What is meant by handling unit?

A Handling Unit (HU) is a unit consisting of packaging material and goods. The packaging may include outer packaging or a load carrier such as a pallet. Multiple physical items can be combined into one overarching handling unit. Each HU contains key information, including a unique ID, weight, volume, contents, and status. Using barcodes, multiple handling units can be identified quickly and reliably, which accelerates intra- and extralogistics processes, facilitates inventory control, and reduces lead times in production. HUs are therefore an important means to simplify and optimize logistics processes internally and externally.