System and method for managing and monitoring supply costs

• US 20030172008A1
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agile Software Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Agile Software Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Nave, Joel, Butani, Harish, Hage, Joe, Krishnan, Raghu
• Granted Patent: US 8,386,296 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system and method are provided for managing and estimating supply costs, by drilling down through detailed component lists of tree structured component specifications and rolling up pricing estimates based on predetermined, projected and available criteria and automatically accounting for costs in an organized manner. The costs may be analyzed from a historical perspective, accounting for future costs based on historical cost data within a given past or future date range. The costs may also be analyzed based on average costs of available costed items. The system and method can alternatively enable a buyer to receive quotes from suppliers to be used in estimating supply costs. Such a system may further include the ability to adapt to various supply scenarios, such as partnership splits, where multiple suppliers manufacture and supply common components to buyers at same or different prices.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring managing a supply chain, comprising:

providing initial information related to components supply;

developing a tree structured component specification having cost items arranged in a hierarchical manner;

automatically drilling down through detailed component lists of the specification to determine cost information; and

rolling up pricing estimates based on the cost information

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the cost information is based on criteria including one of the following:

price estimates quoted from suppliers, contract prices, catalogs, foreign currency rates, time-dependent pricing, cost averaging, and other cost criteria.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising

storing the initial information in a database type platform, wherein the stored data is identified with tags to indicate the attributes of the data;

performing database type searches to locate data related to cost information according to the appropriate tags associated with such data; and

calculating cost information with an algorithm using located data.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving supplier quote information;

storing the supplier quote information in the specification;

if supplier quote information is received from multiple suppliers directed a single item;

analyzing the quote information to derive a supply split to supply the single item and to generate a cost factor associated with the single item;

calculating a supplier split for the item; and

rolling up pricing estimates based on cost information and quote information.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving supplier quote information;

retrieving average cost information for an item;

storing the average cost information in the specification;

analyzing the average cost information to derive a cost factor; and

rolling up pricing estimates based on cost information and quote information.

6. A method according to claim 4, further comprising, if supplier quote information is received from multiple suppliers directed a single item, deriving a supply split among the multiple suppliers

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving supplier quote information;

storing the supplier quote information in the specification;

if supplier quote information is received from multiple suppliers directed a single item;

analyzing the quote information;

rolling up pricing estimates based on cost information and quote information.

9. A method according to claim 3, further comprising

storing the initial information in a database type platform, wherein the stored data is identified with tags to indicate the attributes of the data;

performing database type searches to locate data related to cost information according to the appropriate tags associated with such data; and

calculating cost information with an algorithm using located data.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving supplier quote information;

storing the supplier quote information in the specification;

if supplier quote information is received from multiple suppliers directed a single item;

analyzing the quote information to derive a supply split to supply the single item and to generate a cost factor associated with the single item;

calculating a supplier split for the item; and

rolling up pricing estimates based on cost information and quote information

12. A method according to claim 4, further comprising, if supplier quote information is received from multiple suppliers directed a single item, deriving a supply split among the multiple suppliers.

13. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving supplier quote information;

storing the supplier quote information in the specification;

if supplier quote information is received from multiple suppliers directed a single item;

analyzing the quote information;

rolling up pricing estimates based on cost information and quote information.

8. A method for structured multilevel traversal of a logical tree structured price analysis, comprising:

providing initial information related to components supply;

storing the initial information in a hierarchical structure;

automatically analyzing the initial information and to determine cost information; and

calculating pricing estimates from the initial information based on predetermined criteria.

11. A method according to claim 8, further comprising:

receiving supplier quote information;

retrieving average cost information for an item;

storing the average cost information in the specification;

analyzing the average cost information to derive a cost factor; and

rolling up pricing estimates based on cost information and quote information.