Glossary

Discrete manufacturing handles components, assemblies, and products which are distinct items. Examples include automobiles, machines, and consumer electronics.

Discrete manufacturing contrasts with process manufacturing, which uses liquids, gases, and powders to make products which are usually measured by weight and volume, for example, food, gasoline, chemicals and paint.

A disruptive technology or disruptive innovation is an innovation that satisfies a market requirement in unexpected ways, or creates a new market requirement. Examples include cellphones; the compact disc replacing magnetic tape for recording; and digital cameras replacing film-based cameras.

A Distributed Control System (DCS) is a real-time, fault-tolerant control system for continuous and complex batch-process applications. Over time, DCS technology has evolved from proprietary, special purpose hardware and software to more use of standards, although proprietary communication protocols remain common.

A distributor buys and stocks products, and then sells them to other businesses. For manufacturers, this simplifies distribution. For buyers, the distributor may offer more suitable buying conditions such as packaging and delivery. In the retail sector, a distributor may be called a wholesaler.