T distribution (Student’s t)

A probability distribution used in statistics to estimate population parameters when the sample size is small and the population standard deviation is unknown. Commonly used in hypothesis testing and confidence intervals.
See also: Normal Distribution, Hypothesis Testing

Takt time

The maximum allowable time to produce a product in order to meet customer demand. Calculated as available production time divided by customer demand.
See also: Cycle Time, Lean Manufacturing

Tampering

Making unnecessary adjustments to a stable process in response to normal variation, often increasing variation and reducing quality.
See also: Process Variation, Deming’s Red Bead Experiment

Target population

The entire group of individuals or items to which the results of a study or improvement project are intended to apply.
See also: Sampling, Population

Team

A group of individuals working together toward a common goal, often cross-functional in process improvement initiatives.
See also: Team Leader, Project Team

Team leader

The individual responsible for guiding a team, facilitating meetings, and ensuring progress toward objectives in improvement projects.
See also: Team, Project Management

Theory of constraints (TOC)

A management philosophy that focuses on identifying and addressing the most significant limiting factor (constraint) in a process to improve overall performance.
See also: Bottleneck, Process Improvement

Third-party audit

An independent assessment of a process or system conducted by an external organization to verify compliance with standards or regulations.
See also: Audit, ISO Certification

Throughput

The amount of material or items passing through a process or system in a given period, often used as a measure of process efficiency.
See also: Cycle Time, Capacity

Time series

A sequence of data points collected or recorded at regular time intervals, used to analyze trends, patterns, and process stability.
See also: Trend Chart, Data Analysis

Top management

The highest level of organizational leadership, responsible for setting strategy, allocating resources, and supporting improvement initiatives.
See also: Leadership, Strategic Planning

Top-down chart

A visual representation that breaks down a process or system from the highest level into progressively detailed components.
See also: Flowchart, Process Mapping

Total productive maintenance (TPM)

A holistic approach to equipment maintenance that aims to maximize equipment effectiveness and prevent breakdowns through proactive and preventive strategies.
See also: Preventive Maintenance, Lean Manufacturing

Total quality

A management approach focused on continuous improvement and customer satisfaction across all organizational processes and employees.
See also: Total Quality Management (TQM), Continuous Improvement

Total quality control (TQC)

A comprehensive system for achieving and maintaining high quality throughout all organizational processes, often involving all employees.
See also: Total Quality Management (TQM), Quality Control

Total quality management (TQM)

An organization-wide philosophy that emphasizes continuous improvement, customer focus, and involvement of all employees in quality initiatives.
See also: Total Quality, Continuous Improvement

TPM (Total productive maintenance)

See: Total productive maintenance (TPM)

TPS (Toyota Production System)

A manufacturing methodology developed by Toyota that emphasizes waste reduction, continuous improvement, and respect for people.
See also: Lean Manufacturing, Just-in-Time (JIT)

TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)

A systematic approach to innovation and problem-solving based on analyzing patterns of invention in the global patent literature.
See also: Creative Problem Solving, Innovation

Taguchi methods

A set of statistical techniques developed by Genichi Taguchi to improve product and process quality by minimizing variation and optimizing design.
See also: Design of Experiments (DOE), Robust Design

Taguchi design

An experimental design approach that uses orthogonal arrays to systematically study the effects of multiple variables on performance with a minimum number of experiments.
See also: Taguchi Methods, Design of Experiments (DOE)

Taguchi loss function

A mathematical function that quantifies the cost of deviation from a target value, emphasizing that quality loss increases as variation from the target increases.
See also: Quality Loss, Taguchi Methods

Tampering

See: Tampering (above)

Test plan

A document outlining the objectives, scope, approach, and schedule for testing a process, product, or system to ensure it meets requirements.
See also: Validation, Quality Assurance

TFD (Training for Development) [Likely mis-entry]

This appears to be a mis-entry. If intended to refer to a specific training or development program, further clarification is needed.
See also: Training, Employee Development

Tree diagram

A visual tool that breaks down broad goals or problems into progressively smaller, more detailed components, helping teams identify root causes or solutions.
See also: Cause-and-Effect Diagram, Process Mapping

Trend

A general direction in which data or a process is moving over time, often identified through analysis of time series data.
See also: Trend Chart, Time Series

Trend chart

A graphical representation of data points over time, used to identify patterns, trends, or shifts in a process.
See also: Control Chart, Time Series

TRIZ

See: TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)

Type I error (alpha error)

The incorrect rejection of a true null hypothesis in statistical testing; a “false positive.”
See also: Hypothesis Testing, Type II Error

Type II error (beta error)

The failure to reject a false null hypothesis in statistical testing; a “false negative.”
See also: Hypothesis Testing, Type I Error