Flexible ordering of inventory from material sources according to material requirements for manufacturing operations

• US 20020103726A1
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Published: 08/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Kevin T., Beebe, Melissa, Rastogi, Shafali
• Granted Patent: US 7,346,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method, computer system, computer program product, and signal embodied on a carrier wave for scheduling delivery of material to a manufacturer with a plurality of manufacturing lines. Each manufacturing line may include at least one operation, and deliveries are made according to the material requirements for the operation. Parts and/or raw materials are requested and delivered to an operation of at least one operation on a manufacturing line in the factory from in-house and external inventory based upon the work scheduled for that operation. Deliveries are scheduled continuously to allow changes in truck arrival schedules from material sources and changes in material requirements. Requests for materials to be delivered are delayed until the last possible moment for making the request to allow for these changes and to ensure that inventory is stored at a manufacturing line and/or operation for minimum time prior to the time the material is needed.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling delivery of material to a manufacturer with a plurality of manufacturing lines comprising:

determining a material requirement for an operation of at least one operation on a manufacturing line of the plurality of manufacturing lines; and

scheduling delivery of material to meet the material requirement from an available inventory of material to the operation on the manufacturing line.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the material requirement includes identified material and a material need-by time; and

the scheduled delivery of the material includes scheduled delivery of the identified material prior to the material need-by time.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending a material request for the material to meet the material requirement to a material source having the material;

and wherein

the material source is scheduled to deliver the material to meet the material requirement from the available inventory of material to the operation.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein

the material request includes a plurality of materials to meet a plurality of material requirements to be delivered by the material source, with each material requirement of the plurality of material requirements to be delivered at a specified material delivery time.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein

the available inventory includes at least one of a group consisting of:

an external inventory; and

an in-house inventory.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein external inventory comprises at least one of a group consisting of the following:

a supplier inventory; and

a hub inventory.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein

the available inventory comprises an in-transit inventory.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein

at least one manufacturing line of the plurality of manufacturing lines is in each of at least two factories.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein

at least two manufacturing lines of the plurality of manufacturing lines are in one factory.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein

at least two operations are on one manufacturing line of the plurality of manufacturing lines.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein

the material requirement is for material for manufacturing a computer system;

and

the available inventory includes material for manufacturing the computer system.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein

the repeating the series of steps is performed at a fixed time interval.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein

the repeating the series of steps is performed essentially continuously.

18. The computer system of claim 17 wherein:

the instructions for determining a material requirement include instructions for determining identified material and a material need-by time; and

the instructions for scheduling delivery of material include instructions for scheduling delivery of the identified material prior to the material need-by time.

19. The computer system of claim 17 further comprising:

instructions for sending a material request for the material to meet the material requirement to a material source having the material;

and wherein

the instructions for scheduling delivery of material include instructions for scheduling the material source to deliver the material to meet the material requirement from the available inventory of material to the operation.

20. The computer system of claim 19 wherein

the instructions for sending the material request include instructions for sending the material request for a plurality of materials to meet a plurality of material requirements to be delivered by the material source, with each material requirement of the plurality of material requirements to be delivered at a specified material delivery time.

12. A method for scheduling deliveries of material comprising:

obtaining a material requirement for an operation of at least one operation on a manufacturing line, the material requirement comprising an identified material and a material need-by time;

identifying a next truck scheduled for delivery to the operation, the next truck originating at a material source;

determining whether a following truck scheduled for delivery to the operation after the next truck has a material delivery time before the material need-by time of the material requirement, and

when the following truck has a material delivery time before the material need-by time, delaying processing of the material requirement, and

when the following truck has a material delivery time after the material need-by time, determining whether a later opportunity to request the identified material exists, and

when a later opportunity exists, delaying requesting the identified material and scheduling a delivery of the identified material, and

when a later opportunity does not exist, requesting the identified material by adding the identified material to a material request for the next truck and scheduling a delivery of the identified material from the material source to the operation on the next truck.

13. A method for scheduling deliveries of material comprising:

repeating a series of steps, the series comprising;

obtaining a material requirement for an operation on a manufacturing line from a plurality of material requirements, each material requirement of the plurality of material requirements comprising an identified material and a material need-by time;

identifying a next truck scheduled for delivery to the operation, the next truck originating at a material source;

determining whether a following truck scheduled for delivery to the operation after the next truck has a material delivery time before the material need-by time of the material requirement, and

when the following truck has a material delivery time before the material need-by time, delaying processing of the material requirement, and

when the following truck has a material delivery time after the material need-by time, determining whether a later opportunity to request the identified material exists, and

when a later opportunity exists, delaying requesting the identified material and scheduling a delivery of the identified material, and

when a later opportunity does not exist, requesting the identified material by adding the identified material to a material request for the next truck and scheduling a delivery of the identified material from the material source to the operation on the next truck.

16. A method for scheduling deliveries of material comprising:

repeating a series of steps essentially continuously, the series comprising;

obtaining a material requirement for an operation on a manufacturing line from a plurality of material requirements, each material requirement of the plurality of material requirements comprising an identified material and a material need-by time;

identifying a next truck scheduled for delivery to the operation, the next truck originating at a material source;

determining whether a following truck scheduled for delivery to the operation after the next truck has a material delivery time before the material need-by time of the material requirement, and

when the following truck has a material delivery time before the material need-by time, delaying processing of the material requirement, and

when the following truck has a material delivery time after the material need-by time, determining whether a later opportunity to request the identified material exists, and

when a later opportunity exists, delaying requesting the identified material and scheduling a delivery of the identified material, and

when a later opportunity does not exist, requesting the identified material by adding the identified material to a material request for the next truck and scheduling a delivery of the identified material from the material source to the operation on the next truck.

17. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, the memory storing instructions to be executed by the processor, the instructions comprising;

instructions for determining a material requirement for an operation of at least one operation on a manufacturing line of the plurality of manufacturing lines; and

instructions for scheduling delivery of material to meet the material requirement from

an available inventory of material to the operation on the manufacturing line.

21. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory, the memory storing instructions to be executed by the processor, the instructions comprising;

instructions for repeating a series of steps essentially continuously;

instructions for each step in the series of steps comprising;

instructions for obtaining a material requirement for an operation of at least one operation on a manufacturing line, the material requirement comprising an identified material and a material need-by time;

instructions for identifying a next truck scheduled for delivery to the operation, the next truck originating at a material source;

instructions for determining whether a following truck scheduled for delivery to the operation after the next truck has a material delivery time before the material need-by time of the material requirement;

instructions for delaying processing of the material requirement when the following truck has a material delivery time before the material need-by time;

instructions for determining whether a later opportunity to request the identified material exists when the following truck has a material delivery time after the material need-by time;

instructions for delaying requesting the identified material and scheduling a delivery of the identified material when a later opportunity exists;

instructions for requesting the identified material by adding the identified material to a material request for the next truck when a later opportunity does not exist; and

instructions for scheduling a delivery of the identified material from the material source to the operation on the next truck when a later opportunity does not exist.

22. A computer program product comprising:

instructions for determining a material requirement for an operation of at least one operation on a manufacturing line of the plurality of manufacturing lines;

instructions for scheduling delivery of material to meet the material requirement from an available inventory of material to the operation on the manufacturing line; and

a computer readable medium for storing the instructions for determining and the instructions for scheduling.

23. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein:

the instructions for determining a material requirement include instructions for determining identified material and a material need-by time; and

the instructions for scheduling delivery of material include instructions for scheduling delivery of the identified material prior to the material need-by time.

24. The computer program product of claim 22 further comprising:

instructions for sending a material request for the material to meet the material requirement to a material source having the material;

and wherein

the instructions for scheduling delivery of material include instructions for scheduling the material source to deliver the material to meet the material requirement from the available inventory of material to the operation.

25. The computer system of claim 24 wherein

the instructions for sending the material request include instructions for sending the material request for a plurality of materials to meet a plurality of material requirements to be delivered by the material source, with each material requirement of the plurality of material requirements to be delivered at a specified material delivery time.

28. The signal of claim 27 wherein:

the instructions for determining a material requirement include instructions for determining identified material and a material need-by time; and

the instructions for scheduling delivery of material include instructions for scheduling delivery of the identified material prior to the material need-by time.

29. The signal of claim 27 further comprising:

instructions for sending a material request for the material to meet the material requirement to a material source having the material;

and wherein

the instructions for scheduling delivery of material include instructions for scheduling the material source to deliver the material to meet the material requirement from the available inventory of material to the operation.

30. The signal of claim 29 wherein

the instructions for sending the material request include instructions for sending the material request for a plurality of materials to meet a plurality of material requirements to be delivered by the material source, with each material requirement of the plurality of material requirements to be delivered at a specified material delivery time.

26. A computer program product comprising:

instructions for repeating a series of steps essentially continuously;

instructions for each step in the series of steps comprising;

instructions for obtaining a material requirement for an operation of at least one operation on a manufacturing line, the material requirement comprising an identified material and a material need-by time;

instructions for identifying a next truck scheduled for delivery to the operation, the next truck originating at a material source;

instructions for determining whether a following truck scheduled for delivery to the operation after the next truck has a material delivery time before the material need-by time of the material requirement;

instructions for delaying processing of the material requirement when the following truck has a material delivery time before the material need-by time;

instructions for determining whether a later opportunity to request the identified material exists when the following truck has a material delivery time after the material need-by time;

instructions for delaying requesting the identified material and scheduling a delivery of the identified material when a later opportunity exists;

instructions for requesting the identified material by adding the identified material to a material request for the next truck when a later opportunity does not exist; and

instructions for scheduling a delivery of the identified material from the material source to the operation on the next truck when a later opportunity does not exist;

and

a computer-readable medium for storing the instructions for repeating, the instructions for obtaining, the instructions for identifying, the instructions for determining whether a following truck scheduled for delivery to the operation after the next truck has a material delivery time before the material need-by time of the material requirement, the instructions for delaying processing, the instructions for determining whether a later opportunity to request the identified material exists when the following truck has a material delivery time after the material need-by time, the instructions for delaying requesting, and the instructions for requesting, and the instructions for scheduling.

27. A signal embodied in a carrier wave comprising:

instructions for determining a material requirement for an operation of at least one operation on a manufacturing line of the plurality of manufacturing lines; and

instructions for scheduling delivery of material to meet the material requirement from an available inventory of material to the operation on the manufacturing line.

31. A signal embodied in a carrier wave comprising:

instructions for repeating a series of steps essentially continuously;

instructions for each step in the series of steps comprising;

instructions for obtaining a material requirement for an operation of at least one operation on a manufacturing line, the material requirement comprising an identified material and a material need-by time;

instructions for identifying a next truck scheduled for delivery to the operation, the next truck originating at a material source;

instructions for determining whether a following truck scheduled for delivery to the operation after the next truck has a material delivery time before the material need-by time of the material requirement;

instructions for delaying processing of the material requirement when the following truck has a material delivery time before the material need-by time;

instructions for determining whether a later opportunity to request the identified material exists when the following truck has a material delivery time after the material need-by time;

instructions for delaying requesting the identified material and scheduling a delivery of the identified material when a later opportunity exists;

instructions for requesting the identified material by adding the identified material to a material request for the next truck when a later opportunity does not exist; and

instructions for scheduling a delivery of the identified material from the material source to the operation on the next truck when a later opportunity does not exist.