mechanical maintenance dictionary

DefinitionsA useful glossary with 500

maintenance & reliability terms

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1 © 2008 Life Cycle Engineering, Inc.

Rx Deninitions

5S A 5 step program to create, stabilize, organize and sustain improved

workplace environment. The 5 steps are: Seri (Sort) – organization (all necessary items close at hand, unnecessary items removed from the area); Seiton (Straighten) – orderliness (Everything in its place); Seiso (Shine) – cleanliness (clean, identify necessary repairs, effect repairs); Seiketsu (Standardize) – standardized methods of organization, cleaning, and daily activities (create standards, safe work practices, operator check lists, etc.); Shitsuke (Sustain) – discipline (implement inspections, audits, and action plans to ensure sustainment).

ABC Analysis Method of classifying materials on the basis of relative importance i.e. Monetary value; Availability of resources; Variations in Lead time; Material criticality for the running of a facility.

Action Plan The specific steps that must be taken to execute group decisions, includes who does what by when.

Activity Based Costing Method of classifying materials on the basis of relative importance i.e. Monetary value; Availability of resources; Variations in Lead time; Material criticality for the running of a facility. A – Highest priority with follow-up and control. (It is normally 10% of the volume and 70% of the dollar value). B – Medium priority (Normally, 20% of the volume, and 20% of the dollar value). C – Low priority (Normally 70% of the volume, and 10% of the dollar value).

Actual Delivery Date The actual date the supplier delivers the material.

ADD see Actual Delivery Date

Adjustment (1) Minor tune-up action requiring hand tools, no parts and less than one half hour. Adjustments restore parts or assembly relationships such as tolerance, alignment, tension, and tightness. (2) Write-up, write-down, of inventory as a result of a cycle count to adjust to the correct quantity.

Administrative Information

Information used to administer the Maintenance Program. Typical: Error Reports, Open Work Order Lists, etc.

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Agent Individual who has been given authority by a principal to act in his or her behalf.

Allocation Quantities of MRO materials that have been assigned to an order or orders, but have not been “issued” from the storeroom to maintenance.

Allocation Quantities that have been assigned to an order or orders, but have not been “issued” from the storeroom to maintenance or production.

Andon Board A visual control device in a production area, typically a lighted overhead display, giving the current status of the production system and alerting team members to problems.

Area Maintenance A type of maintenance in which the first-line Maintenance Supervisor is responsible for all maintenance within a geographical area.

Area System The Area System is a form of decentralization. It is the regrouping of forces into smaller, more manageable units. It is a philosophy of operation that establishes responsible units capable of solving their own problems, of running their own show, this within the framework of authority conferred, while reporting the results

ASRS see Automatic Storage & Retrieval System

Asset Lowest level of equipment that requires monitoring maintenance cost, equipment history and reliability information, i.e. Motor, VFD, Pump, Gearbox, Fan, Fan coil, etc.

Asset Part Pertaining to a maintenance storeroom, a part that has inventory value.

Asset Value

The items on a balance sheet that show the book value of the property owned.

Assign Ability

Transfer of one’s rights under a contract or the transfer of both rights and duties.

Attitude of Error Free Work

Our personal commitment to fulfill our agreement with our customers “the first time, every time.”

Authorized User

Any person who is authorized, by assignment of a password, to enter and use the CMMS.

Autonomation

Automation with human intelligence. Refers to semi-automatic processes where the operator and machine work together. Autonomation allows man-machine separation providing automatic detection and line stoppage. The


purpose is to free equipment from the necessity of constant human attention, separate people from machine and allow workers flexibility to perform multiple operations. Also referred to as Jidoka.

Backlog

The total number of estimated labor hours, by craft and priority, of work required to complete all identified but incomplete planned and scheduled work. Used as an index in determining how well maintenance is keeping up with the rate of work generation. Used also to help establish the proper size and composition of the work force. (See Open Work Order File.)

Backlog Purge

It occurs when all small jobs are removed from the backlog or deferred to another time.

Balanced Production

All operations or cells produce at the same cycle time. In a balanced system, the cell cycle time is less than takt time.

Bar Code

It is a machine readable symbol consisting of a series of parallel, adjacent bars, and spaces. Predetermined width patterns are used to represent actual data in the symbol. As the scanning device is moved across the symbol, the width pattern of the bars and spaces (Commonly referred to as “quiet zones”) is analyzed by the reading equipment and the original data is recovered.

Batch-and-Queue

Producing more than one piece of an item and then moving those items forward to the next operation before they are all actually needed there. Thus, items need to wait in a queue.

Benchmarking

The process of measuring products, services, and practices against those of leading companies.

Benefit Tracking

A defined cost benefit from the work process that is tracked over a period of time.

Best-in-Class

A best-known example of performance in a particular operation. One needs to define both the class and the operation to avoid using the term loosely.

Bid Bond Guarantees that if the order is awarded to a specific bidder, it will accept the purchase contract. If the bidder refuses, the extra costs to the buyer of going to an alternative source are borne by the insurer.


Bid Deposits Covers amount in liquidated damages to which the buyer would be entitled should the supplier not perform to the terms of the agreement.

Bill of Lading Document transferring goods from the shipper to the carrier and from the carrier to the recipient.

Bill of Materials

(1) All maintenance repairable or replaceable components for assets, assemblies and sub-assemblies. (2) Components that make up a Production assembly. The BOM is broken down into a Parent (the Main Piece of Equipment or the End Product of the manufacturing process) and its children (components that make up the equipment or end product).

Black Belt

Six Sigma team leaders responsible for implementing process improvement projects within the business.

Blanket Purchase Order Identifies the product or service to be purchased, the cost, the terms and conditions, and the estimated quantity for a specified period of time. Material releases are used to identify the quantity to be purchased within the specific period of time against the base purchase order. These releases are usually repetitive in nature and define requirements on regular intervals.

Blitz A blitz is a fast and focused process for improving some component of business a product line, a machine, or a process. It utilizes a cross-functional team of employees for a quick problem-solving exercise, where they focus on designing and implementing solutions to meet some well-defined goals.

BOM see Bill of Materials

Bottleneck Any resource whose capacity is equal to, or less than the demand placed on it, or which controls the maximum rate of production of resources ahead or behind the resource in the process stream.

BPR See Business Process Reengineering

Brainstorm A basic problem-solving tool which uses the unevaluated ideas of group members to generate a list of possible options. Brainstorming can generate lists of (1) problems, (2) causes, (3) solutions and (4) actions, or any list where the creativity of the group would open up new possibilities.

Breakdown Maintenance

The performance of maintenance to put failed equipment back on-line; the failure having occurred without early warning by the Preventive Maintenance System.


Break-In Work Emergency or urgent work that breaks into scheduled work. Urgent work may have enough lead-time to be put on the Daily Schedule.

Budget A plan that includes an estimate of future costs and revenues related to expected activities. The budget serves as a pattern for and a control over future operations. MRO budget: Covers items needed for the operation of a facility, but are not part of the finished product. Capital Budget: Acquisition of equipment that is capitalized as a depreciable asset on a company’s balance sheet. Materials Budget: Covers a firm’s need for production materials and components.

Business Cycle A seemingly recurring change in general business activity going from a low point (depression) to a high point (prosperity).

Business Plan A statement of income projections, costs, and profits usually accompanied by budgets and a projected balance sheet as well as a cash flow statement.

Business Process Reengineering

A management approach aiming at improvements by means of elevating efficiency and effectiveness of the processes that exist within and across organizations. The key to BPR is for organizations to look at their business processes from a "clean slate" perspective and determine how they can best construct these processes to improve how they conduct business. Business process reengineering is also known as BPR, Business Process Redesign, Business Transformation, or Business Process Change Management.

Buyer

Individual whose functions may include vendor selection, negotiation, order placement, vendor follow-up, measurement and control of vendor performance, value analysis, evaluation of new materials and processes, etc.

Capacity Constraint Resources

Where a series of non-bottlenecks, based on the sequence in which they perform their jobs can act as a constraint.

Capital Assets (1) Characterized as items having a long life and requiring a relatively high dollar outlay for acquisition. (2) Items for which the cost is more properly chargeable to a capital account rather than to an operating expense account. (3) In addition to land and buildings, capital assets include other long-life depreciable items such as furniture, fixtures, and equipment required for the manufacture and distribution of products. Virtually all of today’s communication and building systems are grouped in the capital asset category.

Capital Funded Work authorized by a capital fund authorization.


Carrying Costs Cost of carrying inventory usually defined as a percentage of the dollar value of inventory per unit of time (generally one year). This depends mainly on the cost of capital invested as well as the costs of maintaining inventory, such as taxes and insurance, obsolescence, spoilage, and space occupied. Such costs usually vary from 20 to 40% annually, depending on the environment (cf. Cost of capital, Economic Order Quantity).

Category The types of work which make up the work load performed by Maintenance. Typical: PM, emergency, urgent and planned work.

Cells

The layout of machines of different types performing different operations in a tight sequence, typically in a U-shape, to permit single piece flow and flexible deployment of human effort.

Certificate of Origin States the country of origin of the goods being shipped.

Certified Supplier A status awarded to a supplier who consistently meets predetermined quality, cost, delivery, financial, and count objectives. Incoming inspection may not be required.

Chaku-Chaku A method of conducting single-piece flow, where the operator proceeds from machine to machine, taking the part from one machine and loading it into the next.

Change Agent The catalytic force moving firms and value streams out of the world of inward-looking batch-and-queue.

Changeover

The installation of a new type of tool in a metal working machine, a different paint in a painting system, a new plastic resin and new mold in an injection molding machine, new software in a computer, and so on.

Chronic Problem

One which is characterized by long duration or frequent occurrence; one which we've chosen to live with and have accepted as a standard.

CIF

See Cost, Insurance and Freight

Claims

Any right to payment or to receive any equitable remedy, such as specific performance of a contract.


Clayton Act

Deals with trade practices (tie-in arrangements, full-line forcing, and exclusive dealing) that are unlawful when the effect may be to substantially lessen the competition or to create a monopoly.

CMMS See Computer Maintenance Management System

CMMS Spare Parts List Spare parts that are entered into the CMMS. It is a subset of BOM and some parts will be stocked and others will not, but could be ordered as required.

COGS See Cost of Goods Sold

Comity Courts in one state recognize or accept the laws of another state.

Commercial Invoice Standard invoice indicating value of the shipment and all charges.

Commonly Used Parts Refers to a combination of standard replacement parts and hardware items that may be used on many components and pieces of equipment.

Computer Maintenance Management System

Computer systems that schedule, track and monitor maintenance activities and provide cost, component item, tooling, personnel and other reporting data and history.

Conditional Probability of Failure

The probability that a failure will occur in a specific time period, provided that the item concerned has survived to the beginning of that period.

Confirming Order A purchase order issued to a supplier listing the goods or services and terms of an order placed orally or otherwise before the usual purchase document.

Conflict of Interest Any business activity, personal, or company related, that interferes with a company’s goals or that entails unethical or illegal actions.

Consensus A group decision-making method resulting in all members agreeing to go along with a certain judgment even though one or more individuals would have handled the matter differently. The method relies on leaders and members exploring facts, data and opinions of the membership to ensure all relevant information is considered and members have had a chance to speak their peace and voice their concerns.


Consigned Stocks Inventories that are in the possession of customers, dealers, agents, etc., but remain the property of the manufacturer by agreement with those in possession.

Consignment (1) A shipment that is handled by a common carrier. (2) The process of a supplier placing goods at a customer location without receiving payment until after the goods are sold or used.

Constraint Anything that limits a system from achieving higher performance, or throughput.

Construction

The creation of a new facility or the changing of the configuration or capacity of a building facility or utility. Although often performed with Maintenance Department Resources, construction work is not maintenance and should not be charged to the Maintenance Budget, where it becomes very misleading.

Consumables

Supply of materials (such as paint, cleaning materials, or fuel) that are consumed or exhausted in the production or sale of a product or service. Syn. Consumable tooling, supplies; expendables.

Continuous Flow Production

Means that items are produced and moved from one processing step to the next one piece at a time. Each process makes only the one piece that the next process needs, and the transfer batch size is one. Also called "single-piece flow" or "one-piece flow."

Contract An agreement between two or more competent persons or companies to perform or not to perform specific acts or services or to deliver merchandise. A contract may be oral or written. A Purchase Order, when accepted by a supplier, becomes a contract. Acceptance may be in writing or by performance, unless the purchase order requires acceptance in writing. (2) Fixed-Price Contract—Based on a price that will not vary from the agreed upon or understood to apply at the time of ordering. (3) Firm fixed-price—Buyer pays specific price to the seller when the latter delivers what is purchased. (4) Firm Fixed-Price with escalation—Provides for both upward and downward changes in price as a result of changes either in material or labor costs. (5) Fixed-price with re-determination—Amounts of Labor and Material are unknown, but become known with experience. (6) Fixed-Price with incentive---Establishes a target cost, a target profit, a ceiling price, and a final profit formula allowing a supplier to participate in any cost savings that accrue below target costs, thereby increasing supplier’s profits. (7) Firm fixed-price per unit level of effort—Used when neither the work nor results can be specifically defined before performance. The parties agree on a specific level of effort at a specific rate per unit of effort, after which they will assess the results and decide if additional effort is required.


Contract Accounting

The function of collecting costs incurred on a given job or contract, usually in a progress payment situation. Certain US government contracting procedures required contract accounting.

Control A process by which comparisons are made between the plan and the performance, either during or after execution. Control relies on effective, complete planning and accurate quantitative observations. It is the process of comparing these two operations. In addition, it will be necessary to have certain do's and don’ts clearly defined for all who are going to use that structure we have called organization to obtain the desired ends of the people employed. These do's and don’ts are called policies, rules and regulations.

Coordination Daily adjustments of maintenance actions to achieve the best short-terms use of resources or to accommodate changes in operational needs. The act of synchronizing various functions and duties to obtain a desired result. It is easy to see that, if methods and efforts are not synchronized, people act at cross purposes with each other and desired goals cannot be reached. To prevent such failures of methods and to ensure that all efforts shall be in the same direction, we speak of coordinating these efforts or methods.

Copyrights Rights granted by law similar to those of patents, except they grant monopolistic rights to an author, artist, or composer for the publication, production, or sale of rights to a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work.

Corrective Action Solving problems; identifying and resolving problems

Corrective Maintenance Maintenance required restoring an item to a satisfactory condition, usually identified by PM activity. It can be emergency, urgent or planned work.

Cost The total acquisition and usage cost of the procurement to the buying firm.

Cost Center

The smallest segment of an organization for which costs are collected and formally reported, typically a department. The criteria in defining cost centers are that the cost be significant and that the area of responsibility be clearly defined. A cost center is not necessarily identical to a work center; normally a cost center encompasses more than one work center, but this may not always be the case.

Cost Control

The application of procedures to monitor expenditures and performance against progress of projects and manufacturing operations with projected completion, to measure variances from authorized budgets and allow effective action to be taken to achieve minimal costs.

Cost History

A historical picture of cost expenditures against a specific unit of equipment.


Cost of Capital

The cost of maintaining a dollar of capital invested for a certain period, normally one year. This cost is normally expressed as a percentage and may be based on factors such as the average expected return on alternative investments and current bank interest rate for borrowing.

Cost of Goods Sold An accounting classification useful for determining the amount of direct materials, direct labor, and allocated overhead associated with the products sold during a given period of time.

Cost of poor quality The cost associated with providing poor-quality products or services. There are four categories of costs: (1) Internal Failure Costs – Costs associated with defects found before the customer receives the product or service. (2) External Failure Costs—Costs associated with defects found after the customer receives the product or service. (3) Appraisal costs—Costs incurred to determine the degree of conformance to quality requirements. (4) Prevention Costs—Costs incurred to keep failure and appraisal costs to a minimum.

Cost of Quality The measure of what it costs when we do our job right or when we do it wrong. It measures the cost of error as well as prevention and detection costs.

Cost Reimbursable Contracts

Guarantees the seller a price sufficient to cover costs, plus whatever an additional amount is negotiated. Sellers are guaranteed reimbursement for all allowable costs up to a pre-determined figure. Beyond that, no additional work will be done, unless an agreement is reached. The sellers are guaranteed a fee in addition to their costs. The seller does not have to achieve results in order to be paid, with most of the financial risk falling on the buyer. These contracts contain no incentives for seller efficiency or improvement. (1) Cost Plus Percentage of Cost: Seller is reimbursed for his cost and the percentage. There is no incentive to control costs. (2) Cost Plus a Fixed Fee: Guarantees a seller reimbursement for costs, plus a negotiated fixed fee. (3) Cost Plus and Incentive Fee—Establishes a target cost. If the seller’s cost is below target, both parties share in the savings, and if above, seller’s fee is reduced accordingly. (4) Cost without fee: These contracts are used by non-profit organizations and provide payment for overhead, remuneration, etc. (5) Cost Sharing: Shares costs and benefits.

Cost, Insurance, and Freight

Used along with a destination point.

Covariance The impact of one variable upon others in the same group.

CPM see Critical Path Method


Criteria Standards on which judgments can be based. Teams use criteria to evaluate options.

Critical Asset Assets identified as critical by reliability engineering that, when unable to perform, causes severe consequences for the plant or facility and lead to a shutdown of production.

Critical Parts Key parts and/or components in an asset, that if it fails, the equipment will shutdown , causing severe consequences such as plant shutdown and the inability to ship to a customer.

Critical Path Method A mathematically based algorithm for scheduling a set of project activities. It is an important tool for effective project management.

Critical Spare Parts List A listing of all critical parts.

Current State Map Helps visualize the current production process and identify sources of waste.

Customer The individual who receives the immediate output of your efforts (normally a co-worker or boss). The “customer” is the person with whom requirements are set and agreed upon.

Cycle Counting A physical inventory-taking technique where inventory is counted on a periodic schedule rather than once a year.

Daily Schedule Jobs that the maintenance supervisors have selected for technician’s assignment the following day. These jobs normally come from the Weekly Forecast List. Urgent work that breaks into the normal work for the week may be added as break-in work.

Deferred Maintenance Maintenance that can be postponed to some future date without further deterioration of equipment.

Delivery Receipt Document signed by the recipient indicating receipt of the material in good order and without damage. A bill of lading signed by the recipient often is used as a delivery receipt.

Delphi Method A quantitative Forecasting Technique where the opinions of experts are combined in a series of iterations. The result of each iteration is used to develop the next, so that convergence of the experts’ opinions is obtained.

Demand Flow The concept of pulling raw materials and products through the process strictly according to the rate customers demand the product.


Dependent Events Events that occur only after a previous event has been completed.

Desired Performance The level of performance acceptable to the owner or user of a physical asset or system.

Distribution Requirements Planning

The function of determining the need to replenish inventory at branch warehouses. A time-phased order point approach is used where the planned orders at the branch warehouse are “exploded” via MRP logic to become gross requirements on the supplying source.

Downtime Time when the machines in the plant are not producing because they are broken or down for repairs or other reasons (idle time).

DRP see Distribution Requirements Planning

DTS See Dock-To-Stock Time

Due Date The date at which purchased material or production on order is due to be available for use.

Duties

Taxes levied by governments on the importation, exportation, or use of goods. Specific duties: Charged as a specified rate per unit. Ad valor duties: Charged as a percentage of the appraised value. Compound duties: Combines specific and ad valorem rates.

EAMS See Enterprise Asset Management System

Economic Order Quantity

A fixed order quantity that minimizes the total of carrying and preparation costs under the conditions of certainty and independent demand.

EDD See Estimated Delivery Date

Emergency Repairs Immediate repairs needed as a result of failure or stoppage of critical equipment during a scheduled operating period. Imminent danger to personnel and extensive further equipment damage as well as substantial production loss will result if equipment is not repaired immediately. Scheduled work must be interrupted and overtime, if needed, would be authorized in order to perform emergency repairs. Any repair that must be done immediately to avoid injury to personnel, further damage to equipment and avoidance of costly downtime or loss of the use of the equipment. Emergency repairs should be completed within one day after discovery.

Emergency Spares Replacement equipment kept in reserve in anticipation of outages caused by man-made or natural disasters. Usually this equipment is installed by maintenance crews in the transmission and distribution departments.


EMP see Equipment Maintenance Plan

Empowerment To invest with power or give authority to complete.

Engineering Change A revision to a Parts List, Bill of Materials, or Drawings, authorized by the engineering department. Changes are usually identified by a control number and are made for safety, cost reduction, or functionality reasons. In order to effectively implement engineering changes, all affected functions, such as materials, quality assurance, engineering, maintenance, tool room personnel, etc., should review and agree to the changes.

Engineering Work Order A control document for initiating engineering project work. Often this is an authorization to use the maintenance work force or a contractor in support of specific engineering project work.

Enterprise Asset Management System

Information system that integrates all related applications for an entire enterprise. Industry term for the broad set of activities, supported by multi-module application software to help manage the business.

Enterprise Resource Planning

Information system that integrates all related applications for an entire enterprise. Industry term for the broad set of activities, supported by multi-module application software to help manage the business, including (1) Product Planning; (2) Parts Purchasing; (3) Maintaining inventories; (4) Interacting with suppliers; (5) Providing customer service: and (6) Tracking orders.

Environmental Consequences

A failure mode and/or multiple failures have environmental consequences if it could breach any corporate, municipal, regional, national, district, or international environmental standard or regulation, which applies to the physical asset or system under consideration.

Equipment Audit Inspection of mechanical and electrical components of equipment to detect out-of-specifications conditions in order to assess the adequacy of shop PM and general maintenance practices.(This activity is frequently referred to as PM in Burlington plants.)

Equipment Maintenance Plan

A plan for maintaining equipment based on asset criticality and best life cycle costs.

Equipment Modification The major changing of an existing unit of equipment or a facility from original design specification. This is not maintenance.


Equipment Repair History

The chronological listing of significant repair actions performed on key units of equipment so that chronic, persistent problems can be identified and corrected. Historic repair actions also help guide current repairs. Used as the basis for developing a forecast. (See Forecasting.)

ERP See Enterprise Resource Planning

Error Proofing Designing a potential failure or cause of failure out of a product or process.

ESA see External Setup Activity

Estimated Delivery Date Estimated Delivery Date by suppliers on delivery of an order.

Estoppel Legal principle by which a person is prevented from asserting a position that is inconsistent with his or her prior conduct, if injustice would thereby result to a person who has changed position in justifiable reliance upon that conduct.

ETR see Equipment Trouble Report

Evident failure Failure modes that will on their own become evident to the opening crew under normal circumstances.

Expediting The “rushing” or “chasing” of production or purchase orders that are needed in less than normal lead time.

Expense Financial Burden or outlay: Cost

Expense Part Pertaining to a maintenance storeroom, parts that have been expensed and have no inventory valuation.

Expensed Maintenance work that does not meet the criteria for capitalization and is charged against the maintenance budget or non-maintenance work charged to the operating budget.

External Setup Setup procedures that can be performed while equipment is in motion. OED – “Outer Exchange of Dies”

Failure Analysis (See Root Cause Analysis.)


Failure Coding An indexing of the causes of equipment failure on which corrective actions can be based, e.g., lack of lubrication, operator abuse, material fatigue, etc.

Failure consequences The way(s) in which a failure mode or a multiple failure matters.

Failure effect Occurs when a failure mode happens

Failure Evaluation Mode Analysis

A procedure in which each potential failure mode in every sub-item of an item is analyzed to determine its effect on other sub-items and on the required function of each item.

Failure finding task Scheduled task that determines when a specific hidden failure has occurred.

Failure management policy

Statement or purpose that does include on-condition tasks, scheduled restoration, scheduled discard, failure finding, run to failure, and redesign.

Failure mode One event causing a functional failure

FAS See Free Along Side

FEMA See Failure Evaluation Mode Analysis

Fiduciary duty Agency-principal relationship based on the trust and confidence of the principal.

FIFO See First-In/First Out

First-In/First Out Method of inventory valuation for accounting purposes. The assumption is that the oldest inventory (first in) is the first to be used (first out), but there is no necessary relationship with the actual physical movement of specific items.

Five Why’s The 5 why’s typically refers to the practice of asking, five times, why the failure has occurred in order to get to the root cause/causes of the problem. There can be more than one cause to a problem as well. Failure to determine the root cause assures that you will be treating the symptoms of the problem instead of its cause, in which case, you will continue to have the same problems over and over again.


Fixed Location Storage A method of storage in which a relatively permanent location is assigned for the storage of each item in a storeroom or warehouse. Although more space is needed to store parts than in a random location storage system, fixed locations become familiar, and therefore a locator file may not be necessary.

Floor Stocks, Bench Stock

Stocks of inexpensive production parts held in the factory from which production workers can draw without requisitions.

Flow

A main objective of the lean production effort, and one of the important concepts that passed directly from Henry Ford to Toyota. Ford recognized that, ideally, production should flow continuously all the way from raw material to the customer and envisioned realizing that ideal through a production system that acted as one long conveyor.

FMEA

see Failure Modes and Effects Analysis

FOB destination

Seller bears risk until the goods are transported to the buyer’s dock, after which risk will pass to the buyer.

FOB origin Seller bears risk until it loads the goods onto an appropriate carrier, after which the buyer assumes the risk of loss and must submit a claim against the carrier for damage or loss in-transit.

Force-majeure Major events (uncontrollable) that excuse a party, in whole, or in part, from performance of obligations.

Forecasting The long term projection of the best time to carry out major maintenance actions. Repair history provides a major source of these projections.

Free (Self-Service) Stock

Commonly used parts and maintenance supplies kept in Maintenance Shop, nearby in high maintenance areas or outside the storeroom. Withdrawal of this stock requires no requisition or other paperwork.

Free Along Side Requires Seller places the goods on a loading dock accessible to the carrier, at which the risk of loss transfers to the buyer.

Function

The owner or user of a physical asset or system wants it to do.


Function Failure The state in which a physical asset or system is unable to perform a specific function to a level of performance that is acceptable to its owner or user.

Function Work Work that does not lend itself to the area-type supervision, either because it requires specialized skills or because the nature of the work requires maximum mobility. Functional work is performed generally on a plant-wide basis rather than by area. Examples of functional work are: electrical and instrument repairs, trash pickup, road repairs, lawn mowing and plant beautification, etc.

Functional Layout The practice of grouping machines or activities by type of operation performed.

Functional Maintenance

A type of maintenance in which the first-line maintenance supervisor is responsible for conducting a specific kind of maintenance, e.g., pump maintenance for the entire plant.

Future State Map A blueprint for lean implementation. Your organization¹s vision, which forms the basis of your implementation plan by helping to design how the process should operate. Typically achieved by identifying and then eliminating forms of waste in the product or process.

Gemba A Japanese word meaning “real place”, where the real action take place. Gemba is where the activities to satisfy the customer are carried out.

Goal

The end towards which effort is directed. Goals are the steps directed towards the obtainment of an objective; as such, goals are more specific than objectives.

Hardware Items Bolts, nuts, washers, cotter pins and other items that are low in unit costs, carried in ample quantity, are readily available from suppliers and should be stocked in ample supply by users.

Hedge

It is any purchase or sale transaction having as its purpose the elimination of the negative aspects of price fluctuations.

Heijunka

A method of leveling total manufacturing volume as constant as possible. This involves averaging both the volume and sequence of different model types on a mixed-model production line. Also referred to as Production Smoothing.

Hidden Function Function occurring that is not detectable or evident by the operating crew.


Hoshin Kanri A process of setting goals and measurement of progress from top management. It is designed to ensure that the entire organization is engaged with the Lean process.

Hoshin Planning Also known as Management by Policy or Strategy Deployment. A means by which goals are established and measures are created to ensure progress toward those goals. HP keeps activities at all levels of the company aligned with its overarching strategic plans. HP typically begins with the "visioning process" which addresses the key questions: Where do you want to be in the future? How do want to get there? When do you want to achieve your goal? And who will be involved in achieving the goals? HP then systematically explodes the whats, whos and hows throughout the entire organization.

HP See Hoshin Planning

IED See Internal Setup

Impact The effect in dollars of a problem. High impact problems are addressed first. Measured by analysis of “cost of quality.”

Impact Analysis The tool associated with the principle of “Measure by the Cost of Quality.” This tool puts into quantifiable and no-quantifiable terms, the effects that arise from a problem that we are currently living with. A person or group would use this tool to get management's attention, prioritize problems or justify the cost of a solution.

Import declaration Declares to US Customs the content and value of the shipment, in government terminology.

Inactive Inventory

Designates the stocks that are in excess of contemplated consumption within the planning period.

Indirect Charges Man-hours distributed to indirect accounting codes for non-work activities such as safety meetings, union meetings, lunch, major delays, etc.

Indirect Cost Cost that is not directly incurred by a particular job or operation.

Indirect Labor Work required supporting production in general without being related to a specific product.

Initial Capability

Level of performance in which a physical asset or system is capable at the moment it enters service.


Inspection

The checking of equipment with the primary purpose of determining equipment reliability or repair needs and their relative urgency, often accompanied by cleaning, adjusting and minor component replacement.

Installation The installation of new or rebuilt equipment or relocation of fixed equipment.

Insurance Parts

Parts used in critical equipment and equipment components. Their usage is unpredictable since the mean times between failures of the times where they are used is unpredictable. Their costs range from a few cents to millions of dollars. Normally, they are carried in inventory under tightest control. Not having these “insurance parts” in stock can result in extended downtime and major losses of production.

Insurance spare components

A component of an insurance spare that can cause extensive downtime when not in inventory.

Insurance spares Materials, when not in stock, can cause downtime of equipment and loss of production, beyond specified limits, that may lead to severe disruption or plant shutdown.

Internal Setup Setup procedures that must be performed while machine is stopped. IED – “Inner Exchange of Dies”

Inventory The money the system has invested in purchasing things that it intends to sell.

Inventory Investment The number of dollars in all levels of inventory.

Inventory turnover Measure of inventory investment; ratio of annualized cost of sales to inventory investment at a particular time or an average.

Inventory write-off Deduction of inventory dollars from the financial statement because the inventory is no longer saleable or because of shrinkage, i.e. the value of the physical inventory is less than its book value.

ISO9000 Series Standards

A set of five individual but related international standards on quality management and quality assurance developed to help companies effectively document the quality system elements to be implemented to maintain an efficient quality system. The standards, initially published in 1987, are not specific to any particular industry, product, or service. The standards were developed by the International Standards Organization (ISO), a specialized international agency for standardization composed of the national standards bodies of 91 countries.


Item Master File Computer file containing data, control values, inventory status, requirements and planned orders.

Jidoka

Stopping a line automatically when a defective part is detected. See Autonomation.

JIT see Just-In-Time

Just-in-Time

JIT is a system for producing and delivering the right items at the right time, in the right amounts. The key elements of Just-in-Time are Flow, Pull, Standard Work, and Takt Time. Implementing JIT requires most features of lean manufacturing.

Kaikaku Radical improvement, usually applied only once within a value stream, used as a precursor to kaizen activities.

Kaizen (Kai = change; Zen = good) Continuous, incremental improvement of an activity to create more value with less waste. The term Kaizen Blitz refers to a team approach to quickly tear down and rebuild a process layout to function more efficiently. Continuing improvement in personal life, home life, social life, and working life. When applied to the workplace, kaizen means continuing improvement involving everyone – managers and workers alike. Every process can and should be continually evaluated and improved in terms of time required, resources used, resultant quality, and other aspects relevant to the process.

Kaizen Event Any action whose output is intended to be an improvement to an existing process. In the US this is sometimes misconstrued to be a method of implementing change. The true intent of a kaizen event is to hold small events attended by the owners and operators of a process to make improvements to that process which are within scope of the process participants.

Kanban A signaling device that gives instruction for production or conveyance of items in a pull system operating according to the following rules: 1) Quality is ensured prior to movement 2) Nothing is produced or moved without a Kanban 3) Only the quantity indicated is produced or moved 3) Production processes should be standardized, smoothed and sequenced

Key Performance Indicator

Key measurement on performance also an indicator on trends. Historical data on productivity/operating costs, maintenance labor and material costs, and performance/availability data as examples.


Key Performance Measurements

Quantified activities that provide indication or trending of activities.

Kitting Components pulled from stock and readied for delivery to a secured maintenance or production area. Usually, a Kit means more than one SKU per.

KPI see Key Performance Indicator

KPM see Key Performance Measurements

Labor Utilization The percentage of time that a maintenance crew is available to perform productive work during a scheduled working period.

Last In, First Out Method of inventory valuation for accounting purposes. The assumption is made that the most recently received (Last In) is the last to be used or sold (Last Out). There is no necessary relationship with the actual physical movement of specific items.

Lay-Up Maintenance Preventive Maintenance, usually non-intrusive, that is designed to ensure that inventory items in storage are ready for issue. These represent parts that need attention. Examples are: (1) electric motors (turning of shafts; (2) Gearboxes; (3) Bearing Lubrication; (4) Belts; (5) Gaskets; (6) Pillow Block Bearings. Lay up maintenance activities normally begin with a Preventive Maintenance Work Order.

LCCA see Life Cycle Cost Analysis

Lead Time The total time a customer must wait to receive a product after placing an order. When a scheduling and production system is running at or below capacity, lead time and throughput time are the same. When demand exceeds the capacity of a system, there is additional waiting time before the start of scheduling and production, and lead time exceeds throughput time.

Lean Business processes requiring less human effort, capital investment, floor space, materials, and time in all aspects of operation. The philosophy of continually reducing waste in all areas and in all forms. Characteristics of a Lean process include: (1) Production is pulled through the process only when it is needed at the next step instead of a push system (2) Smooth flow instead of batches (3) Zero inventory (4) Standardized processes (5) Waste reduction (6) Lead time reduction (7) Employee involvement


Lease A lease is a contract where one party (lessee) has use and possession of an asset owned by another party (lessor) for a period of time in return for monetary payment. (1) Operating Lease—equipment is required for short time periods or subject to rapid obsolescence, and where the leasing organization is not interested in owning the equipment. (2) Financial Lease—Runs for life of equipment and are non-cancelable. (2a) Full payout—Lessee pays full purchase price plus interest, maintenance, insurance, and administrative cost. (2b) Partial payout—Lessee pays difference between the original purchase price and the resale value, plus interest. (3) Leveraged Lease—Third party lessor buying an asset from an equipment producer and leases it to another firm. These are formed because of unique tax and borrowing power the arrangement provides the lessor. The lender’s debt is secured by an asset, and by the financial capacity of the lessee. (4) Master Lease—Similar to a blanket order contract; i.e. uses predetermined and negotiated terms and conditions for various equipment leased over a given time period. (5) Dry Lease/Wet Lease-A dry lease provides only for financing, and often called a straight lease. (6) Sale and Leaseback---Owner sells asset to 2nd party, leases it back, and uses the asset on a leased basis.

Letter Contract Typically used as an authorization by the buyer or seller to start work, often before complete details of the deal are finalized. Normal practice clearly states limits to buyer liability, in the event the whole deal cannot be satisfactorily concluded, and to assert buyer terms and conditions of the purchase.

Letter of Credit Used in international trade. It is issued by the buyer’s bank stating that the funds are reserved for payment for a specific shipment, and stating the exact terms and conditions for the shipment.

Life Cycle Cost Analysis

Examining the true cost (acquisition, storage, and repair) of parts or assets in terms of useful life and making maintenance decisions accordingly.

Life Cycle Costing Attempts to estimate the total cost of ownership including the acquiring, installing, using, maintaining, and in a few cases removal and disposal of the capital asset.

LIFO see Last In, First Out

Line Balancing Equalizing cycle times for relatively small units of the manufacturing process, through proper assignment of workers and machines; ensures smooth production flow.

Load-Load See Chaku-Chaku


Locator System A system for maintaining a record of the storage locations of items in inventory.

Lubrication Route

A dedicated path taken by a lubrication technician for periodic lubrication of equipment. A route should have a check sheet of all the equipment that describes the type of lubricant, number of lube points, type of fittings, when and how lubrication should be done and the oil change frequency.

Maintenance The routine, recurring repair and upkeep required to keep facilities and equipment in a safe effective condition enabling it to be utilized at original design capacity and efficiency or some other level specified by management as the maintenance objective. Maintenance is normally an operating cost, although some projects, such as overhauls, performed with maintenance resources may be capitalized. The term maintenance means capacity assurance, to minimize downtime, increase production, and maximize profits.

Maintenance Engineering

A staff effort aimed at ensuring that maintenance techniques are effective, that equipment is engineered for maximum maintainability, that persistent and chronic problems are discovered and corrective actions or modifications made. Responsible for review or the adequacy or repair materials used in maintenance; determination or critical parts and adequacy of stockage of replacement parts; monitor the utilization of the maintenance work force; preparation of specifications for repair and new equipment selection; and other related similar actions.

Maintenance Material(s) The parts and supplies used to maintain and repair plant equipment and facilities.

Maintenance Repair Operating Supplies

Maintenance materials purchased or in stores that are used for repair of or used in operating assets or facilities.

Maintenance Repair Operations

Fixing any sort of mechanical or electrical device should it become out of order or broken (repair) as well as performing the routine actions which keep the device in working order (maintenance) or prevent trouble from arising (preventive maintenance).

Maintenance Supplies Commonly used support items that aid in maintaining and repairing plant equipment and facilities.

Maintenance Work The repair and upkeep of existing equipment, facilities, buildings or areas in accordance with current design specifications to keep them in a safe, effective conditions while meeting their intended purposes.

Maintenance Work Order

A formal document for controlling planned and scheduled work.


Maintenance Work Order System

A means of communicating maintenance needs, planning, scheduling, controlling work and focusing field data to create information.

Maintenance Work Request

An informal document for requesting unscheduled or emergency work or a format for requesting all maintenance work. In the latter usage, one the MWR is approved, it becomes a MWO.

Major Repairs Extensive, non-routine, scheduled repairs, requiring deliberate shutdown of equipment, the use of repair crew possibly covering several elapsed shifts, significant materials, rigging and, if needed, the use of lifting equipment.

Make or Buy Decision The act of deciding whether to produce an item in-house or buy it from an outside vendor.

Manage by Prevention

Planning job activities so that we keep problems from occurring. Doing so provides the biggest return for the amount of resources expended.

Manifest Consolidates multiple shipments from the shipper to the carrier for a single or for multiple recipients. It lists the contents of all orders on one document.

Material Requisition An authorization either in the form of a slip of paper or a punched card that identifies the type and quantity of parts required to be withdrawn from an inventory.

Maximum Order Quantity

An order quantity modifier, applied after the lot size has been calculated, that limits the order quantity to a pre-established maximum.

MCA see Motor Current Analysis

Mean Time Between Failure

Reactive maintenance characteristic measured by dividing time by number of breakdowns or emergency work orders.

Mean Time To Repair Maintainability of individual equipment, average time to repair

Measurable Capable of being compared to a standard; quality (meeting the requirements) is measured by whether or not the agreed requirements are metyes or not. As criteria, it is the degree to which some measurement (money, time, and units) may be traced to a problem.

Min/Max system Inventory management technique in which a replenishment order is placed when the available stock falls to the minimum level or below it. The quantity is the difference between the available quantity and the maximum (target) level.


Min/Max system—Inventory management technique

A replenishment order is placed when the available stock falls to the minimum level or below it. The quantity is the difference between the available quantity and the maximum (target) level.

Minor Repairs Repairs usually performed by one man using hand tools, few parts and usually completed in less than one-half shift.

Mistake Proofing Any change to an operation that helps the operator reduce or eliminate mistakes.

Mixed Model Production Capability to produce a variety of models, that in fact differ in labor and material content, on the same production line; allows for efficient utilization of resources while providing rapid response to marketplace demands.

MRO see Maintenance Repair Operations

MRO Supplies see Maintenance Repair Operating Supplies

MTBF see Mean Time Between Failure

MTTR see Mean Time To Repair

Muda Waste; anything that interrupts the flow of products and services through the value stream and out to the customer is designated Muda or waste.

Multiple Failure Event occurring if a protected function fails while its protective device or protective system is in a failed state.

MWO see Maintenance Work Order

MWR see Maintenance Work Request

NASIC Abbreviation for North American Standard Industrial Classification. These are codes that are used to categorize companies into industry groupings.

Natural Work Group A group of individuals from within a given department or function who develop and implement solutions to problems occurring within the jurisdiction of that department or function.


NDT see Non-Destructive Testing

Non-Destructive Testing Nondestructive testing techniques intended to predict wear rate, state of deterioration or imminent equipment failure. These include vibration analysis, oil sampling, sonic testing, dye testing, infrared testing, etc.

Non-Destructive Testing Techniques intended to predict wear rate, state of deterioration or imminent equipment failure. Techniques include dye penetrant testing, magnetic particle inspection, ultrasonic thickness testing, and the like. May also include other predictive technologies such as vibration analysis, oil sampling, airborne ultrasonic’s, thermography, etc.

Non-Maintenance Construction, major modification of equipment, installation or relocation of equipment where none previously existed. This work is normally capital-funded. Some non-maintenance work of a minor nature could be expensed.

Non-Operational Consequence

Failure mode, with non operational consequences, that is not hidden, and does not have safety, environmental or operational consequences.

Non-Routine Maintenance

Maintenance performed at irregular intervals with each job unique.

Non-Value Added

Activities or actions taken that add no real value to the product or service making such activities or action a form of waste.

NWG see Natural Work Group

Objective Something towards which effort is directed; an aim, goal or end of action. A strategic position to be attained or a purpose to be achieved. Objectives are statements of general plans towards which an organization's efforts are directed.

Obsolescence Materials that have a model or style change, technological development, deterioration, asset removal, inactivity, etc.

OCR see Optical Character Recognition

OED See External Setup

OEE see Overall Equipment Effectiveness

OGA see Oil & Gas Analysis


Oil Analysis A predictive maintenance technique used to determine the quality of the lubricant and/or the condition of the equipment being lubricated.

Oil Analysis A part of Preventive and Predictive Maintenance. It is the taking of oil samples from a piece of equipment one a month periodically and sending them off to be for analysis. This is a proven method of determining machine condition and reducing malfunction, based on analysis of the particles in the oil.

On Hand Balance shown in perpetual inventory records as being physically present at the stocking location.

On-Condition Task

A scheduled task that is used to determine whether a potential failure has occurred.

One Piece Flow Producing one unit at a time, as opposed to producing in large lots or batches.

Open Ended Questions

Requires a response; solicits information (who, what, where, when, which, how, why).

Open Work Order File

A listing of all work orders currently open.

Operating Context

Circumstances in which a physical asset or system is expected to operate.

Operating Expenses

The money required the system to convert inventory into throughput.

Operating Maintenance

Includes properly operating, caring for, cleaning and, in specific cases, lubricating equipment. This category of PM may also include certain inspections, tests, making minor adjustments, replacing frequently worn parts and correcting minor defects while equipments is operating. Operating personnel may be given the responsibility of performing much of this work, which is short-cycle preventive maintenance and may be done continuously or frequently, such as every shift, daily or more often than once a month.

Operational Consequence

Failure mode or multiple failures that has operational consequences if it could adversely affect the operational capability of a physical asset or system (output, product quality, customer service, military capability, or operating costs in addition to the cost of repair).


Operator Care Includes properly operating, caring for, cleaning and, in specific cases, lubricating equipment. This category of PM may also include certain inspections, tests, making minor adjustments, replacing frequently-worn parts and correcting minor defects while equipments is operating.

Opportunity Cost The return on capital that could have resulted had the capital been used for some purpose other than its present use. It usually refers to the best alternative use of the capital; at other times, however, to the average return from feasible alternatives.

Optimization Achieving the best possible solution to a problem in terms of a specified objective function.

Output

The information, service or products supplied to customers.

Overall Equipment Effectiveness

A measure of manufacturing capacity utilization that is calculated as the product of availability, throughput efficiency, and quality (each expressed as a percentage). Availability X Efficiency (Usual run speed) X Quality (all expressed as percentages)

Overhauls The inspection, teardown and repair of a total unit of equipment to restore it to effective operating condition in accordance with current design specifications.

Overproduction Producing more, sooner or faster than is required by the next process.

Packing List List of the contents of each carton in the shipment.

Pareto Analysis A problem-solving tool that helps arrange collected data so that comparisons can be made about problem causes. “Pareto's Principle” states that results and causes of results are not equally distributed, but that 80% of the results come from 20% of the causes. Therefore, teams can focus their efforts on eliminating/reducing the 20% of the causes that will produce results. The “Pareto Chart” displays the data.

Parole-Evidence Rule

Prohibits the introduction of oral testimony to change the terms of a written contract or agreement.

Part Number

A number that serves to uniquely identify a component, product, or raw material (cf. significant part numbers).

Partial Order Any shipment received or shipped that is less than the amount ordered.

Parts Requisition An authorization either in the form of a slip of paper or a punched card that identifies the type and quantity of parts required to be withdrawn from an inventory.

Past Due An order that has not been completed on time.


Patents Issued after due proceedings on application to the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D.C. United States patents grant their owners, for a limited period, the right to exclude others under the patent. Patents may cover a new and useful process, machine, method of manufacture, composition of matter, or any new or useful improvement. (2) Patent Pending: Patent is before the Patent Office for consideration.

P-Card Procurement (credit) Cards, typically provided for low-value procurement of parts or materials when normal procurement channels are not available (nights, weekends, etc.)

PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act)

PLAN Senior management should use the visioning process in the context of its Business Plan. HP translates the Business Plans to action plans, meaningful to all levels of the organization. DO Answer the whats, hows, and whos for the total number of tiers for your organization; remember, the fewer the number of tiers, the better. Also, this is the time to bring management together and provide them with a basic understanding of HP mechanics. CHECK On a periodic basis, review the measurements and note what you’ve learned that can help in the future. ACT Make the necessary adjustments to plans and priorities in order to ensure the success of the strategy breakthroughs.

PdM see Predictive Maintenance

PDPC see Process Decision Program Chart

Perfection Always optimizing value-added activities and eliminating waste.

Performance Bonds Requires the supplier to post a performance bond guaranteeing prompt delivery of goods that meet specifications.

Performance Excellence Overall view of business unit with opportunities and risks identified.

Performance Indices

Ratios, graphs, etc., which convey, at a glance, short-term accomplishments versus long-term trends.

Periodic Maintenance

Cyclic maintenance actions or component replacements carried out at known regular intervals, often based on repair history and regulated by current PM inspection results; includes inspecting, testing, partial dismantling, replacing consumables or complete equipment items, lubricating, cleaning and other work short of overhaul or renovation. This PPM requires equipment to be scheduled out of service and may be done at intermediate intervals, usually ranging from monthly to annually.


Periodic Maintenance Cyclical maintenance actions or component replacements carried out at known regular intervals. Usually intrusive, they are often based on repair history and regulated by current PM inspection results; includes inspecting, testing, partial dismantling, replacing consumables or complete equipment items, lubricating, cleaning and other work short of overhaul or renovation. This PM usually requires equipment to be scheduled out of service and may be done at intermediate intervals, usually ranging from monthly to annually.

Perpetual Inventory Inventory record-keeping system where each transaction is recorded and a new balance computed.

Personal Protective Equipment

Individual safety equipment

PERT see Program Evaluation and Review Technique

PF Curve see Potential to Failure Curve

PF interval see Potential to Failure interval

Physical Inventory Determination of inventory quantity by an actual count.

Pick List Document used to pick materials for work orders.

Planned/Scheduled Maintenance Work

Planned and scheduled maintenance is work which, by virtue of cost, importance, extensive labor and materials required, etc., should be planned to ensure, when scheduled, that it can be completed with the least interruption to operations and the most efficient use of maintenance resources.

Planning Determination of resources needed and the development of anticipated actions necessary to perform a scheduled major fob. An orderly appraisal and guarantee of all the prerequisites necessary to ensure completion of a given job at a predetermined time. It cover availability of ordered equipment, stores, materials, production, shutdowns, sketches, prints, specifications, etc.

PLC see Program Logic Controller

PM see Preventative Maintenance


PM Check Sheets Lists tasks to be performed on a designated unit. It defines with instructions what component is to be inspected, what to look for, what limits are acceptable and a means to report the conditions found. It also notes any minor adjustments if limits are exceeded and repairs are not necessary. Minor materials and parts are identified for possible periodic change out (filter, etc..).It also notes limits that, if exceeded, require corrective maintenance.

Poka-Yoke

A manufacturing technique of preventing mistakes by designing the manufacturing process, equipment, and tools so that an operation literally cannot be performed incorrectly; an attempt to perform incorrectly, as well as being prevented, is usually met with a warning signal of some sort.

Poka-Yoke

Improving Product Quality by Preventing Defects

Policy

A definite course or method of action selected from among alternatives and in light of given conditions to aid mangers to guide and determine present and future decisions about recurring situations or functions. Policies are broad direction of an authoritative nature laid down for the purpose of enabling all management decisions to be properly determined and adequately carried out in the successful attainment of the goals established.

Potential to Failure Curve

Comparative charting of different approaches to maintenance and the incidence of failure.

Potential to Failure interval

Interval between the point at which a potential failure becomes detectable and the point at which it degrades into a functional failure. (Also known as ‘failure development period’ or ‘lead time to failure.’)

PPE see Personal Protective Equipment

Predictive Maintenance Based on non-destructive testing and statistical analysis. It is used to predict when required maintenance is to be scheduled. (2) The use of instruments and analysis to predict failure before it takes place, based on a change from normal conditions. Examples include vibration analyzers to detect slight increases in high-frequency vibration amplitude in bearings; infrared scanners to detect poor electrical connections. Predictive maintenance consists of three things, (1) monitoring, (2) trending and (3) diagnostics. The resultant information allows for the application of timely corrective maintenance based on a machine's actual condition This is part of Preventive Maintenance. All predictive work stems from documented instructions or chick sheets that are issued from documented schedules.

Predictive Maintenance The use of instruments and analysis to determine equipment condition in order to predict failure before it takes place so corrective maintenance can be done in a planned and scheduled fashion. Examples include vibration analysis, oil analysis, thermography, airborne ultrasonic’s, NDT, motor


current signature analysis, trending of process parameters, etc.

Prevention Analysis The tool associated with the principle of “Manage by Prevention.” By using this tool, problems can be brought out and dealt with before an activity is performed. Planning before the fact is always less expensive than reacting and patching after the fact.

Preventive Maintenance Activities, including adjustments, replacements, and basic cleanliness that forestall machine breakdowns. The purpose is to ensure that production quality is maintained and that delivery schedules are met. In addition, a machine that is well cared for will last longer and cause fewer problems (2) Equipment inspection and nondestructive testing to determine future repair needs and their urgency. Lubrication and minor adjustments to prolong equipment life. Cleaning, adjusting and minor component replacement. Inspection of mechanical and electrical components of equipment to detect out-of-specification conditions (excessive heat or vibration, lack of lubricant, etc.) in order to correct such conditions before premature failures results. Early warning effort to identify developing problems and need for early corrective maintenance. Routine visual and audio check of equipment, Lubrication, Housekeeping and Predictive Maintenance, (Preventive Maintenance uses human senses; Predictive Maintenance applies sensory instrumentation.) All work credited to PM is from documented instructions or check sheets that are issued from documented schedules

Preventive Maintenance Overhaul and Shutdown

Includes major work involving dismantling and inspecting equipment before breakdown occurs. It includes replacing or reconditioning equipment and components that have reached or are approaching their theoretical maximum life limit determined by predictive techniques. This activity includes major overhauls and is long-cycle PPM performed generally at intervals varying from six months to more than a year. This category of maintenance does not include overhauls, the need for which is generated outside of PPM guidelines, such as at fixed intervals regardless of equipment condition.

Primary function(s) The function(s) constituting reasons why a physical asset or system is acquired by its owner or user.

Priority

The relative importance of a single job in relationship to other jobs, operational needs, safety, equipment condition, etc., and the time-frame within which the job should be done. Used primarily for Planned Work which subsequently will be scheduled.

Priority Worksheet Problem-solving tools used to help in decision making; similar to Triadic Evaluation except that options are rated against several criteria.

Problem/Cause A serious condition or situation which prevents us from doing our job right the first time. The problem/cause is the difference between our current output and our desired output. It could be chronic or sporadic.


Problem/Cause Statements

Identified effects, clearly understood by the group and stated in terms that reflect the impact of the problem/cause.

Procedure A series of steps followed in a regular definite order in which activities or tasks are to be carried out.

Process The flow of material in time and space. The accumulation of sub-processes or operations that transform material from raw material to finished product.

Process Decision Program Chart

A technique designed to help prepare contingency plans. The emphasis of the PDPC is to identify the consequential impact of failure on activity plans, and create appropriate contingency plans to limit risks. Process diagrams and planning tree diagrams are extended by a couple of levels when the PDPC is applied to the bottom level tasks on those diagrams.

Process Kaizen Improvements made at an individual process or in a specific area. Sometimes called "point kaizen".

Processing Time The time a product is actually being worked on in a machine or work area.

Program Evaluation and Review Technique

Commonly abbreviated PERT, is a model for project management designed to analyze and represent the tasks involved in completing a given project.

Program Evaluation and Review technique

A network planning technique for the analysis of a project’s completion time. It uses an algorithm that permits identification of the critical path, the string of sequential activities that determines the project’s completion time. PERT time estimates are probabilistic, based on pessimistic, most likely, and optimistic time estimates for each activity.

Project Work Construction, installation, equipment, relocation or modification of equipment, buildings, facilities or utilities to gain economic advantage, replace worn, damaged or obsolete equipment, satisfy a safety requirement, attain additional operating capacity or meet a basic need. Usually capital-funded, seldom true maintenance.

Protective device or Protective system

Device or system intended to avoid, eliminate, or minimize consequences of failure in another system.


Pull A system of cascading production and delivery instructions from downstream to upstream activities in which the upstream supplier waits until the downstream customer signals a need. A pull system means producing only what has been consumed by downstream activities or customers.

Pull System One of the 3 elements of JIT. In the pull systems, the downstream process takes the product they need and pulls it from the producer. This customers pull is a signal to the producer that the product is sold. The pull system links accurate information with the process to minimize waiting and overproduction.

Purchase Order The authorization documentation for obtaining direct-charge materials or services from vendors or contractors.

Push System In contrast to the pull system, product is pushed into a process, regardless of whether it is needed. The pushed product goes into inventory, and lacking a pull signal from the customer indicating that it has been bought, more of the same product could be overproduced and put in inventory.

Px see Performance Excellence

QFD see Quality Function Deployment

Quality Meeting the measurable requirements agreed upon with the customer.

Quality Meeting the measurable requirements agreed upon with our customers. When we meet these requirements, we have “quality”; when we don't, we have an “absence of quality.”

Quality Function Deployment

A visual decision-making procedure for multi-skilled project teams which develops a common understanding of the voice of the customer and a consensus on the final engineering specifications of the product that has the commitment of the entire team. QFD integrates the perspectives of team members from different disciplines, ensures that their efforts are focused on resolving key trade-offs in a consistent manner against measurable performance targets for the product, and deploys these decisions through successive levels of detail. The use of QFD eliminates expensive backflows and rework as projects near launch.

Queue Time The time a product spends in a line awaiting the next design, order processing, or fabrication step.


Quick Changeover

The ability to change tooling and fixtures rapidly (usually minutes), so multiple products can be run on the same machine. See also SMED

Radio Frequency A frequency or rate of oscillation within the range of about 3 Hz to 300 GHz. This range corresponds to frequency of alternating current electrical signals used to produce and detect radio waves. Since most of this range is beyond the vibration rate that most mechanical systems can respond to, RF usually refers to oscillations in electrical circuits or electromagnetic radiation.

RAM see Random Access Memory

Random Access Memory

(Usually known by its acronym, RAM) is a type of computer data storage. Today it takes the form of integrated circuits that allow the stored data to be accessed in any order, i.e. at random. The word random thus refers to the fact that any piece of data can be returned in a constant time, regardless of its physical location and whether or not it is related to the previous piece of data.[1]

Random Location Storage

A storage technique in which parts are placed in any space that is empty when they arrive at the storeroom. Although this random method requires the use of a locator file to identify part locations, it often requires less storage space than a fixed location storage method.

Ranking Index for Maintenance Expenditures

A method for prioritizing maintenance work that takes both equipment criticality and work importance into account to arrive at an overall job priority.

Ranking Index Maintenance Expenditures

Method to classify maintenance work based on asset criticality and work classification.

RASI A matrix to show Responsibility, Accountability, Support and Information for each step of a work flow process.

RAV see Replacement Asset Value

Raw Materials Purchased items or extracted materials that is converted via the manufacturing process into components and products. It is also purchased items for maintenance.

RCM see Reliability Centered Maintenance

RDD see Required Delivery Date


RE see Reliability Engineering

Rebuild The repair of a component to restore it to serviceable condition in accordance with current design specifications.

Reengineering The engine that drives Time-Based Competition. To gain speed, firms must apply the principles of reengineering to rethink and redesign every process and move it closer to the customer.

Regulations Rules that are concerned with methods of activity or performance. Both rules and regulations are derived from the broader policies of the organization.

Reliability Centered Maintenance

A process used to determine the maintenance requirements of physical assets in their present operating context.

Reliability Engineering Developing methods and guidelines for performance improvements.

Reliability Engineering A staff effort aimed at ensuring that maintenance techniques are effective, that equipment is engineered for maximum maintainability, that persistent and chronic problems are discovered and corrective actions or modifications made. Responsible for review or the adequacy or repair materials used in maintenance; determination or critical parts and adequate of supply of replacement parts; monitor the utilization of the maintenance work force; preparation of specifications fro repair and new equipment selection; and other related similar actions. Change to Reliability

Relocate Move fixed equipment to a different stationary location.

Repair Work generated outside of the PM programmed – either by a failure or reported problem for equipment that has a PM designed capacity and efficiency by replacement of parts or after deterioration, overhaul to enable continued processing of materials. programmed and is not classed as RTF (run to fail), restoration of a facility to a condition equivalent to its original or

Repair History The chronological listing of significant repairs made on key units of equipment and the analysis of these repairs to help identify chronic, repetitive problems, failure trends and the life-span of critical components.

Repetitive Maintenance Maintenance jobs that have a known labor and material content and occur regularly (daily, weekly, etc.)

Replacement Asset Value

Total value of all installed assets at a facility or plant.


Replacement materials (Standard)

Materials that can be used on more than one component or piece of equipment.

Replacements Replacement covers badly worn parts (chains, belts, bearings) that are no longer capable of adjustment and must be replaced. Consumable parts, such as seals and gaskets, are other examples of replacement parts. Scheduled replacement is performed to avoid costly repairs.

Reposition Move mobile equipment to a new working location.

Request for Proposal An invitation for suppliers, often through a bidding process, to submit a proposal on a specific commodity or service. A bidding process is one of the best methods for leveraging a company's negotiating ability and purchasing power with suppliers. The Request process brings structure to the procurement decision and allows the risks and benefits to be identified clearly upfront. [citation needed] The Request purchase process is lengthier than others,[citation needed] so it is used only where its many advantages outweigh any disadvantages and delays caused. The added benefit of input from a broad spectrum of functional experts ensures that the solution chosen will suit the company's requirements.

Requested Maintenance A request for maintenance service that did not emanate from the PM system, but did provide sufficient lead-time to allow proper, proactive, planning and scheduling.

Required Delivery Date Date required for the material to be delivered.

Requirement Documented and agreed upon standards and objectives that specify what is to be done, how it is done and what is expected as the output of the efforts.

Requirements Analysis The tool associated with the principle “Meeting the Requirements.” A basic tool used to analyze supplier/customer relationships to make sure clear requirements have been communicated.

Requisition A request for material or service.

Reservation of Rights

Buyer reserves all rights to contract performance in accordance with the stated terms and conditions.

Resource Utilization

Using a resource in a way that increases throughput.

Return Material Authorization

A transaction whereby the recipient of a product arranges to return defective goods to the supplier to have the product repaired or replaced or in order to receive a refund or credit for another product from the same retailer or corporation. In practice, an RMA is only issued after a series of tests.


Return On Investment Typically used as a way to determine worthiness of project or major investment. (Overall benefit / savings divided by total cost)

RF see Radio Frequency

RFP see Request for Proposal

RFQ see Request for Quotes

Right Size Matching tooling and equipment to the job and space requirements of lean production.

RIME see Ranking Index for Maintenance Expenditures

RMA see Return Material Authorization

RO see Results Oriented Integration

Robinson-Patman Act Prohibits price discrimination for goods of like grade and quality where the end result may be to substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly.

ROI see Return On Investment

Rolling Four Week Schedule

A method of analyzing events (usually failures) to determine those causes that, if corrected, will prevent or reduce the likelihood of a recurrence. This is usually a function of Reliability Engineering.

Root Cause (Failure) Analysis

Root Cause or Failure Analysis is the maintenance engineering discipline that directs attention to repetitive or costly failures in assets in order to determine the underlying weakness (defect) that has caused the failure. Once the nature of the defect is isolated, it is then possible to design appropriate engineering action to eliminate or minimize impact of the failure. The documentation, prioritization, and analysis of the mechanism that caused the failure are an important part of the improvement effort. Involving maintenance personnel in the analysis phase provides opportunity to learn and increase technical knowledge, contribute significantly to breakdown prevention, and provides “hands on” experience sometimes crucial in developing practical corrective solutions. These activities are basic to satisfying higher psychological needs as defined by behaviorists. As in other participative management efforts, the hourly maintenance person must be provided the training necessary for participation. This involves training to recognize the types of failures and their causes in various machines and machine components such as bearings, gears; etc. Another equally important benefit of worker involvement is understanding developed concerning the failure modes which reduce machine availability. Through failure analysis the


maintenance person learns how to recognize the symptoms and “tracks” of defects and how they occur. Such understanding is the best possible training for “quality maintenance workmanship.” When the consequence of poor or sloppy maintenance procedure is understood, mechanics are much better conditioned to understand the necessity of and practice of proper method.

Routine Maintenance (repetitive work)

Janitorial work, building and grounds work. Often applied to personnel who perform highly repetitive work such as tool sharpening, etc. Services performed consistently in the same manner includes actions such as grass-cutting, freeze-protection, janitorial services.

Rules Standards or guides for performing specific operations or limiting the activities of people.

Run to Failure A failure management policy permitting a specific failure mode to occur without any attempt to anticipate or prevent it.

Safety consequences A failure mode or multiple failure having safety consequences if it could injure or kill a human being.

SAW Surface Acoustical Wave

Schedule Compliance The degree to which the schedule “contract” was adhered to, calculated as the percentage of actual hours worked on scheduled jobs against total scheduled hours (%).

Schedule Compliance The number of planned and scheduled jobs or PM services actually accomplished during the period covered by an approved schedule. The number of actual man-hours worked against scheduled man-hours (%).

Scheduled Discard Task that entails discarding an item or component at or before a specified age limit regardless of its condition at the time.

Scheduled Maintenance Extensive major repair, rebuilds, overhauls, major component change-outs, etc., requiring advanced planning, lead time to assemble materials, scheduling equipment shutdown to ensure availability of repair-facility space and allocation labor.

Scheduled Restoration Task(s) restoring the initial capability of an item or component at or before a specified age limit, regardless of its condition at the time.

Scheduled Shutdown A “shutdown” is defined as the scheduled removal of a facility from service to open, clean, inspect, repair, add, alter, close and test operating components; then return of the facility to service with a predetermined interval of time.


Scheduling Determination of the best time to perform a planned maintenance job to appreciate operational needs and the best use of maintenance resources. A system of accomplishing engineering and maintenance at a predetermined time that coincides as closely as possible with the date on which the work is required. It implies the orderly use of engineering and craft skills to accomplish the greatest good at any particular time.

Scrap Material outside of specifications and possess characteristics that make retention or rework impractical. Unusable parts.

Secondary function Functions in which a physical asset or system has to fulfill apart from its primary functions, such as those needed to fulfill regulatory requirements and those which concern issues such as protection, control, containment, comfort, appearance, structural integrity, and energy efficiency.

Sensei A master or teacher who assists in the student learning how to implementing improved or better practices.

Sequential Changeover Also sequential set-up. When changeover times are within Takt time, changeovers can be performed one after another in a flow line. Sequential changeover assures that the lost time for each process in the line is minimized to one Takt beat. A set-up team or expert follows the operator, so that by the time the operator has made one round of the flow line (at Takt time), it has been completely changed over to the next product.

Service Level Agreement

Service Level Agreement. This has the same meaning as “ Customer Agreement

Serviceability Design characteristic that allows the easy and efficient performance of service activities. Service activities include those activities required to keep equipment in operating condition, such as lubrication, fueling, oiling, and cleaning. A measure to the degree to which servicing of an item will be accomplished within a given time under specified conditions.

Seven wastes Taiichi Ohno¹s original catalog of the wastes commonly found in physical production. 1. Overproduction ahead of demand 2. Waiting for the next processing stop, unnecessary 3. Transportation of materials or information 4. Processing of parts due to poor tool or product design or misunderstood customer requirements 5. Inventories more than the absolute minimum 6. Unnecessary motion by employees during the course of their work 7. defects

SFMEA see Simplified Failure Modes and Effects Analysis


Shelf Life The amount of time an item may be held in inventory before it becomes questionable as a usable item.

Shelf Life Control/Rotation

A technique of physical first-in, first-out (FIFO) usage aimed at minimizing stock obsolescence.

Sherman Anti-Trust Act

Prohibits contracts, combinations, and conspiracies that result in a restraint of trade.

Shutdown

A “shutdown” is defined as the scheduled removal of a facility from service to open, clean, inspect, repair, add, alter, close and test operating components; then return of the facility to service with a predetermined interval of time.

SIC see Standard Industrial Classification

Simplified Failure Modes and Effects Analysis

A focused approach to identify likely failures and the potential for collateral damages.

Single Minute Exchange of Dies

A series of techniques designed for changeovers of production machinery in less than ten minutes. Obviously, the long-term objective is always Zero Setup, in which changeovers are instantaneous and do not interfere in any way with continuous flow. Also referred to as Quick Changeover

Single-Piece Flow A situation in which products proceed, one complete product at a time, through various operations in design, order taking, and production, without interruptions, backflows, or scrap.

Single-Source Supplier A company that is selected to have 100% of the business for a part, although alternate suppliers are available.

Six Sigma Often paired with Lean, Six Sigma’s focus is quality, while Lean concentrates on waste. They are increasingly used together to attack both manufacturing issues in a coordinated fashion.

SKU See Stock keeping Unit


SLA see Service Level Agreement

SMED see Single Minute Exchange of Dies

Solution An activity that eliminates (or reduces the impact of) a root cause.

SOP See Standard Operating Procedure.

Spares (Specialized Spare Parts)

Parts that are used in and are unique to specific equipment components and equipment.

Specifications Technical definition of configuration or performance requirements to meet intended utilization of equipment or materials.

Sporadic Problem A problem that is characterized by only occasional occurrence or by scattered instances; also a problem that triggers alarm signals and requires a response.

SQC see Statistical Quality Control

SSIIA see Simplified Systematic Handling Analysis

SSLP see Simplified Systematic Layout Planning

Staged Material Kitted material placed in a secured holding area for pick up at a later time.

Staging

Pulling material for an order from inventory before the material is required. This action is often taken to identify shortages, but it can lead to increased problems in availability and inventory accuracy.

Staging and Consolidation

Physically moving material from the packing area to a staging area, based on a prescribed set of instructions related to a particular outbound vehicle or delivery route, often for shipment consolidation purposes.

Standard Industrial Classification

Abbreviation for Standard Industrial Classification. These are codes that are used to categorize companies into industry groupings.

Standard Operating Procedure

A written procedure used to ensure reasonable uniformity each time a significant task is performed.


Standard Replacement Parts

Parts that can be used on more than one component or piece of equipment. These parts may be carried in stock by suppliers for a number of users. Delivery lead times are predictable so stock-outs can be managed.

Standard Work A precise description of each work activity specifying cycle time, takt time, the work sequence of specific tasks, and the minimum inventory of parts on hand needed to conduct the activity.

Standards These involve comparison with accepted norms, such as are set by regulatory bodies.

Standing Work Order

A type of work order that is used to capture labor used on routine, repetitive actions where capture of history is not important. Examples include shop cleanup, toolbox meetings, etc.

Step Definition A definition of each step of the workflow process.

Stock Issue Card The authorized document for making stock material withdrawals.

Stock keeping Unit An item in stores with an assigned inventory number. The unit quantity of a specific SKU in inventory may be one or more; it may also be out of stock.

Stock-out When picking material that is showing available in the computer system, but physically not in the stock location, it is a stock out.

Stock-out costs The costs associated with a stock-out. Those costs may include lost sales, backorder costs, expediting, and additional manufacturing and purchasing costs.

Stock point A designated location in an active area of operation into which material is placed and from which it is taken. Not necessarily a stockroom isolated from activity, it is a way of tracking and controlling active material.

Stock Status A periodic report showing the inventory on hand and usually showing the inventory on order and some sales or usage history for the products that are covered in the stock status report.

Storage the retention of parts or products for future use or shipment.


Storage costs A subset of inventory carrying costs, including the cost of warehouse utilities, material handling personnel, equipment maintenance, building maintenance, and security personnel.

Stores Stored materials used for maintaining facilities, assets, operating supplies, and production materials. Room in which stored components, parts, assemblies, tools, fixtures, etc. are kept.

Stores Issue order See Pick List

Sub Contracting Sending production or maintenance work outside to another manufacturer.

Sub-Assembly Logical group of assets that serves a common function within an assembly. i.e. Pump drive train, Fan drive train, Chilled water within AHU, steam system with AHU etc. (2) Component assemblies that are part of a larger assembly.

Sub-Optimization A condition where gains made in one activity are offset by losses in another activity or activities, created by the same actions crating gains in the first activity.

Substitution The use of a non-primary product or component, normally when the primary item is not available.

Sunk Cost

The un-recovered balance of an investment. It is a cost, already paid, that is not relevant to the decision, concerning the future that is being made. Capital already invested that for some reason cannot be retrieved. A past cost that has no relevance with respect to future receipts and disbursements of a facility undergoing an economic study. This concept implies that since a past outlay is the same regardless of the alternative selected, it should not influence the choice between alternatives.

Symptom

Evidence that a problem/cause exists. This evidence needs to be clarified to determine the impact of the problem/cause.

System A system is nothing more, or less, than an orderly, habitual or routine method, or methods, by which the regular activities of a part of a business, like maintenance, are carried on. Within Maintenance, System usually refers to the Maintenance Management Information System.

System Kaizen Improvement aimed at an entire value stream.


Systems Contracting Normally used in MRO material purchases. It has a high degree of integration between the buyer-seller operations, which typically result in a net reduction of inventory for both. It authorizes designated employees to place orders with the supplier for specific materials as needed during the time the contract is in force. This type of system is referred to as “STOCKLESS PURCHASING”.

Takt Time The available production time divided by the rate of customer demand. For example, if customers demand 240 widgets per day and the factory operations 480 minutes per day, takt time is two minutes; if customers want two new products designed per month, takt time is two weeks. Takt time sets the pace of production to match the rate of customer demand and becomes the heartbeat of any lean system.

Tank Inventory Goods stored in tanks. These goods may be raw materials, intermediates, or finished goods. The description of inventory as tank inventory indicates the necessity of calculating the quantity on hand from the levels within the tanks.

Tare-weight The weight of a substance, obtained by deducting the weight of the empty container from the gross weight of the full container.

Target A specific, quantitative measurement established in order to measure progress towards a goal.

Target Costing Designing a product to meet a specific objective. Target costing involves setting the planned selling price, subtracting the desired profit as well as marketing and distribution costs, leaving the required manufacturing or target cost.

Target Inventory Level In a min-max inventory system, the equivalent of the maximum. The target inventory is equal to the order point plus a variable order quantity. It is often called an order-up-to inventory level and is used in a periodic review system.

Teardown All work items required between the end of one operation or job and the start of setup for the next operation or job, both jobs requiring the same machinery or facilities.

Teardown time (1) The time needed to remove a setup from a machine or facility. Teardown is an element of manufacturing lead-time, but it is often allowed for in a setup or runtime rather than separately. (2) The amount of time needed to “teardown” equipment during a repair.

Technically feasible Task(s) physically possible to reduce, or enable action to be taken to reduce the consequences of the associated failure mode to an extent that might be acceptable to the owner or user of the asset.


Theory of Constraints A lean management philosophy that stresses removal of constraints or bottlenecks to increase throughput while decreasing inventory and operating expenses.

Thermography A predictive maintenance technique that measures infrared energy emanating from an object. Usually used to detect high resistance in electrical connections or excessive friction in operating equipment.

Throughput Time The time required for a product to proceed from concept to launch, order to delivery, or raw materials into the hands of the customer. This includes both processing and queue time.

Time and Material Contracts

Provides payment for labor and overhead at a given rate per hour, plus the sales price of parts, supplies, and materials.

Time Distribution Card The authorized document for reporting the use of labor against specific jobs.

Tolerance

Allowable departure from a nominal value established by design engineers that is deemed acceptable for the functioning of the product or service over its life cycle.

Tolerance Limits The upper and lower extreme values permitted by the tolerance. In work measurement, the limits between which specified operations time value or other work unit will be expected to vary.

Tool Calibration frequency

The recommended length of time between tool calibrations. It is normally expressed in days.

Tool Number

The identification number assigned to reference and controls a specific tool.

Total Cost

Sum of all costs, regardless of which department or firm incurs them.

Total Productive Maintenance

An innovative approach to maintenance, popularized in Japan, that optimizes equipment effectiveness, eliminates breakdowns and promotes autonomous operator maintenance through day-to-day activities involving the total work force.

Total Quality Management

A business management strategy aimed at embedding awareness of quality in all organizational processes. TQM has been widely used in manufacturing, education, call centers, government, and service industries, as well as NASA space and science programs

TPM see Total Productive Maintenance


TQM see Total Quality Management

Turnover Inventory turnover. A measurement, usually calculated in number of items per time period, of the rate of usage of inventory.

Two bin system A type of fixed order system in which inventory is carried in two bins. A replenishment quantity is ordered when the first bin is empty. During the replenishment lead-time, material is used from the second bin. When the material is received, the second bin is refilled and the excess put into the working bin. At this time stock is drawn from the first bin until it is again exhausted. This term is also used loosely to describe any fixed order system even when physical bins do not exist.

UCC see Uniform Commercial Code

UE see Ultrasound

Ultrasound Predictive technique used to detect conditions hidden by housings, covers or other obstructions.

Uniform Commercial Code

Provisions protect parties to commercial transactions involving the sale of goods to the end that the aggrieved party may be put in as good a position as if the other party had fully performed.

Universal Product Code A barcode symbol (i.e., a specific type of barcode), that is widely used in the United States and Canada for tracking trade items in stores.

Unscheduled Repairs Unscheduled non-emergency work of short duration. Work can be accomplished within approximately one week with little danger of equipment failure in the interim. These repairs are typically made by one person in less than 2 hours with materials needed in about 50% of the instances. Unscheduled repairs should be completed within one week after they are discovered.

UPC see Universal Product Code

Valuation The technique of determining worth, typically of inventory.

Value A capability provided to a customer, for which they will pay, at the right time at an appropriate price, as defined in each case by the customer.


Value Chain Activities outside of your organization that add value to your final product, such as the value adding activities of your suppliers.

Value Stream The specific activities required to design order and provide a specific product, from concept to launch, order to delivery, and raw materials into the hands of the customer.

Value Stream Mapping A visual representation of how product or materials flow from supplier through manufacturing to the customer. It creates a visual map and allows the analysis of how the process really works (which is updated through the use of a future-state value stream).

Value-Added Analysis With this activity, a process improvement team strips the process down to it essential elements. The team isolates the activities that in the eyes of the customer actually add value to the product or service. The remaining non-value adding activities ("waste") are targeted for extinction.

Vendor Managed Inventory

Where an outside vendor is located inside a plant with MRO inventories and manages it. Parts are received, stored, issued just as in a store or warehouse. When issued the plant is billed. It is usually very cost effective, as it eliminates inventories, as the inventory is not used until needed.

Verbal Orders A means of assigning emergency work when required reaction time does not permit advanced preparation of a work order document. Verbal orders must be followed up with a written work order.

Vibration Analysis This is a part of Predictive Maintenance. It is the work performed on mechanical rotating equipment to evaluate any undesirable changes that might indicate the beginning of failure. This may lead to the recommendation of a logical course of maintenance actions to correct the problem before secondary damage or catastrophic failure can occur.

Visual Control The control of authorized levels of inventory in a way that is instantly and visibly obvious. This type of inventory control is used in a workplace organization where everything has a place and is in its place.

Wall-to-Wall Inventory An inventory management system in which material enters a plant and is processed through the plant into finished product without ever having entered a formal stock area

Warehouse Management System

A key part of the supply chain and primarily aims to control the movement and storage of materials within a warehouse and process the associated transactions, including shipping, receiving, put away and picking. The systems also direct and optimize stock put away based on real-time information about the status of bin utilization.


Warranty A commitment either expressed or implied that a certain fact regarding the subject matter of a contract is presently true or will be true. The word should be distinguished from guarantee, which means a contract or promise by an entity to answer for the performance of a product or person.

Waste Anything that uses resources, but does not add real value to the product or service, which the customer will not pay for.

Weekly Forecast List of planned work selected from the backlog, forecasted to be scheduled during the following week.

What if Analysis The process of evaluating alternate strategies by answering the consequences of changes to forecasts, manufacturing plans, inventory levels, etc.

WIP see Work in Progress

Withdrawal Removal of material from stores.

WKPI see Warehouse Key Performance Indicators

WMS see Warehouse Management System

Work Cell A logical and productive grouping of machinery, tooling, and personnel which produces a family of similar products.

Work Force The personnel who carry out the work of operating and maintaining a facility.

Work in Progress Product or inventory in various stages of completion throughout the plant, from raw material to completed product.

Work Order An order to the machine shop for tool manufacture or to the maintenance department for equipment maintenance or repair. Authorization to start work on maintenance.

Work Sampling The statistical measure of the utilization of labor to determine productivity.

Work Type The types of work that make up the workload performed by Maintenance. Typical: PM, emergency, urgent and planned work.


Workload The number of labor hours required to carry out a maintenance program.

World Class The philosophy of being the best, the fastest, and the lowest cost producer of a product or service. It implies the constant improvement of offerings to remain an industry leader and provide the best choice for customers.

World Class Quality A term used to indicate a standard of excellence: The best of the best.

Worth doing Schedule task that is worth doing if it reduces (avoids, eliminates, or minimizes) the consequences of the associated failure mode to an extent that justifies the direct and indirect costs of doing the task.

WR see Maintenance Work Request

Yield Produced product related to scheduled product –OR– percentage of a process or product that is free from defects.

mechanical maintenance dictionary

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