Definitions: 
1.     Single Source Responsibility – The concept that, whoever has worked on a project, one-person is responsible for the entire         success or failure of the project. This is a concept based out of the US Military and was a primary reason for the success of         our military in the field.  As an example, the communist system has at its top two individuals over every command. 
2.     SOS, submitting out-of-sequence – the process where long-lead items are submitted before everything else, usually with           GC approval.  
3.     Zingers – Items added to a proposal by an estimator, that when reviewed by the proposal recipient, results in a question             being asked by the recipient.  When zingers are used properly, the result is that the price is shown to be competitive.                   Zingers that result in questions from the recipient show that the price is within the recipient’s budget. 
4.     Landmines – Possible problems in the contract that must be avoided if possible.  A good example of this is liquidated                   damages. 
5.     Process – The systematic method used to manufacture and install an item. 
6.     Forward-Backward Observation – Where all departments see and know what happens when some element of a project,              before and after that department’s work, is not properly handed off.  By observation personnel can arrive at solutions to              repair the problem. 
7.     Value Engineering – Offering alternatives to the specification that result in a savings for the customer. 
8.     Negotiated Value Engineering – This is when voluntary alternates or change orders are communicated whereby the                     company and the customer make a greater profit. 
9.     Negotiation – The process where an acceptable price is arrived for a project by both parties. 
10.   Integration – Re-defining roles in such a way that they positively affect all departments in the company.
11.   Templating – Providing all templates for any and every item where needed, receiving approval for same by customer’s                 representative, and resulting in walls being built to match the template.  This flattens production. 
12.    Flattening Production – The process of using templating and other means to keep production more stable.  By providing              customer approved templates anywhere possible, the PM can release items for production at the most efficient times.  
13.    Pushing – Failure to complete a requirement, thus giving the responsibility for completion of that requirement to the next            department in the process.
14.    Pulling – Failure of the next department to complete a requirement pushed from the previous department, and moving                the requirement back to the department that was to complete the requirement in the first place. 
15.    Economy of scale – Grouping the production process together with like items so that the manufacturing process performs          the maximum number of similar functions for the best efficiency. 
16.    Itemization – Dividing a project into items that will be manufactured together for maximum efficiency and economies of              scale. 
17.    Interruptions – Something in the process that blocks the standard flow of work, whether it be equipment, people or                      processes.  
18.    Alternates – Prior to contract award, offering different materials and design, resulting in choices given to the owner of a              project that can be less expensive or offer design choices.  
19.    Voluntary Alternates – Alternates determined by the architectural millwork company solely, which are communicated to             trusted customers only.  
20.    Involuntary Alternates – Alternates communicated by someone other than the architectural millwork company. 
21.    Change Orders – After contract is awarded, price changes resulting from requested design or material changes, schedule          changes, or other value engineering. 
22.    RFIs – Request for Information; questions asked about a project item before and after contract award. 
23.    Proposal – The communicated price to the customer with value engineering, exclusions, clarifications and breakouts. 
24.    CPR – Critical Path Report, also known as the Critical Path Schedule; a dated report of every step in the process that is                 agreed to in the contract. 
25.    G702 – Also known as AIA Form G702, this is an official invoice requesting a progress or final payment, based upon the               G703.
26.    G703 – Also known as a “Schedule of Values”; a concise value placed on each item in a project.
27.    Milling – Cutting, shaping, CNC routing, ripping, planning, pre-assembly machining for hardware. Preparation for the finish          department. 
28.    Assembly – Assembling milled product into a recognizable item that is ready for finishing. 
29.    Sanding – By machine and hand, preparation of components or assembled items for finishing or assembly when sanding            is more efficient before assembly. 
30.    Finishing – Process of applying stains, paste fillers, sealers, sanding of same, various coatings, and final coat, drying and            cleanup. 
31.    Acceptance – When the owner gives approval for an installed item in writing. 
32.    Punching – When an owner or architect identifies items or parts of items that are defective in material, workmanship or              installation.  
33.    Final Acceptance – When the owner, communicating through the General Contractor, accepts the item as complete and               without defect. 
34.    Retainage – The amount an owner or general contractor holds back, via agreed contract, until completion of a project. 
35.    Closeout – This is when the company finalizes all the documents in the project management system, receives all funds                including retainers, communicates final profit and loss reports by item, and by total project. 
36.    Dead-Zone Statements – These are comments made that will kill the process if not corrected.  These statements, by                    themselves, have been the cause for failed companies in the past.