System and method for inventory management, cost savings delivery and decision making

• US 10,176,446 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MSC Services Corp. (MSC Industrial Direct Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: MSC Services Corp. (MSC Industrial Direct Company Incorporated)
• Inventors: Palmer, Michael Edward, Goettler, James Paul, Smith, Raphael Lance
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcus, Leland
• Application Number:
  US15/191,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20170372243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A computer based system and method for inventory management, cost savings delivery and decision making is disclosed. A global data warehouse contains a cost savings delivery mechanism CSD-M that is configured to receive information from a business intelligence module to create cost savings documentation that identifies and quantifies cost savings that are realized by use of an inventory management system and potential cost saving opportunities that may be realized by use of supply chain and operational cost savings programs.

Claims

1. A computer based system for quantifying cost savings comprising:

a computer having a processor, memory, and access to computer readable media;

a computer program stored on computer readable media having a business intelligence module;

upload templates stored on computer readable media for uploading customer specific data elements onto a global data warehouse;

a harvester computer program stored on computer readable media for collecting, aggregating and validating upload data contained in the upload templates and received through a network;

the global data warehouse computing system configured to receive inventory information from the business intelligence module and to create cost savings documentation with a cost savings delivery mechanism that identifies and quantifies cost savings that are realized by use of an inventory management system and potential cost saving opportunities that may be realized by use of supply chain and operational cost savings programs;

wherein the inventory information comprises output data from a system for ordering supplies; and

a system for ordering of supplies comprising;

a portable barcode scanner configured to output data according to at least one of an HID, CDC or SPP protocol, the output data reflecting results of scanning a barcode;

a mobile phone device, physically removed from the portable barcode scanner, having an input port through which an external device can provide data to the mobile phone for processing, the mobile phone device being incapable of recognizing and parsing data, received via the input port, when the data is configured according to the HID, CDC or SPP protocol;

a communication connection connecting the mobile phone device and the portable barcode scanner to each other via the input port;

a scanner adapter application, operating on the mobile phone device, which receives the output data from the portable barcode scanner via the input port, the output data comprising order data relating to a supply item stocked in a bin and configured according to one of the HID, CDC or SPP protocols, the scanner adapter application being configured to parse the order data and pass the order data to an upload application operating on the mobile phone device, the upload application having a current data field that receives at least part of the order data;

a listener server configured to receive order information including the at least part of the order data, from the upload application on the mobile phone device, receive and compile the order information as at least one order batch whereas each order batch is a data structure containing scanned barcodes, convert the at least one order batch into an electronic supply order, store the at least one order batch in a data repository associated with the listener server, and send the electronic supply order to a vendor server;

the listener server further being configured to automatically create an electronic supply order for one or more batches containing scanned barcodes on the vendor server, and

an interface through which the mobile phone device can connect to the listener server via a network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the cost savings documentation includes a labor savings element that results from use of the supply chain and operational cost savings programs.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the cost savings documentation includes a purchase order cost reduction element that results from use of the supply chain and operational cost savings programs.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the cost savings documentation includes an inventory reduction cost savings element that results from use of the supply chain and operational cost savings programs.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the cost savings documentation includes a stock out savings element that results from use of the supply chain and operational cost savings programs.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the cost savings documentation includes a put away cost reduction savings element that results from use of the supply chain and operational cost savings programs.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the cost savings documentation includes a cost savings summary report.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the cost savings summary report includes an inventory management category.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the cost savings summary report includes a procurement savings category.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the cost savings summary report includes a pricing advantage category.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the cost savings summary report includes a process improvements category.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the cost savings summary report includes a training and consultative services category.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the cost savings summary report includes an opportunity savings category.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the cost information contained in the upload data is received from another computer.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer network connecting the business intelligence module with the global data warehouse computing system.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the upload data comprises labor rates to replace or supplement default information contained in the global data warehouse.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the upload data comprises purchase order costs to replace or supplement default information contained in the global data warehouse.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the upload data comprises cost of capital figures to replace or supplement default information contained in the global data warehouse.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the upload data comprises procurement card percent of savings figures to replace or supplement default information contained in the global data warehouse.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the upload data comprises e-procurement improvement percentages over manual processes to replace or supplement default information contained in the global data warehouse.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the upload data comprises average minutes saved per web transaction figures to replace or supplement default information contained in the global data warehouse.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the upload data comprises outside sourcing savings per event figures to replace or supplement default information contained in the global data warehouse.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the upload data comprises purchase order reduction percentages figures to replace or supplement default information contained in the global data warehouse.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the upload data comprises vending hours of re-stock labor figures to replace or supplement default information contained in the global data warehouse.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the upload data comprises outside resources provided figures.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the upload data comprises process savings figures.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the upload data comprises competitor pricing figures.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the upload data comprises energy savings figures.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the upload data comprises water savings figures.

30. A computer based method for cost related decision making comprising the steps of:

establishing on a business intelligence module residing on a computer transactional, pricing and program information;

receiving on a computer upload templates containing customer specific data elements for uploading to a global data warehouse;

collecting, aggregating and validating using a harvester computer program stored on a computer upload data contained in the upload templates;

providing on a business intelligence module inventory information to a global data warehouse computing system;

creating on a cost savings delivery mechanism on the global data warehouse computing system cost savings documentation that identifies cost savings realized by use of an inventory management system and potential cost saving opportunities that may be realized by use of supply chain and operational cost savings programs;

wherein the inventory information comprises output data from a system for ordering of supplies; and

wherein the system for ordering of supplies comprises;

a portable barcode scanner configured to output data according to at least one of an HID, CDC or SPP protocol, the output data reflecting results of scanning a barcode;

a mobile phone device, physically removed from the portable barcode scanner, having an input port through which an external device can provide data to the mobile phone for processing, the mobile phone device being incapable of recognizing and parsing data, received via the input port, when the data is configured according to the HID, CDC or SPP protocol;

a communication connection connecting the mobile phone device and the portable barcode scanner to each other via the input port;

a scanner adapter application, operating on the mobile phone device, which receives the output data from the portable barcode scanner via the input port, the output data comprising order data relating to a supply item stocked in a bin and configured according to one of the HID, CDC or SPP protocols, the scanner adapter application being configured to parse the order data and pass the order data to an upload application operating on the mobile phone device, the upload application having a current data field that receives at least part of the order data;

a listener server configured to receive order information including the at least part of the order data, from the upload application on the mobile phone device, receive and compile the order information as at least one order batch whereas each order batch is a data structure containing scanned barcodes, convert the at least one order batch into an electronic supply order, store the at least one order batch in a data repository associated with the listener server, and send the electronic supply order to a vendor server;

the listener server further being configured to automatically create an electronic supply order for one or more batches containing scanned barcodes on the vendor server; and

an interface through which the mobile phone device can connect to the listener server via a network.