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F Terms
Fabrication
Fabrication is the act of taking raw stock material and turning it into a part for use in an assembly process. There are many different types of fabrication processes.
Facilitation
The dictionary definition of facilitation is to make something easier. In this broad definition, facilitation covers a lot of ground.
Facilitator
A facilitator is an individual who instructs, coaches, and guides project teams towards their continuous improvement objectives.
Factory
A factory is a discrete building or group of buildings that produces a product or product line.
Facts and Data
Facts and data are the supporting evidence for making decisions. Gathering facts and data is a key part of any problem-solving process, but it becomes particularly important in Lean.
Fastcap
Fastcap is a small manufacturing company located just north of Bellingham, Washington.
Fatigue (Employee)
Fatigue is the physical and mental state of tiredness that results in diminished capacity to perform a task or function.
Feeder Lines
Feeder lines are a very specialized branch of a main assembly line.
FIFO (First In, First Out)
FIFO (First In, First Out) is most commonly known as an accounting term. It simply means that the first inventory into the accounting system is the first that is recorded as used.
FIFO Lane
A FIFO lane (First In, First Out) helps manage flow in a process. It is exactly what it sounds like. The first item coming into a process is the first one worked on.
Firefighting (Problem)
The term “firefighting” is often used to describe solving problems in a mad scramble during a crisis. It generally means that someone comes in and handles a problem in an emergency mode.
First In, First Out
See: FIFO
First Pass Yield (FPY)
First pass yield (FPY) is a metric that indicates the percentage of items moving through a series of processes without any problems.
FISH / First In, Still Here
FISH, or “First In, Still Here” is a tongue-in-cheek term for excessive inventory. It is a play on the terms FIFO (first in, first out) and LIFO (last in, first out).
Fishbone Diagram
The fishbone diagram (a.k.a. cause and effect diagram, a.k.a. Ishikawa Diagram) is a way of linking the causes of a problem to the observed effect.
Five Whys
See: 5 Whys
Fixtures
A manufacturing fixture holds parts during the manufacturing process. Fixtures come in a wide range of types.
Flat Surface Syndrome
There are a set of ailments that afflict many people when attempting to implement Lean.
Flat Surfaces
Flat surfaces are bad for work areas. They collect dirt, dust, debris, etc. They don’t support processes. People use them for storage.
Flexibility
Process flexibility applies both to the ability to rapidly change model mix as well as to change layouts of your facility.
Flow
Making operations flow is the ultimate goal of Lean.
Flow Chart
A flowchart is a visual representation of the progression of an entity (product, person, information, etc.) through a process.
Flow Production
Flow production is one of many names used to describe a system of production that predominantly follows Lean principles.
Follow-Up
Follow-up is the act of making sure that… something that was supposed to be done was, in fact, done, or something that was done is working as planned
Ford, Henry
Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) is the founder of Ford Motor Company and the man most widely known as the inventor of the moving assembly line.
Form, Fit, and Function
“Form, fit, and function” are most commonly discussed in relation to the design of an object, or when considering if a process is value added or not.
Frank and Lilith Gilbreth
See: Gilbreth, Frank and Lilith
Frederick Taylor
See: Taylor, Frederick
Frontline Employees
Frontline employees are the people who do the ongoing production work in an organization.
Frontline of Change
The people actually doing a process a new way are at the frontline of change.
Frustration
Frustration is the feeling of anxiety or dissatisfaction that results from the gap between expectations and reality.
FTE / Full Time Equivalent
“Full-time equivalent”, or “FTE” is a way to normalize staffing decisions.
Full Time Equivalent
See: FTE
Functional Blindness
This Lean affliction is characterized by seeing things as useful only in a single, prescribed use. In many cases, this is true. In some cases, this is not the case.
Functional Layout
A functional layout is a workplace organization in which processes are organized by the type of work (function), rather than by value stream.
Future State Value Stream Map (VSM)
A future state value stream map (VSM) is simply a projection of how a value stream should look in the future, generally 6 to 12 months.