LSSx.0 Wiki

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2 terms

5 Whys Asking "why" repeatedly to trace a symptom back to the condition that produced it, rather than stopping at the first plausible explanation. Simple enough to run in a meeting, and the usual first step before heavier root-cause tools. 5S Five steps for organising a workspace so that abnormality becomes visible: sort, set in order, shine, standardise, sustain.

A

2 terms

A3 Method A problem-solving format that constrains context, analysis, countermeasures and follow-up to a single page. The size limit is the method: it forces the thinking to be complete and legible rather than sprawling. Andon A signal that lets anyone doing the work stop it and call for help the moment something is wrong, rather than passing a problem downstream.

C

2 terms

Control Charts A chart that separates the normal variation of a stable process from a genuine signal, so teams stop reacting to noise. The basis for deciding whether a shift in an indicator warrants action at all. Control Plan The document that says what gets measured, how often, by whom, and what happens when it drifts — the thing that stops an improvement decaying.

D

1 term

DMAIC The five-phase improvement cycle — Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control — that structures a Six Sigma project from framing the problem to holding the gain.

F

1 term

FMEA Failure Mode and Effects Analysis: a structured review of how a process or product could fail, how severe each failure would be, and how likely it is to be detected. Used before problems occur rather than after.

G

2 terms

Gage R&R A study of how much of the observed variation comes from the measurement system itself rather than the thing being measured. Gemba Walk Going to where the work actually happens to observe it directly, rather than steering from dashboards and reports. Closes the gap between what indicators measure and what is really going on.

H

2 terms

Heijunka Levelling production so that volume and mix stay steady over time, because variable demand amplifies as it travels upstream. Hoshin Kanri A method for cascading strategic objectives down through an organization so that daily work connects to the direction set at the top, and progress travels back up. Also called policy deployment.

I

1 term

Ishikawa Diagram A structured way to lay out every possible cause of a problem across categories such as method, material, machine and manpower, so the analysis covers the field instead of settling on the first candidate.

J

1 term

Jidoka Building the detection of abnormality into the process itself, so it stops on its own rather than producing defects until someone notices.

K

2 terms

Kaizen Continuous improvement through many small changes made by the people doing the work, rather than occasional large projects run by specialists. Kanban A signalling system that lets downstream demand pull work forward, limiting how much can be in progress at once.

L

3 terms

Lean Manufacturing The production system built on eliminating waste, levelling flow and pulling to customer demand. The origin of most Lean tooling, and the reference point the rest of the discipline extends from. Lean Office Applying Lean to administrative and support processes, where the waste is in handoffs, waiting and rework rather than on a production line. Often where the largest untouched gains sit. Lean Six Sigma Lean addresses time and effort spent without producing value; Six Sigma addresses variation in results. Together they cover both the speed of a process and its reliability.

M

1 term

Muda Waste: any activity that consumes resources without adding value for the customer, conventionally grouped into eight types.

O

1 term

OEE Overall Equipment Effectiveness: availability multiplied by performance multiplied by quality, giving the share of planned time that produced good output at full speed.

P

3 terms

Pareto Chart A ranked bar chart showing which causes account for most of the effect, based on the observation that a small share of causes usually drives the majority of problems. Used to decide where to act first when everything looks urgent. Poka Yoke Designing a step so the error cannot be made, or cannot pass undetected — a mechanism rather than a reminder, because attention fails and physical constraints do not. Process Capability (Cp, Cpk) Indices comparing a process's natural spread to the specification it has to meet — Cp measures the spread, Cpk measures the spread and where it sits.

R

1 term

Root Cause Analysis Working back from a symptom to the condition that produced it, so the fix removes the problem rather than the evidence of it.

S

3 terms

SIPOC A one-page map of a process at its widest level — Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, Customers — used early to agree what is actually in scope. SMED Single-Minute Exchange of Die: cutting changeover time by moving work out of the stoppage, so smaller batches stop being uneconomic. Standard Work The current best-known way to perform a task, written down and followed — the baseline that makes improvement measurable rather than anecdotal.

T

2 terms

Takt Time The rate at which a process must produce to meet customer demand — available working time divided by demand over that period. TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) Total Productive Maintenance: making equipment reliability a shared responsibility between operators and maintenance, rather than a technical function that intervenes only after a breakdown.

V

3 terms

Value Stream Mapping A map of every step from request to delivery, showing where time is spent and how much of it adds value — usually revealing that most of the lead time is waiting. Visual Management Making the state of the work visible at a glance — boards, signals, standards posted where the work happens — so teams can see deviation immediately instead of at the next monthly review. Voice of the Customer Systematically capturing what the customer actually needs and translating it into measurable requirements, so improvement projects are aimed at value rather than at internal convenience.