Logistics, Supply Chain Management, and Networks

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering introductory logistics, inventory storage strategies, physical and digital infrastructure, supply chain models, and utility networks.

Logistics

The coordination, storage, transformation, and movement of products—including physical goods, passengers, funds, and data—from an origin to a destination, alongside the efficient utilization of all resources involved.

Logistics Hub

A central junction where goods or passengers are collected, sorted, and dispatched to their next destinations, exemplified by Schiphol Airport (where $35\%$ of travelers are transfer passengers) and the Port of Rotterdam.

Dropshipping

A retail fulfillment model in which an online merchant sells products without keeping them in stock or shipping them directly; orders are fulfilled and dispatched directly by an external wholesaler or supplier.

Supply Chain

The sequential multi-stage network responsible for moving products from initial raw materials through suppliers, manufacturing factories, distribution centers, and retail stores to the end customer.

Distribution Center

A dedicated storage facility utilized strategically to receive bulk inventory and distribute products outward to regional destinations.

Block Stacking (Blokstapeling)

A warehouse storage technique where stackable crates or containers are positioned directly on the floor without fixed racking, offering high flexibility for frequently changing product types and dimensions.

Live Storage Racking (Doorrolstelling)

An inclined dynamic shelving system where newly arrived goods are placed into the back of the rack and older goods are picked from the front, naturally enforcing a First-In, First-Out ($\text{FIFO}$) turnover.

Cantilever Racking (Draagarmstelling)

A specialized wall-mounted or freestanding shelving setup featuring extended horizontal arms designed for rapid access and organized storage of long goods.

High-Bay Racking (Hoogbouwstelling)

A vertical warehouse racking installation that stores large volumes of goods across extensive vertical heights while maintaining rapid retrieval access.

Reorder Lead Time

The total span of time that elapses between placing a replenishment order with a supplier and receiving the items into inventory.

Safety Stock

The minimum level of reserve inventory continuously maintained to prevent stockouts resulting from supply chain disruptions or unexpected demand surges.

Reorder Point

The predetermined inventory threshold that triggers a new order, determined using the formula: $\text{reorder point} = \text{usage} \times \text{lead time} + \text{safety stock}$.

Bullwhip Effect (Opslingereffect)

A supply chain phenomenon where small shifts or variations in consumer demand at the retail level cause progressively larger demand fluctuations when transmitted upstream toward manufacturers and suppliers.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Integrated software used to plan, automate, and manage core internal business functions across an enterprise, including inventory control, orders, financial accounting, scheduling, and personnel records.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

The direct, automated electronic exchange of structured administrative and operational data between computing systems of different organizations without human intervention (e.g., using UN EDIFACT standards).

EAN-13

A global 13-digit standard barcode format consisting of a country code (digits 1–3), supplier identification (digits 4–7), specific product code (digits 8–13), and a trailing check digit (digit 14).

QR Code Structure

A 2D matrix barcode architecture composed of orientation blocks (finder patterns), version information tracks, timing/start-and-end blocks, and encoded character data fields.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

An identification technology that uses an electromagnetic coil to wirelessly transmit and receive data signals, commonly applied in anti-theft tagging, public transit passes, and near-field communication (NFC) cards.

PULL Planning

A demand-driven production and scheduling method that initiates operations only when triggered by actual customer demand, resulting in minimal on-hand inventory (e.g., McDonald's, Agile/SCRUM methods).

PUSH Planning

A supply-driven strategy where production schedules and inventory levels are established in advance according to forecasted consumer demand (e.g., supermarkets, concert ticketing).

Standard Instrument Departure (SID)

A published, mandatory flight path equipped with lateral safety margins that aircraft pilots must strictly follow immediately after takeoff, primarily designed to avoid densely populated residential areas.

Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit (TEU)

The standard metric used to describe cargo capacity for containerized maritime shipping, where a standard $40\text{-foot}$ shipping container equals $2\,\text{TEU}$.

Minimum Spanning Tree (Kleinste opgespannen boom)

A network optimization algorithm that connects every node in a graph together using the lowest possible combined edge weight or physical length without generating cycles or loops.

Heuristic

An intuitive, speculative problem-solving technique or rule-of-thumb designed to find satisfactory solutions to complex challenges (such as the Travelling Salesperson Problem) without guaranteeing mathematical optimality.

Landelijke Koppelnet (National Transmission Grid)

The top-tier electrical grid operating at $380\text{--}220\,\text{kV}$ that connects power generation plants nationally and facilitates international high-voltage power exchange.

Stedelijk Transportnet (Urban Transport Grid)

The regional high-voltage transmission network operating at $50\,\text{kV}$ that transports bulk electrical energy within municipal regions.

Middenspanningsnet (Urban Distribution Grid)

The medium-voltage distribution infrastructure operating at $10\,\text{kV}$ that conveys electricity directly to neighborhood transformer substations.

Laagspanningsnet (Low-Voltage Grid)

The terminal distribution network operating at $230\,\text{V}$ that delivers safe, usable electrical power directly into residential homes and local buildings.