Network-based just-in-time material shortage and supply information exchange system and method

• US 20030225636A1
• Filed: 11/12/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inventec Corporation
• Original Assignee: Inventec Corporation
• Inventors: Chien, Shu-Mei, Lee, Yun-Chi, Chu, Te-Mei, Wu, Kuan-I
• Application Number:
  US10/292,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20030225636A1
• 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

Abstract

A network-based just-in-time (JIT) material shortage and supply information exchange system and method is proposed, which is intended for use in the supply chain management for a supplier and a manufacturer to allow the supplier and the manufacturer to exchange information about the manufacturer'"'"'s current condition of material shortage and the supplier'"'"'s capability to supply material for the shortage in a real-time online manner over a network system, such as the Internet. The proposed system and method of the invention is characterized by the use of an Internet-linked server to provide online information about the manufacturer'"'"'s current condition of material shortage and relevant data to the supplier as well as the information about the supplier'"'"'s current inventory stock of material and relevant data, such as percentage of reserved amount of supply, to the manufacturer.

Claims

1. A network-based JIT material shortage and supply information exchange method for use to allow a manufacturer and a supplier to exchange information about the manufacturer'"'"'s current condition of material shortage and relevant data in an online manner via a server linked via a network system to a first-party workstation on the supplier side and a second-party workstation on the manufacturer side;

the network-based JIT material shortage and supply information exchange method comprising;

performing an uploading-by-manufacturer procedure, wherein the manufacturer utilizes the second-party workstation to upload the information about the manufacturer'"'"'s current condition of material shortage and relevant data via the network system to the server;

serving up a Material-Shortage Status Inquiry Web page to the supplier'"'"'s first-party workstation for the supplier to inquire for the information about the manufacturer'"'"'s current condition of material shortage and relevant data;

serving up a Specific Rate Reserved Inventory Stock Web page to the supplier'"'"'s first-party workstation to allow the supplier to input the information about the supplier'"'"'s current inventory stock of material and relevant data; and

computing for the percentage of reserved amount of supply based on the manufacturer'"'"'s current condition of material shortage and the supplier'"'"'s current inventory stock of material for reference by the manufacturer.

2. The network-based JIT material shortage and supply information exchange method of claim 1, wherein the network system is selected from the types comprising Internet and extranet system.

3. The network-based JIT material shortage and supply information exchange method of claim 1, wherein the first-party workstation and the second-party workstation each utilizes a Web browser program to link to the productivity-forecast inquiry Web page and the productivity-forecast responding Web page.

4. The network-based JIT material shortage and supply information exchange method of claim 3, wherein the Web browser program is Microsoft Internet Explorer.

5. The network-based JIT material shortage and supply information exchange method of claim 3, wherein the Web browser program is Netscape Navigator.

6. A network-based JIT material shortage and supply information exchange system for use to allow a manufacturer and a supplier to exchange information about the manufacturer'"'"'s current condition of material shortage and relevant data in an online manner via a server linked via a network system to a first-party workstation on the supplier side and a second-party workstation on the manufacturer side;

the network-based JIT material shortage and supply information exchange system comprising;

a network system;

a server, which is linked to the network system, and which is installed with a supply chain management information system which can serve up at least one Material-Shortage Status Inquiry Web page and one Specific Rate Reserved Inventory Stock Web page;

at least one first-party workstation, which is installed on the supplier side, and which is linkable via the network system to the inventory management system on the server; and

at least one second-party workstation, which is installed on the manufacturer side, and which is linkable via the network system to the inventory management system on the server;

wherein

the manufacturer can link the second-party workstation via the network system to the supply chain management information system on the server and upload the information about the manufacturer'"'"'s current condition of material shortage and relevant data via the network system to the supply chain management information system on the server;

and wherein

the supplier can link the first-party workstation via the network system to the supply chain management information system on the server to browse the Material-Shortage Status Inquiry Web page and thereby browse the information about the manufacturer'"'"'s current condition of material shortage and relevant data;

and when there is a change in the supplier'"'"'s current inventory stock of material, the supplier can use the Specific Rate Reserved Inventory Stock Web page to input relevant data to cause the supply chain management information system to compute for the percentage of reserved amount of supply based on the manufacturer'"'"'s current condition of material shortage and the supplier'"'"'s current inventory stock of material for reference by the manufacturer.

7. The network-based JIT material shortage and supply information exchange system of claim 6, wherein the network system is selected from the types comprising Internet and extranet system.

8. The network-based JIT material shortage and supply information exchange system of claim 6, wherein the first-party workstation and the second-party workstation each utilizes a Web browser program to link to the productivity-forecast inquiry Web page and the productivity-forecast responding Web page in the purchase management system.

9. The network-based JIT material shortage and supply information exchange system of claim 8, wherein the Web browser program is Microsoft Internet Explorer.

10. The network-based JIT material shortage and supply information exchange system of claim 8, wherein the Web browser program is Netscape Navigator.