IATA

The International Air Transport Association.

ICC

Interstate Commerce Commission.

Igloos

Pallets and containers used in air transportation: the igloo shape is designed to fit the internal wall contours of a narrow-body airplane.

Image Processing

Allows a company to take electronic photographs of documents. The electronic photograph can then be stored in a computer and retrieved from computer storage to replicate the document on a printer. The thousands of bytes of data composing a single document are encoded on an optical disk. Many carriers now use image processing to provide proof-of-delivery documents to a shipper. The consignee signs an electronic pad that automatically digitizes the consignee's signature for downloading into a computer. A copy of that signature can then be produced to demonstrate that a delivery took place.

IMB

International Maritime Bureau.

IMC

Intermodal marketing company.

IMO

International Maritime Organization.

Import

Movement of products from one country into another: the import of automobiles from Germany to the U.S. is an example.

Importation Point

The location (port, airport, or border crossing) where goods will be cleared for importation into a country.

Import/Export License

Official authorization issued by a government agency that allows for the transport of goods across their national boundaries. Licenses may be required for all or only specific classes of commodities.

Impressions

With regard to online advertising, it is the number of times an ad banner is downloaded and presumably seen by users. Guaranteed impressions refer to the minimum number of times an ad banner will be seen by users.

In Bond

Goods are held or transported in-bond under customs control either until import duties or other charges are paid or to avoid paying the duties or charges until a later date.

Inbound Logistics

The movement of materials from suppliers and vendors into production processes or storage facilities is known as logistics.

Incentive Fee

A premium fee is based on the control of costs in a cost-plus-incentive-fee contract.

Incentive Rate

A rate designed to induce the shipper to ship heavier volumes per shipment.

INCOTERMS

International terms of sale, developed by the International Chamber of Commerce, are used to define the responsibilities of sellers and buyers.

Independent Action

A carrier that is a member of a rate bureau has the right to publish a rate that differs from the rate published by the rate bureau.

Independent Demand

In a requirements planning system, the independent demand is that which is not related to a parent product in a product structure bill of materials or planning bill. Independent demand is typically end customer demand, which must be separately forecast.

Independent Trading Exchange (ITE)

Often used synonymously with B2B, e-marketplace, or Virtual Commerce Network (VCN), ITE is a more precise term connoting many-to-many transactions, whereas the others do not specify the transactions.

Indirect Cost

A resource or activity cost, such as operational costs and overhead, cannot be directly traced to a final cost object since no direct or repeatable cause-and-effect relationship exists. An indirect cost uses an assignment or allocation to transfer the cost.

Indirect/Distributor Channel

Your company sells and ships to the distributor. The distributor sells and ships to the end user. This may occur in multiple stages. Ultimately, your products may pass through the Indirect/Distributor Channel and arrive at a retail outlet. Order information in this channel may be transmitted by electronic means. These means may include EDI, brokered systems, or linked electronic systems.

Indirect Retail Locations

A retail location ultimately sells your product to consumers, but purchases your products from an intermediary, such as a distributor or wholesaler.

Infinite Loading

A method used in calculating work center activity loading where there are no constraints placed on the capacity of the work centers. In other words, the calculation assumes an infinite amount of capacity is available.

Information Systems (IS)

Managing the flow of data in an organization in a systematic and structured way to assist in planning, implementing, and controlling.

Inherent Advantage

The cost and service benefits of one mode compared with other modes.

Initial Contact Personnel

The first point of contact that a customer has with a company is crucial.

Inland Bill of Lading

The carriage contract is used to transport goods from a shipping point overland to the exporter's international carrier location.

InlandCarrier

An enterprise that offers overland services to or from a point of import or export.

Inland Port

An inland port is a site located away from traditional land, air, and coastal borders. It facilitates and processes international trade through strategic investments in multimodal transportation assets and by promoting value-added services as goods move through the supply chain.

Insourcing

The opposite of outsourcing, that is, a service performed in-house.

Inspection Certificate

A document certifying that merchandise, such as perishable goods, was in good condition immediately prior to shipment.

In-store Implementation (ISI)

Refers to the collective physical and informational actions performed at retail to actualize merchandising, marketing, and media plans in the store. ISI encompasses compliance, measurement, and communications activities and is defined by a Plan-Do-Measure process cycle that controls implementation plans and work and communicates implementation signals.

Integrated Carrier

A company that offers a blend of transportation services such as land, sea, and air carriage, freight forwarding, and ground handling.

Integrated Logistics

A comprehensive, system-wide view of the entire supply chain as a single process, from the supply of raw materials through the distribution of finished goods. All functions that make up the supply chain are managed as a single entity, rather than managing individual functions separately.

Integrated Product Teams (IPT)

To ensure a collaborative environment is maintained among all stakeholders, the U.S. DoD acquisition, capability needs, financial, and operational stakeholders shall maintain continuous and effective communication with each other through Integrated Product Teams (IPTs).

Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)

A computer term describing the networks and equipment for integrated broadband transmissions of data, voice, and images, ranging from rates of 144 Kbps to 2 Mbps. ISDN allows the integration of data, voice, and video over the same digital links.

Integrated TowBarge

A series of barges that are connected together to operate as one unit.

Intellectual Property (IP)

Property of an enterprise or individual, which is typically maintained in a digital form, may include software program code or digital documents, music, videos, etc.

Interchange

In EDI, the exchange of electronic information occurs between companies. Additionally, it refers to the group of transaction sets transmitted from one sender to one receiver at one time, delineated by interchange control segments.

Intercoastal carriers

Water carriers transport freight between East and West Coast ports, usually by way of the Panama Canal.

Intercorporate hauling

A private carrier hauls the goods of a subsidiary and charges the subsidiary a fee. This is legal if the subsidiary is wholly owned (100%) or if the private carrier has common carrier authority.

Interim Contract Support (ICS)

Generally, the initial level of effort contract is for support during System Development and Demonstration. It involves producing and supporting initial operational test and evaluation, as well as providing initial spares and maintenance training.

Interleaving

The practice of assigning an employee multiple tasks, which are to be performed concurrently, is known as multitasking. This technique is frequently used to define the practice of assigning multiple picking orders to a single picker who will pick them concurrently as he/she moves down the aisle.

Interline

Two or more motor carriers work together to haul the shipment to a destination. Carrier equipment may be interchanged from one carrier to the next, but usually the shipment is re-handled without the equipment.

Intermediately Positioned Warehouse

A supply depot is located in a specific region of a country in order to provide a high level of customer service. It distributes commodities only for that area.

Intermittent-Flow, Fixed-Path Equipment

Materials handling devices that include cranes, monorails, and stacker cranes.

Intermodal Container Transfer Facility

A facility where cargo is transferred from one mode of transportation to another, usually from a ship or truck to rail.

Intermodal (INT)

This is a method of moving freight where multiple transportation methods are used. This often calls for specialized containers that can meet the unique requirements of preferred modes. Common examples include transporting cargo by aircraft and truck, or by ship and train.