1. A consultants word to describe how you get something done. As such, an imaginary concept.

2. Term used by Engineers to summarise complex technical design details to Project Managers and Managers so that they can get on with it and not have to speak in technobabble. Thus, “we can plan the implementation over the next few weeks” will summarise the effort of several collected & highly intelligent people who will evaluate a stunning array of choices before presenting the simplest and most effective choice to management.

Management will understand this choice, because it is so simple, structured and well documented, and feel like they know what is going on. This state on blissful ignorance by Management is known as “keeping tabs on what is going on”. Of course, they have no idea at all.

3. The real work done by real people.