Fulfilment Glossary
Use our fulfilment glossary to learn more about industry terms, acronyms and methods from our fulfilment experts.
Stock Take
A stock take is when a business counts all its goods to check if the numbers match what's on paper.
Stockout
A stockout, also known as an out-of-stock situation, is a situation where an item that is expected to be in stock is not
Supply Chain Management
Supply Chain Management (SCM)involves the active management of supply chain activities to maximise customer value and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. This encompasses the planning and management of all activities involved in sourcing, procurement, conversion, and logistics management.
Supply Chain Optimisation
Supply chain optimisation is the process of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the supply chain network.
Supply Chain Technology refers to the tools, systems, and solutions designed to streamline and optimise supply chain processes.
Sustainable fulfilment aims to reduce environmental impact by using eco-friendly practices and materials in the order fulfilment process.
Third-Party Logistics (3PL) allows businesses to outsource logistics operations including warehousing, shipping, and inventory management.
Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI)
Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) is a supply chain practice where the inventory is managed by the supplier, rather than by the retailer.
Warehouse Management
Warehouse management is a term that refers to the processes and systems that optimise warehouse functions.
Warehouse Management Systems
A Warehouse Management System (WMS) is a software solution designed to support and optimise warehouse functionality and distribution centre management.
Warehousing
Warehousing refers to the process of storing goods and materials in a large building or space, known as a warehouse, before they are sold, distributed, or shipped to their next destination.
Wave Picking
Wave picking is a warehouse planning method where orders are grouped and released in timed blocks called “waves.” Instead of pickers grabbing orders as they come in, the warehouse team works through each wave as a batch, following a clear schedule.
Weighted Average Cost
Weighted Average Cost is a method used to work out the average cost of items in stock, based on how much they cost and how many were bought.
Zone Picking
Zone picking is a warehouse method where the storage space is split into separate areas, and each team member works only within their assigned section.
Zone Skipping
Zone skipping is a logistics strategy used to streamline distribution processes and reduce shipping costs. This approach involves bypassing intermediary shipping zones to deliver goods directly to a zone closer to the final delivery point. It is widely adopted in parcel delivery and freight shipping to optimise transit times and decrease the handling stages that a package goes through.