Acronyms
A category of work where it needs to be done, now, or otherwise has no barriers to starting work.
What is a "JDI"?
A phrase used when you are attempting to prompt feedback, but don't have the vocabulary or comfort level to ask directly.
What is "If that makes sense"?
A term Amazon invented as an umbrella term for things like PBDD, Prime, and Peak. It also has its own 2024 task force.
What is "High Volume Event" or "HVE"?
A view you might be asked to create, famously in principle is meant to show when 80% of the consequences come from 20% of the causes.
What is "Pareto"?
A term you might use to also describe food which is not fully cooked.
What is "Half baked"?
The standardization of who does what, and when.
What is "RACI"?
A phrase you would use indicating there is a need for follow up with the same group.
What is "Circle back"?
The additional shifts we see during HVE season which every program needs to track to for a successful launch.
What is "Additional Cycle" or "AC"?
A means of testing the success of your project or program in the field prior to launch. ACES famously only uses two or three sites in theirs.
What is "A pilot" or "To pilot"?
The type of document you would write prior to beginning your project or program in full, used to gain alignment.
What is a "One pager"?
A statement indicating they want just the facts first and foremost.
What is a "BLUF"?
A phrase that is synonymous with deep dive, but conjures to mind a mouse and keyboard.
What is "To double click?"
The period that begins shortly before HVEs and ends at their conclusion, during this time no additional projects or programs can rollout to the network.
What is "Blackout" or "Blackout Period"?
The claim that a result from data generated experimenting is the result of a specific cause. Related to a specific branch of mathematics.
The nice way to tell someone the work they're doing doesn't make the cut, it can also be shortened to an acronym.
What is "Below the line"?
When you want to make the variance between goal and actual sound fancy.
What is "WAPE"?
A phrase you might politely use to tell someone if they don't finish by the scheduled time you won't be waiting behind.
What is "Hard stop"?
The roles we hire to during HVE which are short term in nature, and can apply to PAs, DTs, and LTs.
What is "IA" or "IALT, IADT, IAPA"?
A type of test where you have two versions of something you're measuring against one another. Also called split testing.
What is "A/B Testing"?
When you need to keep revisiting the same topic or data point over and over.
What is "Churn"?
A term that indicates prior experience was used rather than historic data. A rough estimate from an expert in the field.
What is a "SWAG/ WAG"?
An Amazon term meant to describe time or hours saved, used also to denote anything which may be extra goodness with little to no cost. This phrase is used primarily in Ops.
What is "Free chicken"?
The process we begin post-Peak at the end of the year which encompasses all that we have growth opportunities in, and all that we intend to improve on for the next year.
What is the "Lessons Learned"?
A Japanese term which means to "avoid blunders", often an analysis used in Lean/ Six Sigma to identify where error is likely to occur.
What is "Poka-Yoke"?
This word is used to discuss whether something has relevance or significance to the discussion or topic at hand. Often heard during Sage reviews.
What is "Materiality"?