Knowledge

Glossary ~Numbers~

Within this glossary we define nearly 300 terms used in quality management. Some are taken from international standards, others are commonly understood English definitions and most we have derived from experience . Use the search engine in the header to search for the term you are looking for or simply click on the appropriate letter below.

Numbers A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U V W X Y Z

3 Ms -These are three Japanese words associated with lean production

M1   Muda (Waste),

M2   Muri (Overburden)

M3   Mura (Unevenness)

5 Why’s -These typically refer to the practice of asking, five times, why a failure has occurred in order to get to the root cause.

5 Ss -These Japanese words apply to the visual management of a workspace

S1   Seiri (straighten up). Differentiate between the necessary and unnecessary and discard the unnecessary

S2   Seiton (put things in order). Put things in order

S3   Seido (clean up). Keep the workplace clean

S4   Seiketsu (personal cleanliness). Make it a habit to be tidy

S5   Shitsuke (discipline). Follow the procedures

6 Ms -These are the six words that are used to title the arms in a fishbone diagram. The words vary but the most commonly used Ms are:

M1  Machines

M2  Methods

M3  Materials

M4  Measurements

M5  Milieu (Surrounding Environment),

M6  Manpower.

One could also add Money, Management.

7 Wastes - These

W1  Overproduction;

W2  Excess inventory;

W3  Waiting time;

W4  Unnecessary transportation;

W5  Unnecessary movement;

W6  Over processing or incorrect processing

W7  Defects; 

8D - A problem solving method that is structured into eight disciplined steps. The 8 basic steps are:

D1   Establish a team,

D2   Describe the problem,

D3   Define and verify root cause,

D4   Choose permanent corrective action, Implement corrective action,

D5   Prevent recurrence,

D6   Recognize and reward the contributors.