Whether you're new to manufacturing management or just need a quick refresher, this glossary covers the essential terms and acronyms used in production planning, shop floor scheduling, and lean manufacturing.
- Bill of Materials (BOM)
- A comprehensive list of parts, items, assemblies, and other materials required to create a product.
- Capacity Planning
- The process of determining the production capacity needed by an organization to meet changing demands for its products. Crucial for avoiding bottlenecks. Learn more →
- ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)
- Software that manages main business processes. Often considered too complex for small manufacturers who prefer simpler ERP alternatives.
- Job Card / Traveler
- A physical or digital job card used to authorize and record work to be performed, routing it through the required operations.
- Kanban
- A scheduling system for lean manufacturing and just-in-time production, often using visual cards to signal demand.
- OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness)
- A measure of how well a manufacturing operation is utilized compared to its full potential.
- Shop Floor Scheduling
- The process of organizing, assigning, and tracking work across a manufacturing facility to ensure on-time delivery.
- T-Card System
- A visual planning board using T-shaped cards dropped into slots to track job status. Increasingly being replaced by digital whiteboards.
- WIP (Work in Progress)
- Partially finished goods awaiting completion. Keeping WIP low is a primary goal of lean manufacturing.
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