Automated data warehouse for demand fulfillment system
First Claim
1. A method for scheduling work and delivery of material for mass-producing items in a factory comprising:
- obtaining at least one outstanding customer order, wherein each outstanding customer of the at least one outstanding customer order includes an item ordered by a customer, and producing the item requires a required quantity of a required material;
determining a current state of an available inventory of at least one material from a plurality of material sources; and
periodically generating a work schedule and a material delivery schedule for producing the item using the at least one outstanding customer order and the current state of the available inventory, wherein the determining the current state of the available inventory is performed such that the determining the current state of the available inventory is completed immediately prior to the generating the work schedule and the material delivery schedule; and
the obtaining the at least one outstanding customer order is performed such that the obtaining the customer order is completed immediately prior to the generating the work schedule and the material delivery schedule.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automated data warehouse for a demand fulfillment system to provide current supply and demand for generating a work schedule and a material delivery schedule for manufacturing items built to customer order. The automated data warehouse includes outstanding customer orders for items as an accurate measure of current demand, and a current state of an available inventory of material for producing the items as an accurate measure of current supply. The automated data warehouse includes a continuously updated location of a quantity of material from the time the material is accepted into available inventory, during movements from one material source to another, throughout work-in-progress, until the time that the material is consumed. A work schedule and a material delivery schedule are generated periodically to keep up with consumption of materials and fulfillment of customer orders using the automated data warehouse as the source of current supply and demand.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for scheduling work and delivery of material for mass-producing items in a factory comprising:
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obtaining at least one outstanding customer order, wherein each outstanding customer of the at least one outstanding customer order includes an item ordered by a customer, and producing the item requires a required quantity of a required material;
determining a current state of an available inventory of at least one material from a plurality of material sources; and
periodically generating a work schedule and a material delivery schedule for producing the item using the at least one outstanding customer order and the current state of the available inventory, wherein the determining the current state of the available inventory is performed such that the determining the current state of the available inventory is completed immediately prior to the generating the work schedule and the material delivery schedule; and
the obtaining the at least one outstanding customer order is performed such that the obtaining the customer order is completed immediately prior to the generating the work schedule and the material delivery schedule. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15)
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13. A computer system comprising:
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a processor; and
a memory, the memory comprising instructions, the processor for executing the instructions, the instructions comprising;
obtaining instructions for obtaining at least one outstanding customer order, wherein each outstanding customer of the at least one outstanding customer order includes an item ordered by a customer, and producing the item requires a required quantity of a required material;
determining instructions for determining a current state of an available inventory of at least one material from a plurality of material sources; and
generating instructions for periodically generating a work schedule and a material delivery schedule for producing the item using the at least one outstanding customer order and the current state of the available inventory, wherein the determining the current state of the available inventory is performed such that the determining the current state of the available inventory is completed immediately prior to the generating the work schedule and the material delivery schedule; and
the obtaining the at least one outstanding customer order is performed such that the obtaining the customer order is completed immediately prior to the generating the work schedule and the material delivery schedule.
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16. A automated data warehouse comprising:
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a current state of available inventory; and
at least one outstanding customer order.
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17. A automated data warehouse comprising:
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a current state of available in-house inventory;
a current state of in-transit inventory;
a current state of work-in-progress inventory;
a current state of external inventory; and
at least one outstanding customer order.
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18. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer instructions for:
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obtaining at least one outstanding customer order, wherein each outstanding customer of the at least one outstanding customer order includes an item ordered by a customer, and producing the item requires a required quantity of a required material;
determining a current state of an available inventory of at least one material from a plurality of material sources; and
periodically generating a work schedule and a material delivery schedule for producing the item using the at least one outstanding customer order and the current state of the available inventory;
determining the current state of the available inventory such that the determining the current state of the available inventory is completed immediately prior to the generating the work schedule and the material delivery schedule; and
obtaining the at least one outstanding customer order such that the obtaining the customer order is completed immediately prior to the generating the work schedule and the material delivery schedule.
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Specification