1) A distribution of costs using calculations that may be unrelated to physical observations or direct or repeatable cause-and-effect relationships. Because of the arbitrary nature of allocations, costs based on cost causal assignment are viewed as more relevant for management decision-making. 2) Allocation of available inventory to customer and production orders.
All Water: Term used when the transportation is completely by water.
American National Standards Institute (ANSI): A non-profit organization chartered to develop, maintain, and promulgate voluntary US national standards in a number of areas, especially with regards to setting EDI standards. ANSI is the US representative to the International Standards Organization (ISO).
American Society for Quality (ASQ): Founded in 1946, a not-for-profit educational organization consisting of 144,000 members who are interested in quality improvement.
American Society of Transportation & Logistics: A professional organization in the field of logistics.
American Trucking Associations: A motor carrier industry association composed of sub-conferences representing various motor carrier industry sectors.
American Waterway Operators: A domestic water carrier industry association representing barge operators on inland waterways.
Amtrak: The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, a federally created corporation that operates most of the United States' intercity passenger rail service.
ANSI: See American National Standards Institute
Anti-Dumping Duty: An additional import duty imposed in instances where imported goods are priced at less than the ìnormalî price charged in the exporterís domestic market and cause material injury to domestic industry in the importing country
Any-Quantity (AQ) rate: A rate that applies to any size shipment tendered to a carrier; no discount rate is available for large shipments.
API: American Petroleum Institute; also Application Programming Interface
APU: APUs automatically shut down the main locomotive engine idle while maintaining all vital main engine systems at greatly reduced fuel consumption

This definition is in context to Supply Chain. See more contextual defintions for Allocation.