Das Logistik-Glossar
ABC analysis
In ABC analysis, customers, products or supply streams are broken down into three classes according to certain parameters (revenue, consumption, etc.). The classes are ranked by priority. This provides a basic idea about the current situation.
An example:
Class A: Customers with a high revenue contribution – they make up about 20% of the customer base.
Class B: Customers with a medium revenue contribution – they make up about 40% of all customers and are potential A customers.
Class C: Customers with a low revenue share – they make up about 40% of the customer base.
On the basis of these findings, factors like the extent of effort and spending on marketing campaigns can be estimated. In addition, ABC analysis can serve as a foundation for selective storage.
The strength of this form of analysis: It can usually be done quickly because the necessary data are readily available. In this manner, ABC analysis produces a fast weighting of critical factors. But the me-thod is relatively limited and ignores many factors. Profit margins and new customers, for instance, are not considered.
Acquisition channel
The acquisition channel covers the flow of rights to a product and payments between the customer and supplier as well as the flow of all information related to the promotion of sales and employment. The logistics channel and the acquisition channel combine to form the marketing channel.
Advanced planning system
APS is used extensively in supply chain management for the purpose of simulation. It complements production-planning and control systems and ERP systems in cross-company planning and control ac-tivities. Advanced planning systems are used in long-, middle- and short-term planning for the areas of procurement, production, distribution and sales.
Air-supported warehouse
Air-supported warehouses are created when a membrane made of airtight fabric is inflated like a bal-loon with a blowing unit and then set up. Access to the warehouse is obtained through air locks. Be-cause such warehouses can be rapidly set up and dismantled, they are suited in particular as safety stocks.
Audit
Audits are a recognized means of examining nearly every department of a company in terms of costs, output, efficiency or quality. Frequently, audits involve a comparison between present and targeted conditions, that is, the search for deviations from proposed and achieved objectives. As a result, audits facilitate permanent improvements in quality and costs. To ensure that audits produce good results, they should be conducted regularly – either by internal or external auditors.
Audits are also carried out in order to issue a certificate or fulfill a norm. An ISO norm applies to quality audits: DIN ISO 9000:2000.
