| PDCA | This stands for Plan/Do/Check/Act. The process is used to eliminate differences in production or delivery of a service. |
| Procedure | A sequence of steps taken to meet a goal. It is chronological. It can also mean a document that describes a purpose and the steps needed to be taken. |
| Process | A process is an activity or group of activities that uses information, adds to it and has a definite result. |
| Quality | Degree of consistency in production and service delivery . |
| Quality Assurance (QA) | This is a planned process to ensure consistent quality. |
| Quality Circles | Teams. Also called cells. |
| Quality Control (Total Quality Control) | Organizations try to maintain standards in products and services. They do this by inspection, testing, charting, and measuring. |
| Run Charts (Trend charts) | This chart tracks data over a period of time. They indicate trends, cycles and patterns. |
| Scatter Diagrams | These diagrams show the relationship between two variables. |
| Standards | These are the measures used to evaluate products and services. We measure what we do against established benchmarks or criteria. |
| Statistical Process Control | Also referred to as SPC. It is used to measure on going processes. Charts are used to track change and identify variations. |
| Total Quality Management | It is a system used by organizations to increase customer satisfaction. All employees become involved in TQM. |
| Vision Statemen | An organization states where it wants to be in the future. |