The Definitive Guide to Manufacturing Acronyms

Posted by Diane Murray on Thu, Feb 23, 2017

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Research produced by LNS often includes acronyms used by the industries we serve. Some refer to
highly technical concepts specific to manufacturing and industrial companies, while others are broadly
used business terms used across most industries. Use this quick reference to enhance understanding
as you read the research content. If you’d like to learn more about any term or acronym, explore
Wikipedia, Google, or one of the many manufacturing and industrial associations that serve your
industry or profession.

Is there an acronym that we should add? Comment below, and we’ll add suggestions appropriate for
the LNS reader community.

3P production, preparation, process

6σ six sigma
AGV automated guided vehicle
AI artificial intelligence
AIM asset integrity management
AIP asset investment planning
ALM asset lifecycle management
APC advanced process control
API application programmable interface
APM asset performance management
APQP advanced product quality plan
APS advanced planning and scheduling
AQE advanced quality engineer
AR augmented reality
B2B business to business
B2C business to consumer
BI business intelligence
BOM bill of materials
BPI business process improvement
CAE computer aided engineering (simulation)
CAFM computer-aided facilities management
CAMS complex assembly manufacturing solution
CAPA corrective and preventive actions
CBM or
condition-based maintenance
CbM
CEO chief executive officer
CFO chief financial officer
CDO chief digital officer
CFR code of federal regulations
CI continuous improvement
CIL critical items list
CIO chief information officer -or- chief informatics officer
CM calibration management
CMM capability maturity model
CMMS computerized maintenance management system
CMO chief marketing officer
CNC computer numerical control
CoA certificate of analysis
CoC certificate of conformance
CoE center of excellence
CoGQ cost of good quality
COGS cost of goods sold
COO chief operating officer -or- chief operations officer
CoPQ cost of poor quality
COTS commercial off-the-shelf (as in COTS software)
Ĉpk process capability index
CPwE converged plant-wide Ethernet
CRM client relationship management
CSR corporate social responsibility
CT cycle time
DCS distributed control system
DFA design for assembly
DFM design for maintenance
DFM design for manufacturability
DFMEA design failure mode effects analysis
DFQ design for quality
DfR or DFR design for reliability
DFSS design for six sigma
define ® measure ® analyze ® improve ® control
DMAIC
(acronym pronounced duh-MAY-ick)
DPMO defects per million opportunities
DPPM defective parts per million
DX digital transformation
EA enterprise architecture
EAM enterprise asset management
EBITDA earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization
EBOM engineering bill of materials
EBR electronic batch records
EDMS enterprise document management system
EH&S environment, health and safety
EHS environment, health and safety
EHSQ environment, health, safety and quality
EMI enterprise manufacturing intelligence
EPC engineering, procurement and construction
EPEx every product every interval
EQMS enterprise quality management software
ERM enterprise risk management
ERP enterprise resource planning
ESB enterprise service bus
ESM enterprise sustainability management
ETO engineer to order
EWI electronic work instructions
FEA finite element analysis
FFMEA functional failure mode effects analysis
FMEA failure mode effects analysis
FMECA failure mode effect and criticality analysis
FMES failure mode effect summary
FPY first pass yield
FRACAS failure reporting analysis and corrective action system
FSM field service management
GAAP generally accepted accounting principles
GDOT generic dynamic optimization technology
GRC governance, risk and compliance
HACCP hazard analysis and critical control points
HOP human and operational performance
HMI human-machine interface
IATF International Automotive Task Force
ICS industrial control system
IEC International Electrotechnical Commission
IEM industrial energy management
IIoT industrial internet of things
I/O input/output
IoT internet of things
IRM intelligent risk management
ISA International Society of Automation
ISO International Standards Organization
ISV independent software vendor
IT information technology
IX industrial transformation
JIT just in time
KPI key performance indicator
LIMS laboratory information management system
LIS laboratory information system
LMS learning management system
M2M machine-to-machine
MBOM manufacturing bill of materials
MDM master data management
MES manufacturing execution system
MI manufacturing intelligence, see EMI
MIU machine interface unit
MMI man machine interface
MOM manufacturing operations management
MPM manufacturing process management
MQTT message queuing telemetry transport
maintenance, repair and overhaul -or- maintenance, repair and
MRO
operations
MRP material requirements planning
MTBE mean time between events
MTBF mean time between failures
MTO make-to-order
MTS make-to-stock
MTTF mean time to failure
MTTR mean time to repair
MOU memorandum of understanding
NC / CAPA non-conformances / corrective and preventive actions
NPI new product introduction
O&M operations and maintenance
OA operational architecture
OBC operator balance chart
OEE overall equipment effectiveness
OEM original equipment manufacturer
OHS occupational health and safety
OI operations intelligence
OLE object linking and embedding
OODA observe, orient, decide, and act decision cycle
OOO out of specification
OPC PLC OPC compliant PLC
OPC openness, productivity, and connectivity
OPC_UA OPC unified architecture
ORM operational risk management
OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration
OT operational technology
OTD on-time delivery
OTS operator training simulator -or- operator training system
P&ID piping and instrumentation diagram
PAC process/programmable automation controller
PAT process analytical technology
PCB printed circuit board
PDCA plan, do, check, act
PdM predictive maintenance
PDM product data management
PFD process flow diagram
PFEP plan for every part
PFMEA process failure mode effects analysis
PLC programmable logic controller
PLM product lifecycle management
PLT production lead time
PM preventative maintenance -or- preventive maintenance
PPAP production part approval process
PPK process performance
PSM process safety management
QFD quality function deployment
QMS quality management system
R&D research and development
RCA root cause analysis
RCFA root case failure analysis
RCM reliability-centered maintenance
RCMA reliability-centered maintenance analysis
REST representational state transfer
RFI request for information
RFID radio frequency identification
RFP request for proposal
RFQ request for quote
ROI return on investment
RONA return on net assets
RPA robotic process automation
RTU remote terminal unit
RxM prescriptive maintenance
SIF serious injury and fatality [prevention program]
SCAR supplier corrective action report
SCM supply chain management
SCSC smart connected supply chain
SFC shop floor control
SDR supplier defect rate
SE systems engineering
SIL safety integrity level
SMED single minute exchange of die
SOP standard operating procedure
SPC statistical process control
SQC statistical quality control
SQE supplier quality engineer
SQM supplier quality management
TCoQ total cost of quality
TIS tank inventory system
TOC theory of constraints
TPM total productive maintenance
TPM trusted platform module
TPS Toyota production system
TQC total quality control
TQM total quality management
TTM time to market
UX user experience
VCT value creating time
VR virtual reality
VSM value stream mapping
WI work instruction
WIP work in progress
WMS warehouse management system
WO work order