Abbreviations from quality management and project management

0–9

5-WhyQuality Management

Five times “Why?”Questioning technique to get from a symptom to the actual root cause.

5MQuality Management

Man, machine, material, method, environmentInfluencing factors in the Ishikawa (cause-and-effect) diagram.

5SProcess Management & Lean

Sort, set in order, shine, standardise, sustainMethod for a clean, orderly and safe workplace.

8DQuality Management

8 disciplinesStructured problem-solving method in eight steps – the standard for complaints in the automotive industry.

A

A3Process Management & Lean

A3-ReportProblem solving and action plan on a single A3 sheet.

AAQuality Management

Work instructionDescribes step by step how a task is carried out at a workstation.

AIAGAutomotive

Automotive Industry Action GroupUS automotive industry association, publisher of APQP, PPAP, MSA and SPC.

APQuality Management

Action priority / work packageIn FMEA: rating high, medium or low (replaces the former RPN). In project management: a defined task in the work breakdown structure.

APQPAutomotive

Advanced Product Quality PlanningAdvanced quality planning in five phases – from planning to series production.

APZ 3.1Automotive

Inspection certificate 3.1 according to EN 10204Material certificate with specific test results, confirmed by the manufacturer’s inspection representative who is independent of production.

AQLQuality Management

Acceptable Quality LimitDefines the maximum number of defective parts permitted in sample inspections.

B

B / A / EQuality Management

Severity / occurrence / detectionThe three FMEA rating criteria: severity of the effect, likelihood of occurrence and likelihood of detection.

BM / SC / CCAutomotive

Special / critical characteristicsCharacteristics affecting safety, legal compliance or function that are monitored with particular care.

BPMNProcess Management & Lean

Business Process Model and NotationStandardised graphical notation for modelling business processes.

C

CAPAQuality Management

Corrective and Preventive ActionCorrective and preventive actions to eliminate and prevent the causes of defects.

CAQQuality Management

Computer Aided QualitySoftware for inspection planning, complaint management and document control.

CEQuality Management

CE markingMarking with which the manufacturer declares that a product meets the applicable EU requirements – not a test seal from an independent body.

Cg / CgkQuality Management

Gauge capability indicesIndices from measurement system analysis type 1: variation (Cg) and variation plus bias (Cgk).

CIPProcess Management & Lean

Continuous Improvement ProcessEnglish term for the continuous improvement process (German: KVP).

Cmk / CpkQuality Management

Machine capability index / process capability indexIndices showing whether a machine or process reliably meets the tolerance.

CoCQuality Management

Certificate of ConformityConfirms that a delivery meets the agreed requirements.

COPQQuality Management

Cost of Poor QualityAll costs caused by scrap, rework, complaints and additional inspection.

CpQuality Management

Process capability index (variation)Ratio of tolerance to process variation – without taking the process location into account (see Cpk).

CP / PLPAutomotive

Control planDefines which characteristics are checked and controlled in production, how, how often and with what.

CPMProject Management

Critical Path MethodDetermines the activities that define the end date of a project.

CRProject Management

Change RequestFormal request to change scope, schedule or budget.

CS1 / CS2Automotive

Controlled Shipping Level 1 / Level 2Customer escalation levels: additional 100 % inspection by the supplier (CS1) or by an external service provider (CS2).

CSRAutomotive

Customer Specific RequirementsVehicle manufacturers’ customer-specific requirements in addition to IATF 16949.

CTQQuality Management

Critical to QualityCharacteristic critical to quality for the customer, often the starting point of Six Sigma projects.

D

D-FMEA / P-FMEAQuality Management

Design FMEA / process FMEAFMEA for product development (design) or for the manufacturing process.

DFM / DFAProcess Management & Lean

Design for Manufacturing / Design for AssemblyDesigning products from the outset for ease of manufacturing and assembly.

DGQQuality Management

German Society for QualityGerman professional association for quality management offering training and certificates.

DINQuality Management

German Institute for StandardisationNational standards organisation in Germany, publisher of DIN standards.

DMAICQuality Management

Define – Measure – Analyze – Improve – ControlFive-stage problem-solving cycle from Six Sigma.

DoEQuality Management

Design of ExperimentsStatistical design of experiments – systematically identifying influencing factors with as few trials as possible.

DV / PVAutomotive

Design Validation / Production ValidationTesting of the product design or of parts from series tooling and the series process.

DVP&RAutomotive

Design Verification Plan & ReportPlan and report for testing and releasing a product development.

E

ECR / ECNProject Management

Engineering Change Request / Engineering Change NoticeEngineering change request or change notice in the product change process.

EFQMQuality Management

European Foundation for Quality ManagementEuropean excellence model for the holistic assessment of organisations.

EMPBAutomotive

Initial sample inspection reportEvidence that the first series parts meet all customer requirements.

EOLProcess Management & Lean

End of LineInspection at the end of the production line before shipment.

EOPAutomotive

End of ProductionEnd of series production of a product.

EPKProcess Management & Lean

Event-driven process chainMethod for modelling business processes from events and functions.

EV / AVQuality Management

Equipment Variation / Appraiser VariationComponents of variation in measurement system analysis: caused by the gauge (repeatability) or by the appraiser (reproducibility).

EVMProject Management

Earned Value ManagementCompares planned and actual progress with costs.

F

FAIQuality Management

First Article InspectionComplete inspection of the first parts from the series process.

FIFOProcess Management & Lean

First In – First OutPrinciple of using material in the order in which it was received.

FMEAQuality Management

Failure mode and effects analysisMethod for identifying and avoiding potential failures in a product or process early on.

FTAQuality Management

Fault Tree AnalysisSystematically identifies the combinations of causes that lead to a failure.

G

GP12Automotive

Global Process 12 – Early Production ContainmentAdditional, tightened containment inspection during production launch to catch defects before delivery; originally a General Motors requirement.

GPMProject Management

German Project Management AssociationGerman professional association for project management and certification.

GRRQuality Management

Gage Repeatability & ReproducibilityMeasurement system analysis of the repeatability and reproducibility of measurements.

GSQuality Management

Tested safety (German safety mark)Voluntary test mark under the German Product Safety Act, awarded by an independent testing body.

H

HLS / HSQuality Management

High Level Structure / Harmonized StructureCommon basic structure of ISO management system standards (e.g. ISO 9001, 14001, 45001) – called “Harmonized Structure” since 2021.

HoQQuality Management

House of QualityQFD matrix that links customer requirements to technical characteristics and evaluates them.

I

IATFAutomotive

International Automotive Task ForceBody of vehicle manufacturers, publisher of IATF 16949.

IATF 16949Automotive

Automotive quality management standardBuilds on ISO 9001 and adds automotive-specific requirements.

IECQuality Management

International Electrotechnical CommissionInternational standards organisation for electrical engineering and electronics.

IMDSAutomotive

International Material Data SystemDatabase in which suppliers report the materials of their components.

IMSQuality Management

Integrated management systemCombines, for example, quality, environmental and occupational safety management in one system.

IO / NIOQuality Management

OK / not OKInspection result for a part or characteristic.

IPMAProject Management

International Project Management AssociationInternational project management association with a four-level certification system.

ISIRAutomotive

Initial Sample Inspection ReportEnglish term for the initial sample inspection report (German: EMPB).

ISOQuality Management

International Organization for StandardizationInternational standards organisation, publisher of ISO 9001 among others.

ISO 14001Quality Management

International environmental management standardRequirements for an environmental management system.

ISO 19011Quality Management

Guidelines for auditing management systemsBasis for planning and conducting internal and external audits.

ISO 45001Quality Management

International occupational health and safety management standardRequirements for an occupational health and safety management system.

ISO 9001Quality Management

International quality management standardCross-industry standard for quality management systems.

J

JIT / JISProcess Management & Lean

Just in Time / Just in SequenceDelivery at the right time, or additionally in the right sequence.

K

KPIProject Management

Key Performance IndicatorIndicator for managing quality, delivery reliability, costs or project progress.

KVPProcess Management & Lean

Continuous improvement processOngoing, step-by-step improvement of processes and products.

L

LH / PHProject Management

Requirements specification / functional specificationCustomer requirements (requirements specification) and the supplier’s description of implementation (functional specification).

LLProject Management

Lessons LearnedSystematically capturing experience from a project and using it for future projects.

LPAQuality Management

Layered Process AuditShort, regular audits carried out by different management levels.

LVProject Management

Bill of quantitiesDetailed description of the services to be provided, often the basis for quotations.

M

MLAAutomotive

Maturity Level AssuranceMaturity level assurance for new parts according to VDA.

MSProject Management

MilestoneEvent of particular importance in the project, e.g. an approval or the start of production.

MSAQuality Management

Measurement System AnalysisEvidence that measuring equipment is suitable for the inspection task.

MVPProject Management

Minimum Viable ProductFirst, minimally functional version of a product to get early feedback.

N

NCRQuality Management

Non-Conformance ReportDocuments a nonconformity and the related actions.

NDAProject Management

Non-Disclosure AgreementConfidentiality agreement between business partners.

O

OEEProcess Management & Lean

Overall Equipment EffectivenessOverall equipment effectiveness from availability, performance and quality.

OEMAutomotive

Original Equipment ManufacturerVehicle manufacturer, e.g. of cars or commercial vehicles.

OPLProcess Management & Lean

One Point LessonOne-page short guide on exactly one topic, e.g. directly at the workstation.

P

PAFQuality Management

Prevention – Appraisal – FailureModel of quality costs: prevention costs, appraisal costs and failure costs.

PBProcess Management & Lean

Process descriptionDescribes the sequence, responsibilities, inputs, outputs and KPIs of a process.

PDCAQuality Management

Plan – Do – Check – ActControl loop of continuous improvement (Deming cycle).

PERTProject Management

Program Evaluation and Review TechniqueNetwork planning technique with optimistic, most likely and pessimistic duration estimates.

PFUQuality Management

Process capability studyStatistical evidence that a process reliably meets the required tolerances over time.

PMProject Management

Project ManagementPlanning, steering and monitoring projects in terms of objectives, time, cost and quality.

PMBOKProject Management

Project Management Body of KnowledgePMI standard reference with the fundamentals and processes of project management.

PMIProject Management

Project Management InstituteInternational project management association based in the USA.

PMOProject Management

Project Management OfficeCentral unit for project standards, the project portfolio and support for project managers.

PMPProject Management

Project Management ProfessionalPMI certification for project managers.

POProject Management

Purchase OrderBinding order from the customer to the supplier.

Pp / PpkQuality Management

Process performance indicesIndices of preliminary process capability, mostly during production launch and sampling.

PPAPAutomotive

Production Part Approval ProcessAIAG production part approval process with submission levels 1 to 5.

PPFAutomotive

Production process and product approvalSampling procedure according to VDA Volume 2.

PPMQuality Management

Parts per MillionDefective parts per million parts delivered.

PRDQuality Management

ProductOutput of a process – component, assembly or service delivered to the customer.

PRINCE2Project Management

Projects in Controlled EnvironmentsProcess-oriented project management method from the UK.

PRZProcess Management & Lean

ProcessSequence of related activities that turn inputs into an output.

PSBAutomotive

Product safety officerPerson responsible for product safety and conformity in the company.

PSP / WBSProject Management

Work breakdown structureBreaks the project down hierarchically into subtasks and work packages.

PSWAutomotive

Part Submission WarrantCover sheet of the PPAP submission.

Q

Q-GateProject Management

Quality gateDefined checkpoint in a process or project that may only be passed once the criteria are met.

Q7Quality Management

The seven basic quality toolsCheck sheet, histogram, control chart, Pareto chart, scatter diagram, cause-and-effect diagram and flowchart or brainstorming.

QA / QCQuality Management

Quality Assurance / Quality ControlQuality assurance (preventive, system-related) or quality control (on the product).

QAAAutomotive

Quality Assurance AgreementEnglish term for the quality assurance agreement between customer and supplier (German: QSV).

QFDQuality Management

Quality Function DeploymentMethod for systematically translating customer requirements into technical characteristics (“House of Quality”).

QMQuality Management

Quality ManagementAll activities for planning, controlling, assuring and improving quality.

QMBQuality Management

Quality management representativePerson responsible for a company’s quality management system.

QMHQuality Management

Quality manualDocument describing a company’s quality management system.

QMSQuality Management

Quality management systemOrganisational framework of processes, responsibilities and documentation.

QPQuality Management

Quality policyA company’s direction and principles on quality, set by top management.

QRKQuality Management

Control chartChart for ongoing process monitoring with control limits – a core SPC tool.

QSQuality Management

Quality assuranceMeasures ensuring that products and processes meet the requirements.

QSVAutomotive

Quality assurance agreementContract between customer and supplier on quality requirements and inspection obligations.

QVPAutomotive

Advanced quality planningGerman term for APQP – planning quality from the start.

R

R&RQuality Management

Repeatability & ReproducibilityRepeatability and reproducibility of a measurement system – result of measurement system analysis type 2 (see GRR).

RACIProject Management

Responsible – Accountable – Consulted – InformedMatrix for clarifying responsibilities in a project.

RCAQuality Management

Root Cause AnalysisTracing a defect back to its actual root cause.

RFI / RFQProject Management

Request for Information / Request for QuotationRequest for information or quotation to potential suppliers.

ROIProject Management

Return on InvestmentRatio of profit to capital employed.

RPZQuality Management

Risk priority numberFormer FMEA rating from severity × occurrence × detection.

S

SFMProcess Management & Lean

Shopfloor ManagementLeading where value is created, with regular communication, KPIs and problem solving.

SIPOCProcess Management & Lean

Supplier – Input – Process – Output – CustomerOverview of a process with suppliers, inputs, outputs and customers.

SLAProcess Management & Lean

Service Level AgreementAgreement on the scope and quality of a service, e.g. response times.

SMARTProject Management

Specific – Measurable – Achievable – Realistic – Time-boundCriteria for clearly formulated objectives.

SMEDProcess Management & Lean

Single Minute Exchange of DieMethod for reducing set-up times – tool changes in under ten minutes.

SOPAutomotive

Start of ProductionStart of series production. In process management also: standard operating procedure (work instruction).

SOWProject Management

Statement of WorkScope, deliverables and conditions of an assignment.

SPCQuality Management

Statistical Process ControlStatistical process control using control charts.

SQAQuality Management

Supplier Quality AssuranceAssessment, approval and development of suppliers.

SQEAutomotive

Supplier Quality EngineerSupports and develops suppliers.

SWOTProject Management

Strengths – Weaknesses – Opportunities – ThreatsAnalysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

T

TCOProject Management

Total Cost of OwnershipTotal costs over the entire service life, not just the purchase price.

Tier 1 / Tier 2Automotive

Supplier tier 1 / 2Direct supplier to the vehicle manufacturer (Tier 1) or its sub-supplier (Tier 2).

TPMProcess Management & Lean

Total Productive MaintenanceHolistic maintenance involving the machine operators.

TQMQuality Management

Total Quality ManagementComprehensive quality management involving all employees and processes.

TÜVQuality Management

Technical Inspection AssociationTesting organisations for technical safety, inspections and certification.

V

VAQuality Management

ProcedureSets out across departments how a procedure runs in the company and who is responsible for what.

VDAAutomotive

German Association of the Automotive IndustryGerman industry association and publisher of the VDA quality volumes.

VDA 6.3Automotive

Process auditStandard for process audits with an A, B or C rating.

VDA 6.5Automotive

Product auditStandard for product audits from the customer’s perspective.

VDA QMCAutomotive

VDA Quality Management CenterVDA body for quality standards, training and auditor qualification in the automotive industry.

VOCQuality Management

Voice of the CustomerCapturing requirements and expectations from the customer’s point of view.

VSMProcess Management & Lean

Value Stream MappingMaking material and information flows visible.

W

WIPProcess Management & Lean

Work in ProgressMaterial and parts currently being processed.