Reproducibility
Reproducibility turns up in 2 fields: statistics, metrology. Here is what it means to the people in each one.
Reproducibility in statistics
Variation in measurement results when different operators, gauges or setups measure the same items.
Reproducibility is the extra variation that appears when conditions change between measurements: a different operator, a second tool, another fixture or lab. In manual gauge studies it is called appraiser variation (AV). In fabs, where measurements are automated, reproducibility usually means tool-to-tool differences, which is why matching between metrology tools gets so much attention.
"Reproducibility is eating the budget: operator 2 clamps the part differently and reads 15 microns high."
Reproducibility in metrology
How well results on the same item agree when the lab, operator, equipment or day is changed on purpose.
The scatter that shows up when the same or similar items are measured in different labs, by different people, on different equipment and often on different days. It is always larger than repeatability because it picks up between-lab and between-operator effects such as fixturing, technique and local environment. Interlaboratory studies estimate it to set the realistic precision a customer can expect from a standard test method.
"Repeatability's tight in each lab, but reproducibility across the three sites is four times worse, look at the fixturing."