We’re delivery people not jargon people.
So we’ve rustled up a list of logistics jargon that we’ve attempted to un-pretzel into regular lingo.
Hopefully it’ll help demystify those key logistic terms and acronyms. Let’s get into it…
Auto batching / stacking
It’s when tech automatically bundles orders together with similar delivery times & locations into single pickups
It means:
- more orders in less vehicles (better for the environment)
- more efficiency
- less cost
Buy Online, Pick up Anywhere (BOPA)
It’s e-comm fulfilment that lets customers collect online orders from, well, anywhere. Not just in store, but from parcel lockers, even offices & hotels – for maximum ease & efficiency.
Bracketing
Bracketing is when a customer buys multiple sizes or colours of an item and returns what’s not wanted.
More bracketing = more returns, which can create a logistical headache for retailers.
Cold chain
In delivery land, ‘cold chain’ has one goal: to keep goods cold at all times.
It’s the process of keeping temperature sensitive deliveries – like fresh groceries or even vaccines – at the right temperature at each point in the delivery ‘chain’ – from storage to collection and transit to final delivery.
Cross-docking
Cross docking starts with large vehicles unloading goods at a warehouse / distribution centre. Rather than being stored, these goods then get sorted and loaded into smaller vehicles to be delivered to customers.
Curbcierge
It’s a premium curb side pickup service with a dedicated staff member to make sure the collection process is quicker and easer.
Micro fulfilment
It’s fulfilment (storing/picking/packing) from a small space e.g. a mini warehouse or a dedicated area in-store, in densely populated areas located closer to the customer, to reduce delivery times.
Multi-modal fleet
When a courier has more than one kind of vehicle available. Like us (we have 6 in case you’re wondering).
Peaking factor
How big shippers (like Fedex) calculate their peak delivery surcharges by comparing how much they ship in a random week in June vs. a busy week during peak. That’s your peaking factor.
Peak shippers
If your weekly delivery orders over the Xmas period reach 3x your average February rates, then you’re a peaky shipper.
Porch pirate
Over a third of Americans have lost parcels to porch pirates. So what are they?
They are thieves who steal packages from other people’s porches… hence the name.
Disclaimer: they’re not always human…
Proof of delivery
Why’s a courier taking a photo of me?
Truth is, they’re taking a photo of the package, not you (sorry).That’s Proof of Delivery (or POD).
It’s an upgrade from a signature squiggle to a pic, to prove that a package has been delivered successfully.
SKU
SKU stands for Stock Keeping Unit.
It’s a scannable code on a particular item stored in a particular location & keeps track of products so they’re easy to search for and manage.
Seen logistics jargon you need untangling? Send them over to press@gophr.com