Performance-based supply chain management system and method with metalerting and hot spot identification

• US 20020099598A1
• Filed: 01/22/2001
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bizgenics, Inc. (Axway Software SA)
• Original Assignee: FMVP II LP (FirstMark Capital, LLC)
• Inventors: Eicher, Daryl E. Jr., Scelzo, William A., Stowell, David P.M., Pal, Anurag
• Application Number:
  US09/765,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20020099598A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A performance-based supply chain management system for sending metalerts relative to a monitored key performance indicator for a buyer-supplier engagement. Metalerts, or alerts about alerts, are transmitted upon the lack of a condition relative to a first alert sent regarding the performance of a buyer-supplier engagement. Escalating levels of personnel may be notified within an organization and eventually, the other contract member may be notified if a violation with respect to a key performance indicator occurs or is occurring. Through this functionality, the system is able to determine hot spots based on recurring alerts, alert severity, alert volume or the breadth of alerts occurring within a particular engagement. This information may be stored for use in selection of buyers and suppliers by the system.

Claims

1. A performance-based supply chain management system for sending metalerts relative to a monitored key performance indicator for a buyer-supplier engagement comprising:

an engagement module through which a buyer-supplier engagement is initiated, the buyer-supplier engagement providing an identification of a product to be supplied and at least one key performance indicator by which performance of that buyer-supplier engagement is to be monitored;

a monitoring module for monitoring performance of the buyer-supplier engagement through a server module associated with the monitoring module, the monitoring being based on the at least one identified key performance indicator; and

an alert module, cooperating with the monitoring module, for generating a first alert to at least one person associated with a participant based on a value for the key performance indicator and a second alert if at least one condition regarding the first alert does not occur.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first alert is generated based on a violation of a key performance indicator and the condition is a resolution of that violation.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the second alert is transmitted to a different person associated with the same participant.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the first alert is generated based on a violation of a key performance indicator of a first level and the second alert is generated based on a violation of a key performance indicator of a second level.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the alert module recursively sends alerts and monitors for action through a plurality of different levels of violations until the action is taken.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the number of levels is four or more.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein each level of violation triggers another alert.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein each alert is transmitted to a different person affiliated with the participant.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the first alert is sent to one participant and the second alert is sent to the other participant.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the participant that receives the first alert is the supplier.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the second alert is generated based on the occurrence of a second violation.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein alert data is collected and stored related to the participants.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the alert data is used by the engagement module as part of a process of matching buyers to suppliers.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising a hot spot module that identifies problems for a buyer-supplier engagement.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the hot spot module monitors for recurring alerts.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the hot spot module monitors for alert severity.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the hot spot module monitors for alert volume.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the hot spot module monitors for variety of alert type.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the hot spot module monitors for alert closeout time.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the hot spot module monitors for operational response patterns.

39. The system of claim 14 wherein the hot spot module monitors for alert closeout time.

40. The system of claim 14 wherein the hot spot module monitors for operational response patterns.

21. A server system to which at least one buyer terminal and at least one supplier terminal connect to participate in a performance-based supply chain management system, the server system providing metalerting for deviations from key performance indicators being monitored, the server system comprising:

an engagement module through which a buyer-supplier engagement is initiated, the buyer-supplier engagement providing an identification of a product to be supplied and at least one key performance indicator by which performance of that buyer-supplier engagement is to be monitored;

a monitoring module for monitoring performance of the buyer-supplier engagement through a server module associated with the monitoring module, the monitoring being based on the at least one identified key performance indicator; and

an alert module, cooperating with the monitoring module, for generating a first alert to at least one person associated with a participant to a terminal device associated with the participant based on a value for the key performance indicator and a generating a second alert to another terminal device of another person associated with the participant if a condition does not occur.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the first alert is generated based on a violation of a key performance indicator and the condition is a resolution of that violation.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the second alert is transmitted to a different person associated with the same participant.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the first alert is generated based on a violation of a key performance indicator of a first level and the second alert is generated based on a violation of a key performance indicator of a second level.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the alert module recursively sends alerts and monitors for action through a plurality of different levels of violations until the action is taken.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the number of levels is four or more.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein each level of violation triggers another alert.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein each alert is transmitted to a different person affiliated with the participant.

29. The system of claim 21 wherein the first alert is sent to one participant and the second alert is sent to the other participant.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the participant that receives the first alert is the supplier.

31. The system of claim 21 wherein the second alert is generated based on the occurrence of a second violation.

32. The system of claim 21 wherein alert data is collected and stored related to the participants.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the alert data is used by the engagement module as part of a process of matching buyers to suppliers.

34. The system of claim 21 further comprising a hot spot module that identifies problems for a buyer-supplier engagement.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the hot spot module monitors for recurring alerts.

36. The system of claim 34 wherein the hot spot module monitors for alert severity.

37. The system of claim 34 wherein the hot spot module monitors for alert volume.

38. The system of claim 34 wherein the hot spot module monitors for variety of alert type.

41. A method for enabling buyers and suppliers to receive metalerts relative to a monitored key performance indicator for a buyer-supplier engagement being monitored in a performance-based supply chain management system comprising the steps of:

enabling a buyer-supplier engagement to be initiated, the buyer-supplier engagement providing an identification of a product to be supplied and at least one key performance indicator by which performance of that buyer-supplier engagement is to be monitored;

monitoring performance of the buyer-supplier engagement through a server module associated with the monitoring module, the monitoring being based on the at least one identified key performance indicator;

generating a first alert to at least one person associated with a participant based on a value for the key performance indicator; and

generating a second alert if at least one condition regarding the first alert does not occur.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the first alert is generated based on a violation of a key performance indicator and the condition is a resolution of that violation.

43. The method of claim 41 wherein the second alert is transmitted to a different person associated with the same participant.

47. The method of claim 41 wherein each alert is transmitted to a different person affiliated with the participant.

48. The method of claim 41 wherein the first alert is sent to one participant and the second alert is sent to the other participant.

50. The method of claim 41 wherein the second alert is generated based on the occurrence of a second violation.

51. The method of claim 41 wherein alert data is collected and stored related to the participants.

52. The method of claim 50 wherein the alert data is used by the engagement module as part of a process of matching buyers to suppliers.

53. The method of claim 41 further comprising the step of identifying hot spots for a buyer-supplier engagement.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein the hot spots identified include recurring alerts.

55. The method of claim 53 wherein the hot spots identified include alert severity.

56. The method of claim 53 wherein the hot spots identified include alert volume.

57. The method of claim 53 wherein the hot spots identified include variety of alert type.

58. The method of claim 53 wherein the hot spots identified include alert clost-out time.

59. The method of claim 53 wherein the hot spots identified include operational response patterns.

44. The method of claim 45 wherein the first alert is generated based on a violation of a key performance indicator of a first level and the second alert is generated based on a violation of a key performance indicator of a second level.

46. The method of claim 44 wherein the alert module recursively sends alerts and monitors for action through a plurality of different levels of violations until the action is taken.

49. The method of claim 47 wherein the participant that receives the first alert is the supplier.