Lexicon

Welcome to AHRMM's health care supply chain Lexicon. This database contains terms used throughout the health care supply chain field. Simply click on the link to access the entire definition.

AHRMM thanks Kate Vitasek and Supply Chain Visions for their contribution of certain terms to the Lexicon. Terms supplied by Supply Chain Visions are used with permission. Supply Chain Vision’s Glossary of Supply Chain Management Terms appears on the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals website. AHRMM also acknowledges Michael B. Neely with Perimeter Solutions Group for his role in developing health care-specific terms.

• B.A.S.

  See Building Automated System

• B2B

  See Business to Business

• B2C

  See Business to Consumer

• Back Order

  Product ordered but out of stock and promised to ship when the product becomes available.

• Back Order

  Product ordered but out of stock and promised to ship when the product becomes available. Backorders are usually caused by stock shortages resulting from unanticipated or unusually high demand as well as manufacturers difficulties with their supply chain.

• Back Scheduling

  A technique used to calculating activities based on a series of known activities, the time required to complete them, and the desired end date for completing the series.

• Backflush

  A method used to relieve inventory and charge costs based on completed units. Backflushing is an alternative to processing actual issue or labor transactions related to production. Typically a bill of materials is used to determine the quantity required to build a product, and relief is based on quantity required per time units complete. It works well in environments where the time spent in WIP is short, otherwise the delay in recording book on hand can cause problems with inventory control