Supplier advisory management system
First Claim
1. A method of managing defect complaint advisories for goods provided from a supplier to a manufacturer, said method comprising the following steps:
- the manufacturer entering an advisory into a computer-based advisory management system, wherein said advisory corresponds to a particular good and includes information including an identification variable corresponding to the particular good and a defect reason associated with the good;
transmitting to the supplier a notification that an advisory has been entered into the computer-based advisory management system; and
the manufacturer closing the advisory such that the computer-based advisory management system indicates that no further follow-up actions are required on the part of the supplier.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A supplier advisory management system and associated method provide features and steps for a product manufacturer to enter advisories via a computer-based platform into an automated system. Advisories may include information identifying a given raw material provided from a supplier to a manufacturer as well as a defect reason associated with the material, and such information is stored in an advisory database. Notifications indicating a new advisory are then sent to the supplier as well as optionally selected individuals affiliated with the manufacturer. If corrective action is required on the part of the supplier because of the material defect, the supplier accesses a secure link to the advisory management system and submits a response which may be accepted or rejected by the manufacturer. Searching and report generation tools are provided to collect selected information stored in the advisory database and present such information in various formats for a user. Online communication messengers enable real-time communication between suppliers and manufacturers.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method of managing defect complaint advisories for goods provided from a supplier to a manufacturer, said method comprising the following steps:
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the manufacturer entering an advisory into a computer-based advisory management system, wherein said advisory corresponds to a particular good and includes information including an identification variable corresponding to the particular good and a defect reason associated with the good;
transmitting to the supplier a notification that an advisory has been entered into the computer-based advisory management system; and
the manufacturer closing the advisory such that the computer-based advisory management system indicates that no further follow-up actions are required on the part of the supplier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An advisory management system for managing defect complaints for materials provided from a supplier to a manufacturer, the system comprising:
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a network adapted to permit data transfer between a manufacturer and a supplier, wherein the manufacturer produces a product, and wherein the supplier supplies one or more raw materials;
a first data entry system connected to the network, wherein the first data entry system is adapted to permit the manufacturer to enter advisory information for access by the supplier via said network;
a second data entry system connected to the network, wherein the second data entry system is adapted to permit the supplier to enter and submit responses to selected advisories entered by the manufacturer; and
an advisory database coupled to said network for storing selected advisory information entered by the manufacturer via said first data entry system. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer based application for managing defect complaints for products provided from a supplier to a manufacturer, said application comprising:
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a data entry interface for the manufacturer to enter new advisories, wherein said data entry interface provides data fields corresponding to information including one or more product identification variables and a defect reason for each product in a new advisory, whereby advisory data entered via said data entry interface is stored in an advisory database;
a external signal generator configured to send a notification to the supplier when a new advisory is entered into the computer based application and stored in the advisory database; and
a report generator configured to collect selected information from the advisory database and present it to a user in one of a predetermined or a customized format. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification