Shared Flashcard Set

Details

ASQ CMQ/OE
Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence definitions
224
Management
Post-Graduate
07/04/2010

Additional Management Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Scientific management/approach
Definition
A term referring to the intent to find and use the best way to perform tasks to improve quality, productivity, and efficiency.
Term
Process map
Definition
A type of flowchart depicting the steps in a process, with identification of responsibility for each step and the key measures.
Term
Non-value-added
Definition
A term that describes a process step or function that is not required for the direct achievement of process output. This step or function is identified and examined for potential elimination.
Term
Total quality management (TQM)
Definition
A management approach to long-term success through customer satisfaction. It is based on the participation of all members of an organization in improving processes, products, services, and the culture in which they work.
Term
Appraisal cost
Definition
The cost involved in ensuring that an organization is continually striving to conform to customers' quality requirements.
Term
Central tendency
Definition
e tendency of data gathered from a process to cluster toward a middle value somewhere between the high and low values of measurement.
Term
Accreditation
Definition
Certification by a duly recognized body of the facilities, capability, objectivity, competence, and integrity of an agency, service, or operational group or individual to provide the specific service or operation needed.
Term
Failure
Definition
The inability of an item, product, or service to perform required functions on demand due to one or more defects.
Term
Efficiency
Definition
The ratio of the output to the total input in a process.
Term
Body of knowledge (BoK)
Definition
The prescribed aggregation of knowledge in a particular area an individual is expected to have mastered to be considered or certified as a practitioner.
Term
Process capability
Definition
A statistical measure of the inherent process variability for a given characteristic.
Term
Life-cycle stages
Definition
Stages that a product moves through as it develops over time: design, manufacturing, assembly, installation, operation, and shutdown.
Term
Acceptance number
Definition
The maximum number of defects or defectives allowable in a sampling lot for the lot to be acceptable.
Term
Customer delight
Definition
The result of delivering a product or service that exceeds customer expectations.
Term
Sample
Definition
One or more units of product (or a quantity of material) drawn from a lot for purposes of inspection to reach a decision regarding acceptance of the lot.
Term
Structural variation
Definition
riation caused by regular, systematic changes in output, such as seasonal patterns and long-term trends.
Term
Attribute data
Definition
Information that is counted and plotted as discrete events, such as shipping errors, number of days absent, or percentage of waste.
Term
Average chart
Definition
A control chart in which the subgroup average, X-bar, is used to evaluate the stability of the process level.
Term
Reliability
Definition
The probability of a product's performing its intended function under stated conditions without failure for a given period of time.
Term
Seven basic quality tools
Definition
Tools that help organizations understand their processes to improve them. The tools are the cause-and-effect diagram, the check sheet, the control chart, the flowchart, the histogram, the Pareto chart, and the scatter diagram.
Term
Histogram
Definition
A graphic summary of variation in a set of data. Its pictorial nature lets people see patterns that are difficult to detect in a simple table of numbers.
Term
Control plan (CP)
Definition
A document that describes the required characteristics for the quality of a product or service, including measures and control methods.
Term
Statistics
Definition
A field that involves the tabulating, depicting, and describing of data sets; a formalized body of techniques characteristically involving attempts to infer the properties of a large collection of data from inspection of a sample of the collection.
Term
Partnership/alliance
Definition
Both a strategy and a formal relationship between a supplier and a customer that engenders cooperation for the benefit of both parties.
Term
Regression analysis
Definition
A statistical technique for determining the best mathematical expression describing the functional relationship between one response and one or more independent variables
Term
Range (statistical)
Definition
The measure of dispersion in a data set (the difference between the highest and lowest values).
Term
Brainstorming
Definition
A technique teams use to generate ideas on a particular subject. Each person in the team is asked to think creatively and write down as many ideas as possible. The ideas are not discussed or reviewed until after the brainstorming session.
Term
Mode
Definition
The value occurring most frequently in a data set.
Term
Quality management system (QMS)
Definition
A formalized system that documents the structure, responsibilities, and procedures required to achieve effective quality management.
Term
Robustness
Definition
The condition of a product or process design that remains relatively stable, with a minimum of variation, even though factors that influence operations or usage, such as environment and wear, are constantly changing.
Term
Goal
Definition
A broad statement describing a desired future condition or achievement without being specific about how much and when.
Term
Supplier quality assurance
Definition
Confidence a supplier's product or service will fulfill its customers' needs. This confidence is achieved by creating a relationship between the customer and supplier that ensures that the product will be fit for use with minimal corrective action and inspection.
Term
Autocratic management
Definition
Management style in which managers are more concerned with developing an efficient workplace and often have less concern for people. They make most decisions independently and rely on the power created by their management role. This style is often referred to as a "command and control" approach.
Term
Alignment
Definition
The actions taken to ensure that a process or activity supports the organization's strategy, goals, and objectives.
Term
Poka-yoke
Definition
Japanese term that means mistake-proofing.
Term
Analysis of variance (ANOVA)
Definition
A basic statistical technique for analyzing experimental data. It subdivides the total variation of a data set into meaningful component parts associated with specific sources of variation in order to test a hypothesis on the parameters of the model or to estimate variance components. There are three models: fixed, random, and mixed.
Term
Internal customer
Definition
e recipient (person or department) within an organization of another person's or department's output (product, service, or information).
Term
Deployment
Definition
Dispersion, dissemination, broadcasting, or spreading of a communication throughout an organization, downward and laterally.
Term
Lean manufacturing
Definition
Initiative focused on eliminating all waste in manufacturing processes. Principles include zero waiting time, zero inventory, scheduling (internal customer pull instead of push system), batch to flow (cut batch sizes), line balancing, and cutting actual process times
Term
Assignable cause
Definition
A name for the source of variation in a process that is not due to chance and therefore can be identified and eliminated.
Term
Hoshin planning
Definition
Breakthrough planning; a Japanese strategic planning process in which a company develops up to four vision statements that indicate where the company should be in the next five years. Company goals and work plans are developed based on the vision statements. Periodic audits are then conducted to monitor progress.
Term
Waste
Definition
y activity that consumes resources and produces no added value to the product or service a customer receives.
Term
Culture, organizational
Definition
A common set of values, beliefs, attitudes, perceptions, and accepted behaviors shared by individuals within an organization.
Term
Quality audit
Definition
A systematic, independent examination and review to determine whether quality activities and related results comply with planned arrangements and whether these arrangements are implemented effectively and are suitable to achieve the objectives.
Term
Standard
Definition
The metric, specification, gage, statement, category, segment, grouping, behavior, event, or physical product sample against which the outputs of a process are compared and declared acceptable or unacceptable
Term
Requirements
Definition
The ability of an item to perform a required function under stated conditions for a stated period of time.
Term
Strategic planning
Definition
The process by which an organization envisions its future and develops strategies, goals, objectives, and action plans to achieve that future.
Term
Six sigma quality
Definition
A term generally used to indicate that a process is well controlled (± 6 sigma from the center line in a control chart).
Term
Certification
Definition
The result of meeting the established criteria set by an accrediting or certificate-granting organization.
Term
Type I error
Definition
An incorrect decision to reject something (such as a statistical hypothesis or a lot of products) when it is acceptable.
Term
Work team
Definition
A team comprising members from one work unit. Also called a natural team.
Term
Cause-and-effect diagram
Definition
A tool for analyzing process dispersion. It is also referred to as an Ishikawa or fishbone diagram. It illustrates the main causes and subcauses leading to an effect (symptom).
Term
Just-in-time training
Definition
The provision of training only when it is needed to all but eliminate the loss of knowledge and skill caused by a lag between training and use.
Term
Defect
Definition
A product's or service's nonfulfillment of an intended requirement or reasonable expectation for use, including safety considerations.
Term
Tolerance
Definition
The maximum and minimum limit values a product may have and still meet customer requirements.
Term
Just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing
Definition
An optimal material requirement planning system for a manufacturing process in which there is little or no manufacturing material inventory on hand at the manufacturing site and little or no incoming inspection.
Term
Feedback
Definition
Communication from customers about how delivered products or services compare with customer expectations.
Term
Range chart (R chart)
Definition
A control chart in which the subgroup range, R, is used to evaluate the stability of the variability within a process.
Term
Availability
Definition
The ability of a product to be in a state to perform its designated function under stated conditions at a given time.
Term
Green Belt (GB)
Definition
A business team leader responsible for managing projects and implementing improvement in his or her organization. An employee of an organization who has been trained on the improvement methodology of six sigma and will lead a process improvement or quality improvement team as part of his or her full-time job.
Term
X-bar chart
Definition
Average chart
Term
Gap analysis
Definition
The comparison of a current condition to the desired state.
Term
Self-directed work team (SDWT)
Definition
type of team structure in which much of the decision making regarding how to handle the team's activities is controlled by the team members themselves.
Term
Key performance indicator (KPI)
Definition
A statistical measure of how well an organization is doing.
Term
Hawthorne effect
Definition
The concept that every change results (initially, at least) in increased productivity.
Term
Plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle
Definition
A four-step process for quality improvement.
Term
Zero defects
Definition
A performance standard and methodology developed by Philip B. Crosby that states that if people commit themselves to watching details and avoiding errors, they can move closer to the goal of no defects.
Term
Pareto chart
Definition
A graphical tool for ranking causes from most significant to least significant that suggests that most effects come from relatively few causes; that is, 80% of effects come from 20% of possible causes.
Term
Accuracy
Definition
The characteristic of a measurement that tells how close an observed value is to a true value.
Term
Vital few, useful many
Definition
A term used by Joseph M. Juran to describe his use of the Pareto principle. The principle suggests most effects come from relatively few causes; that is, 80% of effects come from 20% of possible causes.
Term
Ethics
Definition
The practice of applying a code of conduct based on moral principles to day-to-day actions to balance what is fair to individuals or organizations and what is right for society.
Term
Corrective action
Definition
The implementation of solutions resulting in the reduction or elimination of an identified problem.
Term
Check sheet
Definition
A simple data recording device designed by the user, which allows him or her to readily interpret the results. Often confused with checklist.
Term
Change agent
Definition
An individual from within or outside an organization who facilitates change within the organization. May or may not be the initiator of the change effort.
Term
Focus group
Definition
A group, usually of eight to ten persons, that is invited to discuss an existing or planned product, service, or process.
Term
Policy
Definition
An overarching plan (direction) for achieving an organization's goals.
Term
Team
Definition
A group of individuals organized to work together to accomplish a specific objective.
Term
Frequency distribution (statistical)
Definition
A table that graphically presents a large volume of data so the central tendency (such as the average or mean) and distribution are clearly displayed.
Term
Customer satisfaction (CS)
Definition
The result of delivering a product or service that meets customer requirements.
Term
Process improvement team
Definition
A structured environment often made up of cross-functional members who work together to improve a process or processes.
Term
Validation
Definition
The act of confirming that a product or service meets the requirements for which it was intended.
Term
Activity
Definition
A term used with CPM; it refers to the work required to proceed from one event or point in time to another.
Term
Alliance
Definition
An arrangement where two parties work together for a common purpose.
Term
Inputs
Definition
e products, services, material, etc., obtained from suppliers and used to produce the outputs delivered to customers.
Term
Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA)
Definition
A procedure in which each potential failure mode in every subitem of an item is analyzed to determine its effect on other subitems and on the required function of the item.
Term
Data
Definition
A set of collected facts. There are two basic kinds: measured or variable (such as 16 ounces, 4 miles, or 0.75 inches) and counted or attribute (such as 162 defects).
Term
Acceptance sampling
Definition
The maximum number of defects or defectives allowable in a sampling lot for the lot to be acceptable.
Term
Cpk index
Definition
Equals the lesser of the USL minus the mean divided by three sigma (or the mean) minus the LSL divided by three sigma. The greater the Cpk value, the better.
Term
Arrow diagram
Definition
A planning tool to diagram a sequence of events or activities (nodes) and the interconnectivity of such nodes. It is used for scheduling, especially for determining the critical path through nodes. Also known as an activity network diagram (AND).
Term
Chart
Definition
A tool for organizing, summarizing, and depicting data in graphic form.
Term
Out-of-control process
Definition
A process in which the statistical measure being evaluated is not in a state of statistical control. In other words, the variations among the observed sampling results can be attributed to special circumstances that have affected the process in an unusual manner
Term
Groupthink
Definition
A situation in which critical information is withheld from the team because individual members censor or restrain themselves, either because they believe their concerns are not worth discussing or because they are afraid of confrontation.
Term
Reengineering
Definition
A breakthrough approach involving the restructuring of an entire organization and its processes.
Term
Quality policy
Definition
An organization's general statement of its beliefs about quality, how quality will come about, and what is expected to result.
Term
Concurrent engineering (CE)
Definition
A way to reduce cost, improve quality, and shrink cycle time by simplifying a product's system of life-cycle tasks during the early concept stages.
Term
Cp
Definition
The ratio of tolerance to six sigma, or the USL (upper specification limit) minus the LSL (lower specification limit) divided by six sigma. It is sometimes referred to as the engineering tolerance divided by the natural tolerance and is only a measure of dispersion.
Term
Compliance
Definition
The state of an organization that meets prescribed specifications, contract terms, regulations, or standards.
Term
Acceptable quality level (AQL)
Definition
A quality level that, for the purpose of sampling inspection, is the limit of satisfactory process average.
Term
External customer
Definition
A person or organization that receives a product, service, or information but is not part of the organization supplying it.
Term
Survey
Definition
The act of examining a process or of questioning a selected sample of individuals to obtain data about a process, product, or service.
Term
Flowchart
Definition
A graphical representation of the steps in a process drawn to better understand the process.
Term
Type II error
Definition
An incorrect decision to accept something when it is unacceptable.
Term
Task
Definition
A specific, definable activity to perform an assigned piece of work, often finished within a certain time.
Term
Cause
Definition
An identified reason for the presence of a defect or problem.
Term
Activity network diagram (AND)
Definition
A planning tool to diagram a sequence of events or activities (nodes) and the interconnectivity of such nodes. It is used for scheduling, especially for determining the critical path through nodes. Also known as an arrow diagram.
Term
Checklist
Definition
A tool used to ensure that all important steps or actions in an operation have been taken. It contains items important or relevant to an issue or situation. Often confused with check sheet.
Term
Cost of poor quality (COPQ)
Definition
The costs associated with providing poor-quality products or services.
Term
Quality management (QM)
Definition
The application of a quality management system in managing a process to achieve maximum customer satisfaction at the lowest overall cost to the organization while continuing to improve the process
Term
Lost customer analysis
Definition
Analysis conducted to determine why a customer or a class of customers was lost.
Term
Big Q, Little Q
Definition
A term used to contrast the difference between managing for quality in all business processes and products and managing for quality in a limited capacity—traditionally only in factory products and processes.
Term
Expectations
Definition
Customer perceptions about how an organization's products and services will meet their specific needs and requirements.
Term
Registration
Definition
The act of including an organization, product, service, or process in a compilation of those having the same or similar attributes.
Term
Normal distribution (statistical)
Definition
The charting of a data set in which most of the data points are concentrated around the average (mean), thus forming a bell-shaped curve.
Term
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA)
Definition
An award established by the U.S. Congress in 1987 to raise awareness of quality management and recognize U.S. companies that have implemented successful quality management systems. The U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology manages the award, and ASQ administers it.
Term
Cycle time
Definition
The elapsed time between the start and completion of a task or an entire process; for example, in order processing it can be the time between receipt and delivery of an order.
Term
Process owner
Definition
The person who coordinates the various functions and work activities at all levels of a process, has the authority or ability to make changes in the process as required, and manages the entire process cycle to ensure performance effectiveness.
Term
Process management
Definition
The pertinent techniques and tools applied to a process to implement and improve process effectiveness, hold the gains, and ensure process integrity in fulfilling customer requirements.
Term
Total quality
Definition
A strategic integrated system for achieving customer satisfaction that involves all managers and employees and uses quantitative methods to continuously improve an organization's processes.
Term
Five why's
Definition
A technique for discovering the root causes of a problem and showing the relationship of causes by repeatedly asking the question "Why?"
Term
Mean
Definition
A measure of central tendency; the arithmetic average of all measurements in a data set.
Term
Fishbone diagram
Definition
A tool for analyzing process dispersion. It is also referred to as an Ishikawa or cause-and-effect diagram. It illustrates the main causes and subcauses leading to an effect (symptom).
Term
Myers-Briggs type indicator (MBTI)
Definition
A methodology and an instrument for identifying an individual's personality type based on personality preferences.
Term
Quality function deployment (QFD)
Definition
A structured method/process in which customer requirements are translated into appropriate technical requirements for each stage of product development and production. The process is often referred to as listening to the voice of the customer.
Term
Root cause
Definition
A factor that caused a nonconformance and should be permanently eliminated through process improvement.
Term
Quality
Definition
A subjective term for which each person has his or her own definition. In technical usage, it can have two meanings: (1) the characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs and (2) a product or service free of deficiencies.
Term
Six sigma
Definition
A methodology that provides businesses with the tools to improve the capability of their business processes. This increase in performance and decrease in process variation lead to defect reduction and improvement in profits, employee morale, and quality of product.
Term
Facilitator
Definition
A specifically trained person who functions as a teacher, coach, and moderator for a group, team, or organization.
Term
Project management
Definition
The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to a broad range of activities to meet the requirements of the particular project.
Term
Special causes
Definition
Causes of variation that arise because of special circumstances. They are not an inherent part of a process. Also referred to as assignable causes or common causes.
Term
Action plan
Definition
A specific method or process to achieve the results called for by one or more objectives.
Term
Group dynamic
Definition
The interaction (behavior) of individuals within a team meeting.
Term
Project team
Definition
A group that manages the work of a project.
Term
Theory of constraints (TOC)
Definition
A set of tools that examines an entire system for continuous improvement.
Term
Preventive action
Definition
Action taken to remove or improve a process to prevent potential future occurrences of a nonconformance.
Term
Verification
Definition
The act of determining whether products and services conform to specific requirements.
Term
Lower control limit (LCL)
Definition
Control limit for points below the central line in a control chart.
Term
Quality plan
Definition
A document or set of documents that describe the standards, quality practices, resources, and processes pertinent to a specific product, service, or project.
Term
Specification
Definition
A document that states the requirements to which a given product or service must conform.
Term
Virtual team
Definition
Remotely situated individuals affiliated with a common organization, purpose, or project who conduct their joint effort via electronic communication.
Term
Empowerment
Definition
A condition whereby employees have the authority to make decisions and take action in their work areas without prior approval. For example, an operator can stop a production process if he or she detects a problem, or a customer service representative can send out a replacement product if a customer calls with a problem.
Term
DMAIC
Definition
A data-driven quality strategy for improving processes and an integral part of a six sigma quality initiative. It is an acronym for define, measure, analyze, improve, and control
Term
Customer relationship management (CRM)
Definition
A strategy used to learn more about customers' needs and behaviors to develop stronger relationships with them. It brings together information about customers, sales, marketing effectiveness, responsiveness, and market trends.
Term
Run chart
Definition
A chart showing a line connecting numerous data points collected from a process running over a period of time.
Term
Vision
Definition
An overarching statement of the way an organization wants to be; an ideal state of being at a future point.
Term
Juran trilogy
Definition
Three managerial processes identified by J. M. Juran for use in managing for quality: quality planning, quality control, and quality improvement.
Term
Control limits
Definition
The natural boundaries of a process within specified confidence levels, expressed as the upper control limit (UCL) and the lower control limit (LCL).
Term
Benefit-cost analysis
Definition
An examination of the relationship between the monetary cost of implementing an improvement and the monetary value of the benefits achieved by the improvement, both within the same time period.
Term
World-class quality
Definition
term used to indicate a standard of excellence; the best of the best.
Term
Random cause
Definition
A cause of variation due to chance and not assignable to any factor.
Term
Employee involvement (EI)
Definition
A practice within an organization whereby employees regularly participate in making decisions on how their work areas operate, including making suggestions for improvement, planning, goal setting, and monitoring performance.
Term
Trend
Definition
The graphical representation of a variable's tendency, over time, to increase, decrease, or remain unchanged.
Term
Kaizen
Definition
A Japanese term that means gradual unending improvement by doing little things better and setting and achieving increasingly higher standards.
Term
Kanban
Definition
A Japanese term for one of the primary tools of a just-in-time system. It maintains an orderly and efficient flow of materials throughout the entire manufacturing process. It is usually a printed card that contains specific information such as part name, description, and quantity.
Term
Correlation (statistical)
Definition
A measure of the relationship between two data sets of variables.
Term
Control chart
Definition
A chart with upper and lower control limits on which values of some statistical measure for a series of samples or subgroups are plotted. The chart frequently shows a central line to help detect a trend of plotted values toward either control limit.
Term
System
Definition
A group of interdependent processes and people that together perform a common mission.
Term
Random sampling
Definition
A commonly used sampling technique in which sample units are selected so that all combinations of n units under consideration have an equal chance of being selected as the sample.
Term
Voice of the customer (VOC)
Definition
The expressed requirements and expectations of customers relative to products or services, as documented and disseminated to the members of the providing organization.
Term
Outputs
Definition
Products, materials, services, or information provided to customers (internal or external) from a process.
Term
Objective
Definition
A specific statement of a desired short-term condition or achievement; includes measurable end results to be accomplished by specific teams or individuals within time limits.
Term
DMADV
Definition
A data-driven quality strategy for designing products and processes, it is an integral part of a six sigma quality initiative. It is an acronym for define, measure, analyze, design, and verify.
Term
Total quality control (TQC)
Definition
A system that integrates quality development, maintenance, and improvement of the parts of an organization. It helps a company economically manufacture its product and deliver its services.
Term
Median
Definition
The middle number or center value of a set of data in which all the data is arranged in sequence.
Term
Cost of quality (COQ)
Definition
A term coined by Philip Crosby referring to the cost of poor quality.
Term
Stages of team growth
Definition
Four stages that teams move through as they develop over time: forming, storming, norming, and performing.
Term
Incremental improvement
Definition
Improvements that are implemented on a continual basis.
Term
Audit
Definition
The inspection and examination of a process or quality system to ensure compliance to requirements. The inspection can apply to an entire organization or may be specific to a function, process, or production step.
Term
Intermediate customers
Definition
Organizations or individuals who operate as distributors, brokers, or dealers between the supplier and the consumer/end user.
Term
Design of experiments (DOE)
Definition
A branch of applied statistics dealing with planning, conducting, analyzing, and interpreting controlled tests to evaluate the factors that control the value of a parameter or group of parameters.
Term
Muda
Definition
Japanese for waste. Any activity that consumes resources but creates no value for the customer.
Term
Internal failure
Definition
A product failure that occurs before the product is delivered to external customers.
Term
Black Belt (BB)
Definition
ull-time team leader responsible for implementing process improvement projects—define, measure, analyze, improve, and control (DMAIC) or define, measure, analyze, design, and verify (DMADV)—within the business to drive up customer satisfaction levels and business productivity.
Term
Corrective action recommendation (CAR)
Definition
The full-cycle corrective action tool that offers ease and simplicity for employee involvement in the corrective action/process improvement cycle.
Term
Efficient
Definition
A term describing a process that operates effectively while consuming the minimum amount of resources (such as labor and time).
Term
Profound knowledge, system of
Definition
Defined by W. Edwards Deming, a system that consists of an appreciation for systems, knowledge of variation, theory of knowledge, and understanding of psychology.
Term
Satisfier
Definition
A term used to describe the quality level received by a customer when a product or service meets expectations.
Term
Ishikawa diagram
Definition
A tool for analyzing process dispersion. It is also referred to as a cause-and-effect or fishbone diagram. It illustrates the main causes and subcauses leading to an effect (symptom).
Term
Effectiveness
Definition
The state of having produced a decided upon or desired effect.
Term
Validity
Definition
The ability of a feedback instrument to measure what it was intended to measure; also, the degree to which inferences derived from measurements are meaningful.
Term
Fitness for use
Definition
A term used to indicate that a product or service fits the customer's defined purpose for that product or service.
Term
Norm (behavioral)
Definition
Expectations of how a person or persons will behave in a given situation based on established protocols, rules of conduct, or accepted social practices.
Term
Stakeholder
Definition
Any individual, group, or organization that will have a significant impact on or will be significantly impacted by the quality of the product or service an organization provides.
Term
Effect
Definition
What results after an action has been taken; the expected or predicted impact when an action is to be taken or is proposed.
Term
Scatter diagram
Definition
A graphical technique to analyze the relationship between two variables. Two sets of data are plotted on a graph, with the y-axis being used for the variable to be predicted and the x-axis being used for the variable to make the prediction. The graph will show possible relationships. (Although two variables might appear to be related, they might not be. Those who know most about the variables must make that evaluation.)
Term
Stretch goals
Definition
A set of goals designed to position the organization to meet future requirements.
Term
Benchmarking
Definition
An improvement process in which a company measures its performance against that of best-in-class companies, determines how those companies achieved their performance levels, and uses the information to improve its own performance.
Term
Process
Definition
A set of interrelated work activities characterized by a set of specific inputs and value-added tasks that make up a procedure for a set of specific outputs.
Term
Values
Definition
The fundamental beliefs that drive organizational behavior and decision making.
Term
Electric data interchange (EDI)
Definition
The electronic exchange of data between customers and suppliers and vice versa.
Term
Inspection
Definition
Measuring, examining, testing, and gauging one or more characteristics of a product or service and comparing the results with specified requirements to determine whether conformity is achieved for each characteristic.
Term
Matrix
Definition
A planning tool for displaying the relationships among various data sets.
Term
Dissatisfiers
Definition
The features or functions a customer expects that either are not present or are present but not adequate; also pertains to employees' expectations
Term
Gatekeeper
Definition
A timekeeper; in team meetings, a designated individual who helps in monitoring the team's use of allocated time.
Term
Value-added
Definition
he parts of the process that add worth from the perspective of the external customer.
Term
Appraisal
Definition
Evaluating already completed output and then auditing the process to measure conformance to established criteria and procedures.
Term
Listening post
Definition
An individual who, by virtue of his or her potential for having contact with customers, is designated to collect, document, and transmit pertinent feedback to a central collection authority within the organization.
Term
Variation
Definition
A change in data, characteristic, or function caused by one of four factors: special causes, common causes, tampering, or structural variation.
Term
Mission
Definition
An organization's purpose.
Term
Process improvement
Definition
The application of the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) philosophy to processes to produce positive improvement and better meet the needs and expectations of customers.
Term
Continuous improvement (CI)
Definition
The ongoing improvement of products, services, or processes through incremental and breakthrough improvements.
Term
80-20
Definition
A term referring to the Pareto principle, which was first defined by J. M. Juran in 1950. The principle suggests that most effects come from relatively few causes; that is, 80% of effects come from 20% of possible causes.
Term
Process capability
Definition
A statistical measure of the inherent process variability for a given characteristic.
Term
Satisfier
Definition
A term used to describe the quality level received by a customer when a product or service meets expectations.
Term
Facilitator
Definition
A specifically trained person who functions as a teacher, coach, and moderator for a group, team, or organization.
Term
Process owner
Definition
The person who coordinates the various functions and work activities at all levels of a process, has the authority or ability to make changes in the process as required, and manages the entire process cycle to ensure performance effectiveness.
Term
Gatekeeper
Definition
A timekeeper; in team meetings, a designated individual who helps in monitoring the team's use of allocated time.
Term
Special causes
Definition
Causes of variation that arise because of special circumstances. They are not an inherent part of a process. Also referred to as assignable causes or common causes.
Term
Virtual team
Definition
Remotely situated individuals affiliated with a common organization, purpose, or project who conduct their joint effort via electronic communication.
Term
Brainstorming
Definition
A technique teams use to generate ideas on a particular subject. Each person in the team is asked to think creatively and write down as many ideas as possible. The ideas are not discussed or reviewed until after the brainstorming session.
Term
Availability
Definition
The ability of a product to be in a state to perform its designated function under stated conditions at a given time.
Term
Norm (behavioral)
Definition
Expectations of how a person or persons will behave in a given situation based on established protocols, rules of conduct, or accepted social practices.
Term
Strategic planning
Definition
The process by which an organization envisions its future and develops strategies, goals, objectives, and action plans to achieve that future.
Term
Lost customer analysis
Definition
Analysis conducted to determine why a customer or a class of customers was lost.
Term
Validation
Definition
The act of confirming that a product or service meets the requirements for which it was intended.
Term
Myers-Briggs type indicator (MBTI)
Definition
A methodology and an instrument for identifying an individual's personality type based on personality preferences.
Term
Project management
Definition
The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to a broad range of activities to meet the requirements of the particular project.
Term
Sample
Definition

One or more units of product (or a quantity of material) drawn from a lot for purposes of inspection to reach a decision regarding acceptance of the lot.

Term
Policy
Definition
An overarching plan (direction) for achieving an organization's goals.
Term
Non-value-added
Definition

A term that describes a process step or function that is not required for the direct achievement of process output. This step or function is identified and examined for potential elimination.

Term
Original equipment manufacturer (OEM)
Definition

A company that uses product components from one or more other companies to build a product that it sells under its own company name and brand.

Term
Breakthrough improvement
Definition
A dynamic, decisive movement to a new, higher level of performance.
Term
Culture change
Definition
A major shift in the attitudes, norms, sentiments, beliefs, values, operating principles, and behavior of an organization.
Term
Supplier
Definition
A source of materials, service, or information input provided to a process.
Term
Symptom
Definition
An observable phenomenon arising from and accompanying a defect.
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