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.
George Donaldson
Term:
Set-up Time
This is the time required to set up the equipment or machines to start production.
(See Change-over Time - SMED)
Term:
Setting Standards
As part of the Manufacturers Network, our 8Ds and PDCA (See 8Ds and PDCA) ensure that when we have made changes, we update and record our new standards.
Some examples are below:
Training information guides.
Risk assessments.
One-point lessons.
Visual standards.
ISO forms and documents.
(See 8Ds - PDCA - TIGs - RAs - OPL
Term:
Shannon and Weaver Communications Model
The Shannon and Weaver Model is a linear model of communication that provides a framework for analysing how messages are sent and received. The model was adapted to include a feedback loop, making a two-way communications process.
Sender: the information source (person, object or thing) starts the process by choosing a message to send, someone to send the message to, and a channel through which to send the message.
Encoder: the encoder is the machine (or person) that converts the idea into signals that can be sent from the sender to the receiver, such as telephone and computers, which encode our words using codes like binary digits or radio waves.
Channel: the channel (medium) of communication is the infrastructure that gets information from the sender and transmitter through to the decoder and receiver.
Noise: noise (internal or external) interrupts a message while it is on the way from the sender to the receiver.
Decoder: these are the opposite to the encoders when used, i.e. telephones, computers, videos, that decode the message.
Receiver: the receiver is the end point of the technical communication process - this is the step where the person finally gets the message, or what’s left of it after accounting for noise.
Feedback: the feedback loop was an add-on to the original model as it was previously seen as a linear (one-way) process.
(See Mehrabian’s Communications Theory - Schulz von Thun’s Four Side Communications Theory)
Term:
SharePoint
SharePoint is a Microsoft Office application that is used as a repository or document library.
Term:
Shewhart (Walter A.)
Walter A. Shewhart (1891–1967) introduced the Hawthorne factory to statistical process control (SPC) control charts in 1924. This distinguished between what he named assignable cause and chance cause. He also developed the Shewhart learning and improvement cycle and mentored W. Edwards Deming. When questioned about what he was doing, he stated that he was “developing a tool that would make managers make better decisions”.
(See Deming - PDCA - Statistical Process Control - 3 Standard Deviations - 68-95-99.7 Rule)
Term:
Shingo (Shegio)
Shegio Shingo (1909–1990) was a management consultant and trainer and was considered one of the world’s leading experts on entrepreneur Norman Bodek that Shingo’s work was translated into English. This enlightened the western world with the study of the Toyota production system and improvement tools translation. In recognition of his contributions, the Utah University John M Huntsman School of Business introduced the Shingo Prize for organisational excellence in 1988.
(See Toyota Production System - Ohno (Taiichi) - Shingo Institute - Shingo Prize)
Term:
Shingo Institute
The Shingo Institute is a non-profit organisation housed at Utah State University and is named after the world renowned Japanese industrial engineer Shegio Shingo. It is also home of the Shingo Prize and the Shingo model. The Institute’s mission is: to improve the process of improvement by conducting cutting-edge research, providing relevant education, performing insightful organisational assessments and recognising organisations committed to achieving sustainable world class results.
(See Shegio Shingo - Shingo Prize - Organisational Excellence - Deming Prize - Baldrige National Quality Award - EFQM Stephen Covey)
Term:
Shingo Model
The Shingo Model was introduced in 2008 and is not an additional programme or initiative but rather a business model that focuses on the cause-and-effect relationships between guiding principles, systems, tools, results and culture (people).
(See Shingo Institute - Shingo Prize - Organisational Excellence - Deming Prize - Baldrige National Quality Award - EFQM - Stephen Covey)
Term:
Shingo Prize
The Shingo Prize is named after Shegio Shingo, the Japanese engineer and consultant whose books were translated into English and opened the eyes of the west to what we now call Lean manufacturing. It is an award given to organisations (globally) and has three levels:
Shingo Prize: is the world’s highest standard for organisational excellence and is awarded to organisations that can demonstrate the successful establishment of a culture anchored on principles of continuous improvement.
Shingo Silver Medallion: is awarded to organisations that are maturing on the journey to excellence with, primarily, a tool and system focus.
Shingo Bronze Medallion: is awarded to organisations at the earlier stages of cultural transformation with, primarily, a tools focus.
(See Shegio Shingo - Shingo Institute - Shingo Model - Organisational Excellence - Deming Prize - Baldrige National Quality Award - EFQM)
Term:
Sinek (Simon)
Simon Sinek, the British-American business consultant, author and inspirational speaker, wrote five books, including Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last and The Infinite Game. He is a modern-day leadership guru with substantial material on YouTube and LinkedIn.
Term:
Single Minute Exchange
of Dies (SMED)
Single Minute Exchange of Dies is the term used to describe the process for ensuring the effective and efficient change over from one product to another.
At the Manufacturers Network, we use SMED for many applications, including:
Product change over.
Breakdowns: motors, belts, rollers.
Processes: unit deep cleans.
Maintenance: PM.
“From downtime to uptime, in no time.”
Term:
Single Point of Failure (SPF)
Single Point of Failure: due to the critical and time sensitive nature of our business, we RAG rate our equipment and activities to prioritise single points of failure (i.e. equipment or systems that have no back-up or redundancy) and have introduced SPF into many of our tools and templates.
(See Asset Criticality - RAG Rating)
Term:
Smith (Adam)
Adam Smith (1723–1790) is perhaps Scotland’s most famous son (aka the Father of Economics) and his book, The Wealth of Nations, popularises the division of labour.
The division of labour basically takes a large task/operation performed by one worker and breaks it down to sub-tasks/operations performed by multiple workers. Therefore, this labour becomes more efficient and productive and wastes less time. Smith goes on to describe the work of the manufacture of pins where, in a single process, one person can make barely one pin per day. When the task is broken down into 18 parts, the enterprise of 10 workers could produce 48,000 pins per day. Smith identifies three reasons for this improvement for increased work:
The improvement of dexterity of the worker by reducing the number of tasks, increases the quantity of the work he produces.
The saving of time wasted as work changes from one task or type to another.
The invention of machines to replace those tasks that are mundane.
(See Division of Labour - Henry Ford)
Term:
Smith (William)
William (Bill) Smith (aka the Father of Six Sigma), 1929–1993, introduced a new measure in 1986 that he named Six Sigma, and co created the DMAIC problem solving approach.
(See Six Sigma)
Term:
Spaghetti Diagram
A Spaghetti Diagram, or map, is a visual representation using a continuous flow line to trace the path of an item or activity - normally measured in metres.