Verb. This word has a very curious etymology, as bastimentos are the provision for the sustenance of a city, of an army, therefore, abastecer means to provide someone or something with supplies, food or other necessary things. E.g: Según este principio, cada país o grupo de países debería poder determinar libremente cómo abastecer de alimentos a su población: According to this principle, each country or group of countries should be free to determine how it supplies its people with food.
The noun is el abastecimiento: supply, and desabastecimiento: shortage. E.g.: Usamos el abastecimiento estratégico para encontrar los mejores precios: We use strategic sourcing to get the best prices.
This term has the same root as the adverb basta: enough; and the adjective and adverb bastante: quite, enough. We also use, as a perfect synonym, suministrar. The noun is el suministro: E.g.: El suministro satisface la demanda de la mercancía: The supply meets the demand for the product. The noun desuministro does not exist. dc
La palabra del día: Devolución
Feminine noun. In retail, is the process of a customer taking previously purchased merchandise back to the retailer, and in turn receiving a refund in the original form of payment, exchange for another item (identical or different), or a store credit. E.g.: La devolución de compras de paquetes multiples en empaques sin abrir serán reembolsadas al precio prorrateado de compra por caja al momento de la venta: Returns of unopened boxes from multi-pack purchases will be refunded at the pro-rata purchase price per box at the time of original sale.
The verb is devolver. dc
La palabra del día: Existencias
Feminine plural noun. Goods intended for sale, stored in a warehouse or store. E.g.: Desafortunadamente, no tenemos existencias de uno o más de los productos que has pedido: Unfortunately, one or more of your items is currently out of stock. dc
La palabra del día: Factura
Feminine noun. Account in which items sold or services performed are detailed with their price and delivered to the customer to demand payment. E.g.: La factura en este caso se basará en los precios ofrecidos por el proveedor : The Invoice will therefore be based on prices offered by our supplier.
The verb is facturar.
By the way, in Argentina, una factura is also a specific kind of pastry very good for breakfast with mate, and facturar is the whole process of making hams, sausages and other cold cuts out of a pork. I also remember vividly that my mother used to call facura a bad spell, but I haven’t found that meaning in the RAE. dc
La palabra del día: Entregar
Verb. To give something to someone, or make him happen to have it. E.g.: Podría entregar a todos sus proveedores breves descripciones de su uso y de sus condiciones de uso: You may wish to provide brief descriptions of your use and conditions of use to all of your suppliers.
The noun is la entrega. E.g.: No hay que dar por hecho que el método de entrega aporta legitimidad al contenido del paquete: Do not assume that the method of delivery lends any legitimacy to the contents of the package. dc