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- Ocean FreightThe transport of cargo by sea using container, bulk, or breakbulk ships. Charges are set per container or by weight or measure under a carrier bill of lading or service contract. Shipments move as full container load or less than container load and are subject to surcharges such as bunker, security, and terminal handling. Movement covers port handling, on vessel carriage, customs processes, and any inland drayage when arranged.
- Omni Channel FulfillmentCoordinated receipt, picking, packing, and delivery of orders across all sales channels using a single inventory record. Orders can be routed to warehouses, stores, micro fulfillment centers, or drop ship partners based on stock and destination. Common flows include ship from store, buy online pick up in store, ship to store, curbside pickup, and marketplace fulfillment. Returns may be processed by mail or in store and reconciled to the same inventory system.
- Omni Channel InventoryA single pool and record of sellable stock shared across all sales channels and fulfillment locations. It consolidates quantities from warehouses, stores, micro fulfillment sites, and in transit movement. Available to promise reflects on hand units minus committed orders, safety stock, and holds. The inventory record is synchronized among order management, warehouse management, and point of sale systems to keep counts and statuses current for order routing and returns reconciliation.
- On Demand WarehousingA service model that provides temporary access to warehouse space and labor from third party operators, booked as needed. Capacity is contracted per pallet position, bin, or order rather than through a long term lease. Services can include receiving, storage, pick and pack, cross docking, value added work, and returns processing, with pricing tied to space used and activity performed. Inventory and order data connect through system integrations or documented procedures so the temporary site functions as part of the existing network.
- On Time Delivery (OTD)A performance metric showing the share of orders or shipments delivered within the promised delivery window. Calculated as deliveries meeting the committed date and time divided by total deliveries for the period, expressed as a percentage. The promise may come from a purchase order, carrier service commitment, or customer agreement. Variants track early arrivals separately, measure by order line, or use business rather than calendar days.
- Order AccuracyThe share of shipped orders that exactly match the order specifications. Calculated as orders with correct items, quantities, and destination with no unauthorized substitutions or omissions divided by total orders for the period, expressed as a percentage. Variants measure accuracy by order line or unit or include checks for labeling and required documents.
- Order FulfillmentOrder fulfillment is the complete process of receiving a customer order, preparing the requested products, and delivering them to the final destination. It typically includes order processing, picking items from inventory, packing them for shipment, and coordinating with carriers for delivery. Depending on the setup, order fulfillment may be handled directly by a business, outsourced to a third-party provider, or managed through a combination of both. The goal of order fulfillment is to move an order from placement to delivery through a structured sequence of operational steps.
- Order ManagementThe process of capturing, validating, and routing customer orders, reserving inventory, selecting a fulfillment location, releasing pick and pack tasks, creating shipping labels and documents, and updating status through delivery. It also manages exceptions such as backorders, substitutions, cancellations, returns, and exchanges across sales channels.
- Order Management System OmsSoftware that records and controls the lifecycle of customer orders from capture through delivery. It consolidates orders from sales channels, validates payment and address data, allocates inventory, selects a fulfillment location and carrier, triggers pick pack and ship actions, generates labels and invoices, and publishes status and tracking updates. It also manages exceptions such as splits, backorders, substitutions, cancellations, returns, and exchanges, and integrates with ecommerce platforms, ERP, WMS, and TMS.
- Order OrchestrationThe coordinated control of how customer orders move from capture to delivery across channels, systems, and fulfillment locations. It applies business rules to allocate inventory, choose a fulfillment node, set carrier and service level, and decide on actions such as splitting, consolidating, holding, backordering, substitution, cancellation, and return authorization. It synchronizes order data, inventory availability, and status updates across OMS, WMS, TMS, ERP, and ecommerce platforms, and manages changes and exceptions throughout the process.
- Order SplittingDividing a single customer order into multiple shipments or fulfillment waves. Rules trigger a split when items must ship from different locations, only part of the order is available, items have special handling such as oversized, hazardous, or temperature controlled, a vendor will drop ship, carrier limits apply, or deadlines differ. Each split shipment receives its own pick and pack tasks, cartonization, label, tracking number, and delivery date, and it can be invoiced separately.
- Otif on Time in FullA delivery performance metric that reports the percentage of orders that arrive by the required date and contain the complete, correct items and quantities. An order counts as OTIF only if it reaches the specified location within the agreed delivery window and ships without shortages, overages, or substitutions. OTIF percent equals compliant orders divided by total orders, multiplied by 100. Often used in supplier scorecards and contracts.
- Outbound LogisticsThe processes that move finished goods from a production site or warehouse to customers, retailers, or distribution points. It includes order capture and allocation, picking, packing, labeling, documentation, staging, load building, carrier selection, dispatch, shipment tracking, and proof of delivery. Coverage spans parcel, less than truckload, truckload, and international movements, and may involve cross docking or fulfillment from stores or distribution centers.
- Over Dimensional FreightCargo that exceeds legal width, height, or length limits for the route or vehicle. Movement typically requires permits, approved routing, safety markings, and in some cases pilot cars or escorts. Specialized trailers such as lowboy or extendable designs are used, and size thresholds and rules vary by jurisdiction.
- Overflow StorageAdditional space used to hold inventory when the primary warehouse reaches capacity. It can be on site or off site, such as temporary rooms, third party facilities, or staged trailers. Inventory stored there follows the same tracking, labeling, and control rules as the main facility. Billing models include per pallet, per square foot, or time based charges.
- OverpackA secondary enclosure used to place one or more sealed packages together as a single handling unit for transport or storage. It may be a larger box, crate, or stretch wrapped pallet. The inner packages keep their original identification and hazard classification. When it contains hazardous materials, the outer container must display the word OVERPACK and show or repeat required marks, labels, and references to the inner packages on shipping papers.
- Oversized FreightFreight that exceeds standard carrier limits for length, width, height, or weight, so it cannot move in conventional trailers or containers. Movement usually requires specialized equipment such as flatbed or lowboy trailers, route planning, and jurisdictional oversize permits, sometimes with pilot cars. Also called over dimensional or out of gauge cargo, it is subject to specific loading, securement, signage, and travel time rules.
- OverstockInventory quantities that exceed planned or required levels for a SKU, location, or period. Determined by comparing on hand counts to targets such as safety stock, reorder points, or forecasted demand. Overstock can result in added storage and carrying costs and may prompt transfers, markdowns, or liquidation.