Glossary

Concurrent Engineering seeks the optimum way to save time by performing multiple engineering tasks in parallel. Mainly used in product development and production engineering, the potential scope of concurrent engineering is large, covering development, manufacturing planning, maintenance, environmental impact and recycling planning. All these functions can potentially start in parallel with only partial information, especially when the specialists involved are organized into one team.

Configuration Management is a discipline applying technical and administrative direction and monitoring to:

(1) identify and document the functional and physical characteristics of a product or process as defined in its specification;

(2) control changes to those characteristics;

(3) record and report changes to processing and implementation status. This is typically implemented via a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system.

Configurator is a rule-based system which allows the user to specify the configuration of a product required by the customer.

Product information is coupled with a set of rules that specify, for instance, which combinations of options are possible. Advanced configurators allow the user to specify only some options, then optimise the remaining options for lowest cost or earliest delivery etc.

Configure to Order (CTO) means assembly of standard products in a way that matches a customer’s specifications.  CTO is generally done at the last step of production on the final assembly line. Up until final assembly, products are built to forecast and at final assembly they are assembled to customer order or to a forecast of products with unique configurations.

Connected Applications use the internet and/or other methods of connectivity to receive and/or send information to sensors on ‘things’ such as devices, products or other equipment.

The consignee is the company or person with legal and financial responsibility to receive goods being transported from sender to receiver.

In business, consolidation refers to the mergers or acquisitions of many smaller companies into larger ones.

Consortium is a group of individuals or companies formed to undertake an enterprise or activity that would be beyond the capabilities of the individual members.

Constraint-based planning is a method of planning that takes account of all constraints in the production system, including supplier, material stock, factory capacity, warehousing, and transportation.

It is used to make plans and schedules as realistic and achievable as possible. Advanced planning Systems usually offer this capability.

Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) covers a wide range of products available in packages suitable for the individual consumer or family. The category includes food and drink, health and beauty, household cleaners and many other items. The term is in widespread general use and in some cases the context may imply a more specific definition.

A Content Management System (CMS) is a computer application used to create, edit, manage, search, and publish various kinds of digital media and electronic text. They are used for storing, controlling, versioning, and publishing industry-specific documentation such as news articles, operators’ manuals, technical manuals, sales guides, and marketing brochures.

Continuous Acquisition and Lifecycle Support (CALS) is a United States Department of Defense strategy and set of standards for use by the military and their industry partners. CALS is intended to enable more effective generation, exchange, management and use of digital data supporting defense systems.

Continuous Flow Production (CFP) is achieved when materials move through the production process without stopping. This is often possible for packaging steps in high-volume production, for example, food and beverage. It is almost built-in to many automated production lines. It lowers inventory levels (no materials are waiting for the next process).

Continuous Process Manufacturing (CPM) describes production processes which are continually fed raw materials and run non-stop through automated systems twenty-four hours a day. This process is used for the production of chemicals, petrochemicals, and other high volume standard product that seldom varies in formulation.

Continuous-Replenishment Programs are arrangements with supplier companies in which the supplier monitors the customer’s inventory and automatically replaces used materials, eliminating the need for purchase orders and related paperwork.

Contract Research Organisation (CRO) is an organisation to which pharmaceutical companies can sub-contract activities, for example clinical trial work.

Aircraft flying in cold and humid air masses induce contrails that take the form of cirrus clouds which warm the Earth’s atmosphere by reducing terrestrial radiation into space. The clouds also help to cool the Earth by increasing its albedo, but studies have shown that the warming effects dominate.