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I Terms
Implementation
An implementation is simply the act of putting a plan into effect. It can also refer to a change in a strategy or a system.
Important vs. Urgent
People make decisions every day about what tasks to add to their schedule. They basically have two choices. They can do the important stuff, or they can take on the urgent stuff.
Important vs. Urgent Extended Term
Learn more about Important vs. Urgent
Imposter Syndrome
Many people tend to have a great deal of self-doubt.
Imposter Syndrome Extended Term
Learn more about Imposter Syndrome
Improvement, Daily
See: Daily Improvement
Improvements
Improvements are simply changes for the better. Lean and other continuous improvement philosophies all focus on using some sort of problem solving method to drive improvement.
Indicators
Monitoring indicators give companies a sense of what is going on, or what is going to happen. An indicator is a signal that can be used to understand or predict a behavior of a person or system.
Indirect Costs
Indirect costs are those expenses that are not directly attributable to a single cost center or cost object (product line, service, etc.) Indirect costs may include shared resources or overhead.
Industrial Discipline
Industrial discipline is the act of doing the right thing on the shop floor.
Information
Information is the application of data in context. Information also has the element that it can be acted upon. The weight of an elephant, for example, is a piece of data.
Information Technology
Information technology (also known as IT) is the group primarily responsible for maintaining a company’s computer and communications systems.
Initiative
Initiative is taking action on one’s own. It generally involves going above and beyond a typical job description or working outside of one’s functional area.
Inputs
Inputs are the factors that are necessary to complete a process. They may be environmental (heat, humidity), labor, material, or anything else that is required.
Inspections
An inspection is a review to confirm the quality of a product. Inspections vary widely in their formality, and in the location where they are done.
Instant Pudding
W. Edwards Deming is credited with popularizing the term “instant pudding” in continuous improvement.
Intangibles
Many of the benefits of Lean are specific and tangible. Space savings, productivity gains, and inventory reduction all fall into this category.
Intelligence
Intelligence is one of the many facets of “smartness”. Intelligence is the capacity to learn, but it doesn’t always translate into actually possessing knowledge.
Intermittent Problems
Intermittent problems are simply ones that don’t occur every time a process is performed. The inconsistency with which intermittent problems present makes them extremely hard to resolve.
Internal Setup
An internal setup is a task done to get a machine ready to switch from one product type to another that must be done when the machine is stopped.
Internal Suppliers
A supplier who is a part of the same company as its customer is an internal supplier. They may provide products, services, or other resources.
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
ISO is a non-governmental, international organization with a membership consisting of 165 national standards bodies.
Interviews vs. Interrogations
In continuous improvement, you often have to go out and collect information from people. Sometimes it is from observations.
Inventory
Inventory is the collective term for finished goods that you intend to sell, and the components that go into those goods.Inventory is a necessary evil of production.
Investments in People
Investments trade current resources for future gains. The most common forms of investment include: Financial holdings designed to provide a return on investment (ROI) in the form of appreciation.
Ishikawa, Kaoru
Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa (July 13, 1915 – April 16, 1989) was a professor of engineering at the University of Tokyo. He is most widely known for his work in the field of quality.
ISO / International Organization for Standardization
See: International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
Issues
Although this is not specifically a Lean term, “issue” is a starting point for many forms of Lean problem solving. An issue is much like a “problem”. It looks like a problem.