Unit 9

Word

Definition

Example

airmail

letters and packages that are sent somewhere using a plane, or the system of doing this

The standard airmail rate to Brazil is $45.50.

be on order 

asked for, but not yet received

The database shows what stock we have and if it's on order.

carrier

a company that moves goods or passengers from one place to another

They're usually sent by an international carrier.

charge 

the amount of money you have to pay for goods or services

Please charge it to our account.

chase up 

to try to make something happen or arrive more quickly, because it has been taking too long

I'm chasing up an order I placed last week.

component 

one of several parts that together make up a whole machine, system etc

You have to keep a lot of components in stock.

contact 

a person you know who may be able to help or advise you

It is important to have a reliable contact at your supplier.

container 

something such as a box or bowl that you use to keep things in

What is the size of the shipping container?

customs 

the government department that checks goods coming into a country and collects any taxes on them

There is a charge of $50 per order for customs clearance.

database 

a large amount of data stored in a computer system so that you can find and use it easily

Everything has its own bar code which shows up on the database.

dispatch 

to send someone or something somewhere for a particular purpose

The order has been dispatched and will arrive next week.

express delivery 

very quick special post service

Express delivery guarantees arrival within 24 hours.

hand-made 

made by people using their hands, not by a machine

The business imports and sells hand-made rugs.

import 

to bring a product from one country into another so that it can be sold there

Our company imports products from around the world.

inventory

a list of all the things in a place

We keep an inventory with information about all our products.

keep in stock 

if a shop stocks a particular product, it keeps a supply of it to sell

We keep a lot of components in stock.

keep track of 

to pay attention to someone or something, so that you know where they are or what is happening to them, or to fail to do this

I keep track of all our deliveries.

logistics 

the arrangements that are needed for goods, materials, equipment, and people to be in the right place at the right time

My uncle runs a logistics company.

look into 

to try to find out the truth about a problem, crime etc in order to solve it

I'll look into it immediately.

middleman 

someone who buys things in order to sell them to someone else, or who helps to arrange business dealsfor other people

I also work with middlemen who I've known for a very long time and I can trust.

origin 

the place or situation in which something begins to exist

Each of our rugs is unique, so we keep an inventory with information about the origin, size and colour.

place an order 

to order something; to submit an order for a product

I'd like to place an order for one of your rugs.

quote

a written statement of how much something will cost, for example some building work

I was wondering if I could get a quote for delivery.

repeat order 

an order for a product or service by a customer who has ordered it before

I'd like to make a repeat order for 2,000 motherboards.

run low on 

have too little of something

Normally, if you run low on an item, you re-order it.

run out of 

to use all of something and not have any more left

How do you make sure that you don't run out of stock?

say 

to express an idea, feeling, thought etc using words

Did he say when it will be delivered?

shipment 

a load of goods sent by sea, road, or air, or the act of sending them

When you have a large shipment of new stock, what transportation do you use?

shipping company

company that organizes the documents, insurance etc necessary for sending goods

Can you call the shipping company to find out about the shipment?

showroom 

a large room where you can look at things that are for sale, such as cars or electrical goods

They can also visit us at our showroom and talk about what they are looking for.

stock 

a supply of a particular type of thing that a shop has available to sell

How do you keep track of stock at the warehouse?

stock up on 

to buy a lot of something in order to keep it for when you need to use it later

You don't want to stock up on components which are not going to sell.

storage 

the process of keeping or putting something in a special place while it is not being used

Storage at the warehouse is free for the first seven days.

supplier 

a company or person that provides a particular product

It's important to build good relationships with suppliers.

supply chain 

the series of organizations that are involved in passing products from manufacturers to the public

Our supply chain begins with the manufacturer in India and ends in our UK shops.

tell 

if someone tells you something, they communicateinformation, a story, their feelings etc to you

Can you tell me the delivery time to Europe?

tracking facility

special device to search for a person or animal by following the marks they leave behindthem on the ground, their smell etc

Our tracking facility means you know where your order is and when it will be delivered.

transportation 

the process or business of taking goods from one place to another

What transportation do you use for large shipments?

warehouse 

a large building for storing large quantities of goods

We use barcodes to keep track of the stock coming in and out of the warehouse.