Foreign Companies Abbreviations

3M - Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing
3PL - Third Party Logistics
A&W - Allen & Wright (Roy Allen and Frank Wright combined their initials to name A&W Root Beer in 1922)
AA - Author Alteration (a publishing term)
AAA - American Automobile Association


ADP - Automatic Data Processing
AIG - American International Group
AMD - Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (producer of computer chips)
AMF - American Machine & Foundry (bowling lane operators and former owners of Harley Davidson motorcycles)
AOL - America Online
AT&T - American Telephone and Telegraph
AX - Armani Exchange
B&N - Barnes & Noble
B2B - Business to Business
B2C - Business to Consumer
BBB - Better Business Bureau
BHAG - Big, Hairy Audacious Goal
BOI - Business Object Interface
CEO - Chief Executive Officer
CFO - Chief Financial Officer
CK - Calvin Klein
COB - Close Of Business
COGS - Cost of Goods Sold
COLA - Cost of Living Adjustment
COO - Chief Operating Officer
CPK - California Pizza Kitchen
CRM - Client Relationship Management
CSP - Certified Speaking Professional
CTO - Chief Technology Officer
DBA - Doing Business As
DHL - Dalsey, Hillblom and Lynn (founders of DHL Worldwide Express)
DK - Dorling Kindersley
DKNY - Donna Karan New York
DSO - Days Sales Outstanding
DSW - Discount Shoe Warehouse
EA - Electronic Arts
EBX - Electronics Boutique X
EMS - Eastern Mountain Sports
FANNIE MAE - Federal National Mortgage Association (a privately owned corporation)
FLP - Family Limited Partnership
FSB - Fortune Small Business
FT - Full Time
FTE - Full Time Equivalent
FUBU - For Us, By Us
GE - General Electric
GEICO - Government Employees Insurance Company
GM - General Motors or General Mills
GNC - General Nutrition Centers
HP - Hewlett Packard
IBC - Independent Breweries Company (original manufacturer of IBC Root Beer)
IBD - Investors Business Daily
IBM - International Business Machines Corporation
ILM - Industrial Light and Magic
IMR - Information Management Research
ING - Internationale Nederlanden Group (a financial company)
IREA - Intermountain Rural Electric Association
JC Penney's - James Cash Penney
JOA - Joint Operating Agreement (example: the relationship between The Denver Post and The Rocky Mountain News)
JVC - Japan's Victor Company
KB - Kaybee Toys OR Kaufmann Broad (home builder)
KFC - Kentucy Fried Chicken
KPI - Key Performance Indicator
KPMG - Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (accounting firm)
LLC - Limited Liability Company
LLP - Limited Liability Partnership
MCI - Microwave Communications Incorporated
MOH - Message/Music On Hold
MSI - Multiple Streams of Income
MSN - Microsoft Network
MSRP - Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price
MVI - Mini Vacations Incorporated
NBB - New Belgium Brewery
NCOA - National Change of Address (List)
NDA - Non-Disclosure Agreement
NIB - New In the Box
NSA - National Safety Associates
OPM - Other People's Money
OPR - Other People's Resources
OPT - Other People's Time
P&G - Proctor and Gamble
PBGC - The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
PE - Printer Error (a publishing term)
PL - Profit and Loss
PO - Purchase Order
POP - Point of Purchase
PT - Part Time
QA - Quality Assurance
QAI - Quality Assurance International
QC - Quality Control
QSC - Quality, Service, Cleanliness (Ray Kroc's motto for McDonald's)
REI - Recreational Equipment, Inc
RFP - Request for Proposal
SBC - Southwestern Bell Corporation
SBI - Site Build It! (software for building web sites)
SFI - Six-Figure Income
SKU - Stock Keeping Unit
SM - Service Mark
SOHO - Small Office, Home Office
SOS - Switched On Schoolhouse
SYSTEM - Save YourSelf Time, Engergy, and Money (as reported by www.just15minutes.com)
TCBY - The Country's Best Yogurt (originally This Can't Be Yogurt)
TM - Trademark
TSR - Tactical Studies Rules (company that produces Dungeons & Dragons)
UMB - United Missouri Bank
UPS - United Parcel Service
USAA - United Services Automobile Association