Transactional supply chain system and method

• US 20020032497A1
• Filed: 06/01/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agris, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Jorgenson, William L., Brogger, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 6,778,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/115
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/00 Methods for working soil
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A supply chain system including a first interface operable to allow a first individual to input first information associated with an item and a second interface operable to allow a second individual to input second information associated with a first processing of the item, wherein the first interface and the second interface are coupled to each other via a network connection. Further, a method for tracing an item as the item progresses along a supply chain including associating first information with the item at a stage in the supply chain and associating second information and the first information with another item including the item at another stage in the supply chain.

Claims

1. A supply chain system, comprising:

a producer interface operable to allow a producer to input first information associated with producing an item;

a processor interface operable to allow a first stage processor to input second information associated with first processing of the item; and

a manufacturer interface operable to allow a manufacturer to input third information associated with manufacturing of the item, wherein

any one or more of the producer, the first stage processor, and the manufacturer can access any one of the inputted first information, the inputted second information, and the inputted third information via a network connection.

2. The supply chain system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the network connection is an Internet connection.

3. The supply chain system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the item is a crop.

4. The supply chain system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the first information includes at least one of planning data, pre-planting soil preparation data, crop variety data, crop quantity data, crop location data, inputs data, planting data, crop growth and monitoring data, storage data and quality data.

5. The supply chain system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the second information includes at least one of planning data, storage data, milling data, packaging data, finished product storage data, shipping data and quality data.

6. The supply chain system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the third information includes at least one of storage data, quality data and performance data.

7. A supply chain system, comprising:

at least one producer interface operable to allow at least one producer to input first information;

a producer server coupled to the at least one producer interface for processing the first information associated with an item;

a producer database coupled to the producer server for storing the first information;

at least one processor interface operable to allow at least one processor to input second information;

a processor server coupled to the at least one processor interface for processing the second information associated with the item;

a processor database coupled to the processor server for storing the processed second information;

at least one manufacturer interface operable to allow at least one manufacturer to input third information associated with the item;

a manufacturer server coupled to the at least one manufacturer server for processing the third information; and

a manufacturer database coupled to the manufacturer server for storing thee processed third information, wherein

the producer server, the processor server and the manufacturer server are coupled to each other via an Internet connection.

8. The supply chain system as set forth in claim 7, wherein the item is a crop.

9. The supply chain system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the first information includes at least one of planning data, pre-planting soil preparation data, crop variety data, crop quantity data, crop location data, inputs data, planting data, crop growth and monitoring data, storage data and quality data.

10. The supply chain system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the second information includes at least one of planning data, storage data, milling data, packaging data, finished product storage data, shipping data and quality data.

11. The supply chain system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the third information includes at least one of storage data, quality data and performance data.

13. The method for tracing a first item and a second item along a supply chain as set forth in claim 12, wherein

the plurality of individuals includes at least one producer, at least one processor and at least one manufacturer.

14. The method for tracing a first item and a second item along a supply chain as set forth in claim 12, wherein

the first item is a crop and the second item is a product that is processed from the crop.

15. The method for tracing a first item and a second item along a supply chain as set forth in claim 14, wherein the second information includes data corresponding to a processing of the crop.

16. The method for tracing a first item and a second item along a supply chain as set forth in claim 12, wherein the first information is stored in a first database, and the second information and the first information is stored in a second database.

12. A method for tracing a first item and a second item that includes the first item, as the first item and the second item progress along a supply chain, comprising:

associating first information with a first item at a stage of the supply chain, the first information including at least one of quantity information, performance information and quality information;

associating second information and the first information with a second item that includes the first item, at another stage of the supply chain, the second information including at least one of quantity information, performance information and quality information; and

transmitting the first information and the second information to at least one individual of a plurality of individuals within or outside the supply chain.