System and method for shipping material

• US 20020184119A1
• Filed: 05/31/2001
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gagne, Robert R., Norton, Margaret M., Mayville, William A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,862,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/29
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials

Abstract

A system and method for interactive inquiry and editing throughout the life cycle of the shipping request by the requester and various approving managers. Once the request is approved, shipping labels are automatically printed, and any necessary domestic or export documentation is electronically prepared by the application software. The application is adapted to provide each processing or approving party with the created shipping documentation upon request. All information received and relied upon by this process is saved in a database for tracking the shipping material, and for auditing the shipping process.

Claims

1. A method for shipping material, comprising:

submitting a shipment request, said request containing shipment information;

generating domestic and international control characteristics;

accessing a delegation database to determine ownership of said control characteristics;

automatically forwarding said control characteristics to control points;

automatically notifying processing parties of approvals;

automatically providing processing parties with documentation; and

storing in a database information for tracking said shipping material and auditing said method.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said shipment information further includes international shipment information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of submitting said shipment request further comprises electronically providing fields for a requester to input shipping information.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said input shipping information further comprises a company identifier for said requester, a company identifier for a recipient, and information for fields provided for the attention of other reviewers.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising notifying requirements for export controls, finance controls, hazardous material controls, sensitive material controls, traffic controls, hand-carry authorizations, and security controls.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of automatically notifying processing parties of approvals includes providing electronic mail to a plurality of persons authorized to approve specific portions of said request.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising implementing said method through application software that provides for limited programmability.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said applications software comprises Lotus Notes Application Technology.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said applications software comprises a high level program language.

10. A method for electronically acquiring request and authorization information and documentation for the shipping of material, comprising:

providing an electronic database adapted to receive a shipping instruction from a requester;

verifying said requester;

providing fields in said electronic database for approvals of said shipping instruction;

notifying said requester'"'"'s approving manager or approving manager designee of said request for an initial approval;

providing for a document link within said electronic database to view said request;

prompting said approving manager or said approving manager designee to assign a status for said request;

notifying next required approving manager or next required approving manager designee after said initial approval;

prompting said requester to prepare documents for moving goods and materials to a designated shipping location;

notifying said requester continuously via electronic mail of the status of said request;

notifying said requester of approved request after all approvals have been granted;

generating shipping documentation at said requester'"'"'s initiation; and

storing in a database information for tracking said shipment material and auditing said method.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein verifying said requester comprises matching identification of said requester to an allowed or denied requester database.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein notifying said requester'"'"'s approving manager or approving manager designee of said request for an initial approval comprises notifying via electronic mail.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising copying said approving manager if said designee gives approval.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein notifying said requester'"'"'s approving manager or approving manager designee of said request for an initial approval further comprises verifying said approving manager or said approving manager designee.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein verifying said approving manager or said approving manager designee comprises notifying by electronic mail.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein providing for a document link within said electronic database to view said request further provides for viewing all contents of said request in its entirety.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein providing for a document link within said electronic database to view said request further provides for adapting said request to allow said approving manager or said approving manager designee to edit said request.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said step of allowing said approving manager or said approving manager designee to edit said request includes providing for an edit softkey for said manager to elect.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein said step of prompting said approving manager or said approving manager designee to assign a status for said request further includes canceling said request in its entirety when said request is denied.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said step of prompting said approving manager or said approving manager designee to assign a status for said request further includes prompting said approving manager or said designee to electronically save said request.

21. The method of claim 10 wherein said step of notifying the next required approving manager or next required approving manager designee after said initial approval includes notifying via electronic mail.

22. The method of claim 10 wherein said step of prompting said requester to prepare documents for moving goods and materials to a designated shipping location further includes automatically preparing move/ship ticket documents.

23. The method of claim 10 further comprising notifying a sensitive material coordinator if precious metals are involved in said shipment, said notification performed via electronic mail.

24. The method of claim 10 further comprising notifying a hazardous material coordinator if hazardous materials are involved in said shipment, said notification performed via electronic mail.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said hazardous material coordinator is prompted to assign a status through said document link and edit functions.

26. The method of claim 10 wherein after any editing is performed to said request, notification to save said request electronically delivered.

27. The method of claim 10 further comprising notifying said requester after said request has been denied.

28. The method of claim 28 including automatically canceling said request immediately upon receiving a disapproval.

29. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for shipping material, said method steps comprising:

submitting a shipment request, said request containing shipment information;

generating domestic and international control characteristics;

accessing a delegation database to determine ownership of said control characteristics;

automatically forwarding said control characteristics to control points;

automatically notifying processing parties of approvals;

automatically providing processing parties with documentation; and

storing in a database information for tracking said shipping material and auditing said method.

30. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for shipping material, said method steps comprising:

providing an electronic database adapted to receive a shipping instruction from a requester;

verifying said requester;

providing fields in said electronic database for approvals of said shipping instruction;

notifying said requester'"'"'s approving manager or approving manager designee of said request for an initial approval;

providing for a document link within said electronic database to view said request;

prompting said approving manager or said approving manager designee to assign a status for said request;

notifying next required approving manager or next required approving manager designee after said initial approval;

prompting said requester to prepare documents for moving goods and materials to a designated shipping location;

notifying said requester continuously via electronic mail of the status of said request;

notifying said requester of approved request after all approvals have been granted;

generating shipping documentation at said requester'"'"'s initiation; and

storing in a database information for tracking said shipment material and auditing said method.

31. A system for coordinating and approving shipping information for the shipment of goods and materials, said system comprising:

a server having central computer processing capabilities, adapted to perform the following functions;

generating domestic and international control characteristics;

accessing a delegation database to determine ownership of said control characteristics;

automatically forwarding said control characteristics to control points;

automatically notifying processing parties of approvals;

automatically providing processing parties with documentation; and

storing in a database information for tracking said shipment and auditing said method; and

a plurality of interactive input/output sites attached to said server for inputting and reviewing shipment requests.

32. A system for coordinating and approving shipping requests for the shipment of goods and materials, said system comprising:

a server having central computer processing capabilities, adapted to perform the following functions;

providing an electronic database adapted to receive a shipping instruction from a requester;

verifying said requester;

providing fields in said electronic database for approvals of said shipping instruction;

notifying said requester'"'"'s approving manager or approving manager designee of said request for an initial approval;

providing for a document link within said electronic database to view said request;

prompting said approving manager or said approving manager designee to assign a status for said request;

notifying next required approving manager or next required approving manager designee after said initial approval;

prompting said requester to prepare documents for moving goods and materials to a designated shipping location;

notifying said requester continuously via electronic mail of the status of said request;

notifying said requester of approved request after all approvals have been granted;

generating shipping documentation at said requester'"'"'s initiation; and

storing in a database information for tracking said shipment and auditing said method; and

a plurality of interactive input/output sites attached to said server for inputting and reviewing said shipment instruction.