Glossary

A subsidy is a benefit given to an individual, business, or institution, usually by the government. It is usually in the form of a cash payment or a tax reduction. The subsidy is typically given to remove some type of burden, and it is often considered to be in the overall interest of the public, given to promote a social good or an economic policy.

As a general term, Supervisory Control means the use of microcomputers and workstations to accomplish operator interface, data acquisition, process monitoring, and some degree of production control.

In chemical processing, Supervisory Control is the next step in automation after Regulatory Control (RC). RC maintains a process parameter (for example, temperature) when an operator sets the required value. In Supervisory Control, a computer may change the required value over time, for example for a reaction which needs a smooth change of temperature over a time period.

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) is a system architecture for high level control of manufacturing processes. SCADA systems consist of a network of computers and Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs). SCADA systems use factory networks to communicate with devices such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and other remote items such as sensors to perform their Data Acquisition and Control functions.

A Supply Chain transforms and moves a product (and/or service) from the initial source of raw materials (and/or capability) to the final customer.  It involves a complex network of organizations, people, technology, activities, information and resource.

Supply Chain Execution (SCE) is the optimized process of fulfilling demand for highest customer satisfaction with minimal cost. This function plans, schedules and controls the flow of goods and information from point of demand to customer delivery by tightly integrating channel demand, distribution and warehousing operations and inbound and outbound transportation.

The term Supply Chain Management (SCM) brings together business processes including procurement, supply chain planning, supply chain execution, logistics, and order management. Its operational goal is to balance supply and demand. SCM teams try to improve the visibility of materials and incidents up and down the chain, so that they can react quickly and ensure maximum demand fulfillment and minimal excess inventory throughout the chain.

Supply Chain Optimization is a management process to identify the best strategy for relationships among the various elements of the supply chain including manufacturing plants, distribution centers, points of sale. Sources of demand, sources of raw material, relationships across product families, and other factors must also be considered.

Supply Management is also referred to as purchasing or procurement. This function oversees corporate buying of materials both for use in production and other items. It may also handle purchasing of equipment assets, and coordinate inbound logistics and inventory management. Software applications known as Supplier Relationship Management systems are used by Supply Management teams to handle supplier performance and contracts (including costs, quality, on-time delivery, documentation and standards).

Surface Acoustic Wave Filters (SAW) devices (including SAW filters) can be built using semiconductor manufacturing processes. They integrate a loudspeaker-like device and a microphone-like device into a piezoelectric layer. Electric signals to the ‘loudspeaker’ generate waves in the material. The waves travel through the material and are detected by the microphone-like device. The difference between the input and output signals can measure mass and other mechanical properties of materials in contact with the SAW device. SAW devices designed as filters are widely used in cellphones and garage door opener remote controls.

Surface-Mount Technology (SMT) allows silicon chips to be built without the widely recognised metal legs as connectors. Instead, the chip is given flat contacts or short pins. The result is mounted directly onto a PCB, which is designed with solder pads to match the contacts on the chip.