Incorporating a repair vendor into repair planning for supply chain

• US 20050228706A1
• Filed: 05/14/2004
• Published: 10/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Yonder Group, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: i2 Technologies US Incorporated (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Jain, Nikhil T., Adgaonkar, Amol B., Mohan, Mohit
• Granted Patent: US 8,566,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

One embodiment includes a computer-implemented system for incorporating a repair vendor into repair planning for a supply chain. The system accesses a logical representation of the supply chain, access an inventory plan for the supply chain, and generates a replenishment plan for meeting the inventory plan for the supply chain that includes suggested repair orders. Unserviceable parts in the supply chain are moved from the supply chain to the repair vendor, repaired at the repair vendor, and moved from the repair vendor back to the supply chain to meet the requirements for serviceable parts at the locations in the supply chain according to the suggested repair orders.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for incorporating a repair vendor into repair planning for a supply chain, the repair vendor being outside the supply chain and substantially independent of control from the supply chain, unserviceable parts being moved from the supply chain to the repair vendor, repaired at the repair vendor, and moved back to the supply chain for use in the supply chain, the system comprising one or more memory units and one or more processing units collectively operable to:

access a logical representation of the supply chain;

access an inventory plan for the supply chain; and

generate a replenishment plan for meeting the inventory plan for the supply chain, the replenishment plan comprising suggested repair orders, the suggested repair orders;

meeting requirements for serviceable parts at locations in the supply chain, unserviceable parts in the supply chain being moved from the supply chain to the repair vendor, repaired at the repair vendor, and moved from the repair vendor back to the supply chain to meet the requirements for serviceable parts at the locations in the supply chain according to the suggested repair orders; and

comprising start times according to which unserviceable parts are to be moved from the supply chain for repair at the repair vendor at the latest possible time allowing the unserviceable parts to be moved from the supply chain to the repair vendor, repaired at the repair vendor, and moved from the repair vendor back to the supply chain in time to meet the requirements for serviceable parts at the locations in the supply chain.

2. The system of claim 1, further operable to:

access information indicating a demand requirement at a first location in the supply chain, the demand requirement resulting from inventory at the first location being insufficient to fill one or more back orders, sales orders, and forecasted orders at the first location; and

in response to the information indicating the demand requirement at the first location;

select one or more of the first location and one or more second locations in the supply chain; and

generate one or more repair orders according to which one or more unserviceable parts are to be moved from the selected locations to the repair vendor, repaired at the repair vendor, and moved from the repair vendor to the first location to meet the demand requirement at the first location.

3. The system of claim 2, further operable to:

access information indicating a replenishment requirement at the first location in the supply chain, the replenishment requirement resulting from safety stock at the first location dropping below a predetermined threshold; and

in response to the information indicating the replenishment requirement at the first location;

select one or more of the first location and the one or more second locations in the supply chain; and

generate one or more repair orders according to which one or more unserviceable parts are to be moved from the selected locations to the repair vendor, repaired at the repair vendor, and moved from the repair vendor to the first location to meet the replenishment requirement at the first location.

4. The system of claim 2, further operable, if an aggregate quantity of unserviceable parts at the first location and the second locations available to meet the demand requirement at the first location is insufficient to fully satisfy the demand requirement at the first location, to indicate a need to procure one or more serviceable parts from one or more vendors outside the supply chain to meet the demand requirement at the first location.

5. The system of claim 2, further operable to select one or more of the second locations only if a quantity of unserviceable parts at the first location available to meet the demand requirement at the first location is insufficient to fully satisfy the demand requirement at the first location.

6. The system of claim 2, further operable to select one or more second locations according to lane prioritization among reverse BODs connecting the second locations to the repair vendor.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising a service parts planning system.

8. A computer-implemented method for incorporating a repair vendor into repair planning for a supply chain, the repair vendor being outside the supply chain and substantially independent of control from the supply chain, unserviceable parts being moved from the supply chain to the repair vendor, repaired at the repair vendor, and moved back to the supply chain for use in the supply chain, the method comprising:

accessing a logical representation of the supply chain;

accessing an inventory plan for the supply chain; and

generating a replenishment plan for meeting the inventory plan for the supply chain, the replenishment plan comprising suggested repair orders, the suggested repair orders;

meeting requirements for serviceable parts at locations in the supply chain, unserviceable parts in the supply chain being moved from the supply chain to the repair vendor, repaired at the repair vendor, and moved from the repair vendor back to the supply chain to meet the requirements for serviceable parts at the locations in the supply chain according to the suggested repair orders; and

comprising start times according to which unserviceable parts are to be moved from the supply chain for repair at the repair vendor at the latest possible time allowing the unserviceable parts to be moved from the supply chain to the repair vendor, repaired at the repair vendor, and moved from the repair vendor back to the supply chain in time to meet the requirements for serviceable parts at the locations in the supply chain.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

accessing information indicating a demand requirement at a first location in the supply chain, the demand requirement resulting from inventory at the first location being insufficient to fill one or more back orders, sales orders, and forecasted orders at the first location; and

in response to the information indicating the demand requirement at the first location;

selecting one or more of the first location and one or more second locations in the supply chain; and

generating one or more repair orders according to which one or more unserviceable parts are to be moved from the selected locations to the repair vendor, repaired at the repair vendor, and moved from the repair vendor to the first location to meet the demand requirement at the first location.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

accessing information indicating a replenishment requirement at the first location in the supply chain, the replenishment requirement resulting from safety stock at the first location dropping below a predetermined threshold; and

in response to the information indicating the replenishment requirement at the first location;

selecting one or more of the first location and the one or more second locations in the supply chain; and

generating one or more repair orders according to which one or more unserviceable parts are to be moved from the selected locations to the repair vendor, repaired at the repair vendor, and moved from the repair vendor to the first location to meet the replenishment requirement at the first location.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising, if an aggregate quantity of unserviceable parts at the first location and the second locations available to meet the demand requirement at the first location is insufficient to fully satisfy the demand requirement at the first location, indicating a need to procure one or more serviceable parts from one or more vendors outside the supply chain to meet the demand requirement at the first location.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising selecting one or more of the second locations only if a quantity of unserviceable parts at the first location available to meet the demand requirement at the first location is insufficient to fully satisfy the demand requirement at the first location.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising selecting one or more second locations according to lane prioritization among reverse BODs connecting the second locations to the repair vendor.

14. The method of claim 9, executed by a service parts planning system.

15. Software for incorporating a repair vendor into repair planning for a supply chain, the repair vendor being outside the supply chain and substantially independent of control from the supply chain, unserviceable parts being moved from the supply chain to the repair vendor, repaired at the repair vendor, and moved back to the supply chain for use in the supply chain, the software embodied in computer-readable media and when executed operable to:

access a logical representation of the supply chain;

access an inventory plan for the supply chain; and

generate a replenishment plan for meeting the inventory plan for the supply chain, the replenishment plan comprising suggested repair orders, the suggested repair orders;

meeting requirements for serviceable parts at locations in the supply chain, unserviceable parts in the supply chain being moved from the supply chain to the repair vendor, repaired at the repair vendor, and moved from the repair vendor back to the supply chain to meet the requirements for serviceable parts at the locations in the supply chain according to the suggested repair orders; and

comprising start times according to which unserviceable parts are to be moved from the supply chain for repair at the repair vendor at the latest possible time allowing the unserviceable parts to be moved from the supply chain to the repair vendor, repaired at the repair vendor, and moved from the repair vendor back to the supply chain in time to meet the requirements for serviceable parts at the locations in the supply chain.

16. The software of claim 15, further operable to:

access information indicating a demand requirement at a first location in the supply chain, the demand requirement resulting from inventory at the first location being insufficient to fill one or more back orders, sales orders, and forecasted orders at the first location; and

in response to the information indicating the demand requirement at the first location;

select one or more of the first location and one or more second locations in the supply chain; and

generate one or more repair orders according to which one or more unserviceable parts are to be moved from the selected locations to the repair vendor, repaired at the repair vendor, and moved from the repair vendor to the first location to meet the demand requirement at the first location.

17. The software of claim 16, further operable to:

access information indicating a replenishment requirement at the first location in the supply chain, the replenishment requirement resulting from safety stock at the first location dropping below a predetermined threshold; and

in response to the information indicating the replenishment requirement at the first location;

select one or more of the first location and the one or more second locations in the supply chain; and

generate one or more repair orders according to which one or more unserviceable parts are to be moved from the selected locations to the repair vendor, repaired at the repair vendor, and moved from the repair vendor to the first location to meet the replenishment requirement at the first location.

18. The software of claim 16, further operable, if an aggregate quantity of unserviceable parts at the first location and the second locations available to meet the demand requirement at the first location is insufficient to fully satisfy the demand requirement at the first location, to indicate a need to procure one or more serviceable parts from one or more vendors outside the supply chain to meet the demand requirement at the first location.

19. The software of claim 16, further operable to select one or more of the second locations only if a quantity of unserviceable parts at the first location available to meet the demand requirement at the first location is insufficient to fully satisfy the demand requirement at the first location.

20. The software of claim 16, further operable to select one or more second locations according to lane prioritization among reverse BODs connecting the second locations to the repair vendor.

21. The software of claim 15, being a component of a service parts planning system.

22. A system for incorporating a repair vendor into repair planning for a supply chain, the repair vendor being outside the supply chain and substantially independent of control from the supply chain, unserviceable parts being moved from the supply chain to the repair vendor, repaired at the repair vendor, and moved back to the supply chain for use in the supply chain, the system comprising:

means for accessing a logical representation of the supply chain;

means for accessing an inventory plan for the supply chain; and

means for generating a replenishment plan for meeting the inventory plan for the supply chain, the replenishment plan comprising suggested repair orders, the suggested repair orders;

meeting requirements for serviceable parts at locations in the supply chain, unserviceable parts in the supply chain being moved from the supply chain to the repair vendor, repaired at the repair vendor, and moved from the repair vendor back to the supply chain to meet the requirements for serviceable parts at the locations in the supply chain according to the suggested repair orders; and

comprising start times according to which unserviceable parts are to be moved from the supply chain for repair at the repair vendor at the latest possible time allowing the unserviceable parts to be moved from the supply chain to the repair vendor, repaired at the repair vendor, and moved from the repair vendor back to the supply chain in time to meet the requirements for serviceable parts at the locations in the supply chain.