Method and apparatus for creating and exposing order status within a supply chain having disparate systems

• US 20030004813A1
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shorter, David U., Szabo, Robert M., Yeskel, Filip J., Arroyo, Jorge A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,366,772 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials

Abstract

The present invention describes a method and system for creating and exposing order status within a supply chain of trading partners having disparate systems. A trading partner exchange (TPE) interfaces with each of the disparate systems and gathers information pertaining to a particular transaction. The information can be made available to an access platform through an access platform interface. Initially, a transaction is reported to the TPE where it is assigned a unique identifier. Subsequent activities pertaining to the transaction which are reported to the TPE by the trading partners can be linked to the unique identifier. By using the access platform, a customer or any trading partner can acquire the status of a particular order from the TPE.

Claims

1. A method for exposing order status in a supply chain having disparate systems, comprising:

receiving an order from a first trading partner system, said order initiating a transaction;

linking a status reported by a second trading partner system corresponding to said transaction, wherein said first trading partner system and said second trading partner systems are disparate systems; and

reporting said linked status corresponding to said transaction, said status formatted for a particular channel.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said linking step comprises:

receiving an identifier for said status reported by said second trading partner, said identifier corresponding to said transaction; and

linking said received identifier to an assigned unique identifier corresponding to said transaction.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said reporting step is responsive to a query received from an access platform, said access platform accessible by customers and said trading partners.

4. A method for exposing order status in a supply chain having disparate systems, comprising:

receiving at a central exchange, an initial order for a transaction from one of a plurality of trading partners having disparate systems, said central exchange assigning a unique identifier for said initial order to said transaction;

linking an identifier identifying an activity status from said trading partners for said transaction to said unique identifier; and

responsive to a request for information, providing said requested information to a requester based on said linked identifier and said unique identifier, said requested information formatted for a selected channel.

5. A system for exposing order status in a supply chain having disparate systems, comprising:

a trading partner exchange (TPE) communicatively interfaced to a plurality of trading partners, said TPE identifying an initial transaction and linking corresponding trading partner transaction status information with said initial transaction;

an access platform communicatively interfaced with said TPE, said access platform formatting said transaction status information according to a selected channel format; and

an access interface communicatively linked to said TPE, said access interface facilitating communication with said access platform.

6. A machine readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

receiving an order from a first trading partner system, said order initiating a transaction;

linking a status reported by a second trading partner system corresponding to said transaction, wherein said first trading partner system and said second trading partner systems are disparate systems; and

reporting said linked status corresponding to said transaction, said status formatted for a particular channel.

7. The machine readable storage of claim 6, wherein said linking step comprises:

receiving an identifier for said status reported by said second trading partner, said identifier corresponding to said transaction; and

linking said received identifier to an assigned unique identifier corresponding to said transaction.

8. The machine readable storage according to claim 6, wherein said reporting step is responsive to a query received from an access platform, said access platform accessible by customers and said trading partners.

9. A machine readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

receiving at a central exchange, an initial order for a transaction from one of a plurality of trading partners having disparate systems, said central exchange assigning a unique identifier for said initial order to said transaction, said receiving step for exposing order status in a supply chain having disparate systems;

linking an identifier identifying an activity status from said trading partners for said transaction to said unique identifier; and

responsive to a request for information, providing said requested information to a requester based on said linked identifier and said unique identifier, said requested information formatted for a selected channel.