Significant Characteristics
Product and process characteristics designated by the customer, including governmental regulatory and safety, and/or selected by the supplier through knowledge of the product and process.

Simulation
The practice of mimicking some or all of the behavior of one system with a different, dissimilar system.

Simultaneous Engineering
A way of simultaneously designing products, and the processes for manufacturing those products, through the use of cross functional teams to assure manufacturability and to reduce cycle time.

Six Sigma
a failure rate of 3.4 parts per million or 99.9997%...

Specifications
Specifications are engineering requirements for judging the acceptability of a part characteristic. For the production part approval process, every feature of the product as identified by engineering specifications must be measured. Actual measurement and test results are required. Specifications should not be confused with control limits which represent "the voice of the process".

Spider Diagram
A visual reporting tool for the performance of a number of indicators. Also known as a "radar chart" this tool makes visible the gaps between the current and desired performance.

Statistical Control
Is the condition of a process from which all special causes of variation have been eliminated and only common causes remain. Statistical control is evidenced on ,a control chart by the absence of points beyond the control limits and by the absence of any non-random patterns or trends.

Stratification
A process of grouping data according to a common characteristic.

Submission Level
Refers to the level of evidence required for production part submissions. (Refer to the PPAP manual and/or Local PPAP Addendum)

Subsystem
A major part of a system which itself has the characteristics of a system, usually consisting of several components.

Suppliers
Suppliers are defined as providers of: a) Production materials. b) Production or Service parts. c) Heat treating, plating, painting or other finishing services directly to Ford.

System
A combination of several components or pieces of equipment integrated to perform a specific function.