Manufacturing glossary of terms

Unlock the secrets of manufacturing with our glossary of terms developed over 40 years by George Donaldson, Shingo Prize recipient! Take a deep dive into industry jargon. Don't wait! Master your industry knowledge NOW!

The story of how this glossary was created and has evolved, in the words of author George Donaldson.

This glossary’s roots began in 2010 when I worked with Newsprinters Eurocentral Ltd. I noticed less emphasis on the practice and principles of Organisational Excellence in manufacturing and more on the language used to describe them.

Of course, people then became concerned about learning vast amounts of new words rather than paying attention to what they meant. Many terms also came about in the 1950s, and their original definitions weren’t applicable today. What we needed was a single reference point – a glossary. So, that’s what I created.

As I moved away from Newsprinters Eurocentral Ltd and worked with other businesses, I expanded the glossary to include all models and other tools and techniques. I was teaching courses in Continuous Improvement and realised manufacturing needed to be demystified; students were often overwhelmed with various acronyms.

Then, as manufacturing became about more than just improvement – and about leadership, management, and psychology too – the glossary grew once more. It now includes theories from the likes of Maslow, Herzberg, and McGregor, and even modern theorists such as Sinek. I’ve also included the GROW model to reflect manufacturing’s focus on developing people through coaching and mentoring.

Manufacturing is much more holistic today. And this glossary echoes that. Sitting at over 300 definitions, you’ll be able to find any term you need to achieve Organisational Excellence in the modern world.

Good luck on your journey.

FIFO

FIFO is an abbreviation of first-in-first-out and is a form of queuing system where products are handled in the order that they arrive.

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis is basically used by the Manufacturers Network as a process and activity risk assessment.

The Manufacturers Network FMEA looks at how something can fail, the modes that it can fail in, what can cause these failures and what the effects of these failures are.

The FMEA is designed to use the RAG rating system to determine the highest risks and put controls in place before a problem occurs.

(See Rag Rating - RPN - RCM)

Fayol (Henri)

Henri Fayol (1841–1925) was a French mining engineer, mining executive, author, and director of mines. Fayol is often described as one of the forefathers of management who, in 1916, published Administration industrielle et Générale, which was translated into English in 1940. His book was one of the first on the theory of management and his theories are often described as or called ‘Fayolism’.

(See Fayol’s 14 Management Principles)

Fayol’s Management Activities and Principles

Henry Fayol published his General and Industrial Management Book in 1916 and this was translated into English in 1940. In the book, he identified key management activities, which included:

1. Technical.

2. Commercial.

3. Security.

4. Accounting.

5. Managerial

i. Planning.

ii. Organisation.

iii. Command.

iv. Co-ordination.

v. Control.

He also identified the 14 principles of management, which was one of the first times anyone had described a management theory. He did it in such a general sense that it could be applied to any business context.

The 14 principles were:

1. Division of work.

2. Authority.

3. Discipline.

4. Unity of command.

5. Unity of direction.

6. Subordination of individual interest to the general interest.

7. Remuneration.

8. Centralisation.

9. Scalar chain (chain of command).

10. Order.

11. Equity.

12. Stability of tenure of personnel.

13. Initiative.

14. Esprit de Corps (team spirit).

(See Deming’s 14 Management Principles - Taylor’s Principles of Scientific Management)

Feedback

Feedback is providing someone with information on how they are performing and should be used as a means for personal improvement. It is widely accepted that there are two types of Feedback.

Constructive Feedback: is providing objective meaningful guidance and suggestions to achieve a positive change in the other person’s performance, development and behaviours. It:

Is about the issue, not the person.
Is prompt.
Is generally private.
Is specific.
Must not be personalised.
Is positive.
Allows solutions to be agreed.

Destructive Feedback: is providing subjective judgemental feedback that is used to hurt people’s feelings. It:

Is about the person, not an issue.
Is delayed.
Is generally public.
Is not specific.
Is personal and addresses characteristics.
Is negative.
Offers no solutions.

Fishbone

A Fishbone diagram is the graphical representation for cause-and effect and basically looks like a fish. Although it can be used for many different purposes, it is most commonly used as a cause-and-effect analysis tool and was developed by the Japanese theorist Kaoru Ishikawa.

(See Cause and Effect - Ishikawa - 7 Quality Tools)

Fleming’s
VARK Learning Styles

Neil Fleming introduced the VARK model while working as an inspector for the New Zealand education system. The four letters of his model represent the various learning styles.

Visual: visual learning (pictures, movies, diagrams).

Auditory: auditory learning (music, discussion, lectures) .

Reading and writing: reading and writing learning (making lists, reading textbooks, taking notes)

Kinaesthetic: kinaesthetic learning (movement, experiments, hands-on activities).

Flow

Flow is the third Lean principle and can be described as the uninterrupted movement, or progress of work, through the various service or manufacturing systems (from customer order to money in the bank).

Enablers include:

Workplace organisation - layout.
Removal of seven wastes.
Poka-Yoke - mistake proofing.
Jidoka.
Kanban
Standardised work.
Visual management - Andon.
SMED.
TPM.
OEE (six big losses).
Demand and capacity management.

Force Field Analysis

Force Field Analysis was developed by Kurt Lewin in the 1930s and is a technique used to identify the driving and restraining forces (positive and negative) for the proposed change. To enable change, we must strengthen the driving forces and weaken the resisting forces.

Ford (Henry)

Henry Ford (aka the Father of Mass Production), 1863-1947, started the era of mass production - from 1908, when the first Model T was built, to 1913, when he introduced the moving assembly belt and interchangeability of standard parts.

It could be said that the Ford system made good Adam Smith’s division of labour, Ely Whitney’s interchangeable standard parts, George Whistler’s organisational structure/system, and Frederick Taylor’s principles of scientific management. After all, his good friend Frederick Taylor was also his in-house management consultant.

It is also believed that the Ford manufacturing system was the precursor to the just-in-time system developed by Toyota. The Ford system ensured that the materials were planned and delivered on time to ensure the flow of production would be smooth, thereby reducing raw material costs and increasing throughout.

(See Smith (Adam) - Division of Labour - Whitney (Ely) - Interchangeable Standard Parts - Whistler (George) - Organisational Chart - Taylor (Frederick) - Taylor’s Principles of Scientific Management)

French and Raven’s Bases of Power

Based on their 1959 study, John French and Bertram Raven identified that power is divided into five separate and distinct forms. This was followed by Raven’s subsequent addition in 1965 of a sixth separate and distinct base of power.

Legitimate power: this is the leader’s power to get others to comply purely based on their position.

Reward power: this is a leader’s ability to yield power by compensating their employees for compliance.

Coercive power: a leader who draws on their employee’s compliance through force is said to have coercive power.

Informational power: a leader who has control over critical information that others need is said to possess informational power.

Referent power: referent power is a leader’s ability to lead with trust and by example.

Expert power: expert power relies on a leader’s specialised knowledge, domain expertise or skill-set.

Future State

Future State is the desired state of where we want to be and is used when mapping (VSM or process mapping).

(See Value Stream Mapping - Process Mapping)

Gayot’s RACI Model

Developed and introduced by Charles-Henri Orson Flavien Gayot in the 1950s, the RACI model clearly lays out roles and responsibilities for any activity or group of activities.

Responsible: who is responsible, or the person assigned to do the work?

Accountable: who is accountable, or the person who makes the final decision and has ultimate ownership?

Consulted: who is consulted, or the person(s) who must be consulted before a decision or action is taken?

Informed: who is informed, or the person(s) who must be informed that a decision or action has been taken?

Gemba

Gemba is a Japanese word that means going to the real place of work, or where the work is performed.

The Gemba process is based on three principles:

See where the actual work happens.
Ask why.
Show respect.

The Gemba mindset looks at:

Immediate problems.
Potential problems.
Improvement opportunities.

Gilbert and Whittleworth’s OSCAR Model

The OSCAR Model of Coaching was developed by Andrew Gilbert and Karen Whittleworth in 2002 and is widely recognised as an enhancement to the GROW coaching model.

Outcome: this is where we clarify what the individual or team wants to achieve.

Situation: create clarity around the current situation/state for the individual or team.

Choices/Consequences: this is where you help the team member or teams to identify and select at least three options/choices (just one is not a choice; two is a dilemma, and three you can now choose) and discuss possible consequences of each.

Action: help the team member or teams create a clear/smart action plan (they must be responsible for their action plan).

Review: this is an ongoing process of reviewing progress against an action plan - lessons learned.

Goals (Aims)

Business goals or aims are considered to be the long-term strategic goals that are set over 3–5 years and are deemed vital or critical in achieving the business vision.

(See Aims - Objectives - Purpose - Strategy Deployment -Organisational Alignment)

Goleman (Daniel)

Daniel Goleman is an internationally known psychologist, business consultant, and author. His 1995 book, Emotional Intelligence, was on The New York Times best-seller list for a year and a half. His Harvard business review, What Makes a Leader, is one of the most read papers of all time.

(See Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence Model)

Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence Model

Goleman describes emotional intelligence as the ability to understand and manage your own emotions and feelings, as well as those of others. His model has two main categories - understanding yourself and relationships with others - and identifies four elements that make up emotional intelligence.

Understanding yourself

Self-awareness: means that you understand how you feel and can accurately assess your own emotional state.
Self-management: builds on the understanding that you gained with self-awareness and involves controlling your emotions so that they don’t control you.

Relationships with others

Social awareness: involves expanding your awareness to include the emotions of those people around you.
Social skills/Relationship management: means using an awareness of your own emotions and those of others to build strong relationships. (See Goleman (Daniel))

Goleman’s Leadership Styles

Goleman is recognised as having written the most read Harvard business review, What makes a leader, and in his Primal Leadership book, he identified six different styles of leadership. He stated that each style has its place but some need to be limited. He argued that you can learn leadership and leadership styles and you can try to master some of them.

Visionary: leader rallies team, group, troops, employees behind a vision.

Coaching: leader helps develop people over the long term.

Affiliative: leader is focused on harmony and relationships.

Democratic: leader listens to everyone and builds consensus. Pacesetting: leader demands or expects excellence and results. Commanding: leader commands and controls - the louder they get, the righter they become - they expect immediate compliance.

(See Goleman (Daniel) - Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence Model)

Hansei

Hansei is a Japanese word that means self-reflections and when translated, we use the term ‘lessons learned’. This is a key continuous improvement technique/practice to reflect, look back, think or contemplate on what went well, what could be improved and what we learned.