Manufacturing & Production Scheduling Glossary
A comprehensive glossary of manufacturing, production scheduling, and lean manufacturing terms. Learn key concepts from A to Z.
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B
Batch Size
The number of units produced in a single production run between changeovers, balancing changeover costs against inventory holding costs.
Bill of Materials (BOM)
A comprehensive list of all raw materials, components, sub-assemblies, and quantities needed to manufacture a finished product.
Bottleneck
The workstation or process step with the lowest capacity in a production system, which limits the throughput of the entire line.
C
Capacity Planning
The process of determining the production capacity needed to meet current and future demand for manufactured products.
Changeover Time
The elapsed time between the last good unit of the previous product and the first good unit of the next product during a production line or machine transition.
Cycle Time
The total time from the beginning to the end of a production process for one unit, including processing time, queue time, and any delays.
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K
L
Lead Time
The total elapsed time from when a customer places an order until the finished product is delivered, including processing, waiting, and transportation time.
Lean Manufacturing
A systematic methodology for eliminating waste in manufacturing processes while continuously improving productivity and quality.
Line Balancing
The process of distributing work elements evenly across workstations in a production line so that each station's cycle time is as close to takt time as possible.
M
Master Production Schedule (MPS)
A plan that specifies what products will be manufactured, in what quantities, and when — serving as the primary driver of detailed production planning.
Material Requirements Planning (MRP)
A computer-based system that calculates material needs based on the production schedule, bill of materials, and current inventory to ensure materials arrive when needed.
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P
Poka-Yoke (Error Proofing)
A Japanese term for mistake-proofing — designing processes, equipment, and tools so that errors are either impossible to make or immediately detectable.
Production Scheduling Software
Specialized software that helps manufacturers plan, visualize, and optimize the timing and sequence of production operations across manufacturing resources.
Pull System
A production control method where downstream consumption triggers upstream production, ensuring that nothing is made until it is actually needed.
S
Six Sigma
A data-driven quality methodology that uses statistical tools to identify and eliminate defects, targeting no more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities.
SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die)
A lean methodology for reducing equipment changeover time to under 10 minutes by converting internal setup activities to external ones.
Standard Work
The documented current best practice for performing a manufacturing task, defining the sequence, timing, and standard inventory needed for consistent quality and efficiency.
T
Takt Time
The rate at which a finished product must be produced to meet customer demand, calculated by dividing available production time by customer demand.
Theory of Constraints (TOC)
A management philosophy that identifies the most limiting factor (constraint) in a system and systematically improves it to achieve the organization's goals.
Throughput
The rate at which a manufacturing system produces finished goods, typically measured in units per hour, shift, or day.
Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
A holistic approach to equipment maintenance that strives for zero breakdowns, zero defects, and zero accidents by involving all employees in proactive maintenance activities.
V
Value Stream Mapping (VSM)
A lean tool that visually maps the flow of materials and information from raw material to customer delivery, highlighting waste and improvement opportunities.
Visual Management
A lean approach that uses visual signals, displays, and indicators to communicate information instantly, making the status of production processes visible at a glance.
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