Supply chain management system and method

• US 20040177012A1
• Filed: 03/23/2004
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Principal Software Developments Limited
• Original Assignee: Principal Software Developments Limited
• Inventors: Flanagan, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 6,945,459 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A supply chain management system (1) has a server (2) and a tracking database (3) linked to multiple remote transaction sites (10, 15, 16, 17, 18). A manufacturing facility (10) manufactures a product (12) and the system (1) assigns a unique reference to it. This reference includes a component identifying the location (10) of production. Each subsequent operation involving the product along the supply chain generates transaction data and the system (1) records a transaction record for it. If the product is modified such as by splitting the pallet, the original reference is terminated and no more transaction records can be generated for it. The modified product is assigned a fresh reference and a series of tracking records is generated as it moves along the supply chain.

Claims

1. A supply chain management method implemented by a processor, a storage device, a communications interface, and user terminals or computers, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a unique reference for a new product;

(b) generating a transaction record for each operation performed with the product for a supply chain, each transaction record including the associated unique reference without change;

(c) terminating the unique reference when the product reaches the end of the configured supply chain by preventing recordal of further transaction records for it; and

(d) if the product is modified in the supply chain, terminating the unique reference by preventing recordal of further transaction records for it, generating a unique reference for the modified product, and performing steps (a) to (c) for the modified product.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step (d) comprises linking the unique reference for the modified product with that for the source product.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each unique reference includes a series of components, each chosen according to a particular parameter.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first component is an identifier of the location where the product originated.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the method includes a unique identifier for each of a plurality of locations for a plurality of manufacturing or supply organizations.

6. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein each component is unique within the preceding component.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein splitting of a collection of items such as splitting of a pallet is treated as modification of the original product.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein such modification spawns a plurality of fresh references, each for a sub-division of the original product.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method validates generation of a fresh unique reference by comparing measure units of the modified product with those of the source product, and generates an error message if they are different.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a transaction type identifier is included with each transaction record.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a transaction type identifier for the transaction which generates the product is included as a component in the unique reference.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each transaction record comprises a unique transaction identifier.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a transaction record includes a plurality of unique references, each for a product involved in the transaction, such as combining two products in a manufacturing operation.

14. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein some locations have an associated unit of measure and an error message is generated if different measure data is received for a location.

15. A supply chain management system comprising means for performing a method as claimed in claim 1.

16. A computer program product comprising software code for performing a method of claim 1, when executing on a digital computer.