EAI

Enterprise Application Integration

EAN

European Article Number: A defined numbering mechanism used in Europe to uniquely identify every retail product and packaging option. The EAN is similar in concept and design to the UPC code and is usually what the barcode represents on goods. Also, see Uniform Product Code.

EAN.UCC

European Article Numbering/Uniform Code Council (now the European office of GS1). The EAN.UCC System provides identification standards to uniquely identify trade items, logistics units, locations, assets, and service relations worldwide. The identification standards define the construction of globally unique and unambiguous numbers. See GS1.

EAN.UCCInformationNetwork(EIN)

The EAN International and the Uniform Code Council network for the exchange of Global Data Synchronization Network (GDSN) master data between partners of the global supply and demand chain, which is now a part of GS1.

Early Supplier Involvement (ESI)

The supplier management strategy involves suppliers during the beginning of the product design process to draw on their experience and knowledge in an effort to improve designs and achieve higher quality results.

Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT)

A measure of a company's earning power from ongoing operations, equal to earnings (revenues minus the cost of sales, operating expenses, and taxes) before the deduction of interest payments and income taxes. Also called operating profit.

Economic Order Quantity (EOQ)

An inventory model determines how much to order by calculating the amount that will meet customer service levels while minimizing total ordering and holding costs.

Economic Value Added (EVA)

A measurement of shareholder value is a company's operating profits after tax, less an appropriate charge for the capital used in creating the profits.

Economy of Scale

The cost advantages that a business obtains due to expansion are factors that cause a producer's average cost per unit to fall as scale is increased.

Efficient Consumer Response (ECR)

A demand-driven replenishment system is designed to link all parties in the logistics channel to create a massive flow-through distribution network. Replenishment is based on consumer demand and point-of-sale information.

Electronic Commerce (EC)

Conducting business electronically via traditional EDI technologies or online via the Internet, in the traditional sense of selling goods, is possible due to certain software programs that run the main functions of an e-commerce website, such as product display, online ordering, and inventory management. The definition of e-commerce includes business activity that is business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C).

Electronic Data Interchange Association (EDIA)

A national body that propagates and controls the use of EDI in a given country. All EDIAs are nonprofit organizations dedicated to encouraging EDI growth. The EDIA in the United States was formerly the Transportation Data Coordinating Committee (TDCC) and administered the development of standards in transportation and other industries.

Electronic data interchange (EDI)

This is a method of exchanging orders and documents among partners. EDI integrations are common for order management among B2B trading partners.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

Inter-company computer-to-computer transmission of business information in a standard format. For EDI purists, 'computer-to-computer' means direct transmission from the originating application program to the receiving or processing application program. An EDI transmission consists only of business data, not any accompanying verbiage or free-form messages. Purists might also contend that a standard format is one that is approved by a national or international standards organization, as opposed to formats developed by industry groups or companies.

Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)

Refers to the transactions and related computer-based systems used to perform financial (typically banking) transactions between organizations and accounts electronically.

Electronic Mail (E-Mail)

The computer-to-computer exchange of messages, email, is usually unstructured (free-form) rather than in a structured format. X.400 has become the standard for email exchange.

Electronic Product Code (EPC or ePC)

An identification scheme for universally identifying physical objects via RFID tags and other means is called a standardized EPC data. This data consists of various partitions, including an EPC Manager Number, an object class identification, a filter value, and a serial number. These components are used to uniquely identify each instance of the object. Information on the tag may include asset numbers, container code numbers, locations, Global Trade Item Numbers (GTIN), and more. The EPC is a 96-bit tag, unlike a UPC number which only provides information specific to a group of products. The EPC gives each product its own specific identifying number, resulting in greater accuracy in tracking. The EPC standards are managed by the global standards organization known as GS1.

Electronic Signature

A form of authentication that provides identification and validation of a transaction by means of an authorization code, identifying the individual or organization.

Elkins Act

An amendment to the Interstate Commerce Act that prohibits giving rebates.

E-mail

The computer-to-computer exchange of messages, email, is usually unstructured (free-form) rather than in a structured format. X.400 has become the standard for email exchange.

eMarketplace

A web-based service that allows individuals or companies to offer products and services or make bids to buy products or services. For example, Covisint is the consortium and the name of the automotive eMarketplace.

Embargo

A prohibition on exports or imports, either with specific products or specific countries.

Empirical

Denotes information gained by means of observation, experience, or experiment. A central concept in science and the scientific method is that all evidence must be empirical or empirically based, that is, dependent on evidence or consequences that are observable by the senses.

Employee Performance Management (EPM)

A system to develop, monitor, provide feedback, and train employees using performance measures to assess their overall development and understanding of tasks.

Empowerment

The process of increasing the capacity of individuals or groups to make choices and to transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes. In the workplace, empowered employees have the authority to make decisions and take action in their work areas without prior approval.

Encryption

The transformation of readable text into coded text for security purposes.

End Item

The top-level item in a bill of materials is typically a finished product, which can be sold as a completed item or a repair part. It is also known as Finished Goods Inventory.

End-of-Life

Planning and execution at the end of the life of a product is crucial. The challenge is to produce just the right amount to avoid two scenarios: 1) ending up with excess, which would have to be sold at great discounts or scrapped, and 2) ending up with shortages before the next generation is available.

End-of-Life Inventory

Inventory on hand that will satisfy future demand for products that are no longer in production at your entity differs from obsolete inventory because there is an expected future requirement for these products.

Engineering Change

The formal revision process for engineering drawings/designs is used to modify or correct a part. This can also be referred to as an engineering change order.

Engineering Change Order (ECO)

A documented and approved revision of a product or process specification.

Engineering Change Proposal (ECP)

A proposal submitted by the seller in response to a buyer's request for an ECP to change the existing contract is an exploratory activity. Only the buyer can initiate the request for an ECP. This activity is usually preceded by a request for change. The user, buyer, or seller can initiate a request for change to the contract.

Engineer-to-Order

A process in which the manufacturing organization must first prepare (engineer) significant product or process documentation before manufacturing may begin.

Enroute

A term used for goods in transit or on the way to a destination.

Enterprise Application Integration (EAI)

A computer term for the tools and techniques used in linking ERP and other enterprise systems together is called integration. Linking systems is key for e-business. Gartner says, 'Firms implementing enterprise applications spend at least 30% on point-to-point interfaces.' It is also sometimes referred to as 'middleware.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP)

A variety of organizations use this type of software to handle day-to-day functions, such as accounting, risk management, and supply chain operations.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System

A class of software for planning and managing 'enterprise-wide' the resources needed to take customer orders, ship them, account for them, and replenish all needed goods according to customer orders and forecasts. Often includes electronic commerce with suppliers. Examples of ERP systems are the application suites from SAP, Oracle, and other suppliers.

Enterprise-Wide ABM

A management information system that uses activity-based information to facilitate decision-making across an organization.

Enveloping

An EDI management software function that groups all documents of the same type, or functional group, and bound for the same destination into an electronic envelope. Enveloping is useful when there are multiple documents, such as orders or invoices, issued to a single trading partner that need to be sent as a packet.

Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S)

The category of processes, procedures, and regulations related to addressing the needs of maintaining environmental quality standards for health and safety includes the RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) and WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic) standards. It is frequently referred to as a part of 'corporate citizenship.

Environmentally Sensitive Engineering

A design process where issues related to disposal or recycling of packaging and used products are considered may be part of a regulatory requirement associated with programs such as RoHS or WEEE to address compounds that are hazardous to the environment.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

A federal agency in the United States government is tasked with regulating chemicals and protecting human health by safeguarding the natural environment (air, water, and land).

EOL

End-of-Life.

EOQ

Economic Order Quantity

EPC or ePC

Electronic Product Code.

ePedigree

An electronic document that satisfies a pedigree requirement, the primary purpose of an e-pedigree is to protect consumers from contaminated medicine or counterfeit drugs.

EPM

Employee Performance Management

EPS

A computer term: Encapsulated PostScript (EPS). It is an extension of the PostScript graphics file format developed by Adobe Systems. EPS allows PostScript graphics files to be incorporated into other documents.