IGR (Incoming Goods Report)
The report that records details of goods received.
In Transit
A term to descript the goods is being delivered.
Inbound
The flow of products into a distribution center prior to order selection.
Indirect Labor
Labor that does not handle merchandise physically (i.e., supervision, record handling,
inbound checking, stock control, and housekeeping).
Information Infrastructure
A structured collection of information system components and organization processes
enabling flow of information to effect enterprise integration.
Information Oscillation
A concept that identifies the need to manage information in the supply chain, taking
into account such factors as time zones, shipping and receiving schedules, and open and
closed days. As near-real-time event information is provided in collaborative
environments, work process rules must account for escalation processes to allow for
human intervention in continuous operations.
Inland
A term used to differentiate between land and water segments of a transshipment.
Inner Pack
A unit that is a multiple of a storage case. Normally this is some shrink-wrapped or
bundled quantity of retail units within a case. The inner pack is made up of one or many
retail units. This quantity is not required to equal the number of retail units in a
shipping unit.
Integrated Logistics
A comprehensive supply chain as a single process, from raw materials supply to finished
goods distribution.
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
Blanket term for wide array of technologies used in transportation process.
Intermodal Transportation
Transporting freight by using two or more transportation modes.
International Terms of Sale (INCOTERMS)
Established international terms of sale, published by the International Chambers of
Commerce, that describe the responsibilities between buyers and sellers when
transferring title to goods. These are significantly different from the American terms
of sale commonly used in the United States.
International Trade Systems (ITS)
Execution systems designed to automate the import/export business process. The basic
functional components are trade documentation generation and transmission, and
regulatory compliance validation.
Inventory
All stock on hand at any given time, either visibly displayed or in stockrooms and other
secured areas. Inventory also refers to compiling an itemized list of all such items.
Inventory Adjustment
Adjustments made to the inventory created by the physical inventory and cycle counting
processes.
Inventory Carrying Costs
A financial measurement that calculates all costs associated with holding goods in
storage.
Inventory Control
Control of current stock (shelf, back room, warehouse, on order, etc.) so that
merchandise received conforms to sales demands, and out-of-stocks or over-stocks are
avoided.
Inventory Detail
A pallet of a single product located in a warehouse location. When a pallet is put away,
the information from the receipt detail is transferred to the inventory detail. The
inventory detail is then associated with the location.
Inventory Management
The process of ensuring the availability of products through inventory administration.
Inventory Reduction
When inventory is reduced by the allocation of orders (through the BOMB process).
Inventory Turns
The cost of goods sold divided by the average level of inventory on hand.
Inventory Velocity
The speed with which inventory moves through a defined cycle.
Invoice
A bill for goods showing the amount owed to a creditor.
J (top)
JIT (Just-In-Time)
An inventory management system in which warehouse inventory is maintained at minimum
levels because replenishment stock is immedi-ately available from suppliers.
K (top)
Kitting
Light assembly of components or parts into defined units.
L (top)
Label
A pressure-sensitive, adhesive-backed paper (containing product, pric-ing, and other
information) affixed to cases or pallets to identify and track them through the
distribution process.
Labor Standards
Performance norms for operational tasks in a food distribution center. Labor standards
can be communicated to workers either via electronic devices or in writing, and become
the basis for measuring productivity and providing feedback to workers. They are
frequently tied to worker incentive programs.
LCL (Less-Than-Container Load)
The quantity of freight which is less than that required for the application of a
container load rate.
Lead Time
Total time from receipt of store order to the scheduled delivery time of the product at
the store.
Less-Than-Case-Lot
Less than the quantity in one case of a particular item of merchandise.
Let Down (Replenishment)
The moving of inventory from reserve storage to the active picking slots below.
License Plate
Normally a bar code identifying a pallet or quantity of product; can be generic or
system-generated.
LIFO (Last-In-First-Out)
The newest goods are sold first to ensure quality and freshness.
Loading
The process of moving goods up or down the container or carrier.
Localization
A product is adapted for market culture.
Logistics
The management of a facility's traffic and transportation functions.
Lot Number
The process of tracking production where units are produced in a batch.
LSP
A general term for Logistics Service Provider
LTL (Less-Than-Truckload)
A shipment weighing less than the weight required for a truckload rate.
M (top)
Malfunction
A failure or state of operation outside of specified parameters.
Manifest
An itemized list of all passengers and cargo onboard a ship or aircraft.
Manufacturing Planning
Definition of the weekly or daily production and machine schedules across multiple
plants or lines to meet orders and forecast demand. Some manufacturing planning modules
also incorporate materials planning.
Manufacturing Scheduling
Generation of plant-level execution schedules by product and resource (e.g., line and
machine) and resolution of day-to-day capacity bottlenecks. Scheduling applications
normally include a more granular level of resource information, and will provide such
functionality as sequence dependent set up, tank scheduling and point-of-use material
availability.
Marginal Cost
The cost to produce one additional unit of output.
Markout
When the item ordered shows quantity on hand, but the selector is not able to find the
expected quantity.
Material Flow
The way in which material is moved from one location to another during a process.
Materials Handling System
The system for moving materials throughout a facility, which was cho-sen from among many
types of equipment, both conventional and auto-mated.
M-Commerce
Mobile Commerce is a form of e-commerce that deals in the fees a company collects and
the content or services offered on mobile devices.
Method Study Review
Engineers audit the time standards established (from the time study) for the job
description to make sure the standards are fair and accurate.
Mezzanine
A partial second floor, larger than a balcony, where the re-pack room, selection area,
and offices are often located in a distribution facility.
Minimum Order Requirements
A minimum quantity of goods (set by the manufacturer or supplier) that the retailer or
wholesaler must order at one time in order to qualify for a discount.
Mixed Load
A trailer load that includes more than one product line (i.e., dry grocer-ies, produce,
meat, and dairy products).
Modification
A change from an original design, plan, or configuration.
Move In
The process that goods are first moved into a new warehouse facility.
Move Out
The process that all goods are moved out from the warehouse facility where it used to
store at.
Moving Time
The time zone of goods in transit to the time that is received by customer.
MRP (Materials Requirements Planning)
A decision-making methodology used to determine the timing and quantities of materials
to purchase.
Multi-Modal Transportation
The process of goods delivery involves more than one kind of transportation vehicle.