Method for consigning ordered commodities

• US 20020128927A1
• Filed: 02/21/2002
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Rosenbaum, Walter
• Granted Patent: US 7,236,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The following steps are performed in the method:

transferring or forwarding the order data from the customer in question to the relevant manufacturers of the requested articles,

notifying the dispatch center of a common dispatch service of the earliest possible outward delivery time t_OutM for each of the manufacturers, and saving this under the respective article no. in the database at the dispatch service,

determining the latest of the earliest possible arrival times of the articles at the dispatch center t_ArrD, each arrival time being calculated by adding the respective transport time t_TransMD to the earliest possible outward delivery time t_OutM,

notifying each manufacturer for the order concerned of the outward delivery time to be achieved, which is obtained from the latest of the earliest possible arrival times at the dispatch center t_ArrD minus the respective transport time from the manufacturer to the dispatch center,

the manufacturers sending out the ordered articles to the dispatch center at the notified times, and the articles being forwarded jointly to the customer.

Claims

1. A method for the dispatch of ordered articles, in which different articles are ordered from a mail-order firm or one or more online suppliers (2), and the relevant order data and customer details, such as name, address, are saved in a database (4), characterized by the steps:

transferring or forwarding the order data from the customer (1) in question to the relevant manufacturers/suppliers (5) of the requested articles,

notifying the dispatch center (3) of a common dispatch service of the earliest possible outward delivery time t_OutM for each of the manufacturers/suppliers (5), and saving this under the respective article no. in the database (4) at the dispatch service,

determining the latest of the earliest possible arrival times of the articles at the dispatch center t_ArrD, each arrival time being calculated by adding the respective transport time t_TransMD to the earliest possible outward delivery time t_OutM,

the dispatch service notifying each manufacturer/supplier (5) for the order concerned of the outward delivery time to be achieved, which is obtained from the latest of the earliest possible arrival times at the dispatch center t_ArrD minus the respective transport time from the manufacturer/supplier (5) to the dispatch center (3),

the manufacturers/suppliers (5) sending out the ordered articles to the dispatch center (3) at the notified times, and the articles being forwarded jointly to the customer (1).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized by the additional steps:

determining the earliest possible delivery time t_DelC to the customer (1) by adding the transport time between dispatch center (3) and customer (1) t_TransDC onto the latest arrival time t_ArrD, and then adding onto this a handling time at the dispatch service,

the dispatch service notifying the customer (1) of at least one proposal Pt_DelC≧

t_DelC for the delivery time, for confirmation,

the customer (1) notifying the dispatch service of the confirmed delivery time C_tDelc,

postponing the outward delivery times to be achieved by the manufacturers/suppliers (5) on the basis of the earliest possible delivery time to the customer (1), by the time difference between the confirmed and the earliest possible delivery time.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dispatch service is notified of the transport times t_TransMD between the manufacturers/suppliers (5) and the dispatch center (3), together with the earliest possible outward delivery times t_OutM, and the information saved in the database (4).

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in order to determine the current transport times t_TransMD between manufacturer/supplier (5) and dispatch center (3), these times are calculated, saved and statistically analyzed on a continuous basis.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a single online supplier (2), which co-ordinates the dispatch, leads to several sub-online suppliers (5).

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the earliest outward delivery times of the articles from the manufacturers/suppliers (5) are compared with each other, and where a set time difference is exceeded the articles are not sent jointly to the customer (1).

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the size of the articles and their characteristics are also saved in the database (4), if required this information is checked in order to ascertain whether these articles can be sent in one parcel, and they are dispatched in one parcel if a positive result is obtained from the check.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein where there are several possible manufacturers/suppliers (5) for a specific article a selection is made on the basis of the shortest possible transport distances to the customer and/or the earliest possible outward delivery times.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the customer (1) selects the dispatch service.