Below are this chapter's featured key terms. The textbook's full glossary is also available for online searching.
 

crossdocking	The practice of unloading products from suppliers, sorting products for individual stores, and quickly reloading products onto trucks for a particular store. (See page(s) See page 426 in your textbook.)
customer service	The ability of logistics management to satisfy users in terms of time, dependability, communication, and convenience. (See page(s) See page 429 in your textbook.)
electronic data interchange (EDI)	Combines proprietary computer and telecommunication technologies to exchange electronic invoices, payments, and information among suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers. (See page(s) See page 427 in your textbook.)
extranet	A network that uses Internet-based technologies to permit communication between an organization and its suppliers, distributors, and other partners. (See page(s) See pages 86, 428 in your textbook.)
freight forwarders	Firms that accumulate small shipments into larger lots and then hire a carrier to move them, usually at reduced rates. (See page(s) See page 433 in your textbook.)
intermodal transportation	Combining different transportation modes to get the best features of each. (See page(s) See page 432 in your textbook.)
just-in-time (JIT) concept	An inventory supply system that operates with very low inventories and requires fast, on-time delivery. (See page(s) See page 437 in your textbook.)
lead time	Lag from ordering an item until it is received and ready for use or sale. Also called order cycle time or replenishment time. (See page(s) See page 429 in your textbook.)
logistics	Those activities that focus on getting the right amount of the right products to the right place at the right time at the lowest possible cost. (See page(s) See page 422 in your textbook.)
logistics management	The practice of organizing the cost-effective flow of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods, and related information from point of origin to point of consumption to satisfy customer requirements. (See page(s) See page 422 in your textbook.)
materials handling	Moving goods over short distances into, within, and out of warehouses and manufacturing plants. (See page(s) See page 434 in your textbook.)
quick response/efficient consumer response	An inventory management system designed to reduce the retailer's lead time, thereby lowering its inventory investment, improving customer service levels, and reducing logistics expense. (See page(s) See page 429 in your textbook.)
reverse logistics	A process of reclaiming recyclable and reusable materials, returns, and reworks from the point of consumption or use for repair, remanufacturing, redistribution, or disposal. (See page(s) See page 437 in your textbook.)
supply chain	A sequence of firms that perform activities required to create and deliver a good or service to consumers or industrial users. (See page(s) See page 422 in your textbook.)
supply chain management	The integration and organization of information and logistics activities across firms in a supply chain for the purpose of creating and delivering goods and services that provide value to customers. (See page(s) See page 422 in your textbook.)
third-party logistics providers	Firms that perform most or all of the logistics functions that manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors would normally perform themselves. (See page(s) See page 431 in your textbook.)
total logistics cost	Expenses associated with transportation, materials handling and warehousing, inventory, stockouts, order processing, and return goods handling. (See page(s) See page 428 in your textbook.)
vendor-managed inventory	An inventory management system whereby the supplier determines the product amount and assortment a customer (such as a retailer) needs and automatically delivers the appropriate items. (See page(s) See page 437 in your textbook.)