name: The Shippers Group Vocabulary
description: >-
  Domain vocabulary for The Shippers Group third-party logistics (3PL) operations,
  warehousing, fulfillment, co-packaging, and supply chain management.
version: "1.0"
created: "2026-05-02"
modified: "2026-05-02"

terms:

  # Core Organization Concepts
  - term: Third-Party Logistics
    abbreviation: 3PL
    definition: >-
      The practice of outsourcing logistics operations — including warehousing, transportation,
      fulfillment, and supply chain management — to a specialized provider. The Shippers Group
      is a leading national 3PL company founded in 1901 and acquired by Kenco Group in 2023.
    tags:
      - Logistics
      - Core

  - term: Warehousing
    definition: >-
      Storage and management of goods in a warehouse facility. Includes receiving, put-away,
      inventory management, cycle counting, and product retrieval. The Shippers Group operates
      over 5 million square feet of warehouse space across 12 US locations.
    tags:
      - Warehousing
      - Core

  - term: Distribution Center
    abbreviation: DC
    definition: >-
      A warehouse facility specifically designed for order fulfillment and outbound shipment.
      Distribution centers manage inbound freight, storage, picking, packing, and outbound
      delivery to retailers, e-commerce customers, or other destinations.
    tags:
      - Warehousing
      - Distribution

  # Service Types
  - term: Co-Packaging
    definition: >-
      Value-added service that involves repackaging, kitting, assembly, or co-packing of
      products. Examples include bundling promotional packs, relabeling for different markets,
      and assembling display-ready packaging (DRP). A core competency of The Shippers Group.
    tags:
      - Services
      - Value-Added

  - term: Fulfillment
    definition: >-
      The complete process of receiving, processing, and delivering orders to end customers.
      Includes order management, inventory allocation, pick and pack, and carrier integration.
      Used for both B2B (retail) and DTC (direct-to-consumer) channels.
    tags:
      - Services
      - Fulfillment

  - term: Transportation Management
    abbreviation: TM
    definition: >-
      Coordination of freight carriers, routes, and shipment optimization. Includes carrier
      selection, load planning, freight audit, and visibility. The Shippers Group provides TMS
      solutions integrated with their warehousing operations.
    tags:
      - Transportation
      - Services

  - term: Cross-Docking
    definition: >-
      A logistics technique where incoming shipments are transferred directly from inbound
      to outbound transportation with minimal or no storage time. Used to reduce handling
      and speed up the supply chain.
    tags:
      - Warehousing
      - Distribution

  - term: Pick and Pack
    definition: >-
      An order fulfillment process where individual items are picked from warehouse storage
      locations and packed into shipment containers. Used for e-commerce and direct-to-consumer
      order fulfillment.
    tags:
      - Fulfillment
      - Services

  - term: Value-Added Services
    abbreviation: VAS
    definition: >-
      Non-standard logistics services that enhance product value before delivery. Includes
      labeling, re-working, quality inspection, display building, and promotional bundling.
    tags:
      - Services
      - Value-Added

  # Inventory Concepts
  - term: SKU
    definition: >-
      Stock Keeping Unit — a unique identifier assigned to a specific product variant held
      in inventory. SKUs enable precise tracking of product quantities, locations, and movements
      through the warehouse management system.
    tags:
      - Inventory
      - Core

  - term: Inventory Management
    definition: >-
      The process of tracking product quantities, locations, and movements within a warehouse.
      Includes receiving, storage assignment, cycle counting, and reconciliation with client
      order management systems.
    tags:
      - Inventory
      - Core

  - term: Cycle Count
    definition: >-
      A periodic inventory audit method where a subset of inventory is counted on a rotating
      schedule. More efficient than full physical inventory counts and catches discrepancies
      earlier. Standard practice in professional 3PL operations.
    tags:
      - Inventory

  # Industry Verticals
  - term: Consumer Packaged Goods
    abbreviation: CPG
    definition: >-
      Products consumed daily by end consumers and replaced frequently, such as food, beverages,
      household products, and personal care items. A primary market segment for The Shippers Group.
    tags:
      - Industry
      - CPG

  - term: Food-Grade Warehousing
    definition: >-
      Warehouse operations meeting food safety standards for storage of food and beverage products.
      Requires compliance with FDA FSMA regulations, AIB standards, and may include temperature
      control for perishables.
    tags:
      - Industry
      - Food
      - Compliance

  # Integration Standards
  - term: Electronic Data Interchange
    abbreviation: EDI
    definition: >-
      A standard electronic communication protocol for exchanging business documents between
      trading partners. Common EDI transactions in logistics include purchase orders (850),
      advance ship notices (856), and invoices (810). The Shippers Group uses EDI for client integrations.
    tags:
      - Integration
      - Standards

  - term: Warehouse Management System
    abbreviation: WMS
    definition: >-
      Software used to manage and optimize warehouse operations including inventory tracking,
      order fulfillment, labor management, and reporting. Integrates with client ERP and TMS systems
      via EDI or API connections.
    tags:
      - Technology
      - Systems

  - term: Transportation Management System
    abbreviation: TMS
    definition: >-
      Software platform for planning, executing, and optimizing freight transportation.
      Provides carrier selection, load tendering, tracking, and freight audit capabilities.
    tags:
      - Technology
      - Transportation