Glossary

Forecast/demand management software brings together factors such as historical trends, current order information, planned sales promotions, and price reduction to estimate future demand. See also Demand Flow Scheduling Systems, and Demand Management.

Foreign Owned US Defense Contractor is a company recognised by the US government as one allowed to bid for US defense contracts, despite being foreign owned. To achieve this status, such US subsidiaries are generally incorporated in the US and have a local board of directors which is predominately composed of US citizens. An example is BAESystems North America, headquartered in Maryland.

Form Factor is the general shape of a unit or object.

In process manufacturing, a formula specifies the ingredients and the amounts needed (e.g., pounds, gallons, liters). A formula can also specify the processing steps required to make a product, and in this case is often called a recipe.

A Fourth Party Logistics Provider (4PL, sometimes also referred to as an LLP or Lead Logistics Provider) is a type of supply chain services company which adds additional services compared to a 3PL. A 4PL will take over all the management of a company’s supply chain process (including acting as point of contact for customers), and will usually offer strategic level supply chain expertise as well as capacity to manage, monitor, and improve operations.