Technical Japanese #20 — Common Japanese Factory Abbreviations: QC, QA, WIP, Takt and Lot
In a Japanese production meeting people speak in abbreviations: 「QCで弾かれた」, 「WIPが溜まってる」, 「段取り替え中」. Without them, every sentence arrives half-heard. This post collects the shop-floor abbreviations — the Latin ones and the clipped Japanese ones — so that hearing them is enough.
Core abbreviations and shortened terms
| Japanese / abbreviation | Reading | Meaning | On the floor | Note |
|---|
| QC | kyū shī | quality control | QCで弾かれた | Quality Control |
| QA | kyū ē | quality assurance | QAの承認 | Quality Assurance |
| WIP / 仕掛品 | しかかりひん shikakarihin | work in process | WIPが溜まる | Work In Process |
| PT | pī tī | pilot run | PTを流す | Pilot, or 試作 depending on the plant |
| 段取り | だんどり dandori | set-up, changeover | 段取り替え | Between lots |
| タクト | takuto | takt | タクトを守る | Takt time |
| ライン | rain | line | ライン停止 | The production line |
| ロット | rotto | lot | ロット不良 | A batch |
| 不良 | ふりょう furyō | defect | 不良を出す | See #10 on quality |
| 不良率 | ふりょうりつ furyōritsu | defect rate | 不良率が高い | Defect rate |
| 数 | かず kazu | count, number | 数が合わない | The count does not match |
| 計画 | けいかく keikaku | plan | 生産計画 | Plan |
| 実績 | じっせき jisseki | actual result | 実績を入力 | Actual, against 計画 |
| 稼働率 | かどうりつ kadōritsu | operating rate | 稼働率を上げる | Utilisation |
| 指示 | しじ shiji | instruction | 指示書通り | As per the instruction sheet |
| 改善 | かいぜん kaizen | improvement | 改善提案 | See #39 |
| QCD | — | quality, cost, delivery | QCDのバランス | The three that get traded off |
| PM / 予防保全 | よぼうほぜん yobō hozen | preventive maintenance | PMの計画 | Preventive Maintenance |
| ダウンタイム | daun taimu | downtime | ダウンタイム削減 | Downtime |
The Japanese-style clippings to watch for
Japanese shortens by sound, and the result can be unrecognisable until someone tells you.
- 段替え (dan-gae), from 段取り替え — the changeover.
- ライン止め (rain-dome), from ライン停止 — stopping the line.
- 手直し (te-naoshi) — rework on defective pieces.
- バラす (barasu) — to take apart, the spoken form of 分解.
- チョコ停 (choko-tei) — the short, repeated micro-stoppage.
- ポカミス and ポカヨケ — a careless mistake, and the device that makes the mistake impossible.
Phrases by situation
In the production meeting
- QCで不良が見つかりました。 — QC found a defect.
- 段取り替えに時間がかかっています。 — The changeover is taking too long.
- WIPが溜まっているのでラインを止めます。 — Work in process is piling up, so we are stopping the line.
Asking again when you are not sure
- QCDのどれを優先しますか。 — Which of quality, cost and delivery takes priority?
- チョコ停の原因は何ですか。 — What is causing the micro-stoppages?
Mistakes to avoid
| Mistake | Why it hurts |
|---|
| Hearing PT and assuming "part" | In many plants PT is the pilot or 試作 run. If you are not sure, ask |
| Confusing 計画 (plan) with 実績 (actual) on a report | Enter the figure in the wrong column and the data is simply wrong |
| Dismissing チョコ停 | Each stop is short, but together they are what pulls 稼働率 down |
Hear it, then act — quick self-check
In the meeting: 「今日は不良率が高い。QCと一緒に原因を調べて、手直しを進めて。」
<details><summary>Answer</summary>The defect rate (不良率) is high today. Investigate the cause (原因) together with QC, and get the rework (手直し) moving.</details>
And: 「段替えが終わったら、実績を入力しておいて。」
<details><summary>Answer</summary>Once the changeover (段替え) is finished, enter the actual figures (実績) into the system.</details>
How MINATA helps
Do you need meeting terminology and forms — plan against actual, QC, WIP — standardised between a Vietnamese team and Japanese management? MINATA acts as the technical and operational bridge, aligning the vocabulary and the reporting flow. See our Japan–Vietnam projects or engineering and production services.
View all MINATA technical articles