Airhouse Glossary

Advanced shipping notices alert warehouses to incoming shipments so they can prepare to receive inventory. Learn how to prepare and send ASNs for B2B orders.

Ambient storage refers to storing products at room temperature, typically between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

A backorder is an order placed for an out-of-supply product. Your product might currently be in production or on order from the manufacturer. Whatever the case might be, you don't have any physical inventory to ship to customers.

Barcoding is a method of identifying products and packages using scanning technology. Discover how barcoding can transform the efficiency of your business.

Shippers and freight carriers use a bill of lading (BoL) to track cargo from origin to destination. Learn what a bill of lading is, how it works, and why it’s important.

Discover the benefits of using a bonded warehouse for your import and export needs. Learn how it can reduce customs duties and offer secure storage.

Minimize disruptions in your supply chain operations by understanding the impact of the bullwhip effect and implementing effective mitigation strategies.

Product bundling is grouping products together to sell as one unit. It can strengthen DTC brands, boost profits, and offer more value to customers.

Commercial shipping is the bulk delivery of products from one business to another. Learn more about the basics, how it works, and how it benefits your business.

Cross-docking is an efficient solution that eliminates inventory storage and pick-and-pack services. Learn more about its benefits and if it may be right for you.

International shipping is expensive and complex. Understand what Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) is and the advantages and disadvantages of DDP shipping.

International shipping is expensive and complex. Understand what Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU) is and the advantages and disadvantages of DDU shipping.

Delivery management is the action of employing logistics processes to ensure that items are efficiently delivered. For ecommerce businesses, the goal is to make sure that customers receive their orders on time and undamaged.

Dimensional weight is a calculation used by carriers to determine shipping costs based on the size of a package. Learn how to calculate DIM weight and more.

Direct shipping refers to a method of fulfillment in which products are sent directly from supplier to consumer, circumventing a physical store or warehouse.

DTC brands bring their product directly to customers, rather than going through an intermediary, like a department store, wholesaler, or retailer.

Drayage is a valuable service for transporting imported merchandise over short distances. Learn what drayage means and how it can benefit your business.

Dropshipping is a method for fulfilling retail orders through a third-party supplier. Learn what it is, how it works, and the pros and cons of this method.

Dunnage is any internal packaging component used to protect items during shipping. Learn the types of dunnage material and the importance of using them.

Dwell time is a major cause of inefficiencies in the supply chain. Learn how loading and unloading delays occur and their costly impact on ecommerce.

Ecommerce fulfillment is the multi-step process that gets products from the factory to front door and into the hands of the consumer.

Optimize your ecommerce inventory and logistics costs by using Economic Order Quantity. Learn how to calculate EOQ.

Learn how to achieve economies of scale at your ecommerce business, reap the benefits of lower unit prices, increase your profitability, and scale more efficiently.

Electronic data interchange, or EDI, is the digital exchange of business documents between a buyer and seller, commonly used in wholesale distribution.

Fill rate, sometimes referred to as order fulfillment rate or demand satisfaction rate, is the percentage of orders that you can immediately ship from your available stock without taking backorders or missing a sale.

Discover how the first in first out (FIFO) method can help manage inventory levels, reduce costs, and minimize waste for perishable products.

Flat-rate shipping means paying one price based solely on the size of the box. It doesn’t depend on weight, so it can be a simple and convenient way for e-commerce businesses to send packages to customers.

Fourth-party logistics, or 4PL, refers to outsourced fulfillment that takes a white-glove approach—managing 3PL operations for you.

Freight forwarding makes land, sea, and air transport more efficient. Learn more about this logistics solution to see if it may be right for your needs.

A fulfillment center handles the entire process of order fulfillment for DTC and ecommerce brands—everything from picking and packing your products all the way through to shipping.

Ground shipping is any form of shipping that takes place on land instead of by air or by sea. In most cases, it is the most affordable option for domestic shipping, and the packages travel by road or by rail.

HTS codes are used to identify products and determine tariffs on imports to the U.S. Learn how to identify your HTS code and use it to predict import fees.

Inventory management is the process of managing and monitoring a business's goods in stock.

Kitting in a warehouse is an important aspect of inventory management. Learn about the kitting process, the benefits of kitting, and why it's crucial for ecommerce.

Landed cost is an important metric in protecting profit margins. Learn how it helps ecommerce businesses improve profits, pick the right suppliers, and more.

Last-mile delivery can be critical for DTC success. Learn what last-mile delivery is and the process, strategies, and tech used for optimizing delivery systems.

A merchant is a person or a company that sells goods or services. Learn what a merchant is, the varying types of merchants, and their role in direct-to-consumer (DTC) companies.

Discover what milk run logistics are, its benefits, and if it's right for you. Milk runs can produce cost savings and increase efficiencies in the supply chain.

Inventory is one of the most important assets of an ecommerce business. Learn more about how minimum order quantity (MOQ) affects your inventory decisions.

Order fulfillment is complex. Understand exactly what a mispick is, why they happen, their impact on your bottom line, and how you can avoid them.

Multi-warehousing refers to using multiple warehouses strategically located across a region—or the globe—to store inventory and fulfill orders.

Omnichannel fulfillment is shaping the future of customer experience and solving age-old business challenges. Learn more about the benefits of this strategy.

Order fulfillment involves many steps—from receiving inventory at a warehouse to shipping orders to customers and everything in between.

Order management is the system by which a company processes incoming orders of its products or services. Management extends from the moment the customer places the order to when they receive the service or product delivery.

Parcel shipping is the shipment of small, individualized packages directly to a consumer. Learn how this strategy can help your business save on shipping costs.

Pick and pack is a type of order fulfillment method involving selecting (or "picking") the right kind and amount of items from warehouse shelves and packaging (or "packing") them for shipping.

Using reorder points to maintain product stock can minimize costs and losses. Learn more about how to use the ROP formula with and without safety stock.

Retail logistics are all the activities that get the products you sell to your customer in the allotted time set by the customer. It goes beyond merely packaging and shipping—it also involves ordering new items, managing inventory, collecting data, and more.

A retailer is an individual or entity that sells goods directly to the general public. This direct-to-consumer (DTC) selling is distinct from wholesaling, where sales are made to businesses or institutions (usually for resale).

Returns are inevitable for an ecommerce business. Learn more about how a strong returns management process can help cut costs and improve customer relations.

SKUs, or stock-keeping units, are alphanumeric product codes used to identify items and search for stock of those items on invoices, lists, or order forms. Each product has its own unique SKU that is standardized across all distributors, whether it’s your online store or a brick-and-mortar retailer.

Set by each carrier, shipping zones are geographical areas with the same shipping rate. Learn more to help your ecommerce company find the best rates.

Merchants and customers should understand what a split shipment is, what causes split orders and multiple shipments, and how avoiding them cuts down on costs.

Third-party logistics, or 3PL, refers to outsourcing logistics processes, such as sourcing, warehousing, fulfillment services, and inventory management.

A track and trace system lets you follow a shipment through its route to the customer's door. Learn more about how this can work for your ecommerce business.

A transportation management system (TMS) can help DTC businesses track incoming and outgoing shipments—and much more. Discover how it can help your business manage shipping more effectively, saving time and money.

Warehouse management is the process of running the most efficient and effective warehouse possible. It encompasses all the principles, strategies, practices, and procedures required to manage a warehouse’s daily operations.

Wholesale shipping, also known as B2B shipping, involves sending large shipments to other businesses for resale. Learn wholesale shipping best practices.