Chapter 21: Glossary of Manufacturing and IT Terms

Summary: A shared glossary reduces misinterpretation between plant operations, engineering, IT, and business stakeholders. Clear, agreed definitions enable cleaner requirements, better integrations, and consistent KPI measurement across sites. For North American manufacturers and suppliers, a governed vocabulary improves audits, training, and partner collaboration. This chapter curates essential terms that underpin MES/ERP/PLM/SCADA projects and digital transformation.

Context and Scope: Applicable across discrete, process, and hybrid manufacturing. Focused on cross-functional terminology that affects planning (ERP), execution (MES/SCADA), product data (PLM), and quality (QMS).

Key Concepts:

BOM (Bill of Materials): Hierarchical list of components and quantities to build a product.
Routing: Ordered set of operations, resources, and parameters to produce a part.
Work Order: Instruction to execute a defined quantity using a specific routing and materials.
OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness): Availability × Performance × Quality.
Takt Time: Time per unit to meet customer demand.
SPC (Statistical Process Control): Methods to monitor and control process variation.
TPM (Total Productive Maintenance): Proactive maintenance to maximize equipment uptime.
MES (Manufacturing Execution System): Coordinates scheduling, dispatch, data collection, and tracking on the shop floor.
SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition): Supervises and controls processes via PLCs and HMIs.
IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things): Connected devices and sensors enabling telemetry and control.
PLM (Product Lifecycle Management): Manages product data from concept to retirement.
QMS (Quality Management System): Processes and records for quality planning, execution, and improvement.

Standards and Regulations:

ISA-95 and ISA-88 for terminology and layered models.
OPC UA, MQTT, MTConnect defining data exchange primitives.
ISO 9001/14001/45001 and IATF 16949 informing quality and EHS terms.
NIST CSF/CMMC framing security nomenclature and roles.

Architecture/Processes:

Place glossary ownership within a governance group; publish in a central knowledge base.
Map terms to data models and APIs so definitions are enforceable.
Include glossary checkpoints in blueprint and design reviews.

Data and Interoperability:

Link terms to canonical schemas and master data entities.
Use consistent identifiers and units across ERP ↔ MES ↔ PLM ↔ QMS.
Version terms; include effectivity dates and change history.

Security and Compliance:

Control access to edit definitions; require approvals (maker-checker).
Maintain audit logs of glossary changes for ISO/NIST evidence.
Redact sensitive examples if distribution extends to suppliers.

KPIs and Metrics:

Data definition coverage across systems and processes.
Reduction in integration defects tied to ambiguous terms.
Training completion for glossary usage.
Audit findings related to documentation consistency.

Implementation Checklist:

Inventory ambiguous terms from past projects and audits.
Draft definitions with cross-functional SMEs; align to standards.
Publish in a searchable, version-controlled repository.
Embed references in templates, SOWs, and user stories.
Review/refresh quarterly; align with data model changes.
Train teams and new vendors on the glossary.

Common Pitfalls and Mitigations:

Static glossaries: Assign owners and review cadences.
Conflicting plant definitions: Use corporate standards with approved local exceptions.
Hidden glossaries: Integrate into daily tools and artifacts.
Overly academic entries: Include examples and system mappings.