Balanced plant

A balanced plant is a manufacturing facility structured so that production capacity and workloads are evenly distributed across processes, reducing bottlenecks and idle time while optimizing overall efficiency.
See also: Production line balancing, Capacity planning.

Balanced scorecard

The balanced scorecard is a strategic management tool that translates an organization’s vision into performance metrics across financial and non-financial perspectives, enabling the monitoring of progress towards strategic objectives.
See also: Strategy map, Performance measurement, Key performance indicators (KPIs).

Balancing the line

Balancing the line involves distributing work evenly across all production stations to minimize delays and bottlenecks, ensuring a smooth and efficient workflow throughout the assembly process.
See also: Line balancing, Workstation design.

Baldrige award (Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award)

The Baldrige award recognizes U.S. organizations for excellence in leadership, customer focus, and process management, serving as a benchmark for quality and continuous performance improvement.
See also: Quality awards, Performance excellence, Continuous improvement.

Bath tub curve

The bath tub curve is a graphical model that depicts a product’s failure rate over its lifecycle, highlighting high initial failure rates, a period of steady reliability, and an eventual increase in failures during its wear-out phase.
See also: Reliability engineering, Life-cycle analysis.

Batch and queue

Batch and queue refers to a process approach where items are grouped into batches and then placed in a queue for subsequent processing, addressing scheduling and resource allocation challenges.
See also: Queuing theory, Work batching.

Batch production

Batch production is a manufacturing method in which products are produced in groups or batches rather than on a continuous stream, allowing for flexibility in production scheduling and product variety.
See also: Job production, Process scheduling.

Bayes’ theorem

Bayes’ theorem is a mathematical formula used to update the probability of a hypothesis based on prior knowledge and new evidence, forming the basis for many statistical inference methods.
See also: Conditional probability, Statistical inference.

Bayesian analysis

Bayesian analysis applies Bayes’ theorem to systematically update the probability of a hypothesis as new data become available, integrating prior information with current observations.
See also: Bayesian statistics, Posterior probability.

Benchmark

A benchmark is a standard or reference point against which processes, performance, or quality can be measured, helping organizations evaluate and improve their operations.
See also: Best practices, Performance metrics.

Benchmarking

Benchmarking is the systematic process of comparing an organization’s processes and performance with those of industry leaders or competitors to identify areas for improvement.
See also: Continuous improvement, Performance analysis.

Beta distribution

The beta distribution is a family of continuous probability distributions defined on the interval [0, 1], commonly used for modeling variables that represent proportions or probabilities.
See also: Probability distributions, Bayesian analysis.

Beta testing

Beta testing is the process of releasing a pre-final version of a product to a select group of end users to identify bugs and gather feedback before a full-scale launch.
See also: Software testing, Quality assurance.

Binomial distribution

The binomial distribution is a discrete probability distribution used to model the number of successes in a fixed number of independent trials, each having the same probability of success.
See also: Probability theory, Statistical analysis.

Black Belt (BB)

A Black Belt in Six Sigma is a professional highly skilled in leading process improvement projects using advanced statistical methods and methodologies to achieve significant results.
See also: Six Sigma, Green Belt, Process improvement.

Blocking

Blocking is a technique in experimental design that groups similar experimental units together to reduce the impact of confounding variables, thereby isolating the effects of the primary factors under study.
See also: Experimental design, Randomization.

Blemish

A blemish is a minor defect or imperfection in a product that may affect its appearance or functionality, often identified during quality inspections.
See also: Defect, Non-conformance.

Block diagram

A block diagram is a simplified visual representation of a system, where blocks represent components and lines denote their interrelationships or data flow, aiding in system analysis and troubleshooting.
See also: Flowchart, System diagram.

Board of Standards Review (BSR)

The Board of Standards Review is a committee that evaluates proposed standards to ensure they meet technical accuracy and industry needs before formal adoption.
See also: Standards development, Technical committees.

Bottom line

The bottom line refers to the final net income or profit of an organization after all revenues and expenses have been accounted for, serving as a key indicator of financial performance.
See also: Net income, Profitability analysis.

Box and whisker plot

A box and whisker plot is a statistical graphic that summarizes a data set by displaying its median, quartiles, and potential outliers, providing insights into the distribution and variability of the data.
See also: Box plot, Data visualization.

Box plot

A box plot, also known as a box and whisker plot, provides a concise visual summary of a data set’s distribution, highlighting its median, quartiles, and outliers in a standardized format.
See also: Box and whisker plot, Statistical graphics.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a collaborative creative process designed to generate a diverse range of ideas and solutions through an open, group discussion, facilitating innovation without immediate judgment.
See also: Idea generation, Creative problem solving.

Breakeven analysis

Breakeven analysis is a financial calculation used to determine the point at which total revenues equal total costs, indicating when a business or project will start to generate profit.
See also: Cost analysis, Profitability.

Breakthrough improvement

Breakthrough improvement refers to radical enhancements in process performance or product quality achieved through innovative and transformative changes rather than incremental improvements.
See also: Radical innovation, Process reengineering.

BS 7799

BS 7799 is a British standard that provides guidelines for establishing and managing information security, which later evolved into the internationally recognized ISO/IEC 27001 standard.
See also: ISO/IEC 27001, Information security management.

BSI (British Standards Institution)

The British Standards Institution is the UK's national standards body, responsible for developing and publishing standards across a broad range of industries to ensure quality, safety, and efficiency.
See also: Standards organizations, Certification.

Business process reengineering (BPR)

Business process reengineering involves radically redesigning core business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in efficiency, quality, and overall performance by fundamentally rethinking workflow operations.
See also: Process redesign, Operational improvement.