.NET
Proprietary software platform of software giant Microsoft. .NET offers a run-time environment, a collection Of class libraries and utilities for the software development for Windows operating systems.

Balanced Scorecard (BSC)
The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) was introduced in 1992 by the Harvard scientists Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton. Although it is a tool for analysis and presentation, each BSC is centered on a strategy. Based on this strategy, Critical Success Factors are defined which are used together with Key Performance Indicators to derive a Scorecard. The measurements assets are used to express the degree of achievement of the strategic objectives. The BSC is a process or method, which has to be applied continuesly to verify targets and achievements.

CSV
Character Separated Values: A format for text files used for easy storage and exchange of structured data, for example in the production context.

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
In business and administration, Key Performance Indicators (KPI) are classification numbers, which describe the degree of achievement or performance of central objectives or critical success factors within an organization. In the context of MES, KPIs might be e.g. product quality or capacity utilization. The Balanced Scorecard uses KPIs as well.

LIMS (Labor-Informations- and Management-System)
In business and administration, Key Performance Indicators (KPI) are classification numbers, which describe the degree of achievement or performance of central objectives or critical success factors within an organization. In the context of MES, KPIs might be e.g. product quality or capacity utilization. The Balanced Scorecard uses KPIs as well.

Manufacturing Execution System (MES)
A Manufacturing Execution System (or Shop Floor System) according to Wikipedia.de is a kind of manufacturing management system. Often, the German term "Produktionsleitsystem" is used synonymously. In contrast to the level of production planning through Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP, like, for example, SAP) MES are connected directly to the shop-floor level. MES monitor and control the production in real time. The basic functions include capture of operating data, operating and machine data logging, personnel data logging, production scheduling, quality management, recipe management and laboratory management (where appropriate), energy management etc.

MRO-Article
Maintenance, repair, and operating (MRO): Operating supply items for maintenance, repair or production, as compared to A-items such as raw materials.

Object-Oriented Analysis (OOA)
First phase in the development of object-oriented Software systems. Requirements are captured - mostly in the form of a specification - and a project specific object-oriented analysis model is derived.

Object-Oriented Design (OOD)
The Object-oriented analysis is followed by the phase of Object-Oriented Design (OOD). Here the model supplied by the OOA is refined and translated into code, taking into account the requirements to a specific system design. This includes the design of system interfaces to users or peripherals.

Process Industry
In contrast to the Manufacturing Industry which specializes in discrete production, in the Process Industry we find continous oder batch-oriented production. The results of continous production processes are typically not quantified in number of pieces but in weight or volume units.

System Analysis
Existing or planned systems are investigated, using an increasingly refined but abstract model. Preliminary phase of Software development. Models describe the actual and the expected situation.