Glossary

This glossary has been compiled from a number of sources including Association of Project Management (APM), PRINCE2, Managing Successful Programmes (MSP).

5 Whys
A questioning technique used to identify the root-cause of a situation.

Actor
The individual, team or system which performs the activity of delivering the process. Actors can include customers if they play a role within a process.

Assurance
The process of providing evidence to stakeholders in order to provide confidence that an initiative (project, programme or activity) will achieve its objectives and realise its benefits.

Baseline
The starting point (in terms of cost, scope and schedule), providing reference levels against which activity can be measured, monitored and controlled.

Benefit
The quantifiable and measurable improvement resulting from an outcome that is perceived as positive by one or more stakeholders.

Blueprint
An envisioned future state defining how things will work or operate in the future. Often described through process, systems, organisation and technology.

Bottle Neck
A point in a process where input exceeds output resulting in items waiting to be processed or activity waiting to be performed.

Business Case
The business case records the justification for starting or continuing an initiative. It describes the benefits, costs and impact, plus a calculation of the financial case.

Change Request
A change to a project’s baseline scope, cost, time or quality objectives.

Cost
The amount of money required (or charge) to deliver a product or service.

Customer
The recipient of the output. May be internal (colleagues, other teams etc.) or external (students, research partners, authorities etc.). Generally the customer will pay for output but this is not always the case.

Defect (Error) Waste
The rework required to resolve the result of incorrect processing and mistakes.

Dependencies
The relationship between activities in one initiative with activities in another initiative. Dependencies can be internal or external.

Dependency (process)
In process mapping terms, a dependency is the condition where one process is reliant on another being performed before it can occur or be effective.

Escalation
The process by which issues are drawn to the attention of a higher level of management.

Flow
The direction of the process from start to end. To maximise efficiency flow should be as linear as possible with minimal deviation. Indicated by an arrow on a Process Model.

Flow-Chart
A series of boxes and arrows drawn to illustrate the steps of a process.

Gap Analysis
A way of identifying and understanding ‘what’ should be done to get from the current position (the as-is) – to the future state (the to-be).

Gateway
A ‘checkpoint’ that is reached at the end of each phase of the lifecycle. Used to confirm that the business case is still viable and that there is confidence in progressing to the next phase. Progress can be evaluated by means of a gateway review.

Initiative
A term used to cover any project, programme or change activity.

Input
The resources, decision or condition required to initiate a process. May be the output of another stage of the overall process.

Inventory Waste
Items waiting for the next process activity to begin. Always present where a ‘bottle-neck’ occurs.

KPI
Key Performance Indicators – used to measure whether a process is performing at the expected level, or not.

Lifecycle
The inter-related phases of an initiative, providing a structure for the progression of work.

MoSCoW
A method of prioritising requirements.

Motion/Movement Waste
Unnecessary movement made by people or machinery.

Objectives
Used to describe the direction or purpose rather than the end state.

Organisational or context level diagram (Level 0)
Illustrates where a process sits within an organisation.

Outcome
The changed circumstances or behaviour resulting from activities undertaken to effect the change. The way a thing turns out; a consequence.

Output
The tangible or intangible deliverable typically produced by an initiative. Something produced by a person, machine, or industry. The result of a process.

Over Processing Waste
Doing more than is required to meet the needs of the customer.

Over Production Waste
Producing something before, or in greater quantity than is needed. Causes bottle-necks.

Phase
A major stage of a lifecycle e.g. Establish the Need.

POPIT™
Holistic relationship model comprising of People, Organisation, Process and Information and Technology.

Process
A process is a set of interrelated activities which transform a set of inputs into one or more outputs.

Process Model, Swim Lane Process Model (Level 2)
illustrates the internal logic and flow of activity within a process. Process models may include several sub-levels of detail.

Process Dependency Map (Level 1)
Illustrates the dependencies between different processes but does not illustrate flow.

Process Document
A document produced to create a shared understanding of the process in question.

Quality
The standard of the good or service provided. Quality should always be measured from the perspective of the customer.

Reflective Analysis
The review and reflection of activity undertaken to identify lessons learned and ensure continuous improvement.

Resource
Resources are required to carry out tasks. They are typically people, equipment, facilities and funding.

Rich Picture
A contextual illustration centred around the business area where a process is performed which displays stakeholder thoughts and relationships.

Roadmap
A high-level overview of an initiative’s goals and deliverables presented on a timeline.

SIPOC (or COPIS)
A diagram illustrating the Supplier, Input, Process, Output and Customer at a high level. Used for presenting a simplified, holistic view.

Skills Waste
Where someone is over or under qualified to perform a particular task.

SME
The subject matter expert – someone who has a deep understanding of a process, situation, regulation etc..

Stakeholder
Any individual, group or organisation (internal or external) that can affect or be affected by an initiative.

Swim Lane
Used to define the activity performed by a specific actor.

Task
Performed in one place, at one time by one actor. A series of individual tasks are combined to create a process.

Task Description (Level 3)
Details the steps of each task at an atomic level. By definition, a task cannot have sub-levels.

Theme
A topic that needs to be considered across all phases of the Delivering Results Lifecycle.

Tolerance
An acceptable variation above or below defined parameters (e.g. time, cost, quality) which does not require approval from the overseeing body.

Transportation Waste
Unnecessary movement of materials, product or information.

Trigger
The event which initiates a process.

UML
Universal Modelling Language – Used by Process Analysts as an enhanced Process Activity Modelling technique.

Unit Cost
The amount of money required to make one item or service one customer request.

Value
The worth that the customer applies to a product or service.

Waiting Waste
Caused by delays in completing the task or activity.

Waste
Situations or activity which does not provide direct benefit to the delivery of the output of the process. There are 8 wastes.