Glossary
Glossary
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Fulfillment & Logistics
| Term |
Definition |
| 3PL (Third-Party Logistics) |
A warehouse partner that stores your inventory and handles picking, packing, and shipping orders on your behalf. |
| ASN (Advanced Shipping Notice) |
A notification sent to a warehouse before your inbound inventory arrives, so they know what to expect. |
| Cross-docking |
A shipping method where a master order is split into smaller child orders, each shipped from a different origin. Also called FIC. |
| Manifest |
A batch of shipping documents that groups multiple orders together for courier handoff. |
| Pick / Pack / Ship |
The three stages of order fulfillment: selecting items from shelves (pick), boxing them up (pack), and handing off to a courier (ship). |
ASN Types
| Type |
Full Name |
When Used |
| ASN |
Advanced Shipping Notice |
Standard inbound shipment of new inventory to a warehouse. |
| RASN |
Restock ASN |
Returned items being restocked back into inventory. |
| QASN |
Quarantine ASN |
Returned items placed into quarantine for inspection. |
| TASN |
Transit ASN |
Inventory being moved between warehouse locations. |
Orders
| Term |
Definition |
| Sales Order |
A customer order that needs to be fulfilled — the core record you work with day to day. |
| Master Order |
A special order type that automatically creates one or more child orders for processing. |
| Child Order |
An order automatically created from a master order. Each child order is fulfilled independently. |
| Batch Order |
A group of orders bundled together for bulk processing, commonly used for crowdfunding campaigns. |
| Consolidated Order |
A master order type where multiple shipments are grouped together into a single outbound shipment. |
| FIC (FedEx International Connect) |
A master order type using FedEx consolidated shipping — goods ship from origin to a hub, then split into individual child orders for last-mile delivery. |
| Approval Type |
How an order is approved for fulfillment — Immediate Approval (automatic), Manual Approval (review required), Delayed Approval (auto-approved after a configurable delay), or Custom Approval (determined by automation rules). |
Returns
| Term |
Definition |
| RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) |
The approval process that allows a customer to return items. Can include system-generated return labels. |
| Return Item |
An individual item within a return order, tracked through condition assessment and disposition. |
| Disposition |
The decision made about a returned item — it can be restocked, disposed of, quarantined for inspection, or forwarded to another address. |
Tracking & Delivery
| Term |
Definition |
| Transit Time |
The number of days between order fulfillment and first delivery scan by the courier. |
| Tracking Status |
The current state of a shipment in the courier network (e.g., In Transit, Out For Delivery, Delivered). See Status Codes for the full list. |
Inventory
| Term |
Definition |
| Bundle |
A product made up of multiple individual SKUs sold as a single unit. Similar to kitting but defined at the product level. |
| Group Item |
A parent product that groups related item variants together (e.g., a t-shirt available in multiple sizes and colors). |
| Inner Carton |
A smaller box inside a master carton, containing a defined quantity of a single product. Used for packaging hierarchy. |
| Item Variant |
A specific version of a group item, differentiated by attributes like size, color, or material. |
| Master Carton |
The outer shipping carton that contains multiple inner cartons or individual units. Used for bulk inbound shipments. |
| Lot Number |
A batch identifier assigned to a group of products manufactured or received together. Used for tracking and recalls. |
| Piece Count |
The total number of individual packages in an ASN shipment. Used during warehouse receiving to verify completeness. |
| Serial Number |
A unique identifier assigned to an individual product unit. Used for tracking specific items through the supply chain. |
| SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) |
A unique code that identifies a specific product in your inventory. |
| Stock Adjustment |
A correction to inventory quantities, including revisions from physical warehouse counts. |
| Stock Transfer |
Moving inventory from one location to another, either within the same warehouse or between warehouses. |
| UPC / EAN / GTIN |
Universal product codes used for barcode identification. UPC is North American, EAN is international, GTIN is the umbrella standard. |
| Work Order |
A request for the warehouse to perform non-standard work such as kitting, quality checks, relabeling, or assembly. |
Value Added Services
| Term |
Definition |
| VAS (Value Added Services) |
Extra services beyond standard pick-pack-ship. Includes warehouse services (kitting, custom labelling, gift wrapping) charged as invoice line items, and platform-level premium features (Insurance, Duties & Taxes, Branded Email Communications) managed from the VAS page in the portal. |
| Kitting |
Assembling multiple individual items into a single package or bundle (e.g., a gift set). |
Shipping & Couriers
| Term |
Definition |
| Chargeable Weight |
The weight used to calculate shipping cost — whichever is higher between actual weight and volumetric weight. |
| Consignee |
The recipient of a shipment — your customer. |
| Courier |
A shipping carrier (e.g., DHL, FedEx, UPS) that delivers orders to your customers. |
| DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) |
Trade term where the shipper pays duties and taxes upfront. The recipient receives the package with no additional charges. |
| DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid) |
Trade term where the recipient pays duties and taxes on delivery. Also referred to as DAP (Delivered at Place). |
| HS Code (Harmonized System Code) |
A standardized international code (6-12 digits) that classifies a product for customs. Determines duty rates and import regulations. |
| Rate Card |
A schedule of prices for shipping, pick & pack, storage, and other services. Rates are configured per client and can vary by weight, country, and service type. |
| Rate Shopping |
Comparing shipping rates across multiple couriers and selecting the best option based on eligibility and price. |
| Shipping Label |
The label attached to a package containing the delivery address, tracking barcode, and courier information. |
| Trade Terms |
The agreement defining who pays customs duties and taxes — typically DDP or DDU. Shown as badges on courier results in the Shipping Calculator. |
| Volumetric Weight |
A calculated weight based on package dimensions (length x width x height / divisor). Used when a package is large but light. |
Customs & Compliance
| Term |
Definition |
| Country of Manufacture |
The country where a product was manufactured. Required on customs declarations for international shipments. |
| Customs Value |
The declared monetary value of goods in a shipment, used for customs duty and tax calculations. |
| IOSS (Import One-Stop Shop) |
An EU VAT registration number that simplifies import VAT collection on goods valued under EUR 150 . |
| Landed Cost |
The total cost of a shipment including product price, freight, insurance, duties, taxes, and clearance charges. |
| POD (Proof of Delivery) |
A document or electronic record from the courier confirming that a shipment was delivered, often including the recipient signature and delivery date/time. |
| OSS (One-Stop Shop) |
An EU VAT reporting scheme for sellers, simplifying cross-border VAT obligations within the EU. |
| Packing Slip |
A document included in a shipment that lists the items in the package. Can display your company logo and custom notes. |
| Reason for Export |
The purpose of the international shipment (e.g., Purchase, Gift, Sample, Repair/Return). Appears on commercial invoices and customs declarations. |
Billing
| Term |
Definition |
| Credit Note |
A refund or credit applied to your account. |
| Management Fee |
A 3% fee added to payments made through the portal, covering payment processing costs. |
| Pending Invoice |
Charges for fulfilled services that have not yet been invoiced. These appear on your next invoice. |
| Sales Invoice |
An invoice generated from charges for your fulfilled orders. |
| Usable Balance |
Your effective available balance, considering approved invoices, pending charges, and pending fulfillment estimates. |
| Flosurance |
Parcel insurance coverage for orders, administered through Floship. Protects against loss, theft, or damage in transit. |
Automation & Shipping Options
| Term |
Definition |
| Automation Rule |
A workflow that automatically performs an action when an order matches certain conditions. For example: "When order ships to US with Standard Shipping, assign to USPS First Class courier." |
| Shipping Option |
A per-client mapping from shipping method to courier. Some accounts use Shipping Options instead of Automation Rules. |
| Condition |
A filter within an automation rule that determines which orders the rule applies to (e.g., destination country, shipping method, order value). |
| Action |
What an automation rule does when conditions are met (e.g., assign courier, set approval type, add tags). |
Integrations
| Term |
Definition |
| E-commerce Integration |
A connection between Floship and your online store (Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.) that syncs orders and inventory automatically. |
| Webhook |
An automated notification sent from one system to another when a specific event happens (e.g., an order is fulfilled). |
| Order Sync |
Automatically importing orders from your connected store into Floship. |
| Inventory Sync |
Automatically updating stock levels in your connected store based on warehouse inventory. |
