📚 Business & Technology Glossary • Clear Definitions

Acronym Glossary.
Demystifying Technical Terms.

Clear, business-focused definitions of acronyms and technical terms used in systems integration, manufacturing, eCommerce, and business automation.

81 acronyms defined

Business Systems

CRM

Business Systems

Customer Relationship Management

System for managing customer data, sales processes, interactions, and business relationships to improve customer service and drive sales growth.

ERP

Business Systems

Enterprise Resource Planning

Integrated business software that manages core company operations including finance, procurement, project management, and supply chain activities.

Manufacturing

BOM

Manufacturing

Bill of Materials

Comprehensive list of raw materials, components, and assemblies required to construct, manufacture, or repair a product.

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MES

Manufacturing

Manufacturing Execution System

Shop floor control system that monitors and manages manufacturing operations in real-time to optimize production efficiency.

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MRP

Manufacturing

Material Requirements Planning

Production planning and inventory control system that manages manufacturing processes, including materials purchasing and production scheduling.

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OEE

Manufacturing

Overall Equipment Effectiveness

Manufacturing performance metric that measures how effectively equipment operates relative to its full potential during scheduled production time.

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QMS

Manufacturing

Quality Management System

Framework of policies and procedures to ensure products and services consistently meet quality standards and customer requirements.

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SPC

Manufacturing

Statistical Process Control

Method of quality control using statistical methods to monitor and control manufacturing processes.

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Operations

ATP

Operations

Available to Promise

Business function that provides response to customer order inquiries based on resource availability, including inventory and production capacity.

CPFR

Operations

Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment

Business practice combining intelligence of trading partners in planning and fulfillment of customer demand.

CTP

Operations

Capable to Promise

Advanced planning function that considers capacity constraints when promising delivery dates to customers.

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DRP

Operations

Distribution Requirements Planning

System that determines when to replenish inventory at distribution centers based on demand forecasts and lead times.

FIFO

Operations

First In, First Out

Inventory valuation method where the first goods received are the first ones to be sold or used.

IMS

Operations

Inventory Management System

Software that tracks inventory levels, orders, sales and deliveries to optimize stock levels and reduce carrying costs.

LIFO

Operations

Last In, First Out

Inventory valuation method where the most recently acquired goods are recorded as sold first.

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OTB

Operations

Open-to-Buy

Retail planning system that calculates the amount of inventory buyers can purchase for future delivery within budget constraints.

UPC

Operations

Universal Product Code

Barcode symbology widely used worldwide for tracking trade items in stores and warehouses.

VMI

Operations

Vendor Managed Inventory

Inventory management practice where suppliers maintain and replenish customer inventory based on agreed service levels.

WMS

Operations

Warehouse Management System

Software application that manages warehouse operations including inventory tracking, picking, packing, and shipping processes.

Integration

API

Integration

Application Programming Interface

Software interface that allows different systems and applications to communicate and share data with each other.

AS2

Integration

Applicability Statement 2

Secure protocol for transmitting EDI and other business documents over the internet with encryption and digital signatures.

cXML

Integration

Commerce eXtensible Markup Language

XML-based protocol for business-to-business commerce transactions, commonly used for procurement and catalog integration.

EDI

Integration

Electronic Data Interchange

Standardized electronic exchange of business documents (like purchase orders and invoices) between trading partners.

FTP

Integration

File Transfer Protocol

Standard network protocol used for transferring files between computers over a network.

REST

Integration

Representational State Transfer

Architectural style for designing web APIs that use standard HTTP methods and are stateless, scalable, and cacheable.

SFTP

Integration

Secure File Transfer Protocol

Network protocol that provides file access, file transfer, and file management over a secure connection.

SOAP

Integration

Simple Object Access Protocol

Protocol for exchanging structured information in web services using XML, commonly used in enterprise integrations.

VAN

Integration

Value-Added Network

Third-party service that provides secure EDI transmission and data transformation services between trading partners.

VPN

Integration

Virtual Private Network

Secure connection method used to add security and privacy to private and public networks.

Technology

AI

Technology

Artificial Intelligence

Computer systems that perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, and problem-solving.

AWS

Technology

Amazon Web Services

Comprehensive cloud computing platform offering infrastructure services, storage, databases, and various business applications.

CDN

Technology

Content Delivery Network

Distributed network of servers that deliver web content and services based on geographic locations of users for better performance.

DNS

Technology

Domain Name System

Hierarchical naming system that translates human-readable domain names into IP addresses that computers use to identify each other.

ML

Technology

Machine Learning

Subset of artificial intelligence that enables systems to learn and improve performance automatically through experience without explicit programming.

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SaaS

Technology

Software as a Service

Cloud-based software delivery model where applications are accessed over the internet rather than installed locally.

Data Management

BI

Data Management

Business Intelligence

Technologies and processes for collecting, storing, and analyzing business data to support informed decision-making.

ETL

Data Management

Extract, Transform, Load

Data integration process that extracts data from various sources, transforms it into a consistent format, and loads it into a destination system.

ETL

Data Management

Extract, Transform, Load

Data integration process that extracts data from various sources, transforms it into a consistent format, and loads it into a destination system.

Compliance

DSCSA

Compliance

Drug Supply Chain Security Act

US law requiring pharmaceutical companies to implement systems for tracking and tracing prescription drugs through the supply chain.

FDA

Compliance

Food and Drug Administration

US federal agency responsible for regulating food safety, drugs, medical devices, and other consumer products.

HIPAA

Compliance

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

US law that protects sensitive patient health information and regulates how healthcare data can be used and disclosed.

PCI DSS

Compliance

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard

Security standard for organizations that handle credit card information to prevent data breaches and protect cardholder data.

SOC 2

Compliance

Service Organization Control Type 2

Security framework that evaluates how well organizations protect customer data and demonstrates compliance with trust principles.

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Industry

PLU

Industry

Price Look-Up

Code system used in retail and food service to identify products and their prices at point of sale.

QSR

Industry

Quick Service Restaurant

Fast food and quick dining restaurant industry segment characterized by fast service, limited menus, and quick customer turnover.

eCommerce

AOV

eCommerce

Average Order Value

The average dollar amount spent each time a customer places an order, calculated by dividing total revenue by number of orders.

BOPIS

eCommerce

Buy Online, Pick-up In Store

Omnichannel retail strategy allowing customers to purchase online and collect items from physical store locations.

CAC

eCommerce

Customer Acquisition Cost

The cost associated in convincing a customer to buy a product/service, including marketing and advertising expenses.

CLV

eCommerce

Customer Lifetime Value

Prediction of the net profit attributed to the entire future relationship with a customer.

GMV

eCommerce

Gross Merchandise Value

Total value of merchandise sold over a certain time period, typically used in eCommerce to measure business volume.

OMS

eCommerce

Order Management System

Software platform that manages the entire order lifecycle from initial order capture through delivery and customer service.

PIM

eCommerce

Product Information Management

System for managing and distributing product data across multiple sales channels to ensure consistent and accurate product information.

POS

eCommerce

Point of Sale

System where retail transactions are completed, including hardware and software for processing payments and managing sales.

ROPIS

eCommerce

Research Online, Purchase In Store

Customer behavior pattern where shoppers research products online but make purchases at physical retail locations.

SKU

eCommerce

Stock Keeping Unit

Unique identifier for each distinct product and service that can be purchased, used for inventory tracking and management.

Healthcare

EHR

Healthcare

Electronic Health Records

Digital version of patient medical records that can be shared across different healthcare providers and systems.

EMR

Healthcare

Electronic Medical Records

Digital version of paper medical charts containing patient treatment and medical history from one practice.

Education

LMS

Education

Learning Management System

Software platform for delivering, tracking, and managing educational courses, training programs, and learning materials.

SIS

Education

Student Information System

Software application for managing student data including enrollment, grades, attendance, and administrative information.

Business Metrics

ABC

Business Metrics

Activity-Based Costing

Costing methodology that identifies activities in an organization and assigns costs to products based on their consumption of activities.

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DIO

Business Metrics

Days Inventory Outstanding

Metric that measures how many days it takes to sell current inventory, indicating inventory management efficiency.

DPO

Business Metrics

Days Payable Outstanding

Financial metric measuring the average time it takes to pay suppliers, indicating cash flow management efficiency.

DSO

Business Metrics

Days Sales Outstanding

Financial metric that measures the average number of days it takes to collect receivables after a sale.

GMROI

Business Metrics

Gross Margin Return on Investment

Retail metric that measures profitability of inventory investment by comparing gross margin to average inventory cost.

KPI

Business Metrics

Key Performance Indicator

Measurable values that demonstrate how effectively an organization is achieving key business objectives and goals.

OTIF

Business Metrics

On Time In Full

Key performance indicator measuring the percentage of orders delivered complete and on the promised delivery date.

ROI

Business Metrics

Return on Investment

Performance measure that evaluates the efficiency of an investment by comparing the gain or loss relative to the investment cost.

SLA

Business Metrics

Service Level Agreement

Contract between service provider and customer that defines the level of service expected and consequences if standards are not met.

Standards

ANSI

Standards

American National Standards Institute

Organization that develops and publishes standards for various industries, including EDI transaction standards.

EDIFACT

Standards

Electronic Data Interchange For Administration, Commerce and Transport

International EDI standard developed by the UN for electronic business document exchange.

Data Format

CSV

Data Format

Comma-Separated Values

Simple file format for storing tabular data where each line represents a data record and fields are separated by commas.

JSON

Data Format

JavaScript Object Notation

Lightweight, text-based data interchange format that's easy for humans to read and write, commonly used in APIs.

XML

Data Format

eXtensible Markup Language

Structured data format used for storing and transporting data, particularly in business document exchange and APIs.

Business Model

B2B

Business Model

Business-to-Business

Commercial transactions and relationships between businesses rather than between businesses and individual consumers.

B2C

Business Model

Business-to-Consumer

Commercial transactions and relationships between businesses and individual consumers or end-users.

DTC

Business Model

Direct-to-Consumer

Business model where manufacturers sell directly to end consumers, bypassing traditional retail channels.

Logistics

3PL

Logistics

Third-Party Logistics

Outsourced logistics services including warehousing, transportation, distribution, and fulfillment provided by specialized companies.

ASN

Logistics

Advance Ship Notice

Electronic document sent from shipper to receiver providing detailed information about a pending delivery.

BOL

Logistics

Bill of Lading

Legal document between shipper and carrier detailing the type, quantity, and destination of goods being carried.

SSCC

Logistics

Serial Shipping Container Code

Unique identifier used in logistics to track shipping containers and packages through the supply chain.

TMS

Logistics

Transportation Management System

Software platform that manages and optimizes transportation operations including route planning, carrier selection, and freight audit.

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