An Easy-to-Understand Lean Glossary
The web is overflowing with confusing Lean jargon creating unnecessary barriers to simple process improvement. We don’t like it either! That’s why we created this glossary to provide you with definitions of common terms using straight-forward language. What does 5S stand for? What is “Muda?” What are the 8 Wastes? Definitions along with associated infographics and templates are all located in one easy-access glossary. Enjoy!
For a better understanding of these terms and an overview of Lean, check out our Lean Training & Certification.
# – C
- 5S
- 5 Whys
- 8 Wastes (Muda)
- The 14 Points for the Transformation of Management
- A3
- Andon
- Batching
- Best Practice Sharing (aka Yokoten)
- Catchball
- Changeover Reduction
- Changeover Time
- Cross Training
- Customer Value
- Cycle Time
D – F
G – O
- Gemba (aka Workplace)
- Gemba Board (aka Process Walk Board)
- Gemba Walk (aka Process Walk)
- Gemba Walk Interview Sheet (aka Process Walk Interview Sheet)
- Heijunka (aka Production Leveling)
- Hoshin Kanri (aka Policy Deployment)
- Huddle Meeting
- Inventory
- Just-In-Time (JIT)
- Kaizen Event (aka Rapid Improvement Event)
- Kamishibai Boards (aka Leader Task Boards)
- Kanban (signboard)
- Kanban Board
- Lead Time
- Leader Huddle Meetings
- Leader Process Walks
- Leader Standard Work (LSW)
- Leader Task Boards (aka Kamishibai Boards)
- Lean
- Lean Culture
- Lean Six Sigma
- Mistake Proofing (aka Poka-yoke)
- Motion
- Muda (aka Waste)
- Non-Utilized Talent
- Overproduction
P – R
- Parallel Processing
- PDCA (aka Plan Do Check Adjust)
- Percent Complete & Accurate
- Perfection
- Poka-yoke (aka Mistake Proofing)
- Policy Deployment (aka Hoshin Kanri)
- Process Management
- Process Performance Boards
- Process Time
- Process Voices
- Process Walk (aka Gemba Walk)
- Process Walk Board (aka Gemba Board)
- Production Leveling (aka Heijunka)
- Project Scope
- Pull
- Push
- Quality Circles
- Rapid Improvement Event (aka Kaizen)
- Red Tag
S – Z
- Scientific Method
- Seiketsu (aka Standardize)
- Seiri (aka Sort)
- Seiso (aka Shine)
- Seiton (aka Set in Order)
- Set in Order (aka Seiton)
- Setup Reduction
- Seven Basic Quality Tools
- Shadow Board
- Shine (aka Seiso)
- Shitsuke (aka Sustain)
- Single-Piece-Flow
- SMART Goals
- SMED (aka Single Minute Exchange of Die)
- Sort (aka Seiri)
- Spaghetti Map
- Standard Work
- Standardize (Seiketsu)
- Supermarket
- Sustain (Shitsuke)
- System of Profound Knowledge
- Takt Time
- Target
- Task Board
- Total Quality Management (aka TQM)
- Toyota’s 8 Steps for Practical Problem Solving
- TQM (aka Total Quality Management)
- Transportation (aka Touches)
- True North
- Value Stream Map
- Visual Management
- Visual Workplace
- Wait Time
- Waiting
- Waste Walk
- Water Beetle (or Water Spider)
- WIP (aka Work-In-Process)
- Work Cell Design
- Work-In-Process (aka WIP)
- Workload Balancing
- Yokoten (aka Best Practice Sharing)