At Ottawa Logistics, we aim to provide all of our customers with the best service possible. To help with that process, we have produced a glossary of common terms or logistics lingo.
3PL: third-party logistics; provides outsourced logistics services
Bar Code: a code printed on a product for identification in the format of numbers and a pattern of parallel lines. Used to track product location and status.
Cross Dock: the process of unloading products from an incoming shipment and loading them directly to an outbound transport
EDI (electronic data interchange): a data transfer allowing information from one computer to another without human interaction; this process permits multiple companies, domestic or international, to exchange documents electronically
Handling Charge: Fee for labour to pick goods in order to ship.
Intermodal: involves two or more types of transportation for shipping products
Kitting: grouping, packaging, and shipping a set of products together for a specific purpose
Light Assembly: Manual assembly that requires little time and only utilizes basic tools
Logistics: commercial transport of products to customers
Less Than Truckload Shipping (LTL): a freight weighing between 100 and 20,000 lbs – a product too large to ship using the Post Office or local parcel company and smaller than a full truckload of products
Master Carton: Large package with multiple smaller packages of the same product within it.
Omni channel solution: a sales approach with the aim to provide a customer with a smooth buying experience despite the buying format of the customer (online, over the phone, or brick and mortar). Ottawa Logistics has the capacity to fulfill order coming from various channels/omni channels.
Pick and Pack: the practice of finding and pulling a product from the inventory and packing it to ship for a customer’s order
Order: a request for products by a customer
Order Fulfillment: the complete process, from sales to delivery, of a product to a customer
Order Tracking: software that allows a client to track in real time orders as they are processed by a fulfillment company.
Packing List: a documented list included with every order listing the contents of the package with detail.
Perpetual Inventory System: A system in which a constant inventory is maintained. System calculates orders shipped out and inbound orders allowing clients to know their exact inventory at all times.
Serial Number: the code indicating the number of an item in a series printed on the item for identification
Shopping Cart Integration: Shopping cart integration allows a fulfillment company to receive orders in real time allowing for immediate packing and shipping.
SKU (Stock-Keeping Unit): a string of numbers or alpha numeric characters to provide a product with a unique identification; often referred to as part numbers
WMS (warehouse management software): software to support the day-to-day operations in a warehouse including inventory tracking and stock locations
