Early Purchasing Involvement (EPI)
A practice involving supply management professionals in a new product development process from its inception

Early Supplier Involvement (ESI)
A practice that brings together one or more selected suppliers with a buyer's product design team early in the product development process

E-Business
A means of doing business that uses electronic technologies such as EDI, Internet, Web based supply chain integration to the benefit of an organisation. It's also known as E-commerce

Economic Indicators
Activities that change relative to the economy

Economic Order Quantity
A deterministic model that minimizes total acquisition and inventory carrying cost. Popularly it is known as EOQ

Economies of Scale
The reduction in average unit costs experienced as an orgnisation's volume increases

Electronic Commerce
Utilization of technology of the computer , including such tools as EDI, the internet, intranets , Extranets to do commercial transaction

Electronic Data Interchange
Popularly known as EDI it's computer to computer exchange of business information in a standard format. Transaction documents are transmitted electronically from purchaser's computer to the seller's computer

Electronic Fund Transfer
The electronic transmission of funds from one party, usually the Purchaser to other party, usually the Supplier. The transfer is often done through internet using credit card

Electronic Requisitions
Purchase requisitions / Indents generated and transmitted by computer, replacing paper forms
 

eMarketplace
A place to conduct e-commerce where sellers and purchasers meet on the net. It is used for purchasing , auctioning etc.

Embargo
A government's total ban on trade with a specific country

Enterprise
A complete business organisation from front line employees to top management, all functions in between

ERP
Enterprise Resource Planning refers to a system that integrates various functions within an organisation. It may be used for forecasting, Materials Management etc. It's a computerised system now a days

Escalation Clause
A contract clause permitting a specified increase in the price of goods or services in the event of certain conditions. Such a clause also specific de-escalation

Established Market Price
A current price generated in the usual course of business between buyers and sellers free to bargain and which can be substantiated from an independent source

Exchange Barriers
The restrictions imposed on exchanging a country's currency against those of other countries

Exchange Rate
The price of a currency as it is being exchanged for another

Exempt Commodities
Commodities that are not subject to import duties or can be transported exempt of regulation

Expediting
Contacting a supplier or carrier with the goal of speeding up the delivery date of an inbound shipmen

Export license
A permit from a host country government, enabling organisations to take goods out of a country

Express Warranty
A specific assurance made by the seller concerning the performance , quality, or nature of the goods or services sold

External Customer
The ultimate marketplace purchaser / user of an organisation's outputs