ABC = Activity Based Costing. A methodology that assigns costs to activities based on their use of resources, and assigns costs to cost objects based on the use of activities.

BPM = Business Performance Management. A set of integrated analytical and management tools enabling alignment to organization strategy through a life cycle of financial and operational analysis, planning, reporting and scorecarding activities.  (also refer to CPM)

BPMS = Business Performance Management Software or Business Performance Management System. Refer to BPM.

BSC = Balanced Scorecard. A business performance measurement system developed by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton that analyzes organization success by reviewing the combination of financial, customer, internal business process and employee learning and growth perspectives. The financial perspective evaluates how the organization perceives its shareholders. The customer perspective evaluates how the organization perceives its customers. The process perspective evaluates in what processes the organization should excel to succeed. And finally, the learning and innovation perspective evaluates how the organization sustains the ability to change and improve.

CPM = Corporate Performance Management. "The methodologies, metrics, processes and systems used to monitor and manage an enterprise's business performance." Gartner, Inc.

CPMF = Corporate Performance Management Framework. The four primary constructs: methodologies, metrics, processes and systems (as defined by Gartner, Inc.) that CPM is build on.

CPMS = Corporate Performance Managment Software or Corporate Performance Management System. Refer to CPM.

EPM = Enterprise Performance Management. Refer to BPM.

EPMS = Enterprise Performance Management Software or Enterprise Performance Management System. Refer to BPM.

EVA = Economic Value Added. A methodology measuring the monetary value of an entity at the end of an time period minus the monetary value of that same entity at the beginning of that time period.

KPI = Key Performance Indicators. A measure designed to track a critical performance variable over time.  KPIs link enterprise-wide strategy to enterprise-wide operations.

SEM = Strategic Enterprise Management.  Refer to BPM.

SPM = Strategic Performance Management. Refer to BPM.

SWOT = Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. A SWOT analysis is a thorough and objective study of an organization's internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats.

VBM = Value Based Management approach ensures corporations are run consistently on creating, managing, measuring and maximizing value.


General Business Definitions

Action = A specific statement of a desired condition or achievement. Actions include measurable end results to be accomplished by specific teams or individuals within time limits.

Goal = The state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve and that when achieved terminates behavior intended to achieve it.

Initiative = Readiness to embark on new ventures. The first of a series of actions. Serving to set in motion.

Measure = A basis for comparison, a reference point against which other things can be evaluated.

Mission = A general statement of the purpose and nature of the organization. The reasons to be in business, why the organization exists.

Objective = A management statement reflecting desired outcomes related to the Vision and indicating the intention to achieve an outcome from the performance of the activity.

Performance = The carrying out or bringing to completion of an activity of some significance by an individual, group, or organization, which displays knowledge, ability or judgment around the task.

Plan = A sequence of actions to achieve a goal, usually ordered in steps through a schedule with measurable targets.

Strategy = A general direction set for the organization and its various components to achieve a desired state in the future. Strategy results from the detailed strategic planning process.

Vision = An overarching statement of the way an organization wants to be. An ideal state of being at a future point.
 

Technical Acronym Definitions

HTTP = HyperText Transfer Protocol. The protocol for moving hypertext files across the Internet. Requires a HTTP client program on one end, and an HTTP server program on the other end.

OLAP = On-Line Analytical Processing. A category of applications and technologies for collecting, managing, processing and presenting multidimensional data for analysis and management purposes.

SOAP = Simple Object Access Protocol. The standard for web services messages. Based on XML, SOAP defines an envelope format and various rules for describing its contents. Seen (with WSDL and UDDI) as one of the three foundation standards of web services, it is the preferred protocol for exchanging web services.

Web Service = A Web service is a software system identified by a URI, whose public interfaces and bindings are defined and described using XML. Its definition can be discovered by other software systems. These systems may then interact with the Web service in a manner prescribed by its definition, using XML based messages conveyed by Internet protocols.

XML = eXtensible Markup Language. The emerging standard for defining, representing and dynamically sharing information across the Internet.