Glossary

Business management glossary

Plain-language definitions for strategy, finance, and operations terms.

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Glossary

Business management

88 terms
A 2 terms
AI & automation 1 terms
  • AI agent
    A software agent that uses artificial intelligence to automate tasks, respond to users, and make recommendations based on context and data.
B 5 terms
  • Business model
    The way a company creates value, delivers it to customers, and captures revenue and profit.
  • Business plan
    A structured document outlining a company's goals, strategy, market, financials, and execution roadmap.
  • Break-even point
    The sales level where total revenue equals total costs, resulting in zero profit or loss.
  • Burn rate
    The pace at which a company uses cash, typically measured monthly for startups.
  • Budget variance
    The difference between planned and actual figures, used to analyze performance.
C 10 terms
  • Capital expenditure (CapEx)
    Spending on long-term assets like equipment or property that deliver value over time.
  • Cash flow
    The movement of cash into and out of a business across operating, investing, and financing activities.
  • Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
    The average cost to acquire a new customer, including marketing and sales expenses.
  • Customer lifetime value (LTV)
    Projected revenue a customer generates over the full relationship with the company.
  • Churn rate
    The percentage of customers or revenue lost over a period.
  • Compliance
    Adherence to laws, regulations, and internal policies that govern business conduct.
  • Chorus Pro
    France’s state e-invoicing portal for public-sector invoices (B2G) and the backbone for upcoming B2B e-invoicing; operated by AIFE, supports Factur-X/UBL/CII formats, validations, and status feedback, similar in routing role to FACe (Spain) or Mercurius (Belgium).
  • Change management
    The discipline of preparing and supporting people through organizational changes.
  • Customer success
    Proactive support that ensures customers achieve desired outcomes and renew.
  • Continuous improvement
    An ongoing effort to enhance processes, products, or services through incremental changes.
D 1 terms
  • Delegation
    Assigning authority and responsibility for tasks while retaining accountability for outcomes.
E 2 terms
  • ebInterface (Austria)
    Austria’s XML e-invoicing standard used especially for B2G; supported via PEPPOL and the Unternehmensserviceportal (USP), alongside XRechnung imports for some public bodies.
  • Escalation path
    A predefined route for raising issues to higher authority when they cannot be resolved at the current level.
F 2 terms
  • Forecasting
    Estimating future performance using historical data, assumptions, and scenarios.
  • FACe
    Spanish state portal for submitting e-invoices to public administrations (B2G) in the Facturae format; routes invoices to the right contracting body and sits alongside SII (VAT reporting) and TicketBAI (Basque clearance/reporting).
Finance & budgeting 10 terms
  • Budget
    A financial plan that estimates expected revenue and spending for a given period.
  • Expense management
    Workflow to submit, approve, and reimburse business expenses with policy controls.
  • Budget variance analysis
    Review of differences between budgeted and actuals to understand drivers and corrective actions.
  • Rolling forecast
    Continuously updated financial projection that extends the plan horizon each period.
  • Zero-based budgeting
    Budgeting approach where every expense must be justified from zero each cycle.
  • Top-down budgeting
    Leadership sets targets at the corporate level and cascades budgets to teams.
  • Bottom-up budgeting
    Teams build detailed budgets that are rolled up to form the company plan.
  • Capital budgeting
    Process to evaluate and prioritize long-term investments like equipment or facilities.
  • Operating budget
    Planned revenue and operating expenses for day-to-day business over a period.
  • Scenario budgeting
    Planning multiple budget versions based on different assumptions to stay agile.
G 3 terms
  • Gross margin
    Revenue minus cost of goods sold, showing how much value remains to fund operations.
  • Governance
    The structures, policies, and processes that ensure accountability and ethical management.
  • GDPR
    General Data Protection Regulation; EU law that sets rules for collecting, processing, and protecting personal data, including consent, data rights, and breach notifications.
HR & People 1 terms
  • HRBP
    Human Resources Business Partner; HR role embedded in business units to align people strategy with company goals.
HR tech 17 terms
  • HCM platform
    Human Capital Management suite covering core HR, payroll, talent, and workforce tools.
  • HRIS
    Human Resources Information System; system of record for employee data, employment status, and organizational structure.
  • ATS
    Applicant Tracking System; software to manage job postings, candidates, interviews, and hiring pipelines.
  • Performance management system
    Tools for setting goals, running reviews, calibrating ratings, and linking performance to rewards.
  • LMS
    Learning Management System; platform to deliver, track, and certify training programs.
  • Payroll automation
    Software-driven calculation and disbursement of wages, taxes, and deductions with minimal manual intervention.
  • People analytics
    Data analysis of workforce metrics to improve hiring, retention, productivity, and equity.
  • Succession planning
    Process and tooling to identify and prepare successors for critical roles.
  • Compensation benchmarking
    Comparing pay bands to market data to set competitive and equitable salaries.
  • Onboarding workflow
    Automated steps to activate new hires, accounts, equipment, and training on day one.
  • Employee engagement platform
    Suite for surveys, feedback, recognition, and communications that drive engagement.
  • Pulse survey
    Short, recurring survey to monitor employee sentiment and engagement trends.
  • 360 feedback
    Feedback process that gathers input from peers, managers, and reports for a holistic view.
  • Time and attendance system
    Tooling to capture hours worked, shifts, and absences for payroll and compliance.
  • Scheduling system
    Software to create, publish, and adjust staff schedules while managing availability and coverage.
  • Benefits administration
    Systems and processes to manage enrollment, eligibility, and costs for employee benefits.
  • Leave management system
    Software to request, approve, and track paid time off and leaves of absence.
I 1 terms
  • Inventory turnover
    How often inventory is sold and replaced over a period, indicating demand and efficiency.
K 3 terms
  • KPI
    Key Performance Indicator; a metric used to track performance against targets.
  • KsEF
    Poland’s National e-Invoicing System (KSeF) for structured XML invoices with real-time clearance; voluntary since 2022, expected mandatory for most VAT taxpayers in 2025, with faster VAT refunds (~40→20 days), full audit trail, and reduced fraud.
  • Key account management
    A focused approach to grow and retain a company's most valuable customers.
L 2 terms
  • Lead time
    The time between starting a process and completing it, often tracked in production or procurement.
  • Lean management
    A methodology focused on maximizing value while minimizing waste in processes.
M 1 terms
  • Mercurius (Belgium)
    Belgium’s federal PEPPOL access point for B2G e-invoicing; routes Peppol BIS invoices to public entities and underpins regional mandates, analogous to Chorus Pro (France), FACe (Spain), or ZRE/OZG-RE (Germany).
N 2 terms
O 4 terms
P 2 terms
  • Procurement
    The process of sourcing, negotiating, and purchasing goods or services for the business.
  • Project charter
    A short document that authorizes a project, defining objectives, scope, stakeholders, and authority.
R 4 terms
  • Runway
    The number of months a company can operate at its current burn rate before cash runs out.
  • Run rate
    An annualized view of current performance, projecting recent results over a full year.
  • Risk management
    Identifying, assessing, and mitigating threats to objectives across finance, operations, and compliance.
  • RACI matrix
    A responsibility grid that clarifies who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for tasks.
S 7 terms
  • Strategic objective
    A measurable long-term goal that aligns teams around the company's direction.
  • Scenario planning
    Evaluating multiple possible futures to prepare decisions and contingency plans.
  • SII (Spain)
    Spain’s Immediate Supply of Information system for near-real-time VAT ledger reporting to AEAT; not clearance, but requires sending issued/received invoice data within days and runs alongside TicketBAI in the Basque region and FACe for B2G invoices.
  • Span of control
    The number of direct reports a manager oversees, affecting communication and efficiency.
  • Standard operating procedure (SOP)
    A documented, repeatable set of steps to execute a process consistently.
  • Service level agreement (SLA)
    A contract that defines expected service standards such as response or resolution times.
  • Supply chain management
    Coordinating the flow of materials, information, and finances from suppliers to customers.
Systems 2 terms
  • ERP
    Enterprise Resource Planning; integrated software that unifies finance, HR, operations, and supply chain data in one system.
  • CRM
    Customer Relationship Management; software for tracking leads, deals, and customer interactions across the lifecycle.
T 1 terms
  • TicketBAI
    Basque Country e-invoicing and real-time reporting mandate for invoices in Álava, Biscay, and Gipuzkoa; generates a TicketBAI QR/code and submits signed data to the regional tax office, complementing Spain’s SII VAT reporting and FACe B2G portal.
U 1 terms
  • USP (Austria)
    The Austrian federal services portal (Unternehmensserviceportal) that receives B2G e-invoices—often ebInterface or XRechnung—typically via PEPPOL, similar in role to ZRE/OZG-RE (Germany) or FACe (Spain).
V 1 terms
  • Value proposition
    The clear statement of why a customer should choose a product or service over alternatives.
W 1 terms
  • Working capital
    Current assets minus current liabilities; a measure of short-term liquidity.
X 1 terms
  • XRechnung
    Germany’s EN 16931-compliant XML format mandated for B2G e-invoices; typically sent via PEPPOL or public portals like ZRE/OZG-RE, similar in role to Factur-X (France) or ebInterface (Austria) for B2G.
Z 1 terms
  • ZRE / OZG-RE
    German federal (ZRE) and state (OZG-RE) portals that receive B2G XRechnung invoices; provide PEPPOL access points and web upload, akin to FACe (Spain), Chorus Pro (France), or Mercurius (Belgium).
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