Logistics management method and system

• US 20050015314A1
• Filed: 11/14/2003
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Stephan, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 6,892,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to logistics management software. The software includes a user interface configurable to receive inputs relating to logistics operations in user-defined language.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a computer processor; and

a storage medium to store computer-executable instructions executable by the computer processor to implement;

a user interface to receive a set of value combinations corresponding to operations in a logistics process;

a customizing layer to map the value combinations to functionality for performing the operations; and

functionality responsive to the customizing layer to perform the operations;

wherein the user interface comprises;

a step field to receive a value relating to a current step in a logistics process and data associated therewith;

a predecessor step field to receive a value relating to a step in a logistics process previous to the current step, and data associated therewith; and

a mode field to receive a value relating to an action to be performed based on values received in the step and predecessor step fields.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises a selection region to receive selection criteria for source data associated with a value received in the predecessor step field.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the user interface further comprises a data display region to display data resulting from an application of the selection criteria.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the action includes one of creating, modifying and deleting a document.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the customizing layer comprises an action class customizing table containing fields corresponding to the step, mode and predecessor step fields of the user interface, to map values received in the step, mode and predecessor step fields to an action class comprising functionality relating to one of creating, modifying and deleting a document in accordance with a combination of values received in the step, mode and predecessor step fields.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the customizing layer comprises an enhancement class customizing table containing fields corresponding to at least one of the step, mode and predecessor step fields of the user interface, to map values received in at least one of the step, mode and predecessor step fields to an enhancement class comprising functionality relating to adding user-defined data to the display of data resulting from the application of the selection criteria.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the customizing layer comprises a filter class customizing table containing fields corresponding to at least one of the step, mode and predecessor step fields of the user interface, to map values received in at least one of the step, mode and predecessor step fields to a filter class comprising functionality relating to suppressing data from the display of data resulting from the application of the selection criteria.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the step, mode and predecessor step fields has a drop-down list box associated therewith, a respective drop-down list box listing values acceptable in a corresponding field.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the acceptable values are expressible in user-defined language.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein the data display region is configured to receive user input to designate a portion of the data resulting from the application of the selection criteria for processing in accordance with an action corresponding to a combination of values received in the step, mode and predecessor step fields.

11. A method comprising:

(i) receiving a value in each of a step, mode and predecessor step field of a user interface, wherein;

a value received in the step field relates to a current step in a logistics process and data associated therewith;

a value received in the predecessor step field relates to a step in a logistics process previous to the current step, and data associated therewith; and

a value received in the mode field relates to an action to be performed based on values received in the step and predecessor step fields; and

(ii) receiving selection criteria for selecting data corresponding to the predecessor step for processing in accordance with an action corresponding to a combination of values received in the step, mode and predecessor step fields.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

(iii) reading data from a database based on the selection criteria;

(iv) applying enhancing operations to the data read, the enhancing operations relating to adding user-defined data to a display of data resulting from an application of the selection criteria.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

(v) applying filtering operations to the data read, the filtering operations relating to suppressing data from the display of data resulting from the application of the selection criteria.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

(vi) receiving input designating a portion of the enhanced and filtered data for processing in accordance with the action.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the data is a source document.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the data is a target document.

17. A machine-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions to implement:

a user interface to receive a set of value combinations corresponding to operations in a logistics process;

a customizing layer to map the value combinations to functionality for performing the operations; and

functionality responsive to the customizing layer to perform the operations;

wherein the user interface comprises;

a step field to receive a value relating to a current step in a logistics process and data associated therewith;

a predecessor step field to receive a value relating to a step in a logistics process previous to the current step, and data associated therewith; and

a mode field to receive a value relating to an action to be performed based on values received in the step and predecessor step fields.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the user interface further comprises a selection region to receive selection criteria for source data associated with a value received in the predecessor step field.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the user interface further comprises a data display region to display data resulting from an application of the selection criteria.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the action includes one of creating, modifying and deleting a document.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the customizing layer comprises an action class customizing table containing fields corresponding to the step, mode and predecessor step fields of the user interface, to map values received in the step, mode and predecessor step fields to an action class comprising functionality relating to one of creating, modifying and deleting a document in accordance with a combination of values received in the step, mode and predecessor step fields.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the customizing layer comprises an enhancement class customizing table containing fields corresponding to at least one of the step, mode and predecessor step fields of the user interface, to map values received in at least one of the step, mode and predecessor step fields to an enhancement class comprising functionality relating to adding user-defined data to the display of data resulting from the application of the selection criteria.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the customizing layer comprises a filter class customizing table containing fields corresponding to at least one of the step, mode and predecessor step fields of the user interface, to map values received in at least one of the step, mode and predecessor step fields to a filter class comprising functionality relating to suppressing data from the display of data resulting from the application of the selection criteria.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein each of the step, mode and predecessor step fields has a drop-down list box associated therewith, a respective drop-down list box listing values acceptable in a corresponding field.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the acceptable values are expressible in user-defined language.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the data display region is configured to receive user input to designate a portion of the data resulting from the application of the selection criteria for processing in accordance with an action corresponding to a combination of values received in the step, mode and predecessor step fields.