Supply chain architecture
First Claim
1. A method for processing customer demands, the method comprising:
- receiving forecasted demands from at least one customer;
analyzing the forecasted demands to determine whether the forecasted demands are valid; and
sending the forecasted demands to at least one supplier when the forecasted demands are valid.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A supply chain network where customers, suppliers, logistics providers, carriers, and financial institutions are all connected to a centralized supply chain server. The server receives forecasts from the customers detailing the orders that the customers desire. These forecasts are analyzed by the supply chain server to ensure that they conform to contractual agreements and do not contain errors. The forecasts are also used to warn the suppliers of future demands so that the suppliers can anticipate demands and plan inventory accordingly. The supply chain server checks with the suppliers to determine whether the forecasts can fulfilled by the suppliers. If the forecasts cannot be fulfilled by the suppliers, the supply chain server contacts customers and suppliers and attempts to either redistribute the customers'"'"' demands to different suppliers or request that customers alter their demands. Once supplier demand issues are resolved, the forecasts are sent to the suppliers in groups so that the suppliers need to prepare a smaller number of large orders. The supply chain server also controls the processes involved in distributing the product from the suppliers to the customers including the generation and payment of invoices. A form of financing the customers'"'"' purchases, made possible by the novel supply chain architecture, is also disclosed.
-
Citations
132 Claims
-
1. A method for processing customer demands, the method comprising:
-
receiving forecasted demands from at least one customer;
analyzing the forecasted demands to determine whether the forecasted demands are valid; and
sending the forecasted demands to at least one supplier when the forecasted demands are valid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
-
-
29. A method for processing customer demands for products in a supply chain network, the method comprising:
-
receiving forecasted demands from a plurality of customers;
accumulating the forecasted demands thereby producing an accumulated forecast;
sending the accumulated forecast to at least one supplier;
sending products corresponding to the accumulated forecast from the at least one supplier to a cross-dock point;
assembling the products at the cross-dock point based upon particular customers who produced the forecasted demands; and
sending corresponding products to the particular customers who produced the forecasted demands.
-
-
44. A method of providing a customer with a demanded product, the method comprising:
-
receiving a demand from the customer indicating the demanded product desired from a particular supplier;
determining whether the particular supplier can supply the demanded product; and
if the particular supplier cannot supply the demanded product, determining whether another supplier can supply the demanded product. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 55, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
-
-
50. A method of financing a purchase of a product by at least one customer from at least one supplier, the method comprising:
-
sending the product to the customer from the supplier;
sending a financing payment for the product from a bank to a third party;
forwarding the financing payment from the third party to the supplier; and
sending a customer payment for the product from the customer to the bank. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54)
-
-
56. A method for processing customer demands received in a supply chain network, the method comprising:
-
receiving forecasted demands from a plurality of customers by a supply chain server;
aggregating the forecasted demands into an aggregated forecast; and
sending the aggregated forecast from the supply chain server to at least one supplier.
-
-
57. A method of providing a customer with a demanded product, the method comprising:
-
receiving a forecasted demand from at least one customer for delivery of a specified product at a first time, the first time requiring a supplier to supply the specified product by a second time;
receiving the product from the supplier before the second time without charging the supplier an extra fee for receiving the product before the second time; and
delivering the product to the customer at approximately the first time.
-
-
58. A method for processing customer demands for products in a supply chain network, the method comprising:
-
receiving the customer demands;
aggregating the customer demands to produce an aggregated demand;
sending the aggregated demand to at least one supplier;
sending products corresponding to the aggregated demand from the at least one supplier to a cross-dock point;
assembling the products at the cross-dock point based upon particular customers who produced the customer demands; and
sending corresponding products to the particular customers who produced the customer demands.
-
-
59. A method for insuring for supply/demand fluctuation for one or more products demanded by at least one customer from at least one supplier, the method comprising:
-
receiving at least one product from at least one supplier;
retaining the product until at least one of the customer experiences an unforeseen increase in demand for the product and the supplier experiences an unforeseen shortage in supply of the product; and
sending the product to a corresponding customer.
-
-
65. A method for processing a demand by a customer for a product in a supply chain network, the method comprising:
-
receiving the demand;
determining whether the demand can be fulfilled by supply of suppliers coupled to the supply chain network; and
when the demand cannot be fulfilled by the suppliers coupled to the supply chain network, contacting the customer and the suppliers to ascertain whether one of the demand and the supply can be altered. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69)
-
-
70. A system for processing customer demands, the system comprising:
-
a supply chain server coupled to at least one customer and at least one supplier, the supply chain server including a messaging services system and an ERP system;
wherein;
the messaging services system receives forecasted demands from the at least one customer;
the ERP system analyzes the forecasted demands received by the messaging services system to determine whether the forecasted demands are valid; and
the messaging system sends the forecasted demands to the at least one supplier when the forecasted demands are valid. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97)
-
-
98. A system for processing customer demands for products, the system comprising:
-
a supply chain server coupled to at least one customer, at least one supplier, and a logistics provider, the supply chain server including a messaging services system and an ERP system;
whereinthe messaging services system receives forecasted demands from a plurality of customers;
the ERP system accumulates the forecasted demands thereby producing an accumulated forecast;
the messaging services system sends the accumulated forecast to at least one supplier;
the ERP system controls the logistics provider to transfer products corresponding to the accumulated forecast from the at least one assemble supplier to a cross-dock point;
the ERP system further controls the logistics provider to assemble the products at the cross-dock point based upon particular customers who produced the forecasted demands; and
the ERP system controls the logistics provider to send corresponding products to the particular customers who produced the forecasted demands. - View Dependent Claims (99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 129, 130, 131, 132)
-
-
113. A system for providing a customer with a demanded product, the system comprising:
-
a supply chain server coupled to at least one customer and at least one supplier, the supply chain server including a messaging services system and an ERP system;
whereinthe messaging system receives a demand from the customer indicating the demanded product desired from a particular supplier;
the ERP system determines whether the particular supplier can supply the demanded product; and
if the particular supplier cannot supply the demanded product, the ERP system determines whether another supplier can supply the demanded product.
-
-
119. A system for financing a purchase of a product by at least one customer from at least one supplier, the system comprising:
-
a supply chain server coupled to at least one customer, at least one supplier, and a logistics provider, wherein the supply chain server controls the logistics provider to transfer the product from the supplier to the customer; and
a financial institution which sends a financing payment for the product to the supply chain server;
whereinthe supply chain server forwards the financing payment to the supplier; and
the customer sends a customer payment for the product to the bank.
-
-
125. A system for processing customer demands received in a supply chain network, the supply chain network including a supply chain server coupled to at least one customer and at least one supplier, the supply chain server including a messaging services system and an ERP system;
- wherein;
the messaging system receives forecasted demands from a plurality of the customers;
the ERP system aggregates the forecasted demands into an aggregated forecast; and
the messaging system sends the aggregated forecast to at least one supplier.
- wherein;
-
126. A system for providing a customer with a demanded product, the system comprising a supply chain server coupled to at least one customer, at least one supplier, and at least one logistics provider, the supply chain server including a messaging services system and an ERP system, wherein
the messaging system receives a forecasted demand from the at least one customer for delivery of a specified product at a first time, the first time requiring a supplier to supply the specified product by a second time; -
the ERP system controlling the logistics provider to receive the product from the supplier before the second time without charging the supplier an extra fee for receiving the product before the second time; and
the ERP system further controls the logistics provider to deliver the product to the customer at approximately the first time.
-
-
127. A system for processing customer demands for at least one product, the system comprising:
-
a supply chain server coupled to at least one customer, at least one supplier, and a logistics provider, the supply chain server including a messaging services system and an ERP system;
whereinthe messaging services system receives the customer demands;
the ERP system aggregates the customer demands thereby producing an aggregated demand;
the messaging services system sends the aggregated demand to at least one supplier;
the ERP system controls the logistics provider to transfer products corresponding to the aggregated demand from the at least one supplier to a cross-dock point;
the ERP system further controls the logistics provider to assemble the products at the cross-dock point based upon particular customers who produced the customer demands; and
the ERP system controls the logistics provider to send corresponding products to the particular customers who produced the customer demands.
-
-
128. A system for processing a demand by a customer for a product, the system comprising:
-
a supply chain server coupled to at least one customer and at least one supplier, the supply chain server including a messaging services system, an ERP system, and a planner support tool, wherein;
the messaging system receives the demand;
the ERP system determines whether the demand can be fulfilled by supply of suppliers coupled to the supply chain network; and
when the demand cannot be fulfilled by the suppliers coupled to the supply chain network, the planner support tool contacts the customer and the suppliers to ascertain whether one of the demand and the supply can be altered.
-
Specification