Glossary
The parts counter vocabulary, defined.
Core charge, remanufactured exchange, K-Type, backorder, reclaimed parts: the words the trade uses daily and nobody explains. One page per term, written to be useful in thirty seconds.
This glossary is not a dictionary. Each entry gives the definition first, then what a dictionary cannot: how the term is actually used at the counter, and the mistake that costs money.
It is written as much for a salesperson starting the job as for a workshop owner trying to read an invoice line, or a software vendor modelling the trade. No entry talks about the PartnAir product: a definition that sells is useful to nobody.
30 terms defined
Identifying the vehicle
Engine codeAn engine code designates an exact engine, not a displacement. What it changes for the part you order, and the three places to read it.K-Type numberA K-Type is the identifier a TecDoc catalogue assigns to a vehicle version. What it is for, what it does not say, and why it does not travel outside the catalogue.National type approval codeThe French CNIT identifies an approved vehicle version. Where to read it on the registration document and what it adds to part identification.TecDocTecDoc is the parts catalogue data standard of the independent aftermarket, published by TecAlliance. What it holds, who licenses it, and what it does not do.TecRMITecRMI holds repair and maintenance data: standard labour times, procedures, service schedules. What separates it from a parts catalogue.VINA VIN identifies one vehicle, not a model. Where to read it, what it really tells you about the part to order, and why it is not always enough.
Part numbers and equivalents
Aftermarket partAn aftermarket part is designed for a vehicle without being distributed by its manufacturer. What the term really covers and where the risk line runs.Cross-referenceA cross-reference links one part number to its equivalents at other brands. How it is built, and why it is not validation.EAN (GTIN) codeAn EAN uniquely identifies a trade item worldwide. What it adds next to a part number, and why it does not replace the catalogue.OE part numberAn OE number is the vehicle manufacturer's number for the factory-fitted part. What it guarantees, what it does not, and how to move to the aftermarket.OEM and OES partsOEM is the manufacturer that produces for the carmaker, OES the carmaker's own distribution channel. What each acronym actually commits you to.Parts supplierSuppliers make the parts, distributors sell them. What a supplier brand actually commits to in a counter proposal.
Invoicing and terms
BackorderA backorder is the unshipped part of an order kept open. Why it should be handled as a commitment, not as stock.Core chargeA core charge is the amount invoiced pending return of the used part. How it is settled, and why it so often drags on.Credit noteA credit note cancels all or part of an issued invoice. The four counter situations that produce one, and why they drag.Discount matrixA discount matrix crosses customer and part family to produce a net price. What it settles, and what it makes impossible to improvise.List price and net priceList price is the basis, net price is what the customer pays. Why both exist and what it changes at the counter.Remanufactured exchangeA remanufactured exchange part is industrially rebuilt, not simply used. What sets it apart and when to offer it.
Stock and delivery
Availability lead timeLead time is when the part actually becomes collectable. Why it is neither stock availability nor delivery time.Cross-dockingCross-docking moves goods through without storing them. What it enables in the aftermarket and what it demands in return.Delivery runA delivery run is the regular route serving workshops. Why its timing, more than stock, decides what can be promised.DropshippingIn dropshipping the supplier ships straight to the workshop. What it solves in the aftermarket, and what responsibility it shifts.Goods returnA return is not one thing: order error, picking error, faulty part or customer change of mind are handled differently.PickingPicking is pulling parts in the warehouse to build an order. Where errors are born and how they can still be caught.
Workshop side
ADAS calibrationADAS calibration realigns driver-assistance sensors after a job. Which operations trigger it and what it changes about the order.OBD fault codeA fault code names a measured symptom, not a part to replace. How to read one at the counter without drawing the wrong conclusion.Reclaimed partReclaimed parts must be offered to consumers in certain cases in France. What the category covers and where its limits are.Repair orderA repair order authorises and frames a workshop job. What it contains, and why it is the real context behind a parts request.Standard labour timeStandard labour time is the normalised duration of a job, used to price labour. What it guarantees and what it does not.Vehicle downtimeDowntime is the period a vehicle cannot be driven. Why it is the unit of measure that actually matters to a workshop.
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