Having a problem with a TUN? Called EAN and they said it was a ECR Australasian problem. Checked with the retailer's DC? Found your UBF needs to record the SVR? Relax, just use the Australian Food Broker Directory 'Tradesmart' glossary and everything should make sense.

Tradesmart ©: The Australian Food Broker Directory Glossary has been compiled to ensure that everyone in the trade knows what the terms and acronyms mean. If you have a term that is in popular usage and we've missed it then send an email to dbmedia@ozemail.com.au and we will include it in next year's directory.

Finally, remember the first rule of good communication. It is not that you know what you're talking about that matters, it's whether or not the other party does!

Consult the `Tradesmart' glossary and start communicating right away.

AFBA
Australian Food Brokers Association, the peak industry body representing food brokers in the Australian grocery market.

AFGC
Australian Food and Grocery Council, the peak body representing manufacturers.

ANZFA
Australian New Zealand Food Authority, the joint Australian / New Zealand body for food standards and safety. Reports to the Health Minister in each country.

APOLLO
A shelf management program from Information Resourses, launched in 1988 and the first software program for Space Management in general use in Australia's supermarket segment.

A.R.A
Australian Retailers Association, the peak body for retailers which, covers all types of retail segments, including Supermarkets through its food division.

ASN
Advance Shipping Note, the EDI document which suppliers / brokers remit to retailers / wholesalers advising shipment details.

CATEGORY
Category, also known as a department, the group name for particular like items ranged within a store e.g. Confectionery Category, Laundry Needs Category.

CONSUMER UNIT
Consumer Unit or Consumer Pack is the actual unit which is purchased by the consumer, usually from a retail outlet, e.g. a jar of coffee, a box of cereal. Some products have more than one level of consumer unit. For example cigarettes are sold by the pack and also the sleeve or carton, beer by the individual bottle or can, a six pack or even a carton. In supermarkets, most consumer items are single items.

CO-OP
Co-op is a quaint term coined when retailers and suppliers jointly share the cost of promotions. Nowadays, it is the amount of funds committed to promoting one's products with retailers / wholesalers.

CROSS- DOCKING
A method of supply where goods are received in a D.C. and sent straight out instead of being held in stock. Cross-docked goods can be picked in smaller order quantities with eventuall destination identification details, and palletised to maximum efficiency.

DANGEROUS GOODS
Any goods which are classified as dangerous and require special storage or transportation requirements. Includes items such as spirits, solvents, aerosols, matches, lighters, easily combustible materials, chemicals etc.

D.C.
Distribution Centre, a large warehouse at which retailers / wholesalers receive and store goods and from which loads are delivered to retail, or other outlets.

DEAL
A deal, or allowance, is an amount of money, or percentage value paid for specific activity. e.g. an introductory deal may be paid on new lines, a promotional deal used to reduce the price on promotion or a special deal to quit stock that may be close to sell-by date.

DEPARTMENT
-See Category

EAN
The short name for EAN Australia which is the industry body responsible for bar code symbology and numbering. Affiliated to the EAN worldwide numbering policy organisation.

EANnet
An electronic catalogue of products (and services) sitting on a large database. Accessed by suppliers, brokers and retailers to exchange and verify data.

ECR
Efficient Consumer Response. ECR is a philosophy with a number of sub-components such as Efficient Assortment, Efficient Promotions. Used as a management tool with K.P.I.s and subject to an annual tracking study, which is used to benchmark industry performance.

EDI
Electronic Data Interchange, an exchange of data between parties on a computer to computer basis.

EDI FAX
Data sent from an EDI capable party's computer to another party (usually from a retailer to a vendor) where the receiving party does not operate EDI software. The retailer's software recognises the required method of transmission.

H.A.C.C.P.
Hazard Analysis at Critical Control Point is a system of identifying hazards in the workplace and is a product processing audit system with controls, designed to ensure that food establishments meet the strictest levels of hygiene and food safety.

INNER CARTON
A container, usually cardboard or fibreboard used to hold consumer items. May contain inners.

INTACTIX
A space Management program used in the Pharmacy segment, with a large customer base worldwide from the packaged goods segment.

LEAD-TIME
Lead-time is the length of time taken from order placement by the customer until goods arrive at their destination.

MATERIAL DATA SAFETY SHEETS
A document which is supplied to customers by a vendor when selling to their customers. Documentation is kept on file by the receiving warehouse and is valid for five years. Any changes in nature or particular goods would require a new M.D.S.S to be completed.

NIELSEN
Nielsen, or Nielsen Data is often used to describe statistics complied by leading researcher
ACNielsen.

PALLET CONFIGURATION
This is the specification of the good (cartons or shippers on the pallet). The number of cartons to the layer multiplied by the number of layers high identifiers how many total cartons are on the pallet.

N.B.
Australian Pallets are unique standard compared to the rest of the world. The main pallet providers are Loscam & Chep and a standard wooden pallet is 1165 x 1165 x 150m and weighs 50kg.

PO/P.O.A.
Purchase Order/Purchase Order Acknowledgment. Standard documents used in conducting business by EDI

Q.R.
Quick Response, a management term coined to develop the potential of inventory reduction programs. QR teams work to maxamise information flows, minimise inventories, and drastically reduce lead-time for goods to reach destination.

SCAN SALES DATA
This is the data available from actual sales of products through the cash registers, therefore showing a true pressure of pull through by consumers. Available initially for a panel of stores' Scan Sales Data is becoming available in an increasing array of options and is used for targeting specific areas as part of the micro-marketing trend.

SETTLEMENT
Settlement discount, an optional allowance paid for receiving payment other than on net terms.

SHELF MANAGEMENT
The process of allocating products to the available shelf space, a task now semi-automated by the use of shelf management software.

SHIPPER
An industry term used for the carton in which consumer units are delivered to a warehouse or store. Some people refer to it as an outer.

SPACEMAN
A Space Management program from ACNielsen.

S.V.R
Symbol Verification Report, the report supplied by EAN Australia to verify the bar code on consumer packs, inners and outer cartons will successfully scan at a check-out register or a D.C. inwards goods scanner station.

TERMS
Terms are the collective assortment of allowances, discounts and rebates provided for various, specific activities negotiated between a retailer and supplier and broker.

TI-HIGH
The number of layers or height of a pallet of goods. Suppliers usually have standard specifications or tie highs whilst some warehouses have unique tie-high requirements due to design considerations.

T.P.R.
Temporary Price Reduction, a price alteration notification based on providing a case allowance for a period of time without altering the list price.

UBF
Universal Buying Form, an initiative of the Australian Food Broker Association Launched in 1995 to replace 171 retailers / wholesalers buying forms. Now in the second generation with two forms the Universal Price Change Form for all price change notifications and the Universal Item Submission Form for new lines, pack changes and other notification.

UBF SOFTWARE
A data base program which allows users to create and maintain all the relevant data required by retailers / wholesalers. An initiative of the AFBA and developed by AFBA Software developer dennis, keenan & associates. UBF Software also has an optional UBF/EANnet Batch Data File Upload Module to create data files suitable for sending data to EANnet.

ULLAGE
Ullage is an allowance paid by suppliers to avoid replacing damaged stock at the retail outlet level.

V.M.I
Vendor Managed Inventory, a method of trading where retailers allow specific vendors to control levels of stock-on-hand when certain triggers are reached. Usually only entered into after a trial period and only with vendors who have the software capacity to manage the sales data generated by this method.

WAREHOUSE ALLOWANCE
An allowance paid to retailers and wholesalers as part of trading terms, to specifically defray the costs of them holding stock.