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 CbM | condition-based maintenance |
| 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 |
| DMAIC | define ® measure ® analyze ® improve ® control (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 |
| MRO | maintenance, repair and overhaul -or- maintenance, repair and 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 |
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