European Computer Manufacturers Association. ECMA is also working on LAN standards in cooperation with IEEE 802.
EDI (ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE)
Technology that permits the transfer of electronic information between different parts of an organization or different organizations. EDI uses a variety of protocols and standards depending upon the application and the industry.
EIA
Electrical Industries Association (see Standards Organizations).
EIA RS511
A messaging standard for use between factory floor applications.
Electronic Data Processing (EDP)
(1) Data processing largely performed by electronic devices. (2) Pertaining to data processing equipment that is predominantly electronic, such as an electronic digital computer.
Engineering Change
In MRP environments, a revision to a parts list, Bill of Materials drawings, authorized by the engineering department. Changes are usually identified by a control number and are made for "safety," "cost reduction," or "functionality" reasons. To effectively implement engineering changes, all affected functions, such as materials, quality assurance and assembly engineering, etc. should review and agree to the changes.
Engineering Details
Documents and information to vendors or contractors.
Enterprise
A set of functions that carry a product through its entire life span from concept through manufacture, distribution, sales and service, an undertaking; venture, initiative, a business organization.
Entity
(1) Is a thing (e.g., a person or a device), a concept, an organization, or an event of interest about which the business cares enough to keep data. (2) An active element within an OSI layer (e.g. Token Bus MAC is an entity in OSI Layer 2).
Entity Relationship (E/R) Model
Conceptual model of business subject matter consisting of a diagram (showing the structural organization of entities, relationships, and attributes) and formal policy-based definitions of each, usually stored in a dictionary.
EPA
(1) Enhanced Performance Architecture. An extension to MAP that provides for low delay communication between nodes on a single segment (see MAP/EPA and MINI-MAP). (2) The Environmental Protection Agency of the U.S. Government and the several States.
ERP (ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING)
A concept developed by Gartner Group describing the next-generation of manufacturing business systems. The next-generation of MRPII technology that will facilitate the running of business applications in a much more distributed fashion under the client/server model.
ESCA
Exchange Carriers Standard Association
Established Manufacturing Policy
The set of rules (i.e., previously established) for operating the example manufacturing plant to achieve the goals of management. It can be articulated and delegated in a general way (e.g., a set of algorithms rather than required human innovation, etc.). The term policy is understood to extend to individual measurements and tolerances prescribed to implement production.
ETHERNET
A baseband LAN developed by Xerox Corporation and supported by Intel, DEC, Hewlett-Packard and others. It uses a bus topology and CSMA/CD access control. See also IEEE 802.3.
Exception Policies
Rules and guidelines from marketing to handle waiver and special requirements when accepting an order.
Expert System
A computer system that embodies the specialized knowledge of one or more human experts and uses that knowledge to solve problems. [DEC].
Explanation Facility
A feature of many expert systems that tells what steps were involved in the process by which the system arrived at a solution. These facilities can be simple traces of steps, or they can be more complex, supplying encoded reasons why the solution uses one alternative rather than another. [DEC].