Das Logistik-Glossar
Temperature controlled
TEU
Thinking in systems
Third-party logistics provider
Time definite
Time to market
TIR
Toll
Total quality management
TQM
Tracking & tracing
Transit terminal
Transponder
Transport
Transport chain
Transport industry
Transport international routier
Transport of hanging garments
Transport, transshipment, storage
Transshipment warehouse
Transshipping
TTS
Twenty foot equivalent unit
Thinking in systems
A fundamental aspect of logistics is thinking in systems as well as the realization that the explanation of the individual elements is insufficient for the explanation of the whole. Instead, the explanation of the relationship among the elements has to be considered as well. Thinking in systems is designed to ensure that suboptimal island solutions are avoided in logistics decisions. By considering the interrelationships of resources and processes, work should be directed at creating optimal holistic solutions.
Total quality management
TQM is a holistic management strategy that encompasses all activities and employees in a company. By focusing on people, partners, objectives, processes, preventive actions and improvement, it is designed to maximize customer satisfaction, cement optimized, long-term business success, and yield broad benefits for the company. In addition to the determined application of various quality-management methods and techniques (to pinpoint customer expectations and to continuously improve all processes), TQM introduces a company culture (quality culture) that is exemplified by the entire management team. This culture places quality at the center of all thoughts and actions in the company, extending all the way to the value orientation of personal (human) quality.
Tracking & tracing
Tracking & tracing is an electronic system to check the status of shipments. Tracking determines the current location of the shipment – it answers the question of “where is the shipment right now?” Tracing enables the course of the shipment to be reconstructed. The objective is to document the route of a shipment and all relevant events along the way (improper handling, loss or delays, etc.).
In doing so, tracking & tracing performs two functions: On one hand, it facilitates the monitoring of and the analysis of weaknesses in logistics processes. On the other hand, it is used in customer service, enabling the customer to determine at any time where his or her shipment is. If a shipment is lost or damaged, it also helps clarify liability claims.
Transponder
The term “transponder” is a combination of the words “transmitter” and “responder.” Transponders are part of RFID systems and serve as interactive information memories. They are considered to be the promising successor of the barcode. Using them, data can be accessed and updated from a remote position and without visual contact.
Transponders usually consist of an antenna and a microchip. Active transponders are powered by their own battery system, and their memory unit is generally larger. Passive transponders are powered exclusively by the energy field of a corresponding reading device. The reading device (or reader) usually provides the energy for the radio-wave transmission as well.
Transport
Transport is the coverage of distance or the change of location for goods using a means of transport. Every transport system consists of cargo, means of transport and the transport process. Means of transport involves the “hardware” of the transport – the manner in which goods are to be moved. The transport process concerns the “software” of the shipment – the organizational procedures related to the management of the transport.
Transport chain
The transport chain is a result of technically and organizationally linked processes in which people, goods or data are moved from one site to another (DIN 30781).
Transport chains can have single or multiple links. In a single-link transport chain, the shipping and destination points are connected by an interrupted transport or direct transport without any change of the means of transport. In a multiple-link transport chain, on the other hand, a change of transport takes place while the shipment is being moved from the shipping point and the destination point. The organization of a transport chain for the goods flow must be supported by the organization of the corresponding documentation chain for the information flow.
Transport industry
The transport industry comprises companies that provide logistics services as primary services for the shipping economy. Three classic service areas can be found in the transport industry, whose primary job is to move goods from the dispatch point to the receiving point: services involving the change of location for the means of transport; services provided at a fixed location, including transshipping, storing, packaging and picking; and services involving consultation, brokerage, organization and sales of transport services. In a broader sense, the transport industry comprises all companies, customers and markets related to the production and provision of transport services. According to this definition, groups involved in the industry include transport companies as well as supplementary and auxiliary businesses; forwarders and agents; storage, transshipping and packaging firms; logistics centers; garages; and filling stations. A loose association that is relevant to the production of transport services is made up of car- and vehicle-renting companies, courier services and travel agencies, among others.
Transport international routier
TIR is a customs procedure used in international road transport. It is designed to reduce the bureaucracy associated with international goods shipments. Anyone who uses the TIR process does not expect to be stopped at every border for an inspection because the shipment is checked only in exceptional cases – this saves a considerable amount of time. In each member country, at least one national association provides assurance that customs duties and other fees are observed. Usually, this association approves the corresponding TIR papers as well.
Transshipment warehouse
A transshipment warehouse is used to store goods for an extremely short period of time in order to transfer them to another means of transport. This reduces the number of transport links between the shipping and destination points. The focus is placed on movement processes. For this reason, the primary concern is generally not high storage capacity but rather high transshipping efficiency or high transshipping speed. Typical transshipping goods include semi-finished and finished products as well as merchandise.
