Glossary of Terms
A
ABC Classification
A slotting and inventory prioritization method that classifies SKUs into A (high velocity), B (medium velocity), and C (slow movers) based on demand frequency or value.
Accessorial Charges
Additional transportation fees beyond base freight—such as lift gate, inside delivery, detention, or residential handling.
Activity-Based Labor Metrics
D365 functionality for measuring worker productivity across pick, pack, replenish, and movement tasks.
Advanced Warehouse Management (D365 WMS)
D365 functionality for measuring worker productivity across pick, pack, replenish, and movement tasks.
Aisle
A defined travel path between racking structures, typically labeled numerically or alphabetically for predictable navigation.
API Key
A security credential used to authenticate requests to a cloud label platform API (invalid keys typically cause “access denied/invalid subscription key” errors).
API Printer Name
The printer identifier passed to a cloud labeling API so the platform knows which target printer to route the print job to.
API Version
The version string returned by a successful API validation call, confirming the endpoint is reachable and credentials are accepted.
API Workstation Id
A workstation identifier used by API-driven print jobs to help route, track, or associate prints with a specific device/location context.
ASN (Advanced Shipping Notice)
A supplier-provided digital file used to accelerate receiving by pre-communicating items, quantities, pallets, and batch/serial numbers.
B
Backflush / Flushing
Automatically consuming raw materials against a production order based on BOM rules when specific events occur (start, finish, quantity produced).
Backorder
An unfulfilled portion of a customer order due to insufficient inventory availability.
BarTender Cloud
A cloud-based labeling platform that can receive print requests from ERP systems via web services rather than local print server drop folders.
BarTender Endpoint
The region-specific web address (URL) your integration sends requests to when submitting print jobs through the BarTender Cloud API.
BarTender Web API
A REST-style interface that allows ERP-driven label printing directly to BarTender Cloud using authentication plus job payloads.
Batch Number
A traceability identifier used to track groups of items manufactured or received together.
Batch Picking
A picking method where identical items from multiple orders are grouped into a single consolidated pick.
Bay
Vertical section of a rack between uprights.
Bulk Storage
Floor, pallet, or open-area storage designed for oversized items or high-quantity pallets not suitable for racking.
C
Capacity Planning
The science of aligning space, labor, racking, and equipment to meet current and future volume needs.
Case Picking
Picking full-case quantities from pallet or rack positions.
Cloud Printing vs Drop Files
Two common integration patterns where labels are either submitted directly to a cloud API or written as files into a drop folder for a service to pick up and print.
Cluster Picking
A picking method that uses multiple totes or containers simultaneously for multiple orders.
Companies Setting
A configuration option that limits which legal entities a print service instance will poll/process to control scope and reduce noise.
Containerization
D365 packaging logic that determines which container(s) an order should ship in based on size, weight, and packaging profiles.
Cross-Docking
Receiving goods and immediately routing them to outbound shipping lanes without putting them into storage.
Cycle Counting
Incremental inventory counting process performed continuously without shutting down operations.
D
D365 (Dynamics 365 for Finance & Operations)
Microsoft’s ERP platform containing modules for warehousing, supply chain, finance, production, and inventory management.
Demand Replenishment
Replenishment created dynamically when picking work cannot be completed due to insufficient forward pick stock.
Directed Putaway
System-driven logic that assigns the optimal storage location based on location directives.
Dock-to-Stock Time
The total time between receiving goods at the dock and placing them into their storage locations.
Document Routing
A Dynamics 365 feature that automatically sends generated documents (like invoices, packing slips, or reports) to specific destinations (printer, email, file, or archive) based on routing rules.
Drop Folder
A shared directory where label output files are deposited for a downstream print service to detect and send to the appropriate print engine/printer.
E
EDGE Training Method
Explain → Demonstrate → Guide → Enable. A structured training approach is applied throughout this guide.
Enterprise Labeling Platforms
Common label software ecosystems integrated for enterprise printing (often used alongside ERP) such as NiceLabel, TEKLYNX, and others.
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)
Integrated business management software system. For this guide, ERP refers to D365 F&O.
F
FEFO (First Expired, First Out)
Picking methodology that prioritizes items with the closest expiration date.
FIFO (First In, First Out)
Picking methodology that prioritizes the oldest stock first.
Firewall Settings (Port Access)
Network rules that must allow inbound/outbound traffic to the service’s status/monitoring port so dashboards and health checks can be viewed.
Flow-Thru
A receiving strategy where goods are staged temporarily for short periods (hours, not days) before being moved to outbound or production.
Forward Pick Zone
The ergonomic, low-level picking area stocked from reserve storage for fast-moving items.
Full Pallet Pull
A picking strategy where entire pallets are picked instead of case or each picks.
G
Garage Sale Inventory
Informal term used in this guide to describe unorganized, unlabeled, inconsistent inventory storage lacking structure.
Ghost Printer
A deliberate “fake” printer configured in selection rules so printing is conditionally suppressed while still allowing logging and process flow.
H
High-Velocity Receiving
A structured inbound model focusing on rapid validation, LP creation, flow-thru/cross-dock routing, and minimal touches.
Hold / QC Hold
Inventory status reserved for quality inspection or incomplete evaluation.
I
Inbound
Any activity related to receiving, inspecting, and putting away goods.
INNER JOIN
A SQL operation used to combine rows across tables (for example, linking inventory summary and dimension records) to produce label-ready datasets.
InventDim
A Dynamics table concept representing inventory dimensions (site, warehouse, batch, serial, etc.) commonly used to drive label content and selection logic.
Inventory Status
D365 inventory attribute indicating availability (Available, Quarantine, Damaged, Quality Hold, etc.).
InventSum
A Dynamics table concept representing inventory on-hand/summary quantities that can be queried to control when and what labels print.
InventTrans
A Dynamics table concept representing inventory transactions that can be used to derive label data or control print logic based on transaction type/status.
IoT (Internet of Things)
Sensors and smart devices used for monitoring warehouse temperature, forklift movements, dock doors, etc.
L
Labor Standards
Performance-based time expectations for picking, packing, replenishment, or other warehouse tasks.
Layout
The physical arrangement of racks, aisles, staging lanes, and work areas.
License Plate (LP)
A scannable ID assigned to a pallet, carton, or tote in D365, representing a logical inventory container.
Linked Templates
A configuration feature that allows a single printing trigger to automatically print additional templates (multiple labels) in a defined chain.
Load Planning Workbench
A D365 tool used to group shipments, create loads, sequence deliveries, and manage outbound transportation.
Local IIS Site (Status Page Hosting)
A local web site used to host a service status/analytics page for monitoring print activity and health.
Location
A uniquely named physical storage or pick face position.
Location Directive
D365 logic that determines where items should be stored or picked from.
Location Profile
Attributes assigned to location types (LP-controlled, fixed, bulk, staging, etc.).
Local Web Status Page
A browser-accessible page that shows print service health metrics (runtime, queue, polling, etc.) for troubleshooting and monitoring.
Loftware Cloud
A cloud labeling platform that can accept print requests from ERP systems and route jobs to printers through API-based integration.
Loftware Web API
The web service interface used to validate credentials and submit print jobs to Loftware Cloud.
M
Master Planning
D365 planning engine that drives purchase orders, transfer orders, and production orders.
Min/Max Replenishment
Forward pick area stocking model based on minimum and maximum stocking thresholds.
Mixed SKU Pallet
A pallet containing more than one item number—often discouraged in structured warehouses.
Multiple Label Print Engines
A deployment pattern where different label engines (or engine types) are supported simultaneously, often via separate service instances and drop folders.
Multiple Print Courier Instances
Running more than one print service instance to isolate workloads (by company, region, engine type, or environment) and improve control/performance.
N
Negative Inventory
A system condition where D365 shows less than zero available inventory. Always indicates a data, scanning, or process failure.
Nested LP
Hierarchy where a pallet LP contains multiple child container LPs.
Non-Printing Case Rules
Rule logic that intentionally routes a job to a ghost printer (or equivalent) so the transaction proceeds but no label physically prints.
O
On-Hand Inventory
Quantity of available inventory stored within D365.
Outbound
Picking, packing, staging, loading, and shipping operations.
Override Form
A user-facing prompt/form that allows operators to override default label values (or select from valid values) before printing.
Override Printer
A rule-level setting that forces prints to a specific printer when a user override interaction is enabled.
P
Pack Station
A dedicated area used for packing, validation, cartonization, and label printing.
Pallet Position
Standard unit of vertical and horizontal storage capacity – “one pallet’s worth” of space.
Performance Optimization (Template Select SQL)
A best practice where key values are set early so the system can avoid running heavier SQL during template selection whenever possible.
Pick Path
The physical route a picker follows; optimized to minimize travel time.
Pick-to-Carton / Pick-to-Tote
A picking method where items are picked directly into the final shipping container or tote.
Print Courier
A lightweight Print Envoy service/agent that runs in your environment to receive print jobs from Dynamics 365 and deliver them to the correct printer or label engine.
Print Courier Analytics
Monitoring/metrics for the print service, typically including uptime, polling activity, queue depth, and processed label counts.
Print Envoy
A Dynamics 365–integrated label printing automation solution that generates barcode/compliance labels from ERP transactions using configurable template and printer selection rules (often via Print Handler/Print Courier services and integrations with labeling platforms like BarTender or Loftware).The activation and entitlement that enables Print Envoy features for your Dynamics 365 environment, typically controlled by a license key and assigned to the correct instance/environment.
Print Envoy licensing
The activation and entitlement that enables Print Envoy features for your Dynamics 365 environment, typically controlled by a license key and assigned to the correct instance/environment.
Print Handler
A labeling “trigger/handler” concept that generates label data output when a business process runs (e.g., receiving, production, shipping).
Print Inventory Labels Form
A standard printing entry point used as an example for enabling overrides and driving label output.
Print Log Inquiry
A log view used to track print job creation, routing, and errors so teams can troubleshoot missing or misrouted labels.
Print Server Drop Folders
A configuration that defines where drop files are written so the print service can poll for new label jobs.
Printer Selection Rules
Rules that determine which printer is used based on conditions like site, warehouse, user, device, or process context.
Printer Type
A classification used by integrations (especially cloud) that can affect how templates/printers are resolved (sometimes appended or prepended into names).
Production Staging
Material movement to a location adjacent to a production line.
Production Staging
Material movement to a location adjacent to a production line.
Q
Quality Order
D365 mechanism for triggering testing, inspection, and sample validations.
Quarantine
Inventory status used to isolate items pending inspection or resolution.
R
Rack Totem Label
Vertical label placed on upright frames identifying aisle, bay, and levels.
Raw Material (RM)
Inventory consumed during production operations.
Receiving Work
System-generated tasks for validating, LP labeling, and moving inbound goods.
Replenishment Work
Tasks generated by D365 to refill forward pick or stage raw materials.
Reserve Storage
High-level or deep-rack storage used for bulk inventory.
Return-to-Stock (RTS)
Returning a sellable returned item to an active stock location.
Return-to-Vendor (RTV)
Returning defective or unacceptable goods back to suppliers.
Rule Fields
Common criteria fields used in selection rules to decide which template/printer applies for a given transaction.
S
Scan Compliance
Percentage of transactions properly scanned using ScanWorkX devices.
ScanWorkX
A mobile, barcode-driven warehouse execution system integrated with D365 F&O.
Serial Number
Unique identifier used to track individual units.
Service Account Permissions
Required access rights (especially write permissions to drop folders) that allow the print service to create, read, and process label files.
Slotting
The method of assigning SKUs to their optimal storage locations.
Smart Barcode
A barcode encoding multiple data elements (item, location, quantity, or work ID).
SQL Select Statement
A query used to retrieve label data (from ERP tables) and return fields that populate label templates and rules.
SQL Template Select Statement
A query used specifically to decide which template should print, based on live data and rule logic.
Staging
Temporary warehouse areas used between picking and loading or receiving and putaway.
Stock Keeping Unit (SKU)
Unique identifier for distinct inventory items.
T
Template Selection Rules
Rules that determine which label template should be used for a transaction based on conditions and/or SQL-driven decisions.
Throughput
Rate at which goods flow through the warehouse.
Token Retrieval (Authentication Errors)
The login/auth step where a system requests an access token; failures typically indicate wrong credentials, endpoint, or app configuration.
Totem Label
Large, vertical rack label showing location hierarchy.
Transact-SQL (T-SQL)
Microsoft’s SQL dialect used for advanced query logic (joins, case statements, parameters) in ERP-driven label data selection.
Transfer Order
D365 document used for moving inventory between warehouses or sites.
Travel Path
Physical route for forklifts or pickers; optimized to prevent congestion.
U
Universal Template Fields
A standardized set of fields made available across templates so overrides and reusable logic can work consistently.
UOM (Unit of Measure)
The defined measurement for quantities of an item (each, case, pallet, kilogram, etc.).
User Values (UserValue1–UserValue8)
Extra configurable fields that can be populated by SQL aliases or logic to pass custom data into label templates without changing the base data model.
V
Valid Values
A constrained list of allowed inputs (often used on override forms) to prevent incorrect free-typed values from printing on labels.
Velocity
Movement frequency of an item; used in slotting and replenishment strategies.
Vendor Compliance
A supplier’s adherence to labeling, packaging, and ASN requirements.
W
Wave
A group of outbound orders released together to create pick work.
Wave Template
Rule set determining how waves form, release, and allocate inventory.
WES/WCS (Warehouse Execution/Control System)
Systems used to control automation and material handling equipment.
WIP (Work in Process)
Inventory in the middle of production activities.
WMDP Print Handlers
A category of mobile-related handlers where certain UI-based override interactions may not be supported.
Work Template
D365 configuration defining pick/put logic, steps, and work classes.
Z
Zone
Logical grouping of locations; used for picking, putaway, and replenishment.
