Decoding Electronics and Technology Industry Acronyms

Consumer electronics and technology industry acronyms and lingo can be confusing for people new to the industry, and often to those who’ve been around for a while. The industry insiders use this jargon extensively, so we’re here to demystify these terms so they are readily understood by everyone.

Read on and find out what it all really means.

What is industry jargon?

In our industry, there are common terms and phrases that you will come across regarding things like spare parts, Apple products, shipping and administration. Most industries have relevant jargon and technology lingo can be some of the most difficult to understand. In the following sections, we break down the lingo that’s relevant to our particular business and explain things in plain English.

Spare parts jargon

Let’s take a look at some common lingo regarding spare parts in the technology industry.

• LCD: This is an acronym for “Liquid Crystal Display”. LCD technology is commonly used in screens for devices such as phones, computer monitors, TVs and more.
• Service pack: A service pack is the original packaging for Samsung screens and batteries. While “Service Pack” was once printed on the box, it now comes in a plain white box.
• OEM: This acronym represents “Original Equipment Manufacturer”. For example, when talking about mobile phone spare parts, we get these parts directly from the OEM rather than sourcing third-party spare parts copies.
• ASC: This stands for “Authorised Service Centre”. Sometimes, the repairer will be the manufacturer themselves, but often manufacturers authorise other repairers to handle the workload. For mobile phones, these are centres recommended by the manufacturer to carry out repairs and ensure your warranty remains valid.
• TAT: TAT is “Turn Around Time”, and is a vital aspect of any spare parts business. Customers need to know just how many hours, days or weeks it will be before their order or repair is ready.
• OCTA: This is simply another term for LCD screen assembly

Apple products

Apple has some of its very own terminology, so let’s go ahead and demystify this company’s common lingo.

• CPO: CPO has a two-fold meaning - “Certified Pre-Owned” and “Certified Refurbished”. Apple uses these terms when referring to products remanufactured by the company itself. CPO guarantees product inspections and refurbishments to the highest levels, with an Apple warranty attached.
• As Is: As Is or As Is Plus is also refurbished to a standard set by Apple in-house, rather than using any third-party standards.
• Duck head: A weird term, yes, but it’s merely another name for a charging adaptor. Due to the different pin configurations of chargers around the world, every country has its own duck head.
• Brown Box: Brown box units provided by Apple receive the As Is grade. It also refers to grading by Apple for their devices only.
• Master Carton: When bundling a group of products (often five products) together into one big box, it’s referred to as a “Master Carton”. The outside of the carton will display all of the serial numbers for the products contained inside.
• MFI: Certified cables from Apple that are made for iPhone, iPad and iPod.

Shipping & admin lingo

The shipping and admin departments in the tech world also have their own lingo. Let’s break it down.

• ETA: Chances are you’ll already know this one - “Estimated Time of Arrival”, usually referring to the approximate date of delivery to the customer. Generally, the estimate is quite accurate.
• COB: This acronym represents Close of Business. The term is most used to state completion of a certain task by the end of a particular business day.
• Ex Works: These are shipping terms and conditions that clients and customers need to agree to.
• DAP: There are a lot of acronyms in tech lingo, and this one means “Delivered At Place”. In other words, it refers to the delivery destination for the package.
• CPT: An abbreviation of Carriage Paid To. It’s used when negotiating deals regarding who will pay the freight, as well as the liabilities that come with it.
• RMA: A “Return Merchant’s Authorisation” is a form used for stock returns.
• B/L or BOL: This stands for “Bill of Lading”, a document that the shipper issues containing details about the method and destination of a shipment of goods. It’s also used as proof of ownership or authority to collect the goods.