System and method for ensuring order fulfillment

• US 20020188499A1
• Filed: 10/29/2001
• Published: 12/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Yonder Group, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Manugistics Inc (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kanth, Boina, Hsiang, Phoebe, Jenkins, Joseph A., Seaman, Rosalie, Bestland, Grace
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method whereby companies can optimally resolve the conflicts with respect to product availability. Embodiments of the invention allow users to search for product availability throughout its entire supply chain network to address conflicts as they arise. In particular, the present invention creates time-phased inventory plans that meet customer requirements while minimizing inventory and maximizing profit by ensuring that a company is carrying the right inventory at the right locations. Using the present invention, companies can orchestrate the time-phased storage and flow of a given product'"'"'s supply to match demand by creating an optimal inventory strategy that includes deployment plans, master production schedules, and procurement requirements.

Claims

1. A method for fulfilling an existing order that requests a desired item by a desired time, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a supply chain model using data describing various activities in a supply chain;

determining the requirements of the order;

checking said supply chain model to determine the availability of said desired item by said desired time;

if said desired item is unavailable by said desired time, modifying the supply chain as needed to fulfill the order; and

modifying the supply chain model to reflect the changes in the supply chain needed to fulfill the order.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining an alternative item if said desired item is unavailable by said desired time;

checking said supply chain model to determine the availability of said alternative item by said desired time;

if said alternative item is unavailable by said desired time, modifying the supply chain as needed to fulfill the order with the alternate item; and

modifying the data defining the supply chain model to reflect changes in the supply chain needed to fulfill the order with the alternate item.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said alternative item is predetermined.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

if said desired item is unavailable by said desired time, determining an alternative time at which said item is available;

adjusting the supply chain as necessary for delivery of said desired item by said alternative time; and

modifying said supply chain model to reflect the adjustments to the supply chain.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising the steps of

forming said alternative time by offsetting said desired time by a predetermined interval;

and

checking the supply chain model to determine the availability of said desired item by said alternative time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

canceling a prior order; and

after canceling the prior order, rechecking the supply chain model to determine the availability of said desired item by said desired time;

adjusting the supply chain as necessary for delivery of said desired item by said desired time; and

modifying said supply chain model to reflect the adjustments to the supply chain.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

creating a list of active orders in the supply chain model; and

selecting the prior order from the active orders that are lower in priority than the existing order.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

monitoring changes in the supply chain model needed to ensure on-time delivery of said order; and

intermittently providing a report on the status of these changes in the supply chain model.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

monitoring new changes in the supply chain;

modifying the supply chain model to account for these monitored changes;

adjusting the supply chain as needed to ensure on-time fulfillment of the existing order in spite of the changes to the supply chain; and

updating the supply chain model to reflect the adjustments to the supply chain.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

if multiple schemes exist in the supply chain model to make said desired items available by said desired time, determine by a low-cost scheme; and

delivering said order using said low-cost scheme.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

if multiple schemes exist in the modify the supply chain to make said desired items available by said desired time, determine by a low-cost scheme; and

delivering said order using said low-cost scheme.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said desired time is a time interval and said order requests delivery of said desired item during said time interval.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said desired item comprises a set of multiple products.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said promised delivery includes two or more of said products.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said multiple products are delivered in one shipment.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said order further specifies a desired location and wherein said step of checking the supply chain model considers delivery to said desired location.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said desired location includes a range of sites and wherein the order is delivered at one of these sites.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the order specifies delivery of the desired item from a single source in the supply chain and wherein said step of checking supply chain model only considers delivery from single sources.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the order specifies a particular source in the supply chain and wherein said step of checking the supply chain model only considers delivery from this particular source.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of modifying the supply chain as needed to fulfill the order avoids future overstock within a planning duration.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of modifying the supply chain as needed to fulfill the order maintains preset minimum inventory levels at one or more locations.

24. The system of claim 23 further comprising one or more application protocol interfaces (APIs) that allow the system to connect to outside systems.

25. The system of claim 23 further comprising user-interface that allows a user to access and interact with the system.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said user-interface allows the user to access and interact with the system over a distributed network.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said distributed network is the Internet.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the distribution module further comprises a dynamic deployment component.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the distribution module further comprises a scheduling module.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the distribution module further comprises a material planning component.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the server further comprises a production module.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said production module comprises a load leveler.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein said production module comprises a tool kit to access and modify settings of the server.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein said production module comprises a constrained production planning component.

36. The system of claim 28, wherein the server further comprises a deployment module.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein said deployment module comprises a load builder.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein said deployment module comprises a load manager.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein said deployment module comprises a distribution planning module.

40. The system of claim 28, wherein the server further comprises a material allocation module.

2. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of checking said supply chain model considers inventory, production, manufacturing, distribution, and transportation resources needed to deliver said desired item by said desired time.

23. A system for fulfilling an order requesting a desired item by a desired time, the system comprising:

a database containing supply chain data; and

a server having

a) a means for analyzing said supply chain data to determine whether said desired item may be delivered by said desired time,

b) a means for modifying said supply chain as needed to deliver said desired item by said desired time, wherein said modifying means determines a low-cost method to modify said supply chain, and

c) means to adjust the supply chain data to account for the modifications to the supply chain.

28. A system for fulfilling an order, the system comprising:

a database; and

a server having a distribution module with a planning component.