Description
A technique for classifying stock items according to their importance and value, enabling management efforts to be concentrated on the most critical items.
A
- Aisle: A pathway between racking systems in a warehouse.
- Audit: A systematic inspection of records, processes, or stocks within a warehouse.
- Assembly Line: A manufacturing process in which parts are added to a product in a sequential manner to create a finished product.
B
- Backorder: An order for a product that is not in stock but will be supplied when available.
- Bin: A storage compartment within a warehouse.
- Bulk Storage: The storage of large quantities of goods in a warehouse without detailed organization or systems.
C
- Cycle Count: An inventory auditing process where a small subset of inventory is counted on a specific day.
- Cross-Docking: A logistics procedure where products received at the warehouse are directly loaded onto outbound trucks or shipping lanes with minimal storage time.
- Conveyor Belt: A moving belt that transports objects from one place to another within a warehouse.
D
- Dispatch: The area of a warehouse where goods are prepared for shipment.
- Dock: A platform where trucks or shipping containers are loaded and unloaded.
- Damage Control: Procedures and actions taken to minimize or repair damage to goods and inventory.
E
- Ergonomics: The study of people’s efficiency in their working environment, especially to improve worker comfort and productivity.
- Entry Point: The location in a warehouse where goods are received.
- Expiration Date Tracking: Monitoring the dates on products to ensure that no expired products are shipped to customers.
F
- Forklift: A vehicle used to lift and move materials over short distances within a warehouse.
- FIFO (First In, First Out): An inventory management method where goods first received are the first to be shipped out.
- Freight: Goods transported in bulk by truck, train, ship, or aircraft.
G
- Goods Receipt: The process of receiving and recording the arrival of goods to a warehouse.
- Gravity Rack: A type of racking that uses gravity rollers to facilitate the flow of inventory.
- Gantry Crane: A crane used for lifting heavy objects, often seen in large warehouses.
H
- Handling Equipment: Tools and machines used for transporting and managing goods in the warehouse.
- Hazardous Materials: Products that require special handling and storage procedures due to their dangerous nature.
- Housekeeping: The maintenance of cleanliness and order in a warehouse.
I
- Inventory: The total amount of goods and materials held in stock by a company.
- Item Number: A unique identifier for a specific product in a warehouse.
- Inbound Logistics: The management of goods coming into a warehouse from suppliers.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): An inventory strategy that aligns raw material orders from suppliers directly with production schedules.
- Job Ticket: A document detailing the tasks and processes involved in handling specific goods.
- Jumbo Storage: Large-scale storage options for oversized products.
K
- Kitting: The process of assembling individual items into ready-to-ship sets or kits.
- Keypad Entry: A security feature for restricted access areas within a warehouse.
- Knock Down: Refers to goods that are disassembled to reduce space during shipping and are reassembled upon delivery.
L
- Loading Dock: An area where goods are loaded into or unloaded from vehicles.
- LIFO (Last In, First Out): An inventory management strategy where the last items placed in inventory are the first to be used.
- Logistics: The overall management of the way resources are obtained, stored, and moved to their destinations.
M
- Manifest: A document listing all the cargo, passengers, or freight carried on a vehicle.
- Material Handling: The movement, protection, storage, and control of materials and products throughout manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, consumption, and disposal.
- Mezzanine: An intermediate floor between main floors of a warehouse, typically used for storage or offices.
N
- Nested Storage: Storing one item inside another to save space.
- Non-Conformance: Products that fail to meet quality standards.
- Notice of Receipt: A document acknowledging the receipt of goods.
O
- Order Picking: The process of pulling items from inventory to fulfill customer orders.
- Outbound Logistics: The movement of material associated with distributing finished goods to customers.
- Overstock: Inventory that exceeds the forecasted demand.
P
- Pallet: A platform used for storing and moving goods in a warehouse.
- Picking List: A detailed list indicating the items and quantities that need to be picked from the warehouse.
- Putaway: The process of moving goods from the receiving area to their designated storage space in the warehouse.
Q
- Quality Control: The processes involved in ensuring products meet the required quality standards.
- Quantitative Inventory: A detailed counting and tracking of inventory quantities.
- Queue Management: Organizing the sequence of work to optimize workflow in warehouse operations.
R
- Replenishment: Restocking warehouse shelves with products from the back storage or receiving area.
- RFID (Radio Frequency Identification): Technology used to track and identify tags attached to objects using electromagnetic fields.
- Racking System: The system of racks used for storing goods in a warehouse.
S
- SKU (Stock Keeping Unit): A unique identifier for each distinct product and service that can be purchased.
- Safety Stock: Extra inventory held to guard against stockouts.
- Shrink Wrap: A plastic wrap used extensively in the packing of pallets for stability and protection from moisture and dust.
T
- Turnover: The rate at which inventory is consumed and replenished.
- Tracking System: Technology used to monitor the location and status of goods within a warehouse.
- Tiered Storage: A storage method that organizes inventory in multiple levels or tiers.
U
- Unit Load: A single item or a group of items packaged or banded together that can be handled as a single load.
- Uplift: The process of moving items to higher storage locations in the warehouse.
- Utilization Rate: The percentage of total storage capacity that is actually used in the warehouse.
V
- Vendor: A supplier of goods or services.
- Volumetric Weight: A calculated weight that considers the density of a package.
- Visual Merchandising: The practice of designing warehouse layouts that are efficient and visually appealing.
- VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory): A system where the supplier is responsible for managing stock levels for the customer, based on consumption and forecast data provided.
W
- Warehouse Management System (WMS): Software designed to support and optimize warehouse functionality and distribution center management.
- Workflow: The sequence of processes through which a piece of work passes from initiation to completion.
- Wrap Rack: A type of storage rack used to securely hold items, typically those not on pallets.
X
- X-dock: Cross-dock operations where materials are unloaded from incoming trucks and directly loaded onto outbound trucks with little to no storage in between.
- XML Interface: A method for electronic business communication used to manage warehouse operations.
- X-Ray Inspection: Using x-ray technology to inspect packaged goods for compliance and security.
Y
- Yield Management: The strategic control of inventory to sell it at the right time to maximize revenue.
- Yearly Inventory: A complete inventory count typically performed at the fiscal year-end.
- Yoke: A device or tool used in warehouses to aid in lifting and moving heavy items.
Z
- Zone Picking: A method of order picking where a warehouse is divided into several zones, and workers are assigned a specific zone.
- Zero Inventory: An inventory management approach aiming to keep inventory levels as low as possible.
- Zebra Scanner: A brand-specific type of barcode scanner frequently used in warehouse operations.
