Carbon Footprint

A measure of the total carbon emissions for a given person, organization, building, operation, etc., and the impact of their carbon emissions on the environment is determined by relating the amount of greenhouse gases produced to activities such as burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating, transportation, etc.

Carbon Trade

The process of buying and selling credits to emit carbon is known as carbon trading. Companies and organizations are assigned emission permits that represent the amount of carbon they are allowed to emit. If a company or organization emits less carbon, it can sell its emission permits. However, if emissions exceed the current permits, the company or organization will need to buy emission permits from other companies or organizations that produce less carbon.

Cargo

The subject of a shipment is the materials being carried.

Carload Lot

A shipment of no less than five tons of one commodity.

Carmack Amendment

An amendment to the Interstate Commerce Act that delineates the liability of common carriers and the provision of the bill of lading.

Carousel

Carousels are a technology used to store items for eventual picking or retrieval in a series of motorized bins. There are two primary types of carousels (horizontal and vertical) and one related technology, all of which operate under some form of computer control. Since the late 1990s, carousels have been placed under the more general category of AS/RS.

Carrier

A firm which transports goods or people via land, sea, or air.

Car Supply Charge

A railroad charges for a shipper's exclusive use of special equipment.

Cartel

A group of organizations, which would normally be considered competitive, but who instead have an agreement to cooperate in an area of endeavor, in an effort to improve the position of the group.

Cartonization

The process of putting small box shipments into a larger carton, also called overpacking or strapping cases together.

Cascade Tendering

Loads are electronically submitted to the carrier who submitted the lowest rate on that shipping lane (origin zip code to destination zip code).

Case Code

The UPC number for a case of product is the UPC case code, which is different from the UPC item code because it uses the case identifier as an extended part of the number. This is sometimes referred to as the 'Shipping Container Symbol' or ITF-14 code.

Cash Conversion Cycle

Typically, the length of time from the purchase of raw materials to the collection of payment from customers is referred to as the cash-to-cash cycle time. In retail settings, it may also refer to the length of time from sales to payment receipt. Also, see Days Outstanding.

Cash-to-Cash Cycle Time

The time it takes for cash to flow back into a company after it has been spent on raw materials is known as the Cash Conversion Cycle (C2C). It is important to note that this measure refers to the timing of the financial transaction, not the movement of stock. In some cases, C2C can be negative, indicating that payment is received from product sales before the supplier is paid. The calculation for C2C is as follows: Total Inventory Days of Supply + Days of Sales Outstanding - Average Payment Period for Material in days.

Catalog Item (CI)

The item, as it is stored in a catalog or data pool, is referred to as the catalog item. In the Global Data Synchronisation Network, the catalog item is uniquely identified by the combination of GTIN, GLN, and Target Market.

Categorical Plan

A method of categorizing purchased materials and suppliers based on product type, using departments or functional areas. Plans are used to evaluate suppliers in groups. Also, see Weighted-Point Plan.

Category Management

The management of product categories as strategic business units empowers a category manager with full responsibility for assortment decisions, inventory levels, shelf-space allocation, promotions, and buying. With this authority and responsibility, the category manager is able to judge more accurately the consumer buying patterns, product sales, and market trends of that category.

Cause and Effect Diagram

In quality management, a structured process is used to organize ideas into logical groupings. It is used in brainstorming and problem-solving exercises. It is also known as the Ishikawa or fishbone diagram.

CBP

Customs and Border Protection.

CBT

Computer-Based Training

Cell

An area of manufacturing or assembly that consists of a series of work units devoted to the manufacture of a specific product, cellular manufacturing is an alternative to the traditional production line.

Cellular Manufacturing

A manufacturing approach in which equipment and workstations are arranged to facilitate small-lot, continuous-flow production. In a manufacturing 'cell', all operations necessary to produce a component or subassembly are performed in close proximity, thus allowing for quick feedback between operators when quality problems and other issues arise. Workers in a manufacturing cell are typically cross-trained and able to perform multiple tasks as needed.

Center-of-Gravity Approach

A supply chain planning methodology for locating distribution centers at the approximate location representing the minimum transportation costs between the plants, the distribution centers, and the markets.

Centralized Authority

Management authority to make decisions is restricted to a few managers.

Centralized Dispatching

An organizational strategy and structure where all workflow is controlled from a single location or group, dispatching can consist of production orders as well as inbound/outbound shipments of goods.

Centralized Inventory Control

An organizational strategy and structure where all inventoried items are controlled from a single location or group.

Certificated Carrier

A for-hire air carrier that is subject to economic regulation and requires an operating certification to provide services.

Certificate of Analysis (COA)

A document, often required by an importer or governmental authorities, attesting to the quality or purity of commodities.

Certificate of Compliance

A document, often required by an importer or governmental authorities, attesting to the quality or purity of commodities, is a certification. The certification may originate from a chemist or any other authorized body, such as an inspection firm retained by the exporter or importer.

Certificate of Origin

An international business document that certifies the country of origin of the shipment.

Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity

The grant of operating authority that is given to common carriers. A carrier must prove that a public need exists and that the carrier is fit, willing, and able to provide the needed service. The certificate may specify the commodities to be hauled, the area to be served, and the routes to be used.

Certified Supplier

A supplier who has demonstrated the ability to consistently meet established quality, cost, delivery, financial, and count objectives and has therefore been awarded the 'certified' designation. Suppliers in this group may be able to bypass incoming quality inspection.

C&F

Cost and Freight

CFD

The streamlined pull of products in response to customer requirements, while minimizing the total costs of distribution.

CGMP

Regulations enforced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration apply to food and chemical manufacturers and packagers.

Chain of Customers

The downstream supply chain is present in situations where multiple echelons exist, such as from the manufacturer to the distributor, then to the retailer, and finally to the end user.

Chain Reaction

A chain of events described by W. Edwards Deming improves quality, decreases costs, improves productivity, increases market share with better quality and lower prices, stays in business, provides jobs, and provides more jobs.

Challenge and Response

A method of user authentication: the user enters an ID and password and, in return, is issued a challenge by the system. The system compares the user's response to the challenge with a computed response. If the responses match, the user is allowed access to the system. The system issues a different challenge each time, effectively requiring a new password for each logon.

Champion

A business leader or senior manager ensures that resources are available for training and projects and is involved in project tollgate reviews. They are also an executive who supports and addresses Six Sigma organizational issues.

Change Agent

An individual from within or outside an organization who facilitates change within the organization may or may not be the initiator of the change effort.

Change Management

The process of managing and monitoring all changes to products and processes is called change management. Change management is typically instituted to avoid risks associated with ad-hoc changes and to ensure a consistent process.

Change Order

A document or digital record that authorizes and provides notification of a modification to a product or order.

Changeover

The process of making necessary adjustments to change or switch over the type of products produced on a manufacturing line is called a changeover. Changeovers usually lead to downtime, and for the most part, companies try to minimize changeover time to help reduce costs.

Channel

1) A method whereby a business dispenses its product via channels such as a retail or distribution channel, call center, or web-based electronic storefront. 2) A push technology that allows users to subscribe to a website to browse offline, automatically display updated pages on their desktops, and download or receive notifications when website pages are modified.

Channel Conflict

This occurs when various sales channels within a company's supply chain compete with each other for the same business. An example is when a retail channel is in competition with a web-based channel set up by the company.

Channel Partners

Members of a supply chain (i.e., suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, etc.) work in conjunction with one another to manufacture, distribute, and sell a specific product.

Channels of Distribution

The downstream flow of products through various outlets or 'channels', which may consist of distributors, retail stores, online fulfillment, etc. Also, see Distribution Channel.

Chargeback Provisions

Terms within a contract that govern how a company can charge a supplier for failure to perform agreed-upon required activities.