assembly process
that part of production process that puts together components
computer-aided design (CAD)
the use of computers in the design of products
computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)
the use of computers in the manufacturing of products
computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM)
the uniting of computer-aided design with computer-aided manufacturing
continuous process
a production process in which long production runs turn out finished goods over time
critical path
in a PERT network, the sequence of tasks that takes the longest time to complete
enterprise resource planning (ERP)
a newer version of materials requirement planning (MRP) that combines the computerized functions of all the divisions and subsidiaries of the firm - such as finance, human resources, and order fulfillment - into a single integrated software program that uses a single database
facility layout
the physical arrangement of resources (including people) in the production process
facility location
the process of selecting a geographic location for a company's operations
flexible manufacturing
designing machines to do multiple tasks so they can produce a variety of products
form utility
the value producers add to materials in the creation of finished goods and services
Gantt chart
bar graph showing production managers what projects are being worked on and what stage they are in at any given time
intermittent process
a production process in which the production run is short and the machines are changed frequently to make different products
ISO 9001
the common name given to quality management and assurance standards
ISO 14001
a collection of the best practices for managing an organization's impact on the environment
just-in-time (JIT) inventory control
a production process in which a minimum of inventory is kept on the premises and parts, supplies, and other needs are delivered just in time to go on the assembly line
lean manufacturing
the production of goods using less of everything compared to mass production
mass customization
tailoring products to meet the needs of a large number of individual customers
materials requirement planning (MRP)
a computer-based operations management system that uses sales forecasts to make sure that need parts and materials are available at the right time and place
operations management
a specialized area in management that converts or transforms resources (including human resources) into goods and services
process manufacturing
that part of the production process that physically or chemically changes materials
production
the creation of finished goods and services using the factors of production: land, labor, capital, entrepreneurship, and knowledge
production management
the term used to describe all the activities managers do to help their firms create goods
program evaluation and review technique (PERT)
a method for analyzing the tasks involved in completing a given project, estimating the time needed to complete each task, and identifying the minimum time needed to complete the total project
purchasing
the function in a firm that searches for quality material resources, finds the best suppliers, and negotiates the best price for goods and services
quality
consistently producing what the customer wants while reducing errors before and after delivery to the customer
Six Sigma quality
a quality measure that allows only 3.4 defects per million opportunities
statistical process control (SPC)
the process of taking statistical samples of products components at each stage of the production process and plotting those results on a graph. Any variances from quality standards are recognized and can be corrected if beyond set standards
statistical quality control (SQC)
telecommuting
working from home via computer and modern