| © FrVdb |
| acronym |
in full |
definition |
| APQP |
Advanced Product Quality Planning |
A structured method of defining and establishing the steps necessary to assure that a product satisfies the customer. |
| Benchmarking |
Benchmarking (technical) |
An in-depth investigation to determine how competitors and/or best-in-class companies achieve their level of performance. |
| BIC |
Best In Class |
The best performing (~ best selling) competitor in a business branch. |
| BP |
Best Practice |
The practices or systems in a company that performed exceptionally well and are recognized as improving an organization's performance and efficiency in specific areas. |
| BOM |
Bill Of Materials |
A Bill of Materials is an ordered list of the parts, sub-assemblies, assemblies and raw materials that defines a product. |
| CAD |
Computer Aided Design |
Computer and software used for the design of industrial products. In Automotive industry (IBM)CATIA, Pro-Engineer, IDEAS are widely used systems. |
| CAE |
Computer Aided Engineering |
Computer and software used for the construction and analysis of objects using virtual models. This may include activities of design, planning, construction, analysis, and production planning and preparation. |
| CAM |
Computer Aided Manufacturing |
Computer and software used for the management and controlling of the manufacturing of industrial products. |
| CP |
Confirmation Prototype |
A milestone / gateway in a vehicle development program. The period of time needed to confirm the quality of the prototype vehicles. |
| DOE |
Design of Experience |
A way to design items, based on previous experience. |
| DVP |
Design Verification Plan |
A process to verify the robustness of a design |
EURO 4
EURO 5 |
European vehicle emission standards |
A sets of requirements, defining the acceptable limits for exhaust emissions (NOx, HC, CO and PM) of new vehicles sold in EU member states. The Euro 4 standards (Jan. 2005) are defined in directive 98/69/EC, further amendments in 2002/80/EC. |
| FMEA |
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |
A way to analyse the quality of a design or a manufacturing process, even before it is finished. Most car manufacturers provide instructions how to execute the FMEA. |
| FIFO |
First in, first out |
A system, assuring that the first items used are also the first items manufactured. |
| 1PP |
First Producton Part |
A milestone / gateway in a vehicle development program. The vehicles and the period of time needed to make the first production-like vehicles. |
| Fishbone |
Fishbone diagram |
Diagrams that examine root causes of problems. Continually asking "why?" until the real cause is revealed. They are typically used to depict causes of a certain problem and to group them according to categories, often people/management, equipment, environment, supplies, process. |
| Poke Yoke |
Foolproof, mistake- or error proof |
Means (mostly technical devices) for eliminating defects by making a process robust to mistakes (foolproof) |
| FSS |
Full Service Supplier |
A tier one supplier that is taking the lead in the development of new part of a vehicle. From styling, design, development, production launch, manufacturing up to the end of life cycle of that part. |
| GD&T |
Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing |
A way to represent the dimensions and tolerances on a drawing, based on the final function and requirements of the part. |
| G8D |
Global 8 Disciplines |
A documented problem solving process in 8 logical steps |
| ISO 9001 |
ISO 9001 |
A set of standards approved by the International Standards Organization (ISO) that define a quality assurance program. ISO 9001 involves all 20 elements including design. |
| Jidoka |
Jidoka |
Jidoka, as practiced at Toyota has several meanings. It may mean "automation with human intelligence". |
| J1 |
Job 1 |
A milestone / gateway in a vehicle development program. Production start date, also called "SOP" date. |
| JIT |
Just In Time |
A production system to make what the customer needs when the customer needs it in the quantity the customer needs, using minimal resources of manpower, material, and machinery. The three elements to making Just-in-Time possible are Takt time, Flow production, and the Pull system. |
| KAIZEN |
Kaizen |
Taken from the Japanese words kai and zen, where kai means change and zen means good. The popular meaning is continual improvement of all areas of a company not just quality. |
| KANBAN |
Kanban |
Japanese word for 'sign' or 'card" Kanbans are typically a re-order cards or other method of triggering the pull system based on actual usage of material. Kanbans are attached to the actual product, at the point of use. Kanban cards have information about the parts (name, part number, quantity, source, destination, etc) but carts, boxes, and electronic signals can also be used. |
| LM |
Lean Manufacturing |
A business practice focused on eliminating all waste in manufacturing processes. Principles of lean include zero waiting time, zero inventory, scheduling, cut batch sizes, line balancing and cutting actual process times. |
| LL |
Lessons Learned |
Documented knowledge gained from an activity, which are systematically captured as either tips or stories. |
| OEM |
Original Equipment Manufacturer |
A company that manufactures or assembles a product and sells it to a reseller. In the automotive industry, OEM represents vehicle manufacturers. |
| Pareto |
Pareto |
A concept, based on a theory that most issues are caused by only a few causes. |
| PPAP |
Production Part Approval Process |
An automotive process that defines the generic requirements for approval of production parts. Its purpose is to determine during an actual production run whether all customer requirements are properly understood and met by the supplier and that the process is able to produce the product on a consistent way. |
| PMT |
Program Management Team |
The team that is managing a program.
Program to be understood to mean a (part of a) new car. |
| Pull System |
Pull System |
A customer driven work replenishment system involving 'pulling' the exact quantity of parts required out of a finished parts stores. A Kanban issues the instruction to replenish the stock. |
| QA |
Quality Assurance |
The whole organisation and system that is assuring the quality of a component. |
| QOS |
Quality Operating System |
Also called BOS: Business Operating System. A data driven system to analyse and measure the performance in order to improve the strategic positioning of the business, the product and the process. |
| QS 9000 |
QS 9000 |
The automotive sector specific version of ISO. The core of the QS 9000 standard is the ISO standard. |
| R&D |
Research & Development |
Basic or applied research for the purpose of creating new, or for improving existing materials, devices, products or processes. |
| RASIC |
Responsible Approval Support Inform Consult |
A process to getting a program approved in a timely manner. A RASIC chart shows who is responsible for all of the these steps and who all are involved. |
| Rev Eng |
Reverse Engineering |
The process of recreating a design by analyzing a final product |
| SCM |
Supply Chain Management |
The management, logistics and control of the entire chain of supply of parts from the component manufacturer to the assembler, processer to the final customer. Real-time data exchange, reduce inventory and improve the logistics are some of the targets of SCM. |
| 6 Sigma |
Six Sigma |
Six Sigma Quality process, focused on reducing defects to a six sigma level (3.4 defects per million parts; 0.00034%), for all practical purposes zero defects, using the DMAIC process (define, measure, analyse, improve, control). |
| SUV |
Sport Utility Vehicle |
Also called a 4x4 vehicle |
| SQAM |
Supplier Quality Assurance Manual |
Toyota, Honda: the manual, system and documents to assure the quality of the components of a car. |
| SOP |
Start of production |
A milestone / gateway in a vehicle development program. Production start date, also called "Job 1" date |
| SOW |
Statement Of Work |
A statement outlining the specific services a contractor is expected to perform, generally indicating the type, level and quality of service, as well as the time schedule required. |
| SF |
System Fill |
A milestone / gateway in a vehicle development program. The process and the time needed to fill the production system with the first parts. |
| TPS |
Toyota Production System |
A coherent manufacturing system based on a.o. KAIZEN, JIT, JIDOKA, Genchi Genbutsu. |
| TQM |
Total Quality Management |
A management system based on continuous monitoring and steady improvement of product, process and service with the involvement of the entire workforce. |
| TS16949 |
ISO/TS 16949:2002 International Standard Organisation Technical Specification 16949:2002 |
An ISO Technical Specification, developed by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF), which aligns existing American (QS-9000), German (VDA6.1), French (EAQF) and Italian (AVSQ) automotive quality systems standards within the global automotive industry, with the aim of eliminating the need for multiple certifications to satisfy multiple customer requirements. |
| WERS |
World Engineering Release System |
A system to communicate and release new parts or engineering changes to parts. |
