System and method for distribution chain management

• US 20040172341A1
• Filed: 03/11/2004
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsui Bussan Logistics, Inc. (Mitsui & Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Mitsui Bussan Logistics, Inc. (Mitsui & Company Limited)
• Inventors: Aoyama, Keisuke, Ezaki, Yoshitaka, Toyoshima, Kojiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,527,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A system for supply chain management is provided. The system includes two or more manufacturer systems receiving order data, such as data identifying goods that have been ordered for each of two or more warehouses, and generating first and second shipment data, such as data identifying the actual amount of goods that were shipped. A warehouse system receives the order data, such as to allow a warehouse operator to make plans for accommodating the order, and the shipment data, such as to notify the warehouse operator of actual amounts of goods that have been shipped. An order controller system generates the order data and receives the shipment data, such as data identifying goods that are being shipped to the order controller system.

Claims

1. A system for supply chain management comprising:

a plurality of manufacturer systems receiving order data and generating first and second warehouse shipment data;

a warehouse system receiving the order data and the first warehouse shipment data; and

an order controller system generating the order data and receiving the first and second warehouse shipment data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the order controller system further comprises an internal warehouse order system generating internal warehouse order data.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the order controller system further comprises an external warehouse order system generating external warehouse order data.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the order controller system further comprises an implied inventory system receiving shipping data, receiving data, and loss data, and generating implied inventory data.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a forecast and planning system generating forecast data.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the forecast and planning system further comprises a product management system generating one or more of the group comprising product rollout data, product deletion data, and product replacement, data wherein the order controller system receives the one or more of the product rollout data, the product deletion data, and the product rollout data and generates order data in response to the one or more of the product rollout data, the product deletion data, and the product rollout data.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the forecast and planning system further comprises a promotion management system generating product promotion data, wherein the order controller system receives the product promotion data and generates order data in response to the product promotion data.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the forecast and planning system further comprises an invoice management system generating invoice payment control data.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the warehouse system further comprises an invoice control system receiving the invoice payment control data and generating invoice payment data.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the order controller system further comprises an invoice control system receiving the invoice payment control data and generating invoice payment data.

11. A system for supply chain management comprising:

an order controller system receiving inventory data and generating reverse logistics data;

a warehouse system receiving the reverse logistics data and generating shipping data.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising a distribution system receiving the reverse logistics data and generating shipping data.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the order controller system further comprises an internal warehouse order system receiving the shipping data and modifying internal warehouse order data in response to the shipping data.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the warehouse system further comprises an inventory system receiving the shipping data and modifying inventory data in response to the shipping data.

15. A method for supply chain management comprising:

receiving external inventory data at an order controller;

receiving internal inventory data at the order controller;

generating warehouse order data and inventory controller order data in response to the external inventory data and the internal inventory data.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising receiving inventory data for a plurality of retail systems and generating the warehouse order data and inventory controller data in response to the inventory data for the plurality of retail systems.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising receiving product promotion data at the order controller and generating the warehouse order data and inventory controller data in response to the product promotion data.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising receiving product rollout data at the order controller and generating the warehouse order data and inventory controller data in response to the product rollout data.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising receiving product replacement data at the order controller and generating the warehouse order data and inventory controller data in response to the product replacement data.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising receiving product deletion data at the order controller and generating the warehouse order data and inventory controller data in response to the product deletion data.