Vocabulary Flashcards
360-DEGREE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL
In human resource management, an appraisal tool
to measure employee performance and gather
employee development feedback from a group of
people who actually deal with the employee on a
regular basis. This group of individuals is made up
of both internal and external customers. It may
include the employee plus subordinates, peers and
managers in the organizational hierarchy, as well
as external sources such as customers and/or
suppliers or other interested stakeholders.
See Also: Human Resource Management;
Performance Evaluation; Performance
Measurement
80/20 RULE
Also known as the Pareto rule, it is the finding that
a minority of a population account for the majority
of a given effect. For example, in inventory
management, 20% of the inventoried items account
for 80% of the total dollars.
See Also: ABC Analysis; ABC Classification; Pareto
Analysis
ABATEMENT
Alleviation, suppression, mitigation or termination.
ABC ANALYSIS
Application of Pareto’s Law or the 80/20 rule to
define three categories: A, B and C. ABC analysis is
used to determine the relative ratios between the
number of items and the dollar value of the items
purchased repetitively for stock; the number of
purchase orders and the dollar value; and the
number of suppliers and percent of spend. In most
organizations, 10-20% of the items (“A” items)
account for 70-80% of the investment; the next 15-
25% of the items (“B” items) account for 10-20% of
the investment; and the remaining 65-75% of the
items (“C” items) account for 5-10% of the
investment. Inventories, purchases, and suppliers
should be managed accordingly, with more
emphasis placed on the strategic management of
the “A” items and looser controls and less attention
on “C” items.
See Also: 80/20 Rule; Pareto Chart
ABC CLASSIFICATION
A system of categorizing items in decreasing order
based primarily on their total annual dollar value.
See Also: 80/20 Rule; ABC Analysis; Pareto Analysis
ABNORMAL VARIATION
Variation that is outside the normal “noise” of a
system. It is typically caused by an outside
influence rather than the system itself and may
indicate a change in or to the system.
ABROGATION
Annulment of a contract after it has been partially
performed, usually due to circumstances outside
the control of the parties, e.g., force majeure. There
is no obligation on either party for the remainder of
the contract.
ABSOLUTE ADVANTAGE
A competitive strength enjoyed by an entity (firm or
country) that can produce a good or service at lower
cost (fewer labor resources or hours of work) or with
higher productivity (generates more output per
hour of work) relative to another entity. It is able to
produce more efficiently meaning that with equal
inputs the entity with the absolute advantage will
ACCELERATED DEPRECIATION
There are two accelerated depreciation methods:
sum of the year’s digits method and the declining
balance method. Both allow faster write-offs and
provide a greater tax shield than the straight line
method of depreciation. In both, it is assumed that
an asset loses a majority of its value in the first
several years of use.
See Also: Depreciation
ACCELERATION CLAUSE
Contract provision that allows one who is owed
money over time to declare the entire outstanding
amount due under certain circumstances.
ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL)
A quality level that represents the process limit of a
measured attribute averaged from a series of
satisfactory lots. Typically used for sample
inspection.
ACCEPTANCE
The indication of an offeree to be bound by the terms
of an offer; may be by communication or behavior.
See Also: Mutuality of Contract
ACCEPTANCE SAMPLING
A statistical procedure for measuring a random
sample of a lot of material to determine
acceptability of the whole lot. The entire lot may be
accepted or rejected based on the results of the
sample as the sample is assumed to be
representative of the population. Involves
determining the maximum number of defects
discovered in a sample before the entire batch is
rejected.
See Also: Sampling; Statistical Quality Control
(SQC)
ACCEPTANCE TESTING
Test procedures that lead to formal acceptance of a
new or changed product, process or system. For
example, the overall condition of a given lot may be
determined by inspecting only a portion or sample
of the lot. For a software system, a user acceptance
test plan is agreed to by the buyer and seller, carried
out and then results are compared to preestablished severity thresholds to determine
corrective action.
ACCESS
A general term applying to those things sought from
a partner company when one’s own does not have
the technology, capability, talent, time or capacity
to provide on their own. Unlike outsourcing, which
is generally about cost, asset and head-count
reduction, access is a top-line concept, where
revenue growth and market growth are the
pursuits.
ACCESSORIAL CHARGES
Costs that carriers may charge in addition to the
transportation cost. They include single shipment,
inside delivery, notification, and storage and
redelivery charges.
ACCORD AND SATISFACTION
Agreement between two parties who have an
underlying contract to enter into a new contract (the
accord) which alters the obligations of one or both
parties, performance of which (the satisfaction) will
render the first contract unenforceable.
ACCOUNTABILITY
The personal or organizational responsibility and
authority to provide direction, answers and insight
to all interested parties on a topic or within a given
area.
ACCOUNTING SYSTEM
The combination of records and procedures that
discover, record, classify and report information
about the financial position and operations of an
organization.
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE (A/P)
The value of goods or services received from
suppliers and other creditors for which invoices
have been received but not yet paid by the buying
organization. Also that branch of an organization
which receives invoices and processes payments to
suppliers and creditors.
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE (A/R)
The value of goods delivered or services provided to
customers which have been invoiced but not yet
paid. Also that branch of an organization which
receives and processes payments from customers.
ACCREDITED PURCHASING PRACTITIONER (A.P.P.)
A certification of the Institute for Supply
Management® (ISM®) which is no longer available.
Individuals holding the A.P.P. designation may apply
for reaccreditation every 5 years.
ACCRUAL ACCOUNTING
A method of bookkeeping in which income and
expenses are allocated to periods to which they
apply, regardless of when actually received or paid.
For example, when an invoice is rendered, its value
is added to income immediately even though it has
not been paid.
ACCULTURATION
The culture changes that result from contact among
various societies over time. Typically, individuals of
a foreign or minority culture learn the language,
habits and values of a standard or dominant
culture.
ACCUMULATION BIN
A physical location used to accumulate all
components that go into an assembly before it is
sent to the production floor.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
A communication (written or electronic) used to
inform the buyer that the supplier has accepted a
purchase order. An acknowledgment creates a
bilateral contract, so long as the terms of the
acknowledgment are not substantively different
from those of the purchase order.
ACQUISITION
The process of obtaining goods or services to meet
the needs of the organization.
See Also: Purchasing Process
ACQUISITION COST
The total cost of generating and processing an order
and its related documentation. Ordering or
purchase costs include the managerial, clerical,
material, telephone, mailing, fax, e-mail,
accounting, transportation, inspection and receiving
costs associated with a purchase or production
order.
See Also: Economic Order Quantity; Order Costs
ACQUISITION PRICE
The sum of the price, transportation and delivery
charges paid to purchase something.
See Also: Landed Price
ACT OF STATE DOCTRINE
Legal principle that one country’s judicial
authorities cannot challenge the action of a
recognized sovereign power in another country.
ACTIONABLE
Providing the basis for a legal claim.
ACTIVITY-BASED BUDGETING (ABB)
A method of budgeting whereby an organization
identifies, analyzes and monitors the activities that
incur costs in each of the organization’s functional
areas, relates these activities to the organization’s
strategic goals and uses the activity costs to
estimate resource requirements and develop a
budget. Because the budget is developed based on
activities (versus cost elements), this process
streamlines costs and can be used to evaluate the
achievement of the strategic goals.
See Also: Activity-Based Planning (ABP); Closed
Loop Activity-Based Planning
ACTIVITY-BASED COSTING (ABC)
A cost management method for attributing indirect
costs to the activities that drive cost. This approach
is in contrast to more traditional accounting
methods which pool and allocate indirect costs on a
formulaic basis that does not necessarily reflect the
true cost structure.
See Also: Overhead; Indirect Costs
ACTIVITY-BASED PLANNING (ABP)
A method of planning whereby the organization
continuously monitors the customer demand of its
products or services and uses this demand to
determine the organization’s activity and resource
requirements.
See Also: Activity-Based Budgeting (ABB); Closed
Loop Activity-Based Planning
ACTUAL AUTHORITY
The specific authority given to an agent by a
principal.
See Also: Agent; Authority; Principal
AD VALOREM RATE
Derived from the Latin words that translate into
“according to value”. Typically used to describe
personal property or real estate taxes or taxes on a
business output. Country specific names may
include sales tax, VAT, GST. Also used in
conjunction with duties on imported goods.
See Also: Compound Rate; Duty
ADAPTIVE SELLING
Adjusting, or adapting, selling techniques based on
interpretations of customer and/or market demand
and behavior.
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
A name given to 3-D printing which creates a solid
object.
ADEQUATE ASSURANCE OF PERFORMANCE
Remedy provided by UCC §2-609 allowing one
contracting party to demand in writing that the
other party prove its ability to perform its
contractual obligations when there is a reasonable
basis for questioning that ability. The other party
has no more than 30 days to respond, and failure to
provide adequate assurance constitutes repudiation
of the contract.
ADHESION CONTRACT
Contractual relationship wherein one party dictates
all the terms of the agreement, not subject to
negotiation. Sometimes referred to as a “take it or
leave it” contract or à prendre ou à laisser contract
(especially in international contracts).
AD-HOC BUYING
Based on the Latin term “for this,, it refers to the
real or perceived “for this time only” purchase that
typically uses no or minimal existing processes
designed to optimize value and control.
ADMINISTERED PRICE
A price determined by the policies of a seller rather
than by the competitive forces of the marketplace.
ADMINISTRATION
The performance of executive duties; the act or
process of managing or administering the conduct
of affairs such as the affairs of the supply
management process or function.
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY
Governmental body (federal, state or local) exercising authority delegated by the legislative branch to carry out specific functions.
ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
The overhead costs of a business that must be
allocated across the activity streams related to the
products and services that are produced, bought
and sold, or resold.
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW
Decisions, orders, rules and regulations developed
by an administrative agency to carry out its
function(s).
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE (ALJ)
Official who presides over a hearing within an
administrative agency
ADOPTION CURVE
A graphical depiction of the rate at which new
products, services or processes are adopted.
ADVANCE ARRANGEMENT
Prior notification required for the movement of
certain commodities by air carrier. Gold and other
precious metals, live animals, hazardous materials
and certain other classes of shipments may require
such arrangements.
ADVANCE MATERIALS REQUEST
An order for materials placed before the release of a
new product to production, usually to compensate
for long lead times
ADVANCE PAYMENTS
Payments in advance of delivery for stated amounts
or for specified percentages of the purchase price.
ADVANCE SHIPPING NOTICE (ASN)
A notification in EDI (electronic data interchange)
or XML (extensible markup language) format sent
ahead of a shipment listing its contents and
shipping information. Often includes purchase
order numbers, stockkeeping unit (SKU) numbers,
lot numbers, quantity, pallet or container number,
and carton number. Usually combined with
barcoded compliance labeling for easy scanning,
receipt into inventory and automated data
collection. ASNs may be paper-based.
ADVANCED CHARGES
The amount of freight or other charges on a
shipment advanced by one carrier to another, or to
the shipper, to be collected from the consignee.
ADVANCED PLANNING AND SCHEDULING (APS)
A manufacturing and logistics management process
that allocates raw materials and production
capacity to meet demand.
See Also: Advanced Planning and Scheduling
Software; Scheduling
ADVANCED PLANNING AND SCHEDULING
SOFTWARE
Software that supports activities associated with
advanced planning and scheduling (APS).
See Also: Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS);
Scheduling
ADVANCED PRODUCT QUALITY PLANNING (APQP)
A process for developing a product quality plan based
on understanding customer needs. This plan guides
product and process development; documentation of
potential product and process failure modes and risk
factors; the development of a set of countermeasures
or control plans; and validation of product and
process. Used in the automotive industry.
ADVERTISING
(1) The process of promoting goods or services to a
general or targeted audience; (2) The branch of an
organization in charge of this process.
AFFIDAVIT
A written statement sworn to by one party and
acknowledged by a notary. Used to gather or
present facts.
AFFILIATED COMPANY
Business entity that is owned or otherwise
controlled by another company.
AFFINITY DIAGRAM
A Total Quality Management (TQM) tool in which
the members of a team each sort data in silence,
looking for associations. After sorting, the team
identifies the associations found, the critical links
and the issues that emerged.
See Also: Total Quality Management (TQM)
AFTER-THE-FACT-CONTROLS
Reviews designed to compare actual performance
with planned results.
AGENCY
The legal relationship that exists between two
parties by which one (the agent) is authorized to
perform or transact specified business activities for
the other (the principal).
See Also: Agent; Fiduciary Duty; General Agency;
General Agent; Principal