{"id":12668,"date":"2018-06-11T11:34:19","date_gmt":"2018-06-11T09:34:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.der-digitalisierungsberater.de\/it-glossary\/"},"modified":"2026-04-26T17:24:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-26T15:24:43","slug":"it-glossary","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.der-digitalisierungsberater.de\/en\/it-glossary\/","title":{"rendered":"IT glossary"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The software world, IT contracts, and marketing are full of abbreviations.<\/strong><\/p>\n

To make things a bit easier, we’ve prepared this glossary for you.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd50<\/h1>\n

AGBs \u2013 General Terms and Conditions<\/strong>
Standardized contractual terms that companies use for their business with customers. They govern topics such as liability, payment, or returns. <\/p>\n

AI \u2013 Artificial Intelligence<\/strong>
Technologies where computers learn independently, recognize patterns, and make decisions\u2014e.g., in chatbots or image analysis.<\/p>\n

ANBU \u2013 Fixed Asset Accounting<\/strong>
Part of accounting that manages and depreciates all long-term assets of a company (machinery, buildings, vehicles).<\/p>\n

APP \u2013 Application (Software Solution)<\/strong>
A program developed for a specific task\u2014e.g., a smartphone app or a web application.<\/p>\n

API \u2013 Application Programming Interface<\/strong>
Connects different software systems so they can exchange data and share functions.<\/p>\n

APQP \u2013 Advanced Product Quality Planning<\/strong>
Methodology for early planning and assurance of product quality\u2014especially in the automotive industry.<\/p>\n

APS \u2013 Advanced Planning & Scheduling<\/strong>
Software for precise production planning, taking into account resources, capacities, and delivery dates.<\/p>\n

ASP \u2013 Application Service Providing<\/strong>
Provision of software via a data center\u2014users access it via the internet (similar to today’s cloud services).<\/p>\n

ATP \u2013 Available to Promise<\/strong>
Function in ERP systems that checks whether products or materials can be delivered at a specific time.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd51<\/h1>\n

B2B \u2013 Business to Business<\/strong>
Business relationships between two companies, e.g., manufacturer \u2194 wholesaler.<\/p>\n

B2C \u2013 Business to Customer<\/strong>
Business model where companies sell directly to end customers.<\/p>\n

BC \u2013 Business Central (Microsoft)<\/strong>
ERP system from Microsoft for small and medium-sized businesses.<\/p>\n

BDE \u2013 Production Data Acquisition<\/strong>
Capture of production data such as quantities, run times, or machine states directly on the shop floor.<\/p>\n

BI \u2013 Business Intelligence<\/strong>
Tools and methods for collecting and analyzing business data to support better decisions.<\/p>\n

BPEL \u2013 Business Process Execution Language<\/strong>
XML-based language for automating and controlling business processes in IT systems.<\/p>\n

BPM \u2013 Business Process Management<\/strong>
Holistic approach to analyzing, designing, and optimizing business processes.<\/p>\n

BPMN \u2013 Business Process Modeling Notation<\/strong>
Standardized graphical representation of business processes (e.g., as a diagram).<\/p>\n

BPO \u2013 Business Process Optimization<\/strong>
Measures to improve the efficiency of existing processes in a company.<\/p>\n

BVD \u2013 Excise Tax<\/strong>
Tax levied on the consumption of certain goods, e.g., fuel or tobacco tax.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd52<\/h1>\n

CAD \u2013 Computer Aided Design<\/strong>
Software-supported design of technical products or blueprints on a computer.<\/p>\n

CAQ \u2013 Computer Aided Quality Management<\/strong>
IT-supported quality assurance\u2014e.g., through test plans, error analyses, and documentation.<\/p>\n

CCU \u2013 Concurrent User<\/strong>
Indicates how many users are allowed to use a software system simultaneously.<\/p>\n

CMS \u2013 Content Management System<\/strong>
Software for creating, managing, and publishing website content (e.g., WordPress, TYPO3).<\/p>\n

CNC \u2013 Computer Numerical Control<\/strong>
Control of machines (e.g., milling machines) through numerical, computer-based commands.<\/p>\n

COGS \u2013 Cost of Goods Sold<\/strong>
Term for the production costs of sold products\u2014an important metric in accounting.<\/p>\n

CRM \u2013 Customer Relationship Management<\/strong>
Strategy and software for managing customer relationships, e.g., contact management, sales, and service.<\/p>\n

CRP \u2013 Capacity Requirements Planning<\/strong>
Planning of required production capacities in a company.<\/p>\n

CSV \u2013 Comma Separated Values<\/strong>
Simple text format for data exchange, where values are separated by commas.<\/p>\n

CTI \u2013 Computer Telephone Integration<\/strong>
Integration of telephony into computer systems\u2014e.g., initiating calls directly from software or displaying customer data when the phone rings.<\/p>\n

CTP \u2013 Capable to Promise<\/strong>
Advanced availability check that also considers production capacities.<\/p>\n

CV \u2013 Curriculum Vitae (Resume)<\/strong>
Overview of a person’s professional career, education, and qualifications.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd53<\/h1>\n

DevSys \u2013 Development System<\/strong>
System environment where new software features are developed and tested before being transferred to the production environment.<\/p>\n

DMS \u2013 Document Management System<\/strong>
Software for structured storage, management, and versioning of digital documents.<\/p>\n

DRP \u2013 Distribution Requirements Planning<\/strong>
Planning method for the demand for goods and their distribution within supply chains.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd54<\/h1>\n

EDV \u2013 Electronic Data Processing<\/strong>
General term for the processing of information using electronic systems (computers).<\/p>\n

EAI \u2013 Enterprise Application Integration<\/strong>
Integration of various enterprise applications to connect data and processes across systems.<\/p>\n

EDM \u2013 Electronic Data Management<\/strong>
Management of electronic data\u2014often synonymous with document management.<\/p>\n

ECM \u2013 Enterprise Content Management<\/strong>
Holistic strategy and software for managing all corporate information and documents.<\/p>\n

ERP \/ ERP II \u2013 Enterprise Resource Planning<\/strong>
Comprehensive enterprise software for planning and controlling finance, production, inventory, and personnel.<\/p>\n

EDI \u2013 Electronic Data Interchange<\/strong>
Electronic data exchange between companies, e.g., orders or invoices.<\/p>\n

EPK \u2013 Event-Driven Process Chain<\/strong>
Representation method for business processes, where workflows are described through events and functions.<\/p>\n

ERM \u2013 Electronic Resource Management<\/strong>
System for managing digital resources\u2014frequently used in libraries or IT environments.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd55<\/h1>\n

FDA \u2013 Food and Drug Administration<\/strong>
U.S. agency responsible for the approval and oversight of food, drugs, and medical products. Often relevant in IT projects for validation requirements in medical technology. <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd56<\/h1>\n

GIS \u2013 Geographic Information System<\/strong>
Software for capturing, analyzing, and displaying geographic data\u2014e.g., for site planning, logistics, or environmental management.<\/p>\n

GDPdU \u2013 Principles for Data Access and Auditability of Digital Documents<\/strong>
Tax authority guideline requiring companies to maintain tax-relevant data digitally and make it auditable.<\/p>\n

GoBS \u2013 Principles of Proper Computer-Aided Accounting Systems<\/strong>
Rules ensuring that digital accounting systems are traceable, complete, and accurate.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd57<\/h1>\n

HXML \u2013 Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)<\/strong>
Standard markup language for structuring and displaying web page content.<\/p>\n

HRM \u2013 Human Resource Management<\/strong>
System or approach for managing HR processes\u2014e.g., personnel administration, payroll, recruiting.<\/p>\n

HACCP \u2013 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points<\/strong>
System for identifying and preventing risks in food production. Often part of quality management modules in IT systems. <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd58<\/h1>\n

IMAP \u2013 Internet Message Access Protocol<\/strong>
Protocol for retrieving and synchronizing emails directly on the server. Allows access from multiple devices simultaneously. <\/p>\n

IP \u2013 Internet Protocol<\/strong>
Fundamental network protocol responsible for addressing and transmitting data on the internet.<\/p>\n

IS \u2013 Information System<\/strong>
IT system that captures, stores, processes, and provides information\u2014e.g., an ERP or CRM.<\/p>\n

IT \u2013 Information Technology<\/strong>
General term for all technologies that process, store, and transmit information\u2014i.e., hardware, software, networks, and data.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd59<\/h1>\n

JDBC \u2013 Java Database Connectivity<\/strong>
Programming interface that allows Java applications to access databases and execute SQL queries.<\/p>\n

JSON \u2013 JavaScript Object Notation
\n<\/strong>JSON is a lightweight data format used to exchange structured data between systems.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd5a<\/h1>\n

KI \u2013 Artificial Intelligence<\/strong>
Technologies that enable machines to perform tasks requiring human intelligence\u2014e.g., speech recognition, image analysis, decision-making.<\/p>\n

KMU \u2013 Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)<\/strong>
Companies with limited employee numbers and revenue size that form the backbone of the economy. Many IT solutions are specifically tailored to SMEs. <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd5b<\/h1>\n

LAN \u2013 Local Area Network<\/strong>
A network that connects computers and devices within a limited area (e.g., office, building).<\/p>\n

LIMS \u2013 Laboratory Information System<\/strong>
Software for managing, documenting, and analyzing laboratory processes and measurement results.<\/p>\n

LLM \u2013 Large Language Model<\/strong>
An AI model that processes large amounts of text data to understand and generate human-like language (e.g., ChatGPT).<\/p>\n

LVS \u2013 Warehouse Management System<\/strong>
Software for managing inventory, goods movements, and picking processes.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd5c<\/h1>\n

MDA \u2013 Model Driven Architecture<\/strong>
Approach in software development where programs are designed model-based to increase reusability and maintainability.<\/p>\n

MDE \u2013 Machine Data Acquisition<\/strong>
System for automatic capture of machine states and production data (e.g., run times, downtimes).<\/p>\n

MES \u2013 Manufacturing Execution System<\/strong>
Software that controls and monitors production and links it in real time with ERP systems.<\/p>\n

MIS \u2013 Management Information System<\/strong>
System for preparing data for company management\u2014e.g., KPI reports or dashboards.<\/p>\n

MRP \/ MRP II \u2013 Material Requirements Planning<\/strong>
System for planning material requirements to ensure all needed parts are available on time for production.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd5d<\/h1>\n

NC \u2013 Numeric Control<\/strong>
Numerical control of machine tools through computer commands.<\/p>\n

NDA \u2013 Non-Disclosure Agreement<\/strong>
Contract that obligates parties to maintain confidentiality of certain information.<\/p>\n

NU \u2013 Named User<\/strong>
Designation for a software license tied to a specific person (as opposed to a concurrent user license).<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd5e<\/h1>\n

OCR \u2013 Optical Character Recognition<\/strong>
Technology for recognizing and converting text in scanned documents or images into digital, searchable text.<\/p>\n

ODBC \u2013 Open Database Connectivity<\/strong>
Standardized interface that enables access to various databases regardless of vendor.<\/p>\n

OLAP \u2013 Online Analytical Processing<\/strong>
Technology for fast, multidimensional data analysis\u2014e.g., in controlling or reporting.<\/p>\n

OLTP \u2013 Online Transaction Processing<\/strong>
Technology for fast, parallel processing of many small transactions, e.g., in booking or point-of-sale systems.<\/p>\n

OOTB \u2013 Out of the Box<\/strong>
Designation for software that is ready to use immediately after installation\u2014without major customization effort.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd5f<\/h1>\n

PACS \u2013 Picture Archiving and Communication System<\/strong>
System for storing, managing, and transmitting medical image data (e.g., X-rays).<\/p>\n

PDA \u2013 Personal Digital Assistant<\/strong>
Early form of mobile handheld computers; now replaced by smartphones.<\/p>\n

PDM \u2013 Product Data Management<\/strong>
Management of all product-related data and documents throughout the entire lifecycle.<\/p>\n

PEP \u2013 Workforce Scheduling<\/strong>
Software-supported planning of when and where employees are deployed.<\/p>\n

PLM \u2013 Product Lifecycle Management<\/strong>
A holistic approach to managing the entire lifecycle of a product \u2013 from the initial idea through production to disposal.<\/p>\n

PMS \u2013 Project Management System<\/strong>
Software for planning, controlling, and monitoring projects, tasks, and resources.<\/p>\n

PPS \u2013 Production Planning and Control System<\/strong>
Software that plans, steers, and monitors manufacturing \u2013 usually in conjunction with ERP and MES.<\/p>\n

ProdSys \u2013 Production System<\/strong>
A system used in live operations \u2013 the live environment that users work with on a daily basis.<\/p>\n

WBS \u2013 Work Breakdown Structure<\/strong>
A hierarchical representation of all sub-tasks and work packages within a project.<\/p>\n

PZE \u2013 Time and Attendance<\/strong>
A system for recording and evaluating employee working hours.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd60<\/h1>\n

QMS \u2013 Quality Management System<\/strong>
A systematic concept for ensuring and improving product and process quality within a company.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd61<\/h1>\n

RFID \u2013 Radio Frequency Identification<\/strong>
Technology for contactless identification and tracking of objects using radio chips.<\/p>\n

ROI \u2013 Return on Investment<\/strong>
A key figure describing the ratio of profit to invested capital \u2013 essentially the profitability of an investment.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd62<\/h1>\n

SaaS \u2013 Software as a Service<\/strong>
A delivery model where software is used over the internet instead of being installed locally. The provider handles maintenance, updates, and operation. <\/p>\n

SCPM \u2013 Supply Chain Performance Measurement<\/strong>
Measuring and evaluating supply chain performance using key metrics such as delivery time, costs, or inventory levels.<\/p>\n

SCEM \u2013 Supply Chain Event Management<\/strong>
A system for monitoring and controlling events in the supply chain, e.g., in the case of delivery delays or transport problems.<\/p>\n

SCM \u2013 Supply Chain Management<\/strong>
The entirety of all processes concerning the planning, control, and optimization of supply chains \u2013 from raw material procurement to final delivery.<\/p>\n

SKU \u2013 Stock Keeping Unit<\/strong>
An individual storage or sales unit of a product \u2013 each variant (e.g., size, color) has its own SKU.<\/p>\n

SLA \u2013 Service Level Agreement<\/strong>
A contractual agreement regarding the quality and availability of a service, such as response times or system uptime.<\/p>\n

SMS \u2013 Service Management System<\/strong>
A software or process landscape for managing IT services according to defined standards.<\/p>\n

SOA \u2013 Service Oriented Architecture<\/strong>
An IT architecture where software components communicate with each other as loosely coupled, reusable services.<\/p>\n

SOAP \u2013 Simple Object Access Protocol<\/strong>
A standardized network protocol for exchanging structured information between systems over the internet.<\/p>\n

SOX \u2013 Sarbanes-Oxley Act<\/strong>
A US law that establishes strict rules for financial reporting and IT controls in corporations.<\/p>\n

SPC \u2013 Statistical Process Control<\/strong>
A method for monitoring and controlling production processes using statistical methods.<\/p>\n

SQL \u2013 Structured Query Language<\/strong>
A standardized database language for querying, modifying, and managing data in relational databases.<\/p>\n

SRM \u2013 Supplier Relationship Management<\/strong>
A system for managing and optimizing relationships with suppliers.<\/p>\n

SWAP \u2013 Device Exchange<\/strong>
A procedure where defective devices are replaced with identical replacement units \u2013 often regulated in service contracts.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd63<\/h1>\n

TAPI \u2013 Telephone Application Programming Interface<\/strong>
An interface for integrating telephony functions into software applications.<\/p>\n

TCO \u2013 Total Cost of Ownership<\/strong>
The total costs incurred over the entire useful life of an IT solution \u2013 including acquisition, operation, maintenance, and training.<\/p>\n

TestSys \u2013 Test System<\/strong>
A system environment where new software or adjustments are tested before they go into production.<\/p>\n

TOM \u2013 Transport Optimization and Management<\/strong>
Software for planning and controlling transport; often used synonymously with TMS.<\/p>\n

TMS \u2013 Transport Management System<\/strong>
A system for managing, planning, and optimizing transport processes in logistics.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd64<\/h1>\n

EIS \u2013 Environmental Information System<\/strong>
An IT system for recording, analyzing, and reporting environmentally relevant data (e.g., emissions, waste management).<\/p>\n

UML \u2013 Unified Modeling Language<\/strong>
A standardized modeling language for representing and planning software architectures and processes.<\/p>\n

User \u2013 End User<\/strong>
The person who actually uses a software or system.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd65<\/h1>\n

VAR \u2013 Value Added Reseller<\/strong>
A company that distributes software or hardware while providing additional services or customizations.<\/p>\n

VMI \u2013 Vendor Managed Inventory<\/strong>
Supplier-driven inventory management \u2013 the supplier independently monitors and manages the customer’s stock levels.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd66<\/h1>\n

WFM \u2013 Workflow Management<\/strong>
A system for planning, controlling, and automating workflows within a company.<\/p>\n

WFO \u2013 Wharfage Origin<\/strong>
A logistics term; describes the origin or fee in connection with port handling costs.<\/p>\n

WiFi \u2013 Wireless Fidelity (WLAN)<\/strong>
Wireless network technology that connects devices to the internet or to each other.<\/p>\n

WAN \u2013 Wide Area Network<\/strong>
A wide-area network that connects computers and networks over large geographical distances.<\/p>\n

WMS \u2013 Warehouse Management System<\/strong>
Software for controlling and optimizing warehouse processes and material flows.<\/p>\n

WYSIWYG \u2013 What You See Is What You Get<\/strong>
A principle in editors: what you see during editing corresponds exactly to the final result (e.g., in website or form design).<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd67<\/h1>\n

XPDL \u2013 XML Process Definition Language<\/strong>
A standard format for describing business processes for workflow management systems.<\/p>\n

XML \u2013 Extensible Markup Language<\/strong>
A flexible markup language for the structured representation and transmission of data.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udd69<\/h1>\n

EC Sales List \u2013 Recapitulative Statement<\/strong>
A report to the tax office regarding intra-Community supplies and services within the EU.<\/p>\n

IT Job Titles \u2013 Explained Simply<\/h2>\n

CIO \u2013 Chief Information Officer<\/strong>
Responsible for the entire IT strategy and infrastructure of a company.<\/p>\n

CTO \u2013 Chief Technology Officer<\/strong>
Leads technical development and innovation, e.g., in the area of software or product development.<\/p>\n

COO \u2013 Chief Operating Officer<\/strong>
Responsible for the daily operational business of a company.<\/p>\n

CFO \u2013 Chief Financial Officer<\/strong>
Leads finance, accounting, and controlling.<\/p>\n

CEO \u2013 Chief Executive Officer<\/strong>
Managing Director or Chairman of the Board of a company.<\/p>\n

EVP \u2013 Executive Vice President<\/strong>
Executive with high responsibility, usually directly below the board level.<\/p>\n

VP \u2013 Vice President<\/strong>
Senior position, often responsible for a specific business area.<\/p>\n

GM \u2013 General Manager<\/strong>
Managing director or head of a department or branch.<\/p>\n

MD \u2013 Managing Director<\/strong>
Managing director or executive director, especially in an international context.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The software world, IT contracts, and marketing are full of abbreviations. To make things a bit easier, we’ve prepared this glossary for you. \ud83c\udd50 AGBs \u2013 General Terms and ConditionsStandardized...","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12669,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-12668","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.der-digitalisierungsberater.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.der-digitalisierungsberater.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.der-digitalisierungsberater.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.der-digitalisierungsberater.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.der-digitalisierungsberater.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12668"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.der-digitalisierungsberater.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12668\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12672,"href":"https:\/\/www.der-digitalisierungsberater.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12668\/revisions\/12672"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.der-digitalisierungsberater.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12669"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.der-digitalisierungsberater.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}