Order commitment method and system

• US 20040254842A1
• Filed: 06/10/2004
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jon Kirkegaard
• Original Assignee: Jon Kirkegaard
• Inventors: Kirkegaard, Jon
• Granted Patent: US 7,657,534 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

An order commitment method and system are described. The method includes the steps of identifying services and data capable of supporting an order commitment, and mapping the services to enable synchronized on-demand queries. The mapping step includes determining relationships among the services and the data and maintaining the relationships, wherein links are established to create fulfillment information. The method also includes using the fulfillment information to generate the order commitment.

Claims

1. An order commitment method, executed on a computer, comprising:

identifying services and data capable of supporting an order commitment;

mapping the services to enable synchronized on-demand queries, comprising;

registering relationships among the services and the data, and

maintaining the relationships, wherein links are established to create fulfillment information; and

using the fulfillment information to generate a real-time order commitment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fulfillment information is created from structured data and unstructured data.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

using an order commitment Xschema, mapping the structured and the unstructured data to the order commitment Xschema to create decision support results.

4. An order commitment system, comprising:

a supply chain console, the console, comprising;

means for relating and managing data from multiple, unrelated data sources to a data schema, and

means for forming an query to support an on-demand order commitment based on the related data;

means for storing the data relationships; and

means for creating decision support results based on the stored data relationships.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the means for relating data comprises:

means for automatically mapping the data from the multiple unrelated data sources and supply chain services to the data schema; and

means for receiving pre-certified data from one or more of the multiple, unrelated data sources and supply chain.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the data schema is an Xschema, and wherein the means for mapping comprises:

an Xquery designer that maps XML-formatted data to the Xschema; and

an XML designer that maps non-XML-formatted data to the Xschema.

7. The system of claim 4, further comprising means for increasing precision of the decision support results.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the decision support results comprise:

means for displaying a result of an unstructured search of the multiple, unrelated data sources;

means for displaying an unstructured order commit query of the multiple, unrelated data sources; and

means for displaying a role-based structured order commit query of the multiple, unrelated data sources.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the role-based structured order commit query is based on one or more defined roles in an order commit network, the one or more defined roles including warehouse manager, postponed manufacturing facility manager managing inbound material and on hand material, customer service clerk, master material planner validating plans executing as planned, logistics and transportation manager, chief financial officer managing inventory and risk, and procurement purchasing manager.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the means for increasing the precision of the decision support results comprises means for changing and adding to the Xschema.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the Xschema is stored locally on a user device, wherein queries are initiated from the user device, further comprising means for asynchronous distribution and replication of the changes and additions to the Xschema.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the means for increasing the precision of decision support results comprises means for using EPC standard codes for RFID electronic product codes to discover and integrate information flow from the multiple, unrelated data sources.

13. The system of claim 4, wherein the means for storing the data relationships comprises means for caching unreliable data sources based on user preferences.

14. The system of claim 4, further comprising means for providing multiple-company, multiple project security.

15. The system of claim 4, wherein the means for displaying the decision support results comprises a web service application.

16. An order commitment method, executable on a computer, comprising:

relating and managing data from multiple, unrelated data sources to a schema;

forming an query to support an on-demand order commitment based on the related data;

storing the data relationships as order commit relationships; and

creating decision support results based on the stored data relationships.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein relating data comprises:

automatically mapping the data from the multiple unrelated data sources and supply chain services to the data schema; and

receiving pre-certified data from one or more of the multiple, unrelated data sources and supply chain.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the data schema is an Xschema, and wherein the mapping comprises:

using an Xquery designer to map XML-formatted data to the Xschema; and

using an XML designer to map non-XML-formatted data to the Xschema.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising increasing precision of the decision support results.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein creating decision support results comprises:

displaying a result of an unstructured search of the multiple, unrelated data sources;

displaying an unstructured order commit query of the multiple, unrelated data sources; and

displaying a role-based structured order commit query of the multiple, unrelated data sources.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein increasing the precision of the decision support results comprises:

drill-down of a first display; and

changing and adding to the Xschema.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein increasing the precision of decision support results comprises using EPC standard codes for RFID electronic product code tags to discover and integrate information flow from the multiple, unrelated data sources.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising real-time mapping of the EPC standard codes for RFID electronic product code tags and customer specific derivatives of the EPC standards to order commit relationships.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

storing the Xschema locally on a user device;

initiating Xqueries from the user device; and

asynchronously distributing and replicating the changes and additions to the Xschema.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein storing the data relationships comprises caching unreliable data sources based on user preferences.

26. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing multiple-company, multiple project security.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein displaying the decision support results comprises displaying the results using a web service application.

28. A method executed on a computer for supplying decision-making information to users in a supply chain network, comprising:

providing an unstructured search request into multiple, unrelated data sources, the unstructured search comprising an entry of one characteristic parameter, the one parameter related to goods and services of interest to the user;

returning an unstructured search view to the user;

providing a refined, structured query into the multiple, unrelated data sources, the structured query comprising an entry of more specific characteristic parameters;

returning a structured order commit view;

providing a role-based structured query into the multiple, unrelated data sources, the role-based structured query designed to meet a specific role in the supply chain network; and

returning a role-based structured order commit view.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the supply chain network includes an Xschema defining relationships among partners in the supply chain network, the method further comprising creating new relationships among the network partners by linking in real-time, the Xschema and elements of the network partners.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising extending in real-time, enterprise and cross-enterprise sales and operation plans (S&

OP) to the structured order commit view.

31. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium and computer readable code embodied in the medium, the computer code configured to cause a computer to execute an order commitment method, the method comprising:

relating and managing data from multiple, unrelated data sources to a schema;

forming an query to support an on-demand order commitment based on the related data;

storing the data relationships as order commit relationships; and

creating decision support results based on the stored data relationships.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein relating data comprises:

automatically mapping the data from the multiple unrelated data sources and supply chain services to the data schema; and

receiving pre-certified data from one or more of the multiple, unrelated data sources and supply chain.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the data schema is an Xschema, and wherein the mapping comprises:

using an Xquery designer to map XML-formatted data to the Xschema; and

using an XML designer to map non-XML-formatted data to the Xschema.

34. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein creating decision support results comprises:

displaying a result of an unstructured search of the multiple, unrelated data sources;

displaying an unstructured order commit query of the multiple, unrelated data sources; and

displaying a role-based structured order commit query of the multiple, unrelated data sources.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein increasing the precision of the decision support results comprises drill-down of a first display.

36. The computer program product of claim 31, the method further comprising increasing precision of the decision support results.

37. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein increasing the precision of decision support results comprises using electronic product codes to discover and integrate information flow from the multiple, unrelated data sources.

38. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein increasing the precision of the decision support results comprises changing and adding to the Xschema.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, the method further comprising:

storing the Xschema locally on a user device;

initiating Xqueries from the user device; and

asynchronously distributing and replicating the changes and additions to the Xschema.

40. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein storing the data relationships comprises caching unreliable data sources based on user preferences.

41. The computer program product of claim 31, the method further comprising providing multiple-company, multiple project security.

42. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein displaying the decision support results comprises displaying the results using a web service application.

43. A service-oriented method, executed on a computer, comprising:

registering a plurality of business roles;

identifying multiple, concurrent, and unrelated data sources that support implementation of the business roles; and

using the identified data sources and the business roles, providing views of information from the data sources, the information relevant to parameters that measure performance of the business roles, wherein the views relate performance of a first parameter relative to a second parameter, and wherein the views are capable of refinement based on the information relevant to the parameters.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the service-oriented method is applied to a working capital reduction information service, wherein the first parameter is working capital and the second parameter is customer service level, and wherein the information includes inventory information, the method further comprising:

receiving the inventory information; and

providing an order commitment based on the received inventory information, wherein the order commitment allows reduction of working capital to near-zero and maximizes the customer service level.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the service-oriented method is applied to a travel planning and reservation system, wherein the first parameter is a number of reservations and the second parameter is customer service level, and wherein the information includes available reservations, the method further comprising:

receiving the available reservations information; and

providing reservation commitments based on the received available reservations information, wherein the reservation commitments provide full utilization of available reservations.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the service-oriented method is applied to a logistics service, wherein the first parameter is shipping capacity and the second parameter is customer service level, and wherein information is available shipping capacity, the method comprising:

receiving available shipping capacity information; and

providing shipping commitments based on the received shipping capacity information, wherein the shipping commitments provide maximum utilization of shipping capacity and maximum customer service level.

47. A method of providing an enterprise with turn-key information services, the services executable on a computer, the method comprising:

identifying discrete business roles relevant to the enterprise;

relating and managing data from multiple, unrelated data sources to a schema, the data relevant to execution of the business roles;

registering and persisting relationships based on the data related to the schema;

providing a query function capable of supporting on-demand order commitments based on the related data; and

creating decision support results based on the stored data relationships.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the enterprise comprises a contract manufacturer, wherein the decision support results provide just-in-time product releases, in-transit product rerouting, and order commitments based on inventory not yet physically available.