Order Ops

Unit of Measure (UOM)

A unit of measure (UOM) defines how a product is counted and sold, such as each, case, pallet, pound, or gallon. Orders, catalogs, and inventory must agree on UOM or quantities go wrong. A buyer ordering cases while the supplier reads eaches is a classic source of over- and under-shipments.

UOM hierarchy

Most distributed products have a hierarchy: eaches in a case, cases on a pallet. The same item carries a different GTIN at each level. An order specifies both the quantity and its unit of measure, and the conversions between levels have to be exact or the picked quantity will be wrong.

UOM and order errors

A mismatch in unit of measure is one of the most expensive quiet errors in order entry, because the totals still look plausible. Validating each line's UOM against the item master catches a case-versus-each slip before it becomes a wrong shipment.

Related Terms

Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ)

A minimum order quantity (MOQ) is the smallest amount a supplier will accept on an order, set per item or per order value. It protects the supplier's margin on small orders and shapes how buyers plan purchases. Orders below the MOQ are rejected or adjusted, a common source of order exceptions.

SKU (Stock Keeping Unit)

A SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) is a seller's internal code for a distinct product variant, used to track inventory and fulfill orders. Unlike a GTIN, which is globally unique, a SKU is defined by each company, so the same item can have different SKUs at the buyer and the supplier. Mapping between them is essential.

GTIN (Global Trade Item Number)

A GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) is the globally unique number that identifies a product so any trading partner can scan and reference it the same way. It is the number encoded in a UPC or EAN barcode. Common formats are GTIN-12 (UPC), GTIN-13 (EAN), and GTIN-14 for case quantities.

Learn More

EDI 832 Price/Sales Catalog Guide EDI Document Types Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

UOM stands for Unit of Measure, the way a product is counted and sold, such as each, case, pallet, pound, or gallon.

A UOM conversion translates a quantity from one unit to another, such as eaches to cases, using the item's pack hierarchy. Getting it wrong causes over- or under-shipments.

Sources: ASCM supply chain terminology

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