Glossary
Warehouse terms, explained simply
The words you'll hear on a warehouse floor and in ecommerce ops, without the jargon.
- 3PL (Third-Party Logistics)A company that runs warehousing and fulfilment for other brands.
- AWB (Air Waybill)The courier's tracking number and shipping document for a parcel.
- BinThe smallest addressable storage location in a warehouse.
- FEFO (First Expiry, First Out)A picking rule that ships the lot expiring soonest first.
- FIFO (First In, First Out)A picking rule that ships the oldest received stock first.
- GRN (Goods Received Note)The record of goods received against a purchase order.
- OMS (Order Management System)Software that collects orders from every channel and routes them for fulfilment.
- Order allocationDeciding which warehouse fulfils an order.
- Outbound expiry toleranceThe minimum shelf life stock must have left to be picked.
- PutawayMoving received goods from the dock into storage bins.
- RTO (Return to Origin)A shipment that couldn't be delivered and comes back to the seller.
- WMS (Warehouse Management System)Software that tracks where every unit is and runs warehouse work from receiving to dispatch.