A PLAIN-LANGUAGE REFERENCE
Get past the acronyms.
Core ERP and manufacturing terms, with the limits of the labels made clear.
- ERPEnterprise resource planning
- Connected business processes and records; actual module scope depends on the product.
- MESManufacturing execution system
- Execution and collection of production activity on the factory floor.
- WMSWarehouse management system
- Warehouse execution such as receiving, putaway, picking and shipping.
- MRPMaterial requirements planning
- Material planning based on demand, BOMs, inventory and supply assumptions.
- BOMBill of materials
- A structured description of the components needed for a product.
- MTOMake to order
- Production initiated in response to a specific customer order.
- ETOEngineer to order
- Engineering and production driven by a customer-specific order.
- TCOTotal cost of ownership
- The operating commitment across implementation, recurring costs, change and exit.
- APSAdvanced planning and scheduling
- Planning and scheduling tools; validate how finite capacity is handled.
- SaaSSoftware as a service
- A service delivery model; confirm application, infrastructure and upgrade responsibilities.
- RFPRequest for proposal
- A structured request for product scope, delivery plans, evidence and commercial terms.
- GEOGenerative engine optimization
- Making content clear, attributable and accessible to AI-mediated discovery; visibility is not guaranteed.