Gain Sharing
A method of incentive compensation where supply chain partners share collectively in savings from productivity improvements. The concept provides an incentive to both the buying and supplier organizations to focus on continually reevaluating, re-energizing, and enhancing their business relationship. All aspects of value delivery are scrutinized, including specification design, order processing, inbound transportation, inventory management, obsolescence programs, material yield, forecasting and inventory planning, product performance and reverse logistics. The focus is on driving out limited value cost while protecting profit margins.

Gantry Crane
Port crane used to load and discharge containers from vessels, can be positioned by moving along rail tracks.

Gap analysis
A comparison of the current performance of a business process with that reported to be the best-in-class. A gap analysis is used to prioritize multiple opportunities for improvement within the same supply chain.

Garment-on-Hanger
Method of storing apparel in containers for garments that should not be folded.

Gateway
(1) Shipping: Point at which freight moving from one territory to another is interchanged between transportation lines. (2) Computers: Computers, like bridges and routers, are a method of connecting two local area networks. Gateways translate between two LAN protocols. (3) Gateways: are protocol-specific and can only translate between two types of networks, not directly to PCs.

Gathering lines
Oil pipelines that bring oil from the oil well to storage areas.

GBL
see Government Bill of Lading

General commodities carrier
A common motor carrier that has operating authority to transport general commodities, or all commodities not listed as special commodities.

General Commodity
Any commodity that is not household goods or personal effects.

General-merchandise warehouse
A warehouse that is used to store goods that are readily handled, are packaged, and do not req1ire a controlled environment.

Genset
Generator sets which supply power to refrigerated containers when no external source is available. It is used to regulate the temperature in a reefer container. It can use its own power or plugs provided on the pier/vessel.

GIF
see Graphics Interchange Format

Global Positioning System
A system that uses satellites equipment to precisely locate over-the-road equipment.

Global Strategy
A strategy that focuses on improving worldwide performance through the sales and marketing of common goods and services with minimum product variation by country. Its competitive advantage grows through selecting the best locations for operations in other countries.

Global Trade Item Number
A unique number that comprises up to 14 digits and is used to identify an item (product or service) upon which there is a need to retrieve pre-defined information that may be priced, ordered or invoiced at any point in the supply chain. The definition covers raw materials through end user products and includes services, all of which have pre-defined characteristics. GTIN is the globally-unique EAN.UCC System identification number, or key, used for trade items (products and services). It’s used for uniquely identifying trade items (products and services) sold, delivered, warehoused, and billed throughout the retail and commercial distribution channels. Unlike a UPC number, which only provides information specific to a group of products, the GTIN gives each product its own specific identifying number, giving greater accuracy in tracking. See EPC

Globalization
The process of making something worldwide in scope or application.

GMP
See Good manufacturing practices.

GNP
see Gross National Product

GOH
see Garment-on-Hanger

Going-concern value
The value that a firm has as an entity, as opposed to the sum of the values of each of its parts taken separately, particularly important in determining what constitutes a reasonable railroad rate.

Gondola
A rail car with a flat platform and sides three to five feet high, used for top loading of items that are long and heavy.

Good manufacturing practices
That part of the pharmaceutical quality assurance, which ensures that products are consistently produced and controlled in conformity with quality standards appropriate for their intended use and as required by the product specification.

Good manufacturing practices (GMP) or 21 CFR, part
Requirements governing the quality procedures of medical device manufacturers.

Goods
Merchandise, supplies, raw materials, commodities and finished product. All things are treated as moveable and indicated as sold to a particular buyer.

Goods Purchased For Resale
By definition implies that goods are intended to make a profit. This definition does not include raw materials purchased by an agency for conversion to a finished product with the intent to recoup cost of materials and overhead only.

Goods Received Note
Documentation raised by the recipient of materials or products.

Government Bill of Lading
The bill of lading used for shipments completed by U.S. Government agencies.

GPS
see Global Positioning System

Grandfather clause
A provision that enabled motor carriers engaged in lawful trucking operations before the passage of the Motor Carrier Act of 1935 to secure common carrier authority without proving public convenience and necessity, a similar provision exists for other modes.

Grandfathering
Clause creating an exemption based on circumstances previously existing.

Granger laws
State laws passed before 1870 in Midwestern states to control rail transportation.

Graphics Interchange Format
A graphical file format commonly used to display indexed-color images on the World Wide Web. GIF is a compressed format, designed to minimize file transfer time over standard phone lines.

Great Lakes carriers
Water carriers that operate on the five Great lakes.

GRI
General Rate Increase

Grid technique
A quantitative technique to determine the least-cost center, given raw materials sources and markets, for locating a plant or warehouse.

GRN
see Goods Received Note

Gross Inventory
Value of inventory at standard cost before any reserves for excess and obsolete items are taken.

Gross Margin
The difference between total revenue and the cost of goods sold. Synonym: gross profit margin.

Gross National Product
A measure of a nation’s output, the total value of all final goods and services produced during a period of time.

Gross Weight
Weight of a shipment together with the weight of a tractor-trailer and any other shipments on board.

Groupthink
A situation in which critical information is withheld from the team because individual members censor or restrain themselves, either because they believe their concerns are not worth discussing or because they are afraid of confrontation.

GTIN
see Global Trade Item Number

GTM
Global Trade Management.

Guarantee
A warranty or statement of performance assurance, quality standards or other promises related to a purchase.

Guaranteed loans
Loans made to railroads that are cosigned and guaranteed by the federal government.

Global Trade Management
The total optimization of the end-to-end international Supply-Chain, from product conception to final delivery — with focus on the integration of key cross-border (i.e., Trade and Customs) regulatory, strategic and system components — to ensure a seamless, secure, and cost-effective flow of goods, data and payments, across international borders.

GTM
See Global Trade Management