Useful Definitions in Quality Management

5 Why - A best method to find out the root cause of the problem by repeating the question why. Each question creates the base for the next question. By 5 why the questions reach to the fifth level to get the root cause of the problem.  Note - It is not mandatory to reach up to the fifth level question to get the root cause of the problem. Root cause may find out at third or fourth level also.

8D - In case of customer complaint, 8D that is Eight Disciplines, is the standardize method of problem solving's. For the detail check my last blog - "G8D _ Problem Solving Tool in Quality".

G8D - G Stands for 'Global'. + 8D. G8D starts from D0. 8D starts from D1.

4M - It includes - Man, Machine, Method & Material. It's a change management strategy. Supplier should inform to customer for any 4M changes within an organisation.

3M - Muda, Mura, Muri. Muda - Toyota has developed this production system to eliminate three enemies of lean manufacturing concept. Muda - Waste Management, Muri - Overburden, Mura - Unevenness.  

3G - Gemba, Gembutsu & Gengitsu - Japanese Terms. 3G tells - Go to the actual place, examine the problem, check facts & take actions.

3K - Kitanai, Kiken, kitsui - Japanese Terms - 3K tells - What has been decided exactly as per standard must be followed. No deviations to standards. 

7 QC Tools - 1. Cause & effect diagram., 2. Check sheet., 3. Control Charts, 4. Histograms, 5. Pareto Charts, 6. Scatter Diagram, 7. Stratification.

5 'S' - 1. Sort, 2. Set in Order, 3. Shine, 4. Standardize, 5. Sustain.

6 'S' - 5 'S' + Safey.

A3 Report - It's a problem-solving tool designed by Toyota. This tool is like 8D report but in different layout.

APQP - Its stands for "Advanced Product Quality Planning". APQP method used for product & process development and procedure for product & process release before tarting of serial production.

Accuracy - How close a given set of measurements to the true value.

Diagram states, how close the number of arrows to the yellow Target.

A, B, C Samples - Prototypes during development of Product. ABC samples shows the growth level within the development samples. 

Accreditation - Certification by a recognized body for the facilities like calibration laboratories. NABL certification is must for labs from those we do the calibration of instruments.

Attribute Data - Attribute data doesn't have values (variable data). It gives Go/No-go (Pass / Fail) information only. 

Audit - The on-site verification activity, such as inspection & examination of process or product or quality system. There are three types of audits. 1. Process Audit, 2. Product Audit, 3. System Audit.

AIAG - Stands for 'Automotive Industry Action Group'. A global automotive trade association that focuses on common business processes, implementation guidelines, education & training.

BOM - Stands for "Bill of Material". It includes list of raw material, sub-assemblies, parts & its number, quantity of each required to produce an end product.

Benchmarking - The best-in-class / best practice within an organisation. Others can take the reference of it.

CAQ - Stands for "Computer Aided Quality Assurance. It is the generic term for IT systems that are particularly developed to support quality management systems.

Change Management -  It includes - Man, Machine, Method & Material. It's a change management strategy. Supplier should inform to customer for any 4M changes within an organisation.

Control Chart - It's used to monitor the performance of the process. Its help to focus on stability of the process. Control chart includes UCL (Upper Control limit) & LCL (Lower Control limit). "X Bar & R" chart is the popular control chart.

Cp - Stands for Process Capability - Cp tells you if your process is capable of making parts within specified limits.

Cpk - Stands for Process Capability Index - Cpk tells you if your process is perfectly centred within specified limits. 

Conflict Management - It is the containment & prevention of escalation due to conflicts of interest. It is about the systematic, deliberate & targeted approach to conflicts in audit situations. 

Control Cycle - System which continuously compares its actual value with the expected value & can react to implement corrective actions. 

Calibration - Comparison of measurement values defined by a device under test with the standard values. OR It is the process of configuring an instrument to provide a result for a sample within an acceptable range.

Control Plan - It describes the methods of controlling product and process in order to produce quality parts to meet the customer's requirements.

Corrective Action - Action initiated to prevent the recurrence of the defect.

Correlation Study - This tool is used to correlate the measurement values in between two measuring instruments for same kind of characteristic

COPQ - Stands for 'Cost of Poor Quality'. It includes part rejection, customer debits, customer return parts etc. 

Cause & Effect Diagram - It also called as Fishbone Diagram & Ishikawa Diagram. It is graphical tool used to identify the possible causes of a certain defect.

- Taken from Wikipedia - 

Deviation - Difference between actual value and reference value. Deviation approval is the risk assessment of the parts that do not meet the specifications but still can be used. 

Directed Supplier - When a supplier manufactures product & must use parts from a sub-supplier which is stipulated by the customer, then the sub-supplier called customer directed supplier.

DMAIC - Stands for Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve & Control.

DoE - Stands for 'Design of Experiment'. The objective of this method is to vary factors that influence the process experimentally to find out an optimum. The basis of the method is an experimental design using statistical methods to maximize the use of information from the experiments carried out.

DCR - Stands for 'Defect Control Report'. It's problem-solving tool like 8D report but in different layout mainly used by Maruti Suzuki OEM.

QPCR - Stands for 'Quality Problem Countermeasure Report'. It's problem-solving tool like 8D report but in different layout mainly used by Maruti Suzuki OEM.

Quality Assurance - Prevention of the non-conformity before it produces. Proactive approach. 

Quality Control - Identify of the non-conformity before it reaches to customer. Reactive approach.

Quality Management - It's a combination of QA/QC. It includes the determination of quality policy, creating & implementing quality planning & assurance. 

Feasibility Study - A feasibility study assesses during the development phase whether the product / part / component can be produced under the series condition to the plan & specifications given. 

FIFO - Stands for First in First Out. Use or dispatch of old parts from stock before newer parts are shipped / used. 

First Pass Yield - Percentage of results that are correct in the first process run & do not require rework / repair.

First time through Quality - Percentage of results that are correct in the first process run & do not require / repair. 

FMEA - Stands for 'Failure Mode & Effect analysis. This is the early identification potential source of errors / weakness and mistakes / failures. The consequences of failures are evaluated with the help of FMEA i.e. methodological risk analysis that initiates prevention measures. FMEA includes failures, its consequences on end user / next process, occurrence, detection & actions.

FTA - Stands for 'Fault Three Analysis". It is a graphical tool used to identify the causes of the system level failures. Fault Tree Diagram Example - 

IMDS - Stands for "International Material Data System". All materials used in the manufacturing vehicle are collected, maintained, analysed and archived within the IMDS. Through the use of IMDS it is possible to fulfil the requirements of national / international standards, legislation & regulations that are required by automotive manufacturers.

IATF 16949 - International Automotive Task Force. IATF certification is must for automotive components suppliers.

ISO 9000 - International Standard that specifies the requirements for Quality Management System. Any kind of organisation can apply for ISO certificate.

Kaizen - It is Japanese term used for continuous improvement is workplace.

MSA - Stands for 'Measurement System Analysis". It is statistical tool that can be used to identify the amount of variations that is exists in your measurement system. MSA includes accuracy & precisions. Bias, Linearity Stability comes under Accuracy. R&R study comes under Precision. 

Metrology - It is science of measurements.

NTF - Stands for "No Trouble Found". The rejected part has analysed and no deviation found, So the part considered as an OK one.

Pareto Analysis - It is used mainly in rejection analysis. Top three defects can be identified & visualized. Pareto analysis states 80/20 principle. 80% of rejection comes from 20% of causes. 

- Taken from Wikipedia -

Part History - All changes that have been made regards to the product or process which are documented in the part history. 

Preventive Action - Action initiated to prevent the occurrence of the defect.

Poka-Yoke - It's a mistake proofing system. It helps operator / equipment to prevent / avoid the mistakes. 

PDCA Cycle - Plan, Do, Check & Act.

PPAP - Stands for 'Production Part Approval Process'. - The purpose of the PAPP is to determine whether the product complies with the design documents & specifications. PPAP includes 18 documents.

Ppm - Stands for 'Parts per Million". One defect in one million (10 Lacs) produced parts. Ppm target can be given by customer or can be defined by supplier itself.

Pre-Launch Parts - Production of component before / prior to serial production.

Prototypes - Samples produced for functional test / product validation test / reliability tests.

Precision - How close the measurements are to each other.

PFD - Stands for 'Process Flow Diagram". It includes all the process steps which are required to produce the final product. PFD is one of the documents of PPAP.

Process Capability - It's a statistical tool to determine whether your process is capable to produce the parts within specified limits i.e. Upper specified limit & Lower specified Limit. Cp, Cpk, Pp, Ppk, Cm, Cmk terms comes under process capability.

Process Variation - It's a statistical tool to determine whether your process is capable to produce the parts within specified control limits. i.e., Upper Control limit & Lower control limit. X Bar & R Chart comes under process variations.

Product Audit - A product audit focuses on individual products. Inspection / measurements of the characteristics of the product specified in drawing.

Process Audit - A process audit examines how process work as per predefined standards to produce the product. Process audit includes product inspection, process parameter inspection, resources inspection, everything considers from input to output of the process.

QFD - Stands for 'Quality Function Deployment". It is Japanese tool to determine customer requirements and their direct implementation within the technical specifications.

Risk Assessment - Risk must be identified & evaluated for product & process. Their probability and extent of damage must be assessed. 

Repeatability - The variation in measurements seen when one measurement device is used several times by the same person to measure the same characteristics.

Reproducibility - The variation in measurements made by the different operator using the same measurement device to measure the same characteristics on the same product. 

Root Cause - A factor that cause a non-conformity & should be addressed with corrective actions.  

Setting Masters - Parts of known value which are applied to set the gauges used to check the quality of the part.

SWOT - Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats. 

Skip Lot - Method used in Incoming Quality. This is the method of sampling inspection in which some lots will be accepted within a group without inspection if the results of the sampling tests at a specified number meets the defined criteria. 

SPO - Start of serial production after PAPP acceptance by customer. 

SPC - Stands for 'Statistical Process Control'. It improves the quality of production with the help of statistical methods. 'X Bar & R Chart' is the most used statistical tool in SPC.

System Audit - Examining the key organizational systems, controls, practices & procedures. It's kind of documented audits.

Zero Defects - Avoiding Errors & achieving zero quality complaints.

Thank You...