Lean vocabulary: the dictionary for your organization's performance

Master the meaning of lean terms and concepts. Get clear definitions that turn the language of management into practical results in your day-to-day work.

Alphabetical navigation of the dictionary

D

1 term

Downtime

Production time lost due to stoppages, whether planned or unplanned. Planned downtime includes scheduled stoppages for activities such as start-of-shift production meetings, changeovers and maintenance. Unplanned downtime includes stoppages due to breakdowns, machine adjustments, material shortages and absenteeism.

See: Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), Total Productive Maintenance (TPM).

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O

2 terms

Operational Availability vs. Operating Rate

Operational availability is the fraction of time a machine works properly when needed. Operating rate is the amount of time in a given period (shift, day, etc.) that a machine is used.

See : Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).

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Overall Equipment Effectiveness

A total productive maintenance (TPM) metric that measures how effectively a piece of equipment is used.

See : Total Productive Maintenance (TPM).

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T

1 term

Total Productive Maintenance

A series of techniques pioneered by Denso (Toyota Group) in Japan to ensure that every machine in the production process was always able to perform its tasks. See : Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).

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Frequently asked questions about the Lean Glossary

It is a glossary of terms and concepts used in lean management. It helps you understand lean terminology by aligning definitions and examples for study, reading and day-to-day application.

Use the search box to look for a specific term, browse by letter or filter by theme. Click the item to see a summary and open the full definition.

Some terms may have translations in other languages. When a translation is not available, the site may show the Portuguese version as a reference.

Yes. New terms may be added and definitions may be revised to keep the content clear, consistent and evolving over time.

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A academia lean do Lean Institute Brasil oferece trilhas de capacitação EaD e presenciais, incluindo o Programa Prático de Formação Lean (PPFL), que ensina a utilizar frameworks consolidados e a aplicá-los resolvendo problemas de negócio reais.