Glossary You Are @ Home/ Glossary A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z A Activity-Based Costing (ABC) An accounting method that enables a business to better understand how and where it makes a profit. Activity-Based Management (ABM) The application of activity-based costing to improve business performance. Advance Ship Notice Also referred to as ASN. An EDI document that notifies a customer of the shipment of goods, prior to receipt. Aggregation Techniques The essence of Business to Business (B2B). Business to Consumer (B2C) gathers together buyers. B2B gathers both buyers and sellers. Algorithm A clearly specified mathematical process for computation; a set of rules which, if followed, give a prescribed result. Animate d GIF A file containing a series of GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) images that are displayed in rapid sequence by some Web browsers, giving an animated effect. See also GIF. ANSI American National Standards Institute. A non-profit organization chartered to develop, maintain, and promulgate voluntary U.S. national standards in a number of areas. ANSI is the U.S. representative to the International Standards Organization (ISO). ANSI ASC X12 American National Standards Institute Accredited Standards Committee X12. ANSI Standard A published transaction set approved by ANSI. The standards are reviewed every six months. ANSI X12 Often used as synonymous with ASC X12. Application Acknowledgment X12 transaction 824, which responds when a transaction set is received for processing by an application program. Application Advice [824] X12 transaction 824, which identifies any errors beyond the normal syntax checks of a transaction set and accepts or rejects the transaction set. Application-to-Application The direct interchange of data between computers, without rekeying. Application Service Provider (ASP) A company that offers access over the Internet to application (examples of applications include word processors, database programs, Web browsers, development tools, communication programs) and related services that would otherwise have to be located in their own computers. Sometimes referred to as & quot;apps-on-tap", ASP services are expected to become an important alternative, especially for smaller companies with low budgets for information technology. The purpose is to try to reduce a company's burden by installing, managing, and maintaining software. ASC Accredited Standards Committee of ANSI. The committee develops and maintains U.S. generic standards (X12) for Electronic Data Interchange. ASC X12 Accredited Standards Committee  X12. A committee of ANSI chartered in 1979 to develop uniform standards for the electronic interchange of business documents. ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange; ASCII format - simple text based data with no formatting. The standard code for information exchange among data processing systems. Uses a coded character set consisting of 7-bit coded characters (8 bits including parity check). ASN Advanced Shipping Notice. A transaction that indicates that shipment was made by a supplier. Assumed Receipt The principle of assuming that the contents of a shipping or delivery note are correct. Shipping and receiving personnel do not check the delivery quantity. Used in conjunction with bar codes and an EDI-delivered ASN to eliminate invoices. Audit Trail Manual or computerized tracing of the transactions affecting the contents or origin of a record. Auditability A characteristic of modern information systems, gauged by the ease with which data can be substantiated by trading it to source documents and the extent to which auditors can rely on preverified and monitored control processes. Authentication 1.The process of verifying the eligibility of a device, originator, or individual to access specific categories of information or to enter specific areas of a facility. This process involves matching machine-readable code with a predetermined list of authorized end users. 2. A practice of establishing the validity of a transmission, message, device, or originator, which was designed to provide protection against fraudulent transmissions. Authentication Key A short string of characters used to authenticate transactions between trading partners. Automated Clearinghouse (ACH) Automated Clearinghouse. A nationwide electronic payments system, which more than 15,000 financial institutions use, on behalf of 100,000 corporations and millions of consumer in the U.S. The funds transfer system of choice among businesses that make electronic payments to vendors, it is economical and can carry remittance information in standardized, computer processable data formats. Available To Sell (ATS) Total quantity of goods committed to the pipeline for a ship to or selling location. This includes the current inventory at a location and any open purchase orders. ATS is the quantity compared to the Goal and ROP to determine the replenishment need. Back To Top