The words you'll hear on the shop floor.
Plain-English meanings of the terms used in our training, the Business Health Check and on the shop floor.
All terms
Shop floor
5S Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardise, Sustain
A method for organising the workplace: remove what is not needed, give everything a marked place, clean as a form of inspection, write the standard down, and audit it so it does not slip back.
5S & Shop Floor Workshop (SAI)Gemba
The place where the work actually happens, usually the shop floor. Problems are understood best by going there and seeing them, not by reading reports about them.
Gangway marking
Painted lines that separate walkways from work and storage areas, so material is never parked in the path and movement is safe and quick.
5S & Shop Floor Workshop (SAI)Visual standards
Signs, labels, colours and floor markings that show at a glance what goes where and what normal looks like, so anyone can spot when something is out of place.
Preventive maintenance (PM) schedule PM
A calendar of planned checks and servicing for each machine, done before breakdowns happen rather than after.
Machine history card
A record for each machine of every breakdown, repair and part replaced, used to spot repeat problems and plan maintenance.
Downtime
Time a machine or line is not producing when it should be: breakdowns, waiting for material, setup changes. Tracking it shows where capacity is being lost.
Production & planning
Work order WO
A written instruction to make a specific quantity of a product by a specific date. Releasing work through work orders replaces verbal instructions and makes progress traceable.
Production Planning Systems (SAI)Job card
A card or sheet that travels with a job through the shop floor, recording each operation, who did it and when.
Production Planning Systems (SAI)Daily and weekly production plan
A written plan of what to make today and this week, in what quantity and on which machine, visible to everyone and reviewed every morning.
Production Planning Systems (SAI)Dispatch plan
A monthly and weekly plan of which orders leave the factory on which dates, so production works backwards from promised delivery dates.
Production Planning Systems (SAI)On-time delivery OTD
The share of orders dispatched on or before the promised date. Measured every month against the dispatch plan, it is one of the clearest signs of whether planning works.
Order in hand tracker
A live list of every confirmed order with its due date and status, so delays are seen early and the responsible function is clear.
Stores & inventory
GRN Goods Receipt Note
The record made when material arrives: what came, how much, from whom, checked against the purchase order and inspected before it enters stock.
Production Planning Systems (SAI)Stock master
The register or system holding the live quantity of every item. A good stock master matches what is actually on the shelf.
Production Planning Systems (SAI)Minimum and maximum levels Min-max
The lowest and highest quantity to hold of each item. Falling below the minimum triggers a reorder; staying under the maximum stops cash being locked in excess stock.
Reorder level Reorder point
The stock quantity at which a new order must be placed so material arrives before it runs out, allowing for the supplier's lead time.
ABC classification
Sorting stock items by value: the few A items that hold most of the money get the tightest control, the many C items the lightest.
FIFO First in, first out
Issuing the oldest stock first, so material does not age, expire or get forgotten at the back of the rack.
Stock verification
Physically counting items and comparing them with the stock master, regularly and by a named person, so the records can be trusted.
Dead stock
Items that have not moved for a long time. Identifying them frees space and shows where buying or planning went wrong.
Purchase
Purchase request PR, indent
A written request saying what is needed, how much and why, approved by someone with authority before any order is placed.
Production Planning Systems (SAI)Purchase order PO
The formal order sent to a supplier, raised from an approved purchase request, stating item, quantity, price and delivery date.
Production Planning Systems (SAI)Shortage report
A regular report of material that will run short for planned production, produced early enough to buy it before the line stops.
Production Planning Systems (SAI)Vendor rating
Scoring suppliers on quality, delivery and price over time, so buying decisions rest on records rather than habit.
Production Planning Systems (SAI)Comparative quotation
Collecting quotes from several suppliers on the same terms and comparing them side by side before ordering.
Sales
Inquiry register
One list of every customer inquiry with its status, next follow-up date and, at the end, the reason it was won or lost.
KPI & Reporting Systems (SAI)Monthly sales review
A meeting on a fixed date each month that reviews sales against targets with numbers, and agrees actions for the gaps.
KPI & Reporting Systems (SAI)Customer complaint register
A record of every complaint, its root cause, the corrective action and the date it was closed.
People
Job description JD
A written description of a role: its purpose, duties and who it reports to, signed off by the person and their manager.
Organizational Structure Design (SAI)KRA Key Result Area
The areas a person owns and is measured on. Where a job description lists duties, KRAs state the results expected.
KRA & KPI Workshop (SAI)KPI Key Performance Indicator
A number that shows whether a KRA is being delivered, such as on-time delivery or rejection rate, tracked at department or individual level.
KRA & KPI Workshop (SAI)Org chart Organisation structure
A diagram of reporting lines that shows who reports to whom and who owns each function.
Organizational Structure Design (SAI)Increment framework
A written method that links pay increments to reviewed performance, instead of deciding each case separately.
People & Performance Frameworks (SAI)Performance Management System PMS
The cycle of monthly check-ins, quarterly reviews and annual appraisals that connects each person's work to targets and increments.
People & Performance Frameworks (SAI)Systems & reporting
MIS Management Information System
The regular set of reports, for sales, production, stores and purchase, delivered on fixed dates, that the business is run on.
KPI & Reporting Systems (SAI)Structured daily meetings
A short meeting every day at a fixed time, with the same agenda and the same numbers, where each department reviews yesterday and plans today.
SOP Standard Operating Procedure
A written, step-by-step way of doing a recurring task, tested in practice before it is documented.
CAPA Corrective and Preventive Action
Fixing the cause of a problem (corrective) and changing the system so it cannot happen again (preventive), with an owner and a closing date.
Management review meeting
A monthly meeting of the leadership team that reviews performance against the annual plan, with a fixed agenda and data.
KPI & Reporting Systems (SAI)Leadership
Annual Operating Plan AOP
The year's plan in numbers: the sales target drives the production plan, which drives purchase and headcount.
KPI & Reporting Systems (SAI)Second Line of Leaders
The managers and team leaders who can run daily operations and take decisions without the owner. Building them means identifying the right people, giving them role clarity and structured development time.
Second Line of Leaders Workshop (SAI)The 2-hour shift
Converting routine hours into development hours: a manager's day should not be consumed entirely by routine, so time is set aside to improve systems and develop people.
Second Line of Leaders Workshop (SAI)Decision-making authority mapping
Writing down which decisions each level owns, so routine matters stop waiting for the owner.
Second Line of Leaders Workshop (SAI)Accountability Visibility
Making responsibilities and results visible through structured systems, so accountability enforces itself, not because the owner is watching.
To Work vs To Perform
The difference between showing up and delivering: moving from routine-driven attendance to goal-oriented daily behaviour, with a plan made the night before.
Soft Skill Sessions (SAI)No term matches that. Ask us and we will explain it.
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