GLOSSARY

API (Application Programming Interface)

A set of rules that allows different software systems to communicate with each other. FP Trax offers a REST API that enables organisations to connect the platform with their existing tools such as ERP, HR, or ITSM systems without manual data entry.

Audit Trail

A chronological record of all actions taken within a system, including who did what and when. In FP Trax, the audit trail documents every scan, handover, and status change, providing full accountability for parcels, assets, and inventory movements.

Cloud Software

Software that runs on remote servers and is accessed via the internet rather than installed locally on a computer. Cloud software requires no hardware investment, receives automatic updates, and can be accessed from any device with a browser.

Cross-Platform Compatibility

Software designed to work across multiple operating systems. The FP Trax mobile app is fully supported on both native iOS and Android devices, while the web-based management dashboard is accessible and fully functional on all major modern web browsers.

Dashboard

A visual interface that presents key data and activity summaries in one place. The FP Trax dashboard gives facilities managers a real-time overview of parcel volumes, asset status, inventory levels, and pending actions across all locations.

Data Sovereignty

The guarantee that an organisation's data remains within its required legal jurisdiction or infrastructure boundary. FP Trax supports strict data sovereignty requirements by offering fully on-premise deployment options for high-security environments, in addition to our Azure cloud hosting.

Integration

The process of connecting two or more software systems so they share data automatically. FP Trax integrates with platforms such as ServiceNow, Jira, Active Directory, and Azure AD, reducing the need for manual data transfer between systems.

IoT (Internet of Things)

The network of physical devices embedded with sensors and software that enables them to collect and exchange data. In facilities management, IoT enables real-time tracking of assets, parcels, and environmental conditions without manual scanning.

Multi-site Management

The ability to manage operations across multiple buildings, floors, or locations from a single system. FP Trax supports multi-site environments, making it suited for organisations with campuses, multiple offices, or distributed facilities.

Offline Mode

The ability to operate without an active internet connection. The FP Trax mobile app allows staff to continue scanning items even in network dead zones. Data is cached locally on the device and automatically synchronizes once connectivity is restored, ensuring an unbroken audit trail.

Real-time Tracking

The continuous, live monitoring of the location and status of an item. FP Trax provides real-time tracking for parcels and assets, so facilities teams always know where something is and who is responsible for it.

REST API

A standard type of API that uses web protocols to allow systems to communicate. FP Trax provides a REST API, enabling developers to build custom integrations between FP Trax and other platforms in the organisation's technology stack.

RFID Scanning

The use of Radio Frequency Identification technology to automatically identify and track tagged items without requiring direct line-of-sight. FP Trax supports RFID scanning to enable fast, hands‑free inventory and asset verification, allowing multiple tagged items to be scanned simultaneously. This significantly improves accuracy and efficiency in high-volume environments such as warehouses, retail spaces, and field audits, while maintaining a complete and traceable audit history.

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

A security model that restricts system access based on a user's role within an organisation. In FP Trax, administrators can define what each user or team can view, edit, or export, ensuring sensitive data is only accessible to authorised personnel.

SaaS (Software as a Service)

A software delivery model in which an application is hosted in the cloud and accessed via subscription rather than purchased and installed locally. SaaS products like FP Trax require no servers or IT maintenance and receive continuous updates automatically.

SLA (Service Level Agreement)

A formal agreement between a service provider and a customer that defines the expected level of service, including uptime guarantees, response times, and support commitments. Organisations evaluating SaaS platforms should request the provider's SLA before signing.

SSO (Single Sign-On)

An authentication method that allows users to log in to multiple applications using a single set of credentials. FP Trax supports SSO, enabling staff to access the platform using their existing company login without a separate username and password.

Barcode Scanning

The process of using a camera or laser scanner to read a barcode printed on a label or package. In parcel management, barcode scanning is used to log incoming deliveries quickly and accurately, linking each package to its recipient in the system.

Chain of Custody

A documented record showing who has had possession of an item at each stage of its journey. In parcel and asset management, a complete chain of custody is essential for accountability, dispute resolution, and compliance.

Custom Tracking Fields

Configurable data fields that can be added during item registration to accommodate specific tracking requirements. Users can add up to six extra fields, utilizing free text, checkboxes, or predefined dropdowns to track items like purchase order numbers.

Digital Handover

The process of formally transferring responsibility for an item from one person to another using a digital system rather than a paper signature. FP Trax records digital handovers with a timestamp and recipient confirmation, replacing paper-based delivery logs.

Digital Signature

An electronic confirmation used to verify that a recipient has acknowledged or accepted an item. FP Trax captures digital signatures at the point of parcel handover, providing legally valid proof of delivery without paper.

Employee Portal

A secure interface that enables employees to track their expected items in real-time and review their complete delivery history.

Hybrid Delivery Model

A flexible system that allows facilities to conduct deliveries across multiple endpoints. Items can be routed directly to employees, specific locations (like a department or mailroom), or deposited into secure smart lockers.

Inbound Logistics

The processes involved in receiving, handling, and distributing goods arriving at an organisation. For facilities teams, inbound logistics includes managing parcel deliveries, internal mail, and supplies from external carriers.

Last-Mile Delivery

The final stage of a delivery journey, from a distribution point to the end recipient. In a corporate or campus setting, last-mile delivery refers to the internal routing of parcels from the mailroom or reception to the individual recipient.

Letter Management

The tracking and routing of incoming physical letters and registered post within an organisation. FP Trax handles letter management alongside parcel management, providing a single log of all incoming mail regardless of format or carrier.

Locker Management

The administration of smart locker systems used for parcel storage and collection. FP Trax integrates with smart locker hardware to automate the assignment, notification, and release of lockers, removing the need for staffed collection points.

Mailroom Management

The organisation and processing of all incoming and outgoing mail and parcels within a facility. A mailroom management system like FP Trax automates logging, sorting, recipient notification, and proof of delivery across high-volume mail environments.

Parcel Management

The end-to-end process of receiving, logging, storing, and distributing parcels within an organisation. Parcel management software automates notifications, handovers, and reporting, replacing manual spreadsheets and paper registers.

Parcel Tracking

The ability to monitor the location and status of a parcel throughout its journey, from arrival to delivery. FP Trax provides internal parcel tracking from the point of receipt at the mailroom or reception through to confirmed handover to the recipient.

Proof of Delivery (POD)

A record confirming that a parcel or item has been received by the intended recipient. FP Trax generates digital proof of delivery including timestamp, recipient name, and optional signature, replacing paper-based delivery confirmation.

Shipment Consolidation (Bundling)

A function that enables users to receive and "bundle" several items into one single shipment. This reduces the amount of scanning required for the user and ensures the recipient receives only one combined notification.

QR Code

A two-dimensional barcode that can be scanned by a smartphone camera or scanner to retrieve information. QR codes are used in FP Trax to identify parcels, assets, and lockers, enabling quick scanning without specialist hardware.

Smart Locker

An electronically controlled storage unit that allows parcels to be deposited and collected without staff assistance. Recipients receive a unique code or QR code by email or SMS and use it to open their assigned locker compartment.

Asset

Any physical item owned by an organisation that has value and requires tracking. Assets include IT equipment, medical devices, furniture, tools, vehicles, and machinery. Tracking assets ensures they are maintained, located, and accounted for throughout their lifecycle.

Asset Lifecycle

The stages an asset goes through from acquisition to disposal. Managing the full asset lifecycle includes procurement, deployment, maintenance, and decommissioning. FP Trax tracks assets at every stage, reducing losses and supporting maintenance planning.

Asset Management

The systematic process of tracking, maintaining, and optimising an organisation's physical assets. Effective asset management reduces losses, extends asset lifespans, improves compliance, and provides an accurate register of what the organisation owns and where it is.

Asset Tracking

The use of technology to monitor the location, status, and assignment of physical assets in real time. FP Trax uses barcode and QR code scanning to track assets across single or multiple sites, giving facilities teams an always-current register.

CAFM (Computer-Aided Facilities Management)

Software that supports the planning, management, and maintenance of buildings and their contents. CAFM systems typically combine space management, asset tracking, maintenance scheduling, and reporting in a single platform.

CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System)

Software that manages maintenance operations for equipment and assets, including scheduling preventive maintenance, logging repairs, and tracking work orders. FP Trax supports maintenance scheduling as part of its asset management module.

EAM (Enterprise Asset Management)

A broader discipline that covers the full lifecycle management of physical assets across an entire organisation, often including financial and compliance dimensions. EAM systems are used in manufacturing, healthcare, and public sector environments.

Fixed Assets

Long-term physical assets owned by an organisation that are not intended for sale, such as machinery, IT equipment, or furniture. Fixed assets are tracked for accounting, insurance, and compliance purposes, and FP Trax provides a live digital register of them.

Preventive Maintenance

Scheduled servicing of assets carried out before a failure occurs, based on time intervals or usage thresholds. FP Trax allows organisations to set maintenance schedules and receive automated alerts when assets are due for inspection or service.

Tool Tracking

The monitoring of tools and equipment to ensure they are available, correctly assigned, and returned after use. Tool tracking prevents loss, reduces replacement costs, and improves safety compliance in environments such as construction, manufacturing, and facilities teams.

Work Order

A formal instruction to carry out a maintenance, repair, or inspection task on an asset. Work orders are assigned to technicians and tracked through to completion. FP Trax links work orders to asset records, providing a full maintenance history for each item.

Consumables

Items that are used up and need to be regularly replenished, such as cleaning products, PPE, stationery, or medical supplies. Tracking consumables through an inventory management system prevents stockouts and reduces unnecessary over-ordering.

Digital Check-Out

Our process of electronically logging the withdrawal of an item from inventory to create a live digital history and prevent unaccounted losses.

Digital Inventory Register

A real-time log that ensures physical stock matches the balance sheet, allowing organizations to generate instant reports for compliance and audits.

Internal Cost Allocation

The tracking of inventory usage by specific individuals or departments, providing a factual basis to divide supply costs fairly rather than absorbing them centrally.

Inventory Management

The process of tracking the quantity, location, and movement of goods and supplies within an organisation. FP Trax inventory management gives facilities teams a live view of stock levels, usage rates, and reorder needs across one or multiple sites.

Laundry Management

The tracking and administration of textiles such as uniforms, linen, and workwear throughout their use cycle. FP Trax records items in and out of circulation, tracks ownership and washing cycles, and provides an overview of textile stock. Commonly used in healthcare, hospitality, and industrial environments.

Linen Management

A subset of laundry management focused specifically on bed linen, towels, and related textiles. Linen management is critical in hospitals and hotels where hygiene compliance and accurate stock counts are required for regulatory and operational reasons.

Reorder Threshold

The minimum stock level that triggers a restocking alert or purchase order. Setting reorder thresholds in FP Trax ensures that supplies are replenished before they run out, preventing operational disruption caused by stockouts.

Stock Level

The current quantity of a specific item held in inventory at a given location. FP Trax tracks stock levels in real time, updating automatically as items are issued, received, or returned.

Textile Tracking

The monitoring of individual garments or textile items using labels, barcodes, or RFID tags. Textile tracking in FP Trax ensures that uniforms and workwear are assigned to the correct employees, washed on schedule, and returned or replaced as needed.

Unmanned Storage

An automated hardware and software solution that allows for the 24/7 handout and return of workwear and textiles without requiring staffed storage facilities.

Workwear Tracking

The continuous, real-time monitoring of an individual garment's location, assignment, and complete usage history.

Textile Lifespan Insight

Data collected on the usage and washing cycles of individual items to ensure quality control and manage depreciation.

Compliance

The process of adhering to laws, regulations, industry standards, or internal policies. In facilities management, compliance relates to health and safety requirements, asset maintenance records, data protection, and audit readiness.

Data Processing Agreement (DPA)

A legally binding contract between an organisation and a data processor (such as a SaaS vendor) that defines how personal data is handled. Under GDPR, organisations must have a DPA in place with any third party that processes personal data on their behalf.

Data Residency

The physical or geographic location where an organisation's data is stored and processed. Many organisations, particularly in the public sector and healthcare, require data to be stored within specific countries or regions to meet regulatory requirements. FP Trax data is hosted in European data centres.

Facilities Management (FM)

The integrated management of buildings, infrastructure, and support services to ensure a safe, functional, and efficient working environment. FM covers maintenance, cleaning, security, space planning, and the tracking of assets and resources within a facility.

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)

The European Union regulation that governs the collection, storage, and processing of personal data. Any software handling personal data belonging to EU residents must comply with GDPR. FP Trax is built to operate in accordance with GDPR requirements.

Handover Protocol

A defined process for transferring responsibility for an item, space, or task from one person or team to another. A documented handover protocol ensures accountability and reduces the risk of items being lost or responsibilities going unacknowledged.

Service Level Agreement (SLA)

A formal agreement between a service provider and customer that defines the expected level of service, including uptime, response times, and support. See also: SLA under Platform & Technology.