Method and apparatus for providing intelligent and controlled access to supply chain information

• US 20030144858A1
• Filed: 01/29/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: One Network Enterprises, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: MFE Analytics Incorporated
• Inventors: Jain, Vineet Kumar, Jassal, Amrit
• Granted Patent: US 7,739,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials

Abstract

A system and method for retaining and controlling supply chain information in the form of objects and associated metadata in a database to provide intelligent and controlled access to such objects is provided. The objects may be accessed by multiple users according to predetermined rules, and may be integrated into an application by using metadata that defines such access. A system may include a server configured to monitor and to provide intelligent access to supply chain information. The system may also include a repository for storing data and algorithms related to the retention and analysis of supply chain information, which may be explicitly developed by a user, or implicitly produced by dynamically monitoring and collecting information from an associated application. The system may also include an analysis engine configured to analyze supply chain information that is monitored and collected in the repository. A recommendation module may also be included for providing recommendations for activity related to a business supply chain.

Claims

1. A system for providing intelligent and controlled management of supply chain information generated by a business software application, comprising:

a repository configured to store application instance type information;

a central processing unit (CPU) configured to control access to the repository; and

supply chain management code stored in memory and configured to allow intelligent and controlled access to type codes contained in the repository when executed by the CPU, the supply chain management code including an analysis server configured to analyze supply chain information originating from a business software application, an infrastructure server configured to provide application instances to a business software application for observation and dissemination, and an event server configured to perform predetermined functions in response events related to the business software application.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the application instance type information includes indicator type code configured to produce an indicator instance defined by instance parameters.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the indicator type code is configured to produce an application specific indicator instance defined by application instance parameters.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the application instance type information includes alert type code configured to produce an alert instance defined by alert parameters.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the alert type code is configured to produce an application related alert instance defined by application alert parameters, such that the alert code causes alert functions to be performed according to events related to the application alert parameters.

6. A system according to claim 4, wherein the alert type code is configured to produce an instance associated with the business software application, wherein the instance is configured to cause a user of the business software application to be alerted to the occurrence of an event.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the application instance type information includes scenario type code configured to produce a scenario instance defined by scenario parameters.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the scenario type code is configured to produce a scenario instance defined by predetermined scenario parameters, such that the scenario code is configured to cause analysis functions to be performed according to the parameters when executed.

9. A system according to claim 7, wherein the scenario type code is configured to produce an application related scenario instance defined by application related parameters, such that the scenario code is configured to cause analysis of application data to be performed according to the parameters when executed.

10. A system according to claim 1, further including rulebase type code configured to produce a rulebase instance defined by rulebase parameters.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the rulebase type code is configured to produce a rulebase instance defined by predetermined rulebase parameters, such that the rulebase code is configured to cause functions to be performed according to the rulebase parameters when executed.

12. A system according to claim 10, wherein the rulebase type code is configured to produce a rulebase instance defined by recommendation rules and parameters, such that the rulebase code is configured to cause recommendations to be produced according to the rules and parameters when executed.

13. A device configured to provide intelligent access to supply chain information, the device including a computer software product that is executable by a signal processor to perform functions defined by the computer software product, comprising:

an analysis server configured to analyze supply chain information originating from a business software application;

an infrastructure server configured to provide application instances to a business software application for observation and dissemination; and

an event server configured to perform predetermined functions in response events related to the business software application.

14. A device according to claim 13, further comprising indicator type code, wherein the analysis server invokes the indicator type code to produce an indicator instance defined by instance parameters.

15. A device according to claim 14, wherein the indicator type code is configured to produce an application specific indicator instance defined by application related instance parameters.

16. A device according to claim 13, further comprising alert type code, wherein the event server invokes the alert type code to produce an alert instance defined by alert parameters.

17. A device according to claim 16, wherein the alert type code is configured to produce an application related alert instance defined by application specific alert parameters, such that the alert code causes alert functions to be performed according to events related to the application alert parameters.

18. A device according to claim 16, wherein the alert type code is configured to produce an instance associated with the business software application, wherein the instance is configured to cause a user of the business software application to be alerted to the occurrence of an event.

19. A device according to claim 13, further comprising scenario type code, wherein the analysis server invokes the scenario type code to produce a scenario instance defined by scenario parameters.

20. A device according to claim 19, wherein the scenario type code is configured to produce a scenario instance defined by predetermined scenario parameters, such that the scenario code is configured to cause analysis functions to be performed according to the parameters when executed.

21. A device according to claim 19, wherein the scenario type code is configured to produce an application related scenario instance defined by application specific parameters, such that the scenario code is configured to cause analysis of application data to be performed according to the parameters when executed.

22. A device according to claim 13, further comprising rulebase type code configured to produce a rulebase instance defined by rulebase parameters.

23. A device according to claim 22, wherein the rulebase type code is configured to produce a rulebase instance defined by predetermined rulebase parameters, such that the rulebase code is configured to cause functions to be performed according to the rulebase parameters when executed.

24. A device according to claim 22, wherein the rulebase type code is configured to produce an application related rulebase instance defined by application related rules and parameters, such that the rulebase code is configured to cause functions to be performed according to the rules and parameters when executed.

25. For use with a device including a computer software product that is executable by a signal processor to perform functions defined by the computer software product, a method of providing intelligent access to supply chain information, comprising:

receiving supply chain information originating from a business software application;

analyzing the supply chain information originating from the business application by executing predetermined analysis algorithms stored in a repository;

providing application instances to a business software application in execution of the supply chain management code, wherein the instances provide indicators for observation and dissemination by a user; and

performing predetermined functions in response events related to the business software application.

26. A method according to claim 25, further comprising providing recommendations in response to analyzing the supply chain information.

27. A method according to claim 25, further comprising providing recommendations according to predetermined rules in response to analyzing the supply chain information.

28. A method according to claim 25, further comprising providing provide an application related indicator instance defined by indicator instance parameters.

29. A method according to claim 25, further comprising providing provide an application related rulebase instance defined by rulebase parameters.

30. A method according to claim 25, further comprising providing provide an application related alert instance defined by alert instance parameters that cause an alert to be produced upon the occurrence of an event.

31. A method according to claim 25, further comprising providing provide an application related scenario instance defined by scenario instance parameters, wherein scenario code is configured to cause analysis of application related data to be performed when executed