Lean Manufacturing Glossary

A visual management system that displays the status of a production line and alerts teams to quality or process problems.

The process step with the lowest capacity that limits the throughput of the entire production system.

Arranging workstations and equipment in a sequence that supports a smooth flow of materials and components through the process with minimal transport or delay.

A production method where work-in-progress moves through the process one piece at a time without stopping or accumulating between steps.

The actual time required to complete one cycle of a process or operation from start to finish.

An iterative root-cause analysis technique that involves asking 'why' five times to trace a problem back to its fundamental cause.

The actual place where value-creating work is performed; the principle of going to the source to observe and understand.

Production leveling that distributes production volume and mix evenly over time to reduce variability and smooth workflow.

A strategic planning and management method that aligns organizational goals from top leadership through every level of the company.

The principle of building quality into production by enabling machines and workers to detect and stop for abnormalities immediately.

A production strategy that produces the right item, in the right quantity, at the right time to minimize inventory and waste.

The practice of continuous incremental improvement involving all employees in identifying and eliminating waste.

A visual signal-based system that controls the production and movement of items based on actual consumption rather than forecasts.

The total elapsed time from order placement to delivery of the finished product to the customer.

Any activity that consumes resources but creates no value for the customer; waste in any of seven categories.

Unevenness or inconsistency in workloads and processes that causes fluctuations and disruptions.

Overburden placed on people or equipment beyond their reasonable capacity, leading to breakdowns and quality problems.

Processing and moving one item at a time through each step of production, eliminating batch-and-queue delays.

Plan-Do-Check-Act, a four-step iterative cycle for continuous improvement and structured problem-solving.

Error-proofing mechanisms that prevent mistakes from occurring or make them immediately detectable.

A production control method where downstream processes signal upstream processes to produce only what is needed.

Single-Minute Exchange of Die, a methodology for reducing equipment changeover time to under ten minutes.

The current best practice for performing a task, documented to ensure consistency, safety, and quality as a baseline for improvement.

The rate at which products must be completed to meet customer demand, calculated as available production time divided by demand.

The complete sequence of activities, both value-adding and non-value-adding, required to bring a product from raw material to the customer.