Check out our Industrial terms glossary
OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer)
A manufacturer who buys and incorporates other suppliers’ products into their own products.
Omnichannel approach
Strategy that involves the creation and management of different touch points and sales channels, both physical and digital, through which the customer can interact with the brand totally autonomously, enjoying a coherent and seamless shopping experience, whatever medium or channel is used.
Open top container
A container equipped with a solid removable roof or with a rubber tarpaulin so that it can be loaded and unloaded from above.
Order consolidation
Process by which Load Units from different picking operations are brought together and sent to individual customers or individual destinations. It includes the final checking operations when shipping documents are matched.
Order Cycling System
This method involves taking inventory at predetermined intervals, such as every 30, 60 or 90 days and then placing orders to ensure there is sufficient stock until the next inventory is taken.
Order Form
This is a form that is completed on the web in order to place a purchase order.
Order fulfilment
Term that indicates the complex procedure triggered by an Order Form, such as the collection of the ordered goods from the warehouse and their shipment by carrier. This process also includes any possible complications and exceptions such as errors in the orders, partial shipments, returns and replacements.
Order management
Acquisition and processing of data relating to orders. Note: order management is sometimes limited to orders to suppliers.
Order picking
Picking method in which the mission of each individual warehouse operator is to fulfil a complete order or a fraction of the order.
Order planning
The planning necessary to carry out orders over subsequent periods, given the delivery times agreed for the orders and the time necessary for the various operations that must be carried out for each order and dependent on the resources available and requested.
Order point
The management model for the material inventory using an order point involves re-ordering a purchase lot every time the stock drops to the level set as the order point.
Order processing
The series of activities required to process an order.
Order-notify
This is a shipment requiring the consignee to surrender the original endorsed bill of lading at delivery. A shipper may use this method to guarantee payment for goods shipped. It’s most commonly used with truckload shipments.
Out of stock (OOS)
This happens when the stock of a specific item in the warehouse or store runs out.
Outbound consolidation (Break-Bulk)
The consolidation of many small shipments for several customers into one larger load. This is then sent to a location close to the customer and broken down into small shipments to be distributed to customers.
Outlet planning
The selection of distribution channels, and the planning for the flow of goods for that selection in the distribution plan.
Outsourcing
The use of services and resources outside the company in order to streamline the production processes and optimize results on the market. In this way a company can enhance its distinctive skills by focusing on activities with greater added value.
Outward handling (Handling-out)
Physical or accounting operations carried out on outgoing goods. They can be carried out from the moment the orders are rolled out to the actual moment the goods leave the warehouse.