairing, or contribute to the majority of the overall impact or effect
replacing equipment, machinery, or facilities to ensure that Performance measurement: The process of collecting,
they continue to operate at their intended level of analyzing, and reporting data on the performance of an
performance organization, process, or individual against specific goals or
Management review: A systematic evaluation of an standards
organization's processes, products, or services to determine Poka-yoke: A method of preventing errors through the use
whether they are meeting the intended goals and objectives of simple checks and procedures that have been designed to
and to identify opportunities for improvement eliminate human error
Matrix organization: An organizational structure that Preventive Action: An action taken before a problem occurs
combines functional and project-based structures and that to prevent the problem from happening
allows for cross-functional collaboration and coordination
Process: A series of steps or activities that are carried out to
Metric: A measure or indicator that is used to evaluate the achieve a specific result or outcome
performance of a process, product, or system against
Process capability: The ability of a process to produce
specific goals or standards
conforming products or services within specified limits.
Mission: A statement that defines the purpose or reason for
Process flowchart: A diagram that represents the steps or
the existence of an organization and that guides its decision-
tasks in a process, as well as the relationships between those
making and actions
steps or tasks
Mistake-proofing: See error proofing Process mapping: The process of documenting, analyzing,
Muda: In Japanese, Muda means "waste" or "loss." Muda and improving the flow of information, materials, or people
occurs when resources are wasted because they were not within a process or system
put to use efficiently. Process improvement: The process of making changes to a
Mura: Mura is the waste of unevenness or inconsistency. process or system to increase its effectiveness, efficiency, or
Muri: Muri means overburdening, beyond one's power, quality
excessive, or unreasonable. Process performance: The degree to which a process meets
or exceeds the intended goals or objectives
N
Productivity: The relationship between the output of a
Nemawashi - A Japanese word for informal consultation or
process or system and the input of resources, such as time,
consensus-building.
money, or materials
Non-value-added Activities: Activities that do not
Project charter: A document that outlines the scope,
contribute directly to the creation of value for customers,
objectives, and stakeholders of a project, as well as the roles
such as administrative tasks, training, and meetings
and responsibilities of the project team
O Project management: The process of planning, organizing,
Objective: A specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and and controlling the resources and activities of a project to
time-bound (SMART) goal or target that an organization or achieve its specific goals and objectives
individual strives to achieve
Q
OEE (overall equipment effectiveness): A metric that is used
Quality: The degree to which a product or service meets or
to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of a
exceeds the intended purpose or objective
manufacturing process, typically by calculating the
percentage of planned production time that is productive Quality assurance (QA): The process of ensuring that a
product or service meets the specified standards or
Operational definition: A clear and specific description of a
requirements
term, concept, or measurement that is used in a study or
experiment Quality control (QC): The process of inspecting, testing, or
evaluating a product or service to ensure that it meets the
Opportunity cost: The value of the next best alternative that
specified standards or requirements
is foregone as a result of choosing a particular course of
action Quality management: The process of planning, organizing,
and controlling the activities and resources of an
Organizational culture: The shared values, beliefs, attitudes,
organization to ensure that its products or services meet or
and behaviours that define an organization and shape its
exceed the required quality standards.
Quality policy: A written statement describing how a Systems engineering: A discipline that focuses on the design
company intends to implement and manage quality and management of complex systems, processes, or
Quality plan: A detailed description of how a company plans products
to improve its processes and procedures to ensure that they T
consistently produce high-quality products or services
Takt time: The rate of customer demand.
Quality system: The policies, processes, and procedures
used to manage and control the quality of an organization's Target: A specific objective or goal that an organization,
products or services. This is also called Quality Management process or individual strives to achieve
System (QMS) Theory of constraints (TOC): A management philosophy that
focuses on identifying and removing the constraints or
R bottlenecks that limit the performance of a process or
RACI matrix: A tool used to clarify and communicate the system
roles and responsibilities of individuals or teams within a Total productive maintenance (TPM): A maintenance
project or process strategy that involves all employees in the maintenance and
Reducing setup time: The process of reducing the time improvement of equipment, machinery, or facilities
required to change over or set up a machine, process, or Total quality management (TQM): A management
system from one product or operation to another. Also, see philosophy that focuses on achieving continuous
Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) improvement in the quality of products, services, or
Reliability: The ability of a product or system to function processes through the involvement and participation of all
consistently and dependably over time employees
Requirements: The specific needs, specifications, or U
constraints that must be satisfied by a product, process, or
system Upper specification limit (USL): the maximum value or
threshold that a product or process characteristic can have
Risk Priority Number (RPN): An estimate of the relative risk without being considered defective or out of specification.
associated with each potential problem or failure. It is
calculated by multiplying severity, likelihood and detection V
numbers. Value: The benefit or utility that is derived from a product,
Robust: The ability of a product or system to perform service, or process
consistently and effectively under varying conditions or Value-added activities: Activities that add value to a product
circumstances or service
Root cause analysis: The process of identifying the Value stream mapping: A tool used to visualize and analyze
underlying or fundamental cause of a problem or issue, as the flow of materials, information, and activities in a process
opposed to the symptoms or surface-level causes or system, from the beginning to the end, to identify
S opportunities for improvement.
Variation: The difference or deviation from the expected or
Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED): The process of average value of a process or product characteristic
exchanging dies in less than 10 minutes (single digit) to
W
reduce downtime and improve productivity Waste: Any activity, process, or resource that does not add
SIPOC diagram: A tool used to map and document the value to the end product or service or that creates excess or
suppliers, inputs, process, outputs, and customers of a unnecessary costs
process or system Work breakdown structure (WBS): A tool used to
Six Sigma: A methodology that uses data and statistical decompose a project or process into smaller, more
analysis to identify and eliminate defects or variations in a manageable units or tasks
process or product. A Six Sigma process produces less than World Class Manufacturing (WCM): A set of principles and
3.4 defects per million opportunities (DPMO). practices that are used to improve the performance,
Standard: A specific requirement, guideline, or criterion that efficiency, and quality of manufacturing processes and
is used to evaluate the performance of a product, process, systems.
or system
X
Statistical process control (SPC): The use of statistical tools
and techniques to monitor and control the performance of a X-bar chart: a statistical control chart used to monitor the
process or system to improve its quality and consistency. process mean or average over time.
Strategic planning: The process of defining an organization's Y
goals, objectives, and strategies and of allocating the Yield: the percentage or proportion of units or items that
resources and activities needed to achieve those goals meet the required quality standards and specifications.
Sustainability: The ability of a system or process to meet the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of Z
future generations to meet their own needs Zero defects: the goal of achieving perfect quality, with no
defects or errors in products or processes.