|
|
A B C
D E F G
H I J K
L M N O
P Q R S
T U V W-Z
| ABC |
see Activity Based Costing |
| ABM |
see Activity Based Management |
| Acceptance Criteria |
The criteria a product must meet to successfully complete a test
phase or meet delivery requirements. |
| Acceptance Testing |
Formal testing conducted to enable a user, customer,
or other authorized entity to determine whether to accept a product
or product component. |
| ACIS |
A solid modeling engine or kernel used in a
number of CAD systems. Having a common solids modeling engine allows
more ready interchange of data between different CAD systems. |
| ACIS SAT |
A file format for 3D solid geometry created
by systems using the ACIS solids modeling engine. |
| Active Listening |
A technique used to help communication
among team members and project personnel. Active listening involves
paying careful attention to what is being said, then rephrasing that
information and feeding it back to the originator to ensure that
what you think you heard is what they meant. |
| Activity Based Costing |
Activity Based Costing is a costing and
analysis method that associates resources and their costs to
activities and then associates the costs of activities to cost
objects (e.g., a product) based on a cost drivers which measure use
of an activity by the cost object.
These cost drivers, such as the number of persons performing
work or the number of setups required per product reflect the
consumption of activities by the products. |
| Activity Based Management |
A discipline that focuses on the management
of activities as a route to improving the value received by the
customer and the profit received by providing this value. This
discipline includes cost driver analysis, activity analysis, and
performance measurement. |
| Additive Fabrication |
Fabrication processes which add material using a variety of
processes to create a final part or item geometry with a minimum
of secondary processes required. The technologies involved have
previously been associated with rapid prototyping, but when these
technologies are able to directly produce parts for products,
additive fabrication is a better description. Other related terms
include layered manufacturing, digital fabrication, and direct
digital manufacturing. See Direct Digital Manufacturing. |
| Adjacent Sector Innovation |
A focused surveillance and innovation effort to explore how the
organization's technologies and products can be adapted and/or
applied to adjacent market sectors or how concepts for products in
adjacent sectors can be applied to a company's products in its main
sector. |
|
Advanced Product Quality Planning |
Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) is
a segment of the QS-9000 process developed by the AIAG and used by
the auto industry. It provides a quality framework to understand
customer needs and determine all the actions with product and
process design to assure that the production process can deliver products that satisfy
those needs. This framework includes tools such as quality
function deployment to understand customer needs and translate them into
product and process characteristics, product and process design validation and
verification, failure modes and effects analysis to counter or
control potential failure, and control plans to insure critical
product characteristics are achieved. |
| Advance Quality Planning |
An assessment at the start of product
development to identify problems with other similar products so that
preventative steps or countermeasures can be taken with the new
product. Also referred to as a like product and process review. |
| Affinity Diagram |
Affinity diagrams or charts are a simple
way for a group to cluster qualitative data and come up with a
consensus view on a subject. It is often used with QFD to sort and
organize the large amount of customer needs data. In this instance,
statements of customer needs are written on cards or post-its. The
cards or post-its are logically organized by the group and the group
develops headings under which to cluster these needs. The cards or
post-its are moved to the appropriate group headings. |
| AFD |
See Anticipatory Failure Determination |
| Affordability |
The characteristic of a product with a
selling price that that is no more than its functional worth to a
customer and is within the customer's ability to pay. |
| AHDL |
Analog Hardware Description Language (IEEE
standard 1076.1) - describes the physical design, electronic
behavior, logical structure and system annotation information for
analog circuits. |
| AHP |
See Analytical Hierarchy Process |
| AI |
Artificial Intelligence |
| AIAG |
Automotive Industry Action Group consist of
the Big 3 auto manufacturers who have collaborated to develop
standard such as QS-9000 and APQP (see Advanced Product Quality
Planning). |
| AIM |
Application Interpreted Model (STEP) - The
model that describes the interpretation of the STEP integrated
resources constructs that provide functional equivalence to the AP's
information requirements as specified in the application reference
model. Required information documentation for the AIM includes the
description of the entities of that information model and a summary
of the rationale with which the resulting schema was derived from
the application reference model. |
| Allocated Requirements |
Allocated requirements are requirements
that apportion all or part of the performance
and functionality of a higher-level requirement on a lower-level element
of a system. |
| Analysis of Variance |
Analysis of Variance is a basic statistical
technique for analyzing experimental data. It subdivides the total
variation of a data set into meaningful component parts associated
with specific sources of variation in order to test a hypothesis on
the parameters of a model or to estimate variance components. |
| ALT |
Accelerated Life Testing |
| Analytical Hierarchy Process |
A decision making tool for complex,
multi-criteria problems where both qualitative and quantitative
aspects of a problem need to be incorporated. AHP clusters the
decision elements according to their common characteristics into a
hierarchical structure similar to a family tree. It involves
building a hierarchy (Ranking) of decision elements and then making
comparisons between each possible pair in each cluster (as a
matrix). This gives a weighting for each element within a cluster
(or level of the hierarchy) and also a consistency ratio (useful for
checking the consistency of the data). By reducing complex decisions
to a series of simple comparisons and rankings, then synthesizing
the results, AHP helps arrive at the best decision and also provides
a clear rationale for the choice made. The Analytical Hierarchy
Process Model was designed by TL Saaty as a decision making
aid. |
| ANOVA |
see Analysis of Variance |
| ANSI |
American National Standards Institute |
| Anticipatory Failure Determination |
Anticipatory Failure Determination (AFD) is
a failure analysis method. Like FMEA, it has the objective of
identifying and mitigating failures. Rather than asking developers
to look for a cause of a failure mode, it reverses the problem by
asking developers to view the failure of interest as the intended
consequence and try to devise ways to assure that the failure always
happens reliably. This viewpoint then facilitates better identifying
steps to avoid the failure. |
| AOI |
Automated Optical Inspection |
| AP |
Application Protocols (STEP) - These
specify implementable STEP data constructs for communicating
information in a defined application context. It defines the context
for the use of product data and specifies the use of the base
standard in that context to satisfy an industrial need. AP's are
Parts in the 200 series of the STEP standard. |
| API |
1. Application Protocol Interface 2. Application Programming Interface - the
standard set of functions provided by a program or operating system
to allow for integration of other software. Two programs linked via
an API can both be altered and still work together so long as both
conform to the API. |
| Apportionment |
The assignment of goals such as reliability
from system to subsystem in such a way that the whole system will
meet the required goal. |
| APQP |
See Advance Product Quality Planning |
| AQP |
See Advance Quality Plan |
| Architecture |
The design and interconnection of the
main components of a hardware/software system. The framework and
interrelationships of elements of a system. |
| Architectural Principles |
Architectural Principles are statements of
preferred architectural direction or practice. Each principle should
be stated in such a way that one will know if the architecture has
the characteristics expressed by the principle. Principles need to
be rationalized, stating why the principle is preferred. |
| ARIZ |
Russian acronym for Algorithm of Inventive
Problem Solving (see Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) |
| ARM |
Application Reference Model (STEP) - An
information model that formally describes the information
requirements and constraints for an application area. The
information model uses application-specific terminology and rules
familiar to an expert from the application area. The model is
independent of any physical implementation and must be validated by
experts from the application area. |
| ARO |
After Receipt of Order - usually a measure
of the days, weeks or months until a product can be designed and
delivered. |
| AS9100 |
AS9100 is an international quality management standard for the
aerospace industry published by the Society of Automotive Engineers;
also published by other organizations worldwide, as EN9100 in Europe
and JIS Q 9100 in Japan. The standard is controlled by the
International Aerospace Quality Group. |
| ASIC |
Application Specific Integrated Circuit - a
semi-custom chip used in a specific application that is design by
integrating standard cells from a library. |
| ASME |
American Society of Mechanical
Engineering |
| ASQC |
American Society of Quality Control |
| Assignable Cause |
Assignable Cause is a source of variation which is not due
to chance and, therefore, can be identified and eliminated. An
assignable cause is often signaled by an excessive number of data
points outside a control limit and/or a non-random pattern within
the control limits. Also called "special cause". |
| Associativity |
A link between two different functions in a
CAD system that assures that a change made in one area is reflected
in all other areas. For example, a change to a solid model will be
reflected in its drawing and related CAM program. Bi-directional
associativity indicates that updates happen in both directions
between functions. For example, a change to a drawing will be
reflected in its solids model. |
| ASSP |
Application Specific Standard Part - a chip
that is originally designed as an ASIC and is later released for
general use. |
| ASTM |
American Society for Testing and
Materials |
| Asynchronous Groupware |
Asynchronous Groupware is software used to
help people to work in groups, but not requiring those people to be
working together at the same time (asynchronous = not coordinating
at a single point in time). |
| ATE |
see Automated Test Equipment |
| ATP |
Acceptance Test Procedure |
| ATPG |
see Automatic Test Pattern Generation |
| ATS |
Acceptance Test Specification |
| Automatic Test Equipment / Automated Test
Equipment |
Automated Test Equipment (ATE) built to
perform a test or sequence of tests. ATE ranges from simple devices
to verify mechanical or electrical continuity to sophisticated
computerized systems with automatic sequencing, data processing, and
readout. ATE may be stand alone test units or may be built into the
operational equipment. |
| Automatic Test Pattern Generation |
Automatic Test Pattern Generation is the
process that utilizes lists of faults and a model of the circuit to
analyze the logical and topical nature of the circuit in order to
create test vectors for each fault and, thereby, produce a
high-fault-coverage test pattern for a design. |
| Availability |
The product metric that defines the
percentage of time that a product is available and operational for
customer use. It is the proportion of total time that an item of
equipment is capable of performing its specified functions, normally
expressed as a percentage. It can be calculated by
dividing the equipment available hours by the total number of hours
in any given period. |
| Axiomatic Design |
Axiomatic Design recognizes four domains.
The needs of the customer are identified in customer domain and are
stated in the form of required functionality of a product in
functional domain. Design parameters that satisfy the functional
requirements are defined in physical domain, and, in process domain,
manufacturing variables define how the product will be produced.
Solution alternatives are created by mapping the requirements
specified in one domain to a set of characteristic parameters in an
adjacent domain. The mapping between the customer and functional
domains is defined as concept design; the mapping between functional
and physical domains is product design; the mapping between the
physical and process domains corresponds to process design. The
output of each domain evolves from abstract concepts to detailed
information in a top-down or hierarchical manner. Two design axioms
provide a rational basis for evaluation of proposed solution
alternatives and the subsequent selection of the best alternative.
The first axiom is the independent axiom, and it states that a good
design maintains the independence of the functional requirements.
The second axiom is the information axiom and it establishes
information content as a relative measure for evaluating and
comparing alternative solutions that satisfy the independence
axiom. |
| Balanced Scorecard |
A comprehensive performance measurement
technique that considers four areas of performance in a balanced
way: 1) customer perspective - how customers see us, 2) internal
perspective - what we must excel at, 3) innovation & learning -
how we continue to improve and create value, 4) financial
perspective - how we meet shareholder needs. |
| Bath-Tub Curve |
Bath-Tub Curve represents the failure rate of
components over the life of the product. Its upward slope at the
beginning and end suggests that most components fail either right
away (at the beginning of the product life) or towards the end of
the expected product life. |
| BCL |
Binary Cutter Language |
| BEAR |
see Break Even After Release |
| Behavioral Modeling |
Behavioral Modeling defines a product in
terms of required behaviors rather than relationships between
geometry elements for mechanical products or relationships between
components, gates and registers for electronic products. For
example, the use of a hardware description language (see Hardware
Description Language) is a means for describing a behavioral model
for an electronic product. |
| Belief Map |
The Belief Map is a method of graphically representing relative
levels of knowledge and confidence. It is a plot whose horizontal
axis represents the evaluator's knowledge of, for example, a concept
alternative's ability to meet specified requirements. The vertical
axis would represent the evaluator's confidence in the concept's
ability to meet those requirements. |
| Benchmarking |
An improvement process in which a company
measures the performance of its products or processes against that
of best-in-class products or companies, determines how the product
or company achieved their performance level, and uses the
information to improve its own performance. |
| Best Practice |
Best Practice is a superior method or innovative practice that
contributes to the improved performance of an organization, usually
recognized as "best" by other peer organizations. |
| BET |
see Breakeven Time |
| Beta Testing |
Beta Testing is the testing
a nearly-finished version of a piece of software or hardware, with the goal
of finding defects missed by the developers. Often beta testing is
carried out by people outside of the developers organization. |
| Bezier curve |
Polynomial used to describe complex curves
and surfaces. |
| BGA |
Ball Grid Array - an electronic packaging
technology in which solder balls are mounted to the underside of the
package in a grid arrangement and are flowed for attachment to
PCB's. |
| Bill of Material |
A Bill of Material (BOM) is a hierarchical
list of subassemblies, components and/or raw materials that make up
a higher-level component, assembly, product or system. An
engineering BOM represents the assembly structure implied by the
parts lists on drawings and drawing tree structure. A manufacturing
BOM represents the assembly build-up the way a product is
manufactured. |
| BIST |
see Built-in-Self-Test |
| BIT |
Built-in Test. See Built-in-Self-Test |
| Block Diagram |
Block Diagram is a diagram that shows the operation,
interrelationships and interdependencies of components in a system.
Boxes or blocks represent the components; connecting lines between
the blocks represent interfaces. |
| BMP |
Best Manufacturing Practices |
| BOE |
Basis of Estimate |
| BOM |
see Bill of Material |
| Boundary Scan |
A design for testability method that places
a scan register at at every pin of every chip on a board for board
testing and diagnostics. The test process can control and observe
the state of every pin I/O pin without requiring physical access to
any of them. |
| B&P |
Bid and Proposal |
| BPI |
Business Process Improvement |
| BPR |
see Business Process Reengineering |
| Brainstorming |
A creativity technique in which a group of
people think of ideas related to a particular topic, listing as many
possible ideas as possible before any critical evaluation of the
ideas is performed. |
| Break Even After Release |
Break Even After Release - a metric that
measures the time after release of a product for production or sale
until the the product has achieved financial breakeven considering
the investment in development and other non-recurring expenses. |
| Break Even Time |
Break Even Time - a metric that measures
the time from the start of development through production and sales
until the the product has achieved financial breakeven considering
the investment in development and other non-recurring expenses. |
| B-Rep |
Boundary Representation - solids modeling
approach based on representing exterior surfaces that define a solid
(as opposed to constructive solid geometry). |
| B-spline |
A mathematical interpolation method for
describing complex curves and surfaces |
| Built-in-Self-Test |
Built-in-Self-Test - a feature of automatic
testing where many test pattern programs are built directly into the
circuit generally for go/no-go testing of the assembly or circuit
using signature analysis. |
| Business Case |
Business Case refers to the results of
market, technical and financial analyses used to justify the
feasibility of a new product. Ideally defined just prior to the "go
to development" decision (gate), the case defines the product and
project, including the project justification and the action or
business plan. |
| Business Process Reengineering |
Business Process Reengineering (BPR) is the
analysis and redesign of workflow within and between enterprises.
Authors Michael Hammer and James Champy promoted the idea of BPR as
the radical redesign and reorganization of an enterprise to lower
costs and increase quality of service. They suggested seven
principles of reengineering to streamline the work process and
thereby achieve significant levels of improvement in quality, time
management, and cost: 1) organize around outcomes, not tasks;
2)identify all the processes in an organization and prioritize them
in order of redesign urgency; 3) integrate information processing
work into the real work that produces the information; 4)
geographically dispersed resources as though they were centralized;
5) link parallel activities in the workflow instead of just
integrating their results; 6) put the decision point where the work
is performed, and build control into the process; and 7) capture
information once and at the source. |
| CAD |
see Computer-Aided Design |
| CAD Framework Initiative |
CAD Framework Initiative - a standard to
facilitate integration of electronic design automation (EDA) tools
This allows an organization to select "best of class" tools without
worrying about integration issues. The CFI standards cover Design
Representation Programming Interface, the Intertool Communication
Programming Interface, the Tools Encapsulation Specification, the
Computing Environment Services. |
| CAE |
see Computer-Aided Engineering |
| CAGR |
Compound Annual Growth Rate |
| CAI |
Computer-Aided Inspection |
| CAIT |
Computer-Aided Inspection and Test |
| CAIV |
see Cost as an Independent Variable (DoD
initiative) |
| CAM |
1. see Computer-Aided Manufacturing 2. Cost Account Manager |
| Capability |
Capability is a measure of the ability of a
system to perform within its specification limits. It uses a series
of indices: Cp, Cpk, Cr, and Cpm. |
| Capability Maturity Model |
Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is a model
of five levels of process maturity developed by the Software
Engineering Institute (SEI) a Carnegie-Mellon University for
software development processes. These five levels starting at level
one are: ad-hoc, repeatable, defined, managed and optimized. See Product Development Capability Maturity
Model for our adaptation of the CMM to product development. |
| CAPP |
see Computer-Aided Process Planning |
| CASE |
1. see Computer-Aided Software
Engineering 2. Computer-Aided Systems
Engineering |
| CAT |
Computer-Aided Test |
| CCA |
Circuit Card Assembly |
| Cell |
1. An individual component of a technology
library. Typically a logic gate (for example, a 2-input NAND gate).
2. Manufacturing cell is a grouping of
equipment to perform the required processing for a part of
assembly. |
| Commercialization |
Commercialization is the process to taking a
new product from development to full volume sales. It includes steps
such as testing and market validation, production launch and
ramp-up, development of marketing programs and materials, supply
chain development, sales channel development, training development,
training, and service and support development. |
| CCB |
1. Change Control Board 2. Configuration Control Board |
| CCD |
Configuration Control Drawing |
| CCM |
see Critical Chain Method |
| CCPM |
Critical Chain Project Management. see
Critical Chain Method |
| CDR |
Critical Design Review |
| CDRL |
Contract Data Requirements List |
| CE |
1. see Concurrent Engineering 2. Chief Engineer 3.
Concept Exploration 4. Concept
Engineering |
| CER |
Cost Estimating Relationship |
| Certification |
1. A process, which may be incremental, by which a contractor
provides evidence to the acquirer that a product meets contractual
or otherwise specified requirements. 2. The approval by a
regulatory or standards body that a product meets the applicable
requirements or standards. |
| CFD |
see Computational Fluid Dynamics |
| CFI |
see CAD Framework Initiative |
| CFT |
see Cross-Functional Team |
| Change Management |
Change Management is a systematic approach
to dealing with change, both from the perspective of an organization
and on the individual level. Change management has at least three
different aspects including: adapting to change, controlling change,
and effecting change. A proactive approach to dealing with change is
at the core of all three aspects. For an organization, change
management means defining and implementing procedures and/or
technologies to deal with changes in the business environment and to
profit from changing opportunities. |
| Charter |
Charter is a written commitment approved by
management stating the scope of authority for a development project
or integrated product team. |
| Check-In |
The process of placing or returning a new or
modified product information under control within a PDM/PIM system.
If a revision is being created, this procedure usually initiates a
review/approval process under control of the PDM/PIM system. |
| Check-Out |
The process of accessing managed product
definition information under controlled procedures. Access may be
for viewing, reference, for use in another application or task, or
for making a change to the information. The PDM/PIM system prevents
multiple, simultaneous change activities to ensure product
information integrity. |
| Chip-on-Board |
Chip-on-Board is a component packaging
technology in which bare integrated circuits are attached directly
to the substrate and interconnected by means of microscopic
wires. |
| CI |
1. Continuous Improvement 2. see Configuration Item |
| CIM |
Computer-Integrated Manufacturing |
| CIME |
Computer-Integrated Manufacturing and
Engineering |
| CITIS |
Contractor Integrated Technical Information
Services (CALS initiative) |
| Classification |
Classification is the assignment of
attributes and other defining meta-data to managed objects and
information within a PDM system. This meta-data are then used for
finding data with similar characteristics. |
| Clinical Trial |
Clinical Trial is testing a system in a
clinical setting; that is, in a hospital, clinic, doctor's office,
etc. User testing and feature testing in such an environment has
special limitations, especially because of the potential for
unexpected effects on patient care. User testing in clinical
settings will often require review by an ethics committee to ensure
that patient privacy is not compromised and that no harm will come
to patients as a result of testing. As with drug testing, it may not
be appropriate to remove a feature from a system for the sake of
testing if it appears that the feature is directly benefiting
patient care. |
| Cloud of Points |
A set of x-y-z coordinates obtained from a
3D scanner or digitizer. The data can be interpreted as a continuous
surface and used in a 3D model. This is often used for reverse
engineering. |
| CM |
see Configuration Management |
| CMM |
1. see Coordinate Measuring Machine 2. see Capability Maturity Model |
| CNC |
Computer Numerical Control |
| CND |
Cannot Duplicate (failures). Also known as
"No Trouble Found" (NTF) |
| COB |
see Chip-on-Board |
| Cognitive Modeling |
Cognitive Modeling produces a computational
model for how people perform tasks and solve problems, based on
psychological principles. These models may be outlines of tasks
written on paper or computer programs which enable us to predict the
time it takes for people to perform tasks, the kinds of errors they
make, the decisions they make, or what buttons and menu items they
choose. Such models can be used to determine ways of improving the
user interface so that a person's task has fewer errors or takes
less time and to build into the user interface to make software that
reacts more effectively to help people use the system by
anticipating their behavior. |
| Cognitive Walkthroughs |
Cognitive walkthroughs involve the
development of task scenarios from a product specification. Experts
then role-play the part of a user working through a set of tasks.
Each step of the user's process is evaluated for adherence to
established usability principles. |
| Collaboration |
1. Working together, cooperating 2. A process of maximizing both cooperative and
assertive behavior to satisfy two parties in conflict with one
another. |
| Collaborative Product Commerce |
The Aberdeen Group defines Collaborative
Product Commerce (CPC) as “...a class of software and services that
uses Internet technologies to permit individuals - no matter what
role they have in the commercialization of a product, no matter what
computer-based tools they use, no matter where they are located
geographically or within the supply net - to collaboratively
develop, build, and manage products throughout the entire lifecycle.
Using a standard browser, an authorized CPC user can review
information from an extended-enterprise information system ‘view’
that operates across a dispersed set of heterogeneous product
development resources. These resources typically reside in multiple
information repositories and are derived from independently
implemented and maintained systems.” |
| Collocation |
The practice of physically locating
multi-function integrated product team members in proximity to one
another to enhance communication, coordination and decision-making
on a development project. Virtual collocation refers to the use of
technology to achieve some of the communication benefits for team
members that are geographically dispersed. |
| Common Cause |
Common Cause is a variation that is
inherent in the process and cannot be readily identified and
controlled. |
| Competitive Intelligence |
Methods and activities for transforming
disaggregated public competitor information into relevant and
strategic knowledge about competitors’ position, size, efforts and
trends. The term refers to the broad practice of collecting,
analyzing, and communicating the best available information on
competitive trends occurring outside one’s own company. |
| Component Engineering |
The application of engineering know-how to
the processes of component selection, application, process
compatibility and procurement, including analysis of new trends in
electronic devices. |
| Component Supplier Management |
Component Supplier Management (CSM) is a
class of software applications that maintain information about
standard components, both purchased and made, to support various
functional disciplines such as design, procurement, materials,
configuration management, and manufacturing. This system serves as a
central repository for component and supplier information to
maximize standardization, design retrieval and re-use, and
procurement efficiency. CSM systems contain four major elements,
part classification and retrieval, component libraries, Web
component cataloging, and component/supplier process
management. |
| Computational Fluid Dynamics |
Computational Fluid Dynamics is the
numerical analysis of fluid and gas flow, heat transfer, and related
phenomena. CFD solvers contain a complex set of algorithms used for
modeling and simulating the flow of fluids, gases, heat, and
electric currents. |
| Computer-Aided Design |
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) is the use of a
computer to assist in the creation and modification of a design,
most commonly, designs with a heavy engineering content. |
| Computer-Aided Engineering |
Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) is the use
of computers in design, analysis, and manufacturing of a product,
process, or project. Sometimes refers more narrowly to the use of
computers only in the analysis stage. |
| Computer-Aided Manufacturing |
Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) is the
use of the computer description of the part or assembly to drive
planning, cutting, forming, assembly and inspection of the item via
computerized applications. |
| Computer-Aided Process Planning |
Computer-Aided Process Planning uses part
data and process rules to generate process plans or work
instructions. Variant CAPP is based on group technology
classification of parts and part features to search for a
predetermined similar process plan that most closely matches the
classification. Generative CAPP uses part and feature classification
along with rules and knowledge about manufacturing processes
associated with features to generate an appropriate process
plan. |
| Computer-Aided Software Engineering |
Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE) is the
application of computer technology to facilitate the development of
software. CASE tools usually include libraries of reusable code
(modules of software that can be easily modified for specific tasks),
programmer productivity tools, application generators, and
testing utilities. CASE tools also provide requirement management,
structured system design and analysis, system simulation,
test management, documentation generation, etc. |
| Computer Software Configuration Item |
Computer Software Configuration Item (CSCI)
is a software component of a system, which is designated for
configuration management to ensure configuration integrity. It may
exist at any level in the hierarchy where interchangeability is
required. Each CSCI is to have (as appropriate) individual design
reviews, individual qualification/certification, individual
acceptance reviews, and separate user manuals. |
| Concept |
An idea for a new product or system that is
represented in the form of a written description, a sketch, block
diagram or simple model. A concept is the earliest representation of
a new product or of alternative approaches to designing a new
product. |
| Concept Model |
A physical model or representation intended primarily for design
review, product conceptualization and customer feedback. This model
is usually not sufficiently accurate or durable for full functional
and physical testing. |
| Concept Testing |
The process by which a concept statement,
sketch or model is presented to customers for their reactions. These
reactions can either be used to permit the developer to estimate the
sales value of the concept or to make changes to the concept to
enhance its potential sales value. |
| Conceptual Architecture |
The Conceptual Architecture represents an
appropriate decomposition of the system without delving into the
details of interface specification. The conceptual architecture
identifies the system components or subsystems, the responsibilities
of each component or subsystem, and interconnections between
components or subsystems. |
| Concurrency |
The degree to which phases, stages, or
activities may be overlapped or done in parallel. |
| Concurrent Engineering |
A systematic approach to the integrated,
concurrent design of products and their related processes, including
manufacture and support. This approach is intended to cause the
developers, from the outset, to consider all elements of the product
life cycle from conception through disposal, including quality,
cost, schedule and user requirements. |
| Configuration |
A collection of an item's descriptive and
governing characteristics, which can be expressed in a) functional
terms, i.e. what performance the item is expected to achieve, and b)
physical terms, i.e. what the item should look like and consist of
when it is completed. |
| Configuration Item |
Configuration Item (CI) is a hardware,
software, or composite item that has a defined function, can be at
any level in the system hierarchy, and is designated for
configuration management. |
| Configuration Management |
Configuration Management (CM) is the
process of managing a product's requirements and design
documentation as it evolves and changes over its lifecycle (from
requirements definition through production, operation, support and
disposal) and assuring that the resulting products and processes
conform to this documentation. Configuration Management function's
include maintaining the configuration status of a document, product
and process; reporting on this configuration; controlling changes to
this configuration; (see Engineering Change Control), and verifying
that the resulting configuration of the product or process
corresponds with that intended in its underlying
documentation. |
| Conformance Testing |
The testing of a candidate
product for the existence of specific characteristics required by a
standard in order to determine the extent to which that product is a
conforming implementation. |
| Conjoint Analysis |
A methodology for exploring and describing
subjective customer views of product features. Conjoint analysis
avoids direct questioning, e.g., "what do you think of the price of
our product?" Instead, the customer is asked what they are willing
to pay for a particular product feature. Thus, the real buying
situation with consideration of different cost-benefit alternatives
is simulated. The resulting analysis show directly the contribution
of each product feature to the total product utility. Conjoint
analysis can be used to determine to what extent a product's
perceived utility changes if some particular product feature is
modified. |
| Consensus |
Consensus is a group decision resulting
from members engaging in full and open discussion and then reaching
agreement to live with and openly support the resulting
decision. |
| Constraints |
1. As related to CAD, these are values in a
geometric model that define relationships between entities such as
planes, surfaces, points, lines, arcs, centers, edges, etc.
Constraints are used to fully define a model and to drive parametric
or variational geometry systems. The algorithms used to work with
constraints are known as constraint management 2. Restrictions or boundaries impacting overall
capability, priority, and resources. |
| Contextual Analysis / Contextual Inquiry |
Contextual Analysis / Contextual Inquiry is
a structured field evaluation method which uses a combination of
methodologies derived from anthropology and journalism. By observing
and interviewing users of products in their actual environment and
understanding the context in which a product is used,
better insight is gained into the issues that affect
contextual analysis / contextual inquiry is a discovery process that
can add insight into the needs of customers. |
| Contingency |
A Contingency is the planned allotment of
time, cost, budget or design margin for unforeseeable elements or
risks with a development project. |
| Contingency Design |
Contingency Design is a form of
mistake-proofing focusing on the user's experience with the product.
The intent is to design in features that help the user avoid
mistakes or allow the users to quickly correct input of data or
operation of the product. This is accomplished through layout and
graphic design, intuitive operation, clear instructions, appropriate
markings and warnings, descriptive error messages, avoidance of
technical jargon, and simple operation steps. |
| Control Chart |
A graphical display of results of a process
over time. They are used to determine if a process is in statistical
control or in need of adjustment. |
| Control Limits |
In statistical process control (SPC), two
horizontal lines are drawn on a control chart denoting the upper
control limit (UCL) and the lower control limit (LCL). The
sample-means and the ranges from a production lot must be within
these limits. If they are so, the process is behaving normally and
is said to be under control. If any point lies outside either of the
limits, this denotes loss of control - the process must be halted
and the reason found. |
| Control Plans |
Control Plans are written descriptions of
the systems for controlling parts, assemblies, products, and
processes. They are written to address the important characteristics
and engineering requirements of the product. Each part or assembly
should have a Control Plan, but in many cases, "family" Control
Plans can cover a number of parts produced using a common
process. |
| Cooperative Design |
see Participatory Design |
| Coordinate Measuring Machine |
Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) is a
device that dimensionally measures 3-D products, tools and
components with an accuracy approaching 0.0001 in. It used
for both inspection and reverse engineering. |
| COQ |
see Cost of Quality |
| Core Competencies |
Core Competencies are the essential
capabilities that create a firm's sustainable competitive
advantage. |
| Corrective Action |
Corrective Action is an action taken to
eliminate the causes of an existing nonconformity or other
undesirable situation in order to prevent recurrence. |
| Cost as an Independent Variable |
Cost as an Independent Variable (DoD
initiative) - an acquisition strategy of obtaining the best
available product/system within the constraints of available
resources. Cost performance and schedule trades are made to achieve
this balance with budget. |
| Cost Benefit Ratio |
The ratio of the present value of benefits
to the present value of costs. |
| Cost Drivers |
1. Those elements of cost which
significantly impact the product/system’s cost. 2. Any factor that causes a change in the cost
on an activity. An activity may have multiple cost drivers
associated with it. |
| Cost Estimating Relationship |
Cost Estimating Relationship is an equation
that defines the relationship of an independent variable or product
parameter (e.g., product weight, speed, etc.) to its related cost or
price. Cost estimating relationships are the basis of parametric
cost estimating techniques. |
| Cost Model |
A Cost Model is an estimating tool
consisting of one or more cost estimating relationships, estimating
methodologies, or estimating techniques used to predict the cost of
a system or one of its lower level elements. |
| Cost of Quality |
All costs expended for appraisal costs,
prevention costs, and both internal and external failure costs of
activities and cost objects. |
| Cost Reduction |
A formal activity employed to rectify a
cost target breach or to reduce the cost of an existing product or
design. A cost reduction effort has a specific quantified objective
and may affect schedule, performance or support to achieve this
objective. |
| Cost Table |
A Cost Table is a multidimensional data
base in which cost is captured for
several levels of a number of attributes for either the parts or functions
of a product. Cost tables are used to develop early estimates
of the cost of a design based on product or part parameters or
functions and different materials and manufacturing processes and methods. Cost tables have
been primarily used by Japanese companies. |
| COTS |
Commercial Off-The-Shelf |
| Cp |
Cp is a capability index that tells how
well a system can meet two-sided specification limits, assuming that
the average is centered on the target value. Cp is the ratio of the
specification range to the process capability at plus or minus 3
sigma. |
| CPC |
see Collaborative Product Commerce |
| CPD |
Concurrent Product Development (Synonymous
with concurrent engineering or integrated product development. See
Integrated Product Development) |
| CPLD |
Complex Programmable Logic Device -
contains more than 1,000 gates and 44 or more pins. |
| CPI |
Continuous Process Improvement |
| Cpk |
Cpk is a capability index for a
non-centered mean that tells how well a system can meet two-sided
specification limits. Cpk is the ratio of the specification range to
the process capability at plus or minus 3 sigma. |
| CPM |
Critical Path Method - A method for
determining the minimum project duration by identifying the critical
path based on task interrelationships and duration. It assumes there
is no wasted time for the activities that are on the critical
path. |
| Crashing |
Taking action to decrease the total project
duration by analyzing a number of alternatives to determine how to
get the maximum duration compression for the least cost. Often, it
involves reducing the time it takes to complete an activity by
adding resources. |
| Creeping Elegance / Featurism |
The tendency for designers to add more
capability, functions and features to a product as it is being
developed than were originally intended. These actions cause a
product's cost to increase beyond the target, the schedule to slip
and can detract from usability. |
| Critical Chain Method |
Critical Chain Method is a project
scheduling and management methodology developed by Eliyahu Goldratt
based on concepts from the Theory of Constraints. With Critical
Chain scheduling, uncertainty is primarily managed by (a) using
average task duration estimates; (b) scheduling backwards from the
date a project is needed (to ensure work that needs to be done is
done, and it is done only when needed); (c) placing aggregate
buffers in the project plan to protect the entire project and the
key tasks; and (d) using buffer management to control the plan. |
| Critical Characteristics |
The characteristics or specifications for a
material, part, assembly or product that define those attributes
that are essential to the proper fit or functioning of the item to
satisfy the intended customer use or need. |
| Critical Path |
In a project network diagram, the critical
path is the one with the longest duration. The critical path may
change from time to time as activities are completed ahead of or
behind schedule. (see CPM) |
| Critical-to-Function (CTF) |
A subset of drawing/model parameters that
are critical to function and have tolerances and/or datums different
from the standard tolerances or datum. As a result, these parameters
will usually have tolerances and datums specifically defined on a
drawing or in a model. In the absence of dimensional drawings, CTF
dimensions are a means of communicating dimensions critical to
success of the design, tolerance and other non-geometrical
information. This approach is generally simpler than a complete
fabrication drawing because of fewer dimensions. |
| Critical to Quality |
Critical to Quality (CTQ) characteristics
are the key measurable characteristics of a product or process whose
performance standards or specification limits must be met in order
to satisfy the customer. They align improvement or design efforts
with customer requirements. Also see critical characteristics. |
| Cross-Functional Team |
Cross-Functional Team is a team consisting
of representatives from marketing, engineering, manufacturing,
finance. purchasing, test, quality, finance and any other required
disciplines with responsibility for developing a product or product
subsystem. This team is empowered to represent the functional
disciplines and develop a product by addressing its life cycle
requirements including its product and support. |
| CSCI |
see Computer Software Configuration
Item |
| C/SCS |
Cost/Schedule Control System is a
performance measurement system that uses earned value techniques to
breakdown a budget to cost variation into cost and schedule
variation components |
| CSG |
Constructive Solids Geometry - a solid
modeling method using primitives to build more complex models and
Boolean operations of add, difference, and intersection. |
| CSM |
see Component Supplier Management |
| CTF |
see Critical-to-Function |
| Cumulative Tolerance |
Progressive accumulation of tolerances
resulting from multiple operations or assembly of multiple
parts. |
| Customer Need |
A fundamental need to be satisfied
independent of a particular technology or product solution (e.g.,
access the internet.) |
| Data Dictionary |
Data Dictionary - a definition
of data elements for uses such as information engineering or quality
function deployment. |
| Data Flow Diagram |
Data Flow Diagram a structured system
design representation of processes and the data flows that connect
the processes. |
| Data Interchange |
Data Interchange refers to the ability to
exchange and use product data between various types of CAD/CAM/CAE
systems. Data interchange can be accomplished by (listed in order of
maximum interchange of product model intent): use of the same CAD
system, use of the same CAD kernel (e.g., ACIS, parasolid, etc.),
dedicated translator between two CAD systems, and use of neutral
file formats (e.g., STEP, IGES, etc.). |
| Datum |
Theoretically exact planes, lines or points
from which other features are located on design drawings. |
| DBF |
Design by Features |
| DBT |
Design Build Team - term used by Boeing and
others synonymous with integrated product team. A multi-function or
cross-functional team with responsibilities for requirements
definition, product and process design, and production launch of a
new product. |
| DCF |
see Discounted Cash Flow |
| Decomposition |
Decomposition is the process of dividing
the system into its smallest, coherent, self-contained elements.
Decomposition is used in systems engineering, software engineering,
process mapping and functional analysis system technique. |
| Defects Per Million Opportunities |
Defects Per Million Opportunities (DPMO) is
a quality measurement where defects are defined as material or
process or related, and opportunities for defects are defined as the
sum of all parts, lead attachments and/or glue dots as applicable
for each part number assembled |
| Defect Tracking |
Defect Tracking typically refers to
identifying flaws appearing during manufacturing. The goal is not
only to spot defects but to track them and identify the source of
the problem to prevent them. Were specs incomplete, impractical, or
poorly specified? Was the design difficult to produce? Were needed
process capabilities lacking? |
| Derived Requirements |
Requirements that are not explicitly stated
in the customer requirements, but are inferred a) from contextual
requirements (e.g., applicable standards, laws, policies, common
practices, and management decisions), or b) from requirements needed
to specify a product component. Derived requirements can also arise
during analysis and design of components of the product or
system. |
| Design Failure Modes and Effects Analysis |
Design Failure Modes and Effects Analysis
(DFMEA) - a form of FMEA associated with the product design (see
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis). |
| Design for Assembly |
Design for Assembly (DFA) refers to the
principles of designing assemblies so that they are more
manufacturable. DFA principles address general part size and
geometry for handling and orientation, features to facilitate
insertion, assembly orientation for part insertion and fastening,
fastening principles, etc. The objective of DFA is to reduce
manufacturing effort and cost related to assembly processes. |
| Design for Disassembly |
Design for Disassembly (DFD) is a set of
principles used to guide designers in designing products that are
easy to disassemble for recycling, remanufacturing, or
servicing. |
| Design for Environment |
Design for Environment is a process for the
systematic consideration during design of issues associated with
environmental safety and health over the entire product life cycle.
DFE can be thought of as the migration of traditional pollution
prevention concepts upstream into the development phase of products
before production and use. |
| Design for Manufacturability |
1. Design for Manufacturability (broad
definition) is a methodology for designing product's in a way that
facilitates the fabrication of the product's components and their
assembly into the overall product. In this respect it is synonymous
with Design for Manufacturability / Assembly. 2. Design for Manufacturability (narrow
definition) is a methodology for designing product's components in a
way that facilitates their fabrication. |
| Design for Manufacturability / Assembly |
Design for Manufacturability / Assembly
(DFM/A) is the broad definition of optimizing a product's design for
make it's parts more manufacturable (fabrication) and easier to
assemble. DFM/A includes: understanding the organization's process
capabilities, obtaining early manufacturing involvement, using
formalized DFM/A guidelines, using DFM/A analysis tools, and
addressing DFM/A as part of formal design reviews. |
| Design for Postponement |
With a product that offers a lot of
different configurations and options, an objective is to delay of
postpone the assembly of the unique parts or subassemblies into the
product until as late as possible in the final assembly process.
This reduces production leadtime (products can be built and stocked
up to this point), facilitates a strategy of mass customization, and
provides supply chain flexibility. Design for postponement is the
design of an assembly in a way that allows the customizable parts of
the product to be assembled as late as possible in the assembly
process. |
| Design For Reliability |
Design For Reliability (DFR) is methodology
and set of principles to enhance product reliability and reduce
overall low life-cycle costs. It is based on early involvement of
reliability engineering working with design engineering to enhance
reliability by performing steps such as the following: reliability
program planning, reliability predictions, parts derating, thermal
analysis, failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), fault tree
analysis (FTA), availability and system modeling, HALT/HASS,
design verification testing, product return rate analysis, FRACAS,
and root cause failure analysis. |
| Design for Serviceability |
Design for Serviceability (DFS) is a set of
principles and a methodology for analyzing product concepts or
designs for characteristics and design features which reduce service
requirements and frequency, facilitate diagnosis, and minimize the
time and effort to disassemble, repair/replace, and reassemble the
product as part of the service process. |
| Design for Six Sigma |
Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) is a systematic
methodology or quality framework utilizing tools, processes and
measurements to enable the design of products and processes that
meet customer expectations and can be produced at Six Sigma quality
levels. DFSS is built around five connected phases of Define,
Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify or DMADV. The tools and methods to
support DFSS include voice of the customer (VOC), quality function
deployment (QFD), design for manufacturability and assembly, design
of experiments (DOE), failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA),
process capability studies, design reviews, control plans, etc. |
| Design Intent |
The intended form, fit, function, and
characteristics of a product or its constituent parts. |
| Design of Experiments |
A statistical methodology for designing,
conducting and analyzing experiments or tests to evaluate product
and process design parameters or factors that affect the achievement
of a product performance characteristic. The response of interest is
evaluated under the various conditions to: (1) identify the
influential variables among the ones tested, (2) quantify the
effects across the range represented by the levels of the variables,
(3) gain a better understanding of the nature of the causal system
at work in the process, and (4) compare the effects and
interactions. These experiments lead to setting parameter or factor
levels (values) that can optimize the product performance
characteristic under study and minimize the affects of variation.
There are several techniques including Taguchi Methods, fractional
factorial, and Plackett-Burman. DOE's are often classified in one of
three categories: Screening Designs, which are intended to identify
which main effects (factors) are the vital few important factors
that require further study (usually a fractional factorial);
Characterization Designs, which are used to gain some quantitative
understanding of the relationships among the factors, including
interactions, on the response variable (usually a factorial); and
Optimization Designs, which are used to gain a precise understanding
of the mathematical relationships that is sufficient to allow
prediction and optimization throughput the experimental region. |
| Design Optimization |
1. Design Optimization in the broad sense
refers to optimizing a design to meet its functional, environmental
and lifecycle requirements at a minimum of cost. 2. Design Optimization in a narrower sense
refers to the use of computer-aided engineering applications which
analyze a design and, given constraints and objectives, seek to
improve or optimize the design to meet the stated objectives within
the stated constraints. These applications will typically use an
iterative, goal-seeking cycle to seek design optimization. |
| Design Reviews |
Design reviews are formal technical reviews
conducted during the development of a product to assure that the
requirements, concept, product or process satisfies the requirements
of that stage of development, the design is sound, the issues are
understood, the risks are being managed, any problems are
identified, and needed solutions proposed. Typical design reviews
include: requirements review, concept/preliminary design review,
final design review, and a production readiness/launch review. |
| Design Structure Matrix |
Design Structure Matrix - matrix used to
represent and analyze task dependencies in a product development
project / process. |
| Design-to-Cost |
A development methodology that treats cost
as an independent design parameter. A realistic cost objective is
established based on customer affordability, tradeoff's are made
between the cost objective and other product functions/parameters,
cost models are used to project the cost early in the development
cycle, and a variety of techniques such as function analysis and DFM
are used to proactively achieve the cost objective. |
| Design to Life-Cycle Cost |
This represents the totality of
design-to-cost addressing all costs related to acquisition,
operation, support and disposal. |
| Design to Unit Production Costs |
The average unit production costs for
producing the specified hardware lot(s) which generally includes
recurring material, labor and overhead costs; engineering change
costs; program management costs; and production support costs. |
| Design Validation |
Testing to assure that the product conforms
to defined user needs and requirements. This normally occurs toward
the end of the Design Phase following successful design verification
and prior to pilot production, beta/market testing, and product
launch. Design validation is normally performed on the final product
under defined, operating conditions. Multiple validations may be
performed if there are different intended uses. See Validation. |
| Design Verification |
Design verification is the process of
ensuring the design conforms to specification (design outputs meet
design input requirements). Design verification may include:
alternate calculations, design reviews, comparison to similar
designs, inspection, and system or product testing. |
| Detailed Design |
The conversion of product specifications
into designs and their associated process and/or code-to
documentation. Detailed design includes design capture, modeling,
analysis, developmental testing, documentation, process design,
producibility analysis, test plan development, coding, and design
verification and validation. |
| Deterministic |
An approach that presumes the presence of
fixed constraints. |
| DFA |
see Design for Assembly |
| DFAA |
Design for Automated Assembly |
| DFD |
1. see Design for Disassembly 2. see Data Flow Diagram |
| DFE |
see Design for the Environment |
| DFM |
see Design for Manufacturability |
| DFM/A |
see Design for Manufacturability /
Assembly |
| DFMEA |
see Design Failure Modes and Effects Analysis |
| DFMt |
Design for Maintainability |
| DFSS |
see Design for Six Sigma |
| DFT |
Design for Test |
| DFX |
Design for Excellence - designing to
consider all relevant life cycle factors such as manufacturability,
reliability, maintainability, testability, affordability, etc. |
| Diagnosibility |
The ability to identify any faults (or
potential faults) in the operation of the product. |
| Digital Mock-up |
Solids modeling capabilities that enable
complete products to be built in electronic form. The mockups can be
used to check for problems such as interference and clashes between
components. Using digital mockups reduces the cost and time of
development since physical models do not need to be built.
Synonymous with digital pre-assembly, electronic mock-up, and
assembly modeling. |
| Direct Costs |
Cost that can be specifically identified or
traced to an activity, cost object or final cost objective. |
| Direct Digital Manufacturing |
The process of going directly from an electronic digital representation
of a part or item to the final part or item via additive fabrication. See
Additive Fabrication. |
| Directed Evolution |
Directed Evolution is an advanced TRIZ
methodology used to create scenarios to support the planning and
development of future generations of technical systems. |
| DIS |
Draft International Standards
(International Standards Organization) |
| Discontinuous Innovation |
Discontinuous innovation falls outside of
existing markets or market segments, and when successful extends and
redefines the market, exposing new possibilities. Discontinuous
innovation is characterized by lateral or divergent thinking, by
looking outside of defined boundaries, and by discovery of new
knowledge related to both market need and technological capability.
|
| Discounted Cash Flow |
Discounted Cash Flow - an analysis
technique that determines the present value of a series of positive
and negative cash flows using a specified discount factor
representing the cost of capital. This can be used to compare
investment alternatives such a new product development
alternatives. |
| DMAIC |
Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and
Control - a Six Sigma improvement methodology |
| DMADV |
DMADV is a data driven quality strategy for
designing products and processes that is an integral part of a Six
Sigma quality initiative. It consists of five interconnected phases:
define, measure, analyze, design and verify. |
| DMIS |
Dimensional Measurement Interface
Specification (ANSI standard) |
| DNC |
Distributed Numerical Control |
| DOA |
Dead on Arrival. Products that don't
operate when received and first used by a customer. |
| DoD |
Department of Defense |
| DOE |
1. see Design of Experiments 2. Department of Energy |
| DPA |
Digital Pre-Assembly - a term for
electronic mock-up performed with CAD solids modeling. |
| DPM |
Defects per Million |
| DPMO |
see Defects Per Million Opportunities |
| DRM |
1. Drawing Requirements Manual 2. Drafting Room Manual 3. DRM Associates (product development
consulting and training firm) |
| DSM |
1. Deep Sub-Micron design - relates to the
design of integrated circuits with feature sizes less than .5um. 2. see Design Structure Matrix |
| DSS |
Decision Support System |
| DTC |
Design to Cost is a development methodology
that treats cost as a design parameter. A realistic cost objective
is established based on customer affordability, cost models are used
to project the cost early in the development cycle, and a variety of
techniques such as value analysis and DFM are used to proactively
achieve the cost objective. |
| DTLCC |
Design to Life Cycle Cost |
| Durability |
The probability that an item will continue
to function at customer expectation levels at the useful life
without requiring overhaul or rebuild due to wear-out. |
| DTUPC |
see Design to Unit Production Cost |
| Durability |
The ability of a product and any of its
components to perform the required functions in its intended service
environment over its intended service life without unforeseen cost
of maintenance and repair. |
| DUT |
Device Under Test |
| DXF |
Data Exchange Format - format for CAD
drawings often used to transfer CAD data from one system or program
to another. |
| Dynamic Analysis |
Dynamic Analysis is the analysis of
mechanism's motions that result from forces. Dynamic simulation is
more complex than Kinematic Analysis because the problem needs to be
further defined and more data is needed to account for the forces.
But Dynamic Analysis is often required to accurately simulate the
actual motion of a mechanical system. Generally, Kinematic Analysis
helps evaluate form, while Dynamic Analysis assists in analyzing
function. (Also see Kinematic Analysis.) |
| EAC |
Estimate at Completion |
| Early Adopter |
Early Adopter is a person or organization
who chooses to purchase or use relatively new technology before it
is fully embraced by the mass market. Early adopters are therefore
people or organizations who have a stronger need for the technology,
a lower reluctance to use it, or the ability to overcome barriers to
adopting it. |
| Early Supplier Involvement |
Early Supplier Involvement is the process
of getting the supplier involved early in the development process
(when an item is being conceptualized, designed or specified) so
that the supplier can make proactive suggestions to improve the
design and reduce its cost vs. providing reactive feedback once the
design has been completed. |
| EC |
1. Engineering Change 2. Electronic Commerce 3. European Community |
| ECAD |
Electrical/Electronic Computer-Aided
Design |
| ECAE |
Electrical/Electronic Computer-Aided
Engineering |
| ECCB |
Electronic Component Certification
Board |
| ECN/ECO |
see Engineering Change Notice / Engineering
Change Order |
| ECP |
Engineering Change Proposal |
| EDA |
see Electronic Design Automation |
| EDB |
Electronic Data Book |
| EDI |
Electronic Data Interchange (ANSI-X.12) -
EDI is the exchange, between organizational entities, of computer
processable data in a standard format. The 841 transaction is used
to transfer technical data. |
| EDIA |
Electronic Data Interchange
Association |
| EDIF |
see Electronic Design Interchange
Format |
| EDM |
1. Engineering Data Management 2. Engineering Document Management 3. Electronic Document Management 4. Electrical Discharge Machining |
| EDMS |
1. Electronic Document Management System 2. Engineering Data Management System |
| EEPROM |
Erasable Programmable Read Only
Memory |
| Effectivity |
An indicator in a product structure which
specifies the versions at which a component part is used. These
indicators generally specify a range of either dates, serial
numbers, or build lots. Effectivity indicators are typically
considered as 'conditions' on the parent-child relationships in a
product structure. |
| Effectivity Date |
Effectivity Date is the date from which an
intended engineering change is to come into effect (new product
configuration) or the past configuration of the product is to go out
of effect. |
| EIA |
Electronic Industries Association |
| EIS |
1. Engineering Information System 2. Executive Information System |
| Electronic Design Automation |
Electronic Design Automation (EDA) consists
of hardware and software tools to aid in the design and development
of electronic products through design capture, simulation,
synthesis, verification, analysis, and testing. |
| Electronic Design Interchange Format |
An EIA/ANSI standard which defines the file
format for communicating two-dimensional graphics and
interconnection information that is used to describe the patterns
for fabricating and manufacturing semiconductors and
PCB/PWB's. |
| Electronic Manufacturing Services |
Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS)
refers to the industry that provides contract design, manufacturing,
and related product support services on behalf of electronics OEMs,
in which the design and brand name belongs to the OEM making
electronic products or subassemblies to be sold under the OEM brand
name. Often referred to as "Contract Manufacturing" or "Contract
Electronics Manufacturing". |
| Electronic Systems Design Automation |
Electronic Systems Design Automation (ESDA)
is a set of graphical front-end tools that allow designers to use
pictures rather than words to describe and analyze their creations.
These tools can use HDL's as an interchange format rather than a
design medium and allow for higher degrees of abstraction over
traditional schematic capture or waveform display programs. |
| Electronic Systems Level |
Electronic Systems Level is a higher level
abstraction for the design of electronic products than RTL (see
Register Transfer Level) which will improve design productivity with
the design of ever larger and more complex electronic systems. This
is the third generation in design methodologies and tools
(gate-level, register transfer level, and electronic systems level).
Key elements of ESL include behavioral synthesis, integration
between the behavioral level and the architecture level, and
hardware/software codesign and coverification. |
| EMI |
1. Early Manufacturing Involvement 2. Electro-Magnetic Interference |
| Empathic Design |
Empathic Design is based on observation —
watching customers/consumers use products or services. But unlike
focus groups, usability laboratories, and other contexts of
traditional market research, this observation is conducted in the
customer's own environment in the course of normal, everyday
routines. This approach enables the researcher to observe and
develop information on customer needs that will drive design that is
not accessible through other observation-oriented research
methods. |
| EMS |
see Electronic Manufacturing Services |
| Emulation |
The process by which a device under
development and its native software is prototyped before its
manufacture. |
| End-of-Life |
End-of-Life (EOL) is the term applied to
products or components that are being retired from the market
because of technology obsolescence or rapidly declining
demand. |
| Engineering Change |
A modification to a component,
product configuration, or document from currently defined and
approved status. Changes cause version or revision levels of
affected items to be updated. |
| Engineering Change Control |
Engineering Change Control is the process
and procedures that manage how changes are proposed, reviewed, and
approved and incorporated into a product and its associated data
items. Change control is a part of an overall configuration
management methodology and uses review and release processes to
enforce compliance with company change policies. |
| Engineering Change Notice / Engineering
Change Order |
Engineering Change Notice (ECN) /
Engineering Change Order (ECO) are formal documents notifying
selected persons of proposed, pending, or accomplished changes. In a
PDM/PIM-managed environment, ECNs may be distributed by electronic
mail. |
| Enhanced Quality Function Deployment |
Enhanced Quality Function Deployment is a
broader QFD framework that applies a system perspective recognizing
the need to decompose more complex products into subsystems and
assemblies with supporting deployment matrices and concept selection
matrices. |
| Enterprise Resource Planning |
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is an
integrated computer applications to plan and support execution of
business functions in the manufacturing enterprise. ERP relates to
product development in the following ways. ERP applications will
contain product structure data (bills of material) generated during
development. Some ERP applications also provide some product data
management functionality. Finally, ERP is the tool to help forecast
new product demand and order and stock materials to support product
launch. |
| Environmental Stress Screening |
Environmental Stress Screening (ESS) is a
process which applies specific kinds of environmental stresses to
products on an accelerated basis, but within their design parameters
and limits to cause latent and intermittent flaws to become
detectable failures. Also see Highly Accelerated Stress Screening
(HASS). |
| EPD |
Electronic Product Definition |
| EPL |
Engineering Parts List |
| EPLD |
Erasable Programmable Logic Device |
| EQFD |
see Enhanced Quality Function
Deployment |
| Ergonomics |
Ergonomics is the science of designing
products and work to be consistent with the capabilities and
limitations of the human body. |
| ERP |
see Enterprise Resource Planning |
| ESDA |
see Electronic Systems Design
Automation |
| ESL |
see Electronic Systems Level |
| ESS |
see Environmental Stress Screening |
| EST |
Environmental Stress Testing |
| ETC |
Estimate to Complete |
| Ethnographic Studies |
A qualitative method of researching
customer needs based on studying the anthropology or culture of the
user. This method involves spending time in the field observing
customers and their environment to better understand their lifestyle
or culture as a basis for understanding their needs for a new
product. A deep understanding of your customer can lead to
fundamental insights that impact product design, feature sets,
product positioning, marketing communications, advertising
execution, etc. |
| EWI |
Electronic Work Instruction |
| Expectancy Theory |
The view that our effort will be greatest
when we expect that we can perform the task at hand and that we
expect to obtain rewards for our performance. |
| Experience Curve |
Experience Curve (also known as a learning
curve) is a mathematical model that relates the cost per unit (or
labor time per unit) to the cumulative number of units produced in
an exponentially decreasing manner. |
| EXPRESS |
The information modeling language used to
define the STEP standard (ISO 10303). |
| Extranet |
An internet-based network that provides
controlled access to outside parties. Also see Intranet. |
| Extreme Programming |
Extreme Programming (XP) is one of the more
popular lightweight, or agile development methods. In general, XP
structures the "four basic activities of software development ...
coding, testing, listening, and designing." XP structures coding
based on the concepts of pair-programming and test-development. XP
structures the testing activity by requiring automated tests that
the team runs every day, several times a day. XP structures the
listening activity through pair-programming and by requiring that
the customer be part of the team and be on-site. Lastly, XP
structures the designing activity by encouraging developers to use
test-first development: define a test, then code until the test
passes, then proceed to the next test. There is no
big-design-up-front stage in an XP project. |
| Failure |
A deficiency, defect,
nonperformance or nonconformance with specified requirements. An
item of equipment has suffered a failure when it is no longer
capable of fulfilling one or more of its intended functions. Note
that an item does not need to be completely unable to function to
have suffered a failure. |
| Failure Analysis |
Failure Analysis is a collection of
techniques to determine the root cause of a component or process
defect or failure. |
| Failure in Time |
Failure in Time - a reliability measure
usually expressed in failures per 10 to the 9th power hours. |
| Failure Mode |
A particular way in which failures occur,
independent of the reason for failure. |
| Failure Modes and Effects Analysis |
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
is a procedure in which each potential failure mode in every
sub-item of an item is analyzed to determine its effect on other
sub-items and on the required function of the item. It is used to
identify potential failure modes and their associated
causes/mechanisms, consider risks of these failure modes, and
identify mitigating actions to reduce the probability or impact of
the failure. |
| Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality
Analysis |
Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality
Analysis is a procedure that is performed after a failure mode and
effects analysis to classify each potential failure effect according
to its severity and probability of occurrence. |
| Failure Reporting and Corrective Action
System |
Failure Reporting and Corrective Action
System (FRACAS) is a closed-loop system to capture reports of
failure from customers or service technicians in the field or from
the factory, analyze these reports, detect trends or problems, and
use this analysis to take corrective action in the design, component
selection, supplier selection, manufacturing process, or operating
manual of the product. Features of
a FRACAS system include a database manager, tracking system for
document controls, user definable reports which allow selection of
data elements and sort options, and search functions. |
| FAST |
see Function Analysis System Technique |
| FAT |
Factory Acceptance Testing |
| Fault Tree Analysis |
Fault Tree Analysis is a top-down,
hierarchical analysis of faults to identify the various fault
mechanisms and their cause. It graphically describes the cause and
effect relationships that result in major failures. The fault or
major failure being analyzed is identified as the "top event." All
of the possible causes of the top event are identified in a tree
using "or" nodes for independent causes and "and" nodes for multiple
causes that must exist concurrently for a failure to occur. |
| FCA |
see Functional Configuration Audit |
| FCT |
Fast Cycle Time |
| FDA |
Food and Drug Administration |
| FDL |
Fault Detection and Localization (proposed
IEEE standard) |
| FEA |
see Finite Element Analysis |
| Feasibility |
Capable of being completed to meet goals.
The feasibility of a proposed new product has two dimensions: a)
Technical Feasibility (i.e., will the product work?) and b)
Financial Feasibility (i.e., will the product make an adequate
return on investment for the enterprise?) |
| Feature |
1. Features are elements of the product
that provide a distinctive benefit to the customer and are often
highlighted in describing the benefits of the product to the
customer. Features are the differentiating functionality of a
product. This functionality may not be available in other products,
or it may not be available with the same quality characteristics. 2. Features are geometric entities that have
meaning in the definition and manufacture of a product. Examples of
features are through-holes, bosses, bends, chamfers, slots,
etc. |
| Features Technology |
Features Technology - a variation of group
technology with a focus on coding and classifying based on part
features. |
| FEM |
see Finite Element Model |
| Field Replaceable Unit |
A collection of hardware or software that
is installed or removed from a product as a single serviceable
entity. The composition of product FRU's is determined by the
integrated product team. |
| Field Testing |
Field Testing is the testing a product in
the actual context in which it will be used, as opposed to
laboratory testing, or testing the product in its operating
environment. |
| Fillet |
A manufacturing feature that blends two
surfaces together. |
| Finite Element Analysis |
A computer-based method that breaks
geometry into elements and links a series of equations to each,
which are then solved simultaneously to evaluate the behavior of the
entire system. Most often used for structural analysis, but widely
applicable for other types of analysis and simulation, including
thermal, fluid, and electromagnetic. |
| Finite Element Model |
Finite Element Model - the model that is
created to be analyzed with the finite-element method, typically
done graphically with geometry. |
| Fit |
The ability of an item to physically
interface or interconnect with or become an integral part of another
item. |
| FIT |
see Failure in Time |
| Fixed Costs |
A cost element that does not vary with
changes in the volume of cost drivers or production volumes. The
designation of a cost as fixed may vary depending upon the time
horizon. In the long term, all costs are variable. |
| Fixture |
Tooling designed to locate and hold
components in position. |
| Flip Chip |
Process for mounting an IC chip with
metalization down and with no bonding wires. |
| Floorplan |
The high-level physical layout of blocks on
a semiconductor device (either chips or boards). Floorplanning tools
also typically provide estimations of timing delays. |
| Floorplanners |
Floorplanners are EDA software tools that
provide an environment where issues such as timing, area, power
dissipation, and routeability can be analyzed before a detailed
physical layout of a design is completed. These tools provide
interactive and/or automatic capability to accurately estimate
interconnect resistance/capacitance (RC) and predict timing delays
before the placement and routing of the design so that users can
evaluate and choose the optimum floorplan. |
| FMEA |
see Failure Modes and Effects Analysis |
| FMECA |
see Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality
Analysis |
| FMS |
Flexible Manufacturing System |
| Focus Groups |
Focus Groups are are meetings with a group
of customers, users, or potential users of a product to explore
their needs and obtain their feedback on product ideas and concepts.
These meetings are conducted by a facilitator using a prepared
script but provide the flexibility to obtain open-ended participant
input and feedback. These meetings are often recorded and observed
by company for further analysis. |
| Forecasting |
The work performed to estimate and predict
future conditions and events. Of relevance to new product
development is the need to forecast future sales of a proposed
product to determine its financial feasibility. |
| Form |
The defined configuration of an item
including the geometrically measured configuration, density, and
weight or other visual parameters which uniquely characterize an
item, component or assembly. For software, form denotes the
language, language level and media. |
| Formal Verification |
The application of rigorous mathematical
techniques to prove the functional equivalence of an electronic
hardware design with its original specification. Because timing is
not included in formal verification, it is used only to verify a
design's functional behavior. It is a collective term used for a
number of different tools and methodologies. |
| FPGA |
Field Programmable Gate Array - a high
density programmable logic device. |
| FPT |
Fine Pitch Technology (related to surface
mount) |
| FQR |
Formal Qualification Review |
| FRACAS |
see Failure Reporting and Corrective Action
System |
| Framework |
A software infrastructure that provides a
common environment for communication and integration of design tools
in a design process. |
| Freeform Fabrication |
Freeform Fabrication is the application of
rapid prototyping (see Rapid Prototyping) and rapid tooling
technologies to the direct manufacture of parts in an on-demand, low
volume or a mass customization production environment. |
| FRU |
See Field Replaceable Unit |
| FTA |
see Fault Tree Analysis |
| Full Scan |
A design for testability methodology that
provides complete access to an integrated circuit. EDA tools can
insert scan registers automa | |