System, method, and apparatus for supply chain management

• US 20070022024A1
• Filed: 07/20/2005
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Consolidated Beef Producers, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Consolidated Beef Producers, Inc.
• Inventors: Dowty, Tracy, Cobb, Phillip, Bradshaw, Casey, Foreman, Lisa, Peoples, Heather, Mercer, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 8,775,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining

Abstract

A system for managing an integrated supply chain of livestock, such as beef cattle, utilizes a networked system solution for interacting various supply chain entities via the Internet. Various livestock producers, feed yards, packers, retailers, and vendors to the livestock industry are interconnected to communicate, manage, market, and transact the livestock from birth to consumer sales at the retail level. Producers are enabled to provide source verification of their livestock to enhance the integrity of the system, and prequalify livestock for value-added retail programs. Retailers are enabled to make real-time changes to characteristics of known future supply through interactions with the decision makers during the production process.

Claims

1. A system for managing an integrated supply chain of livestock, comprising:

a plurality of producers, each of the producers producing livestock, including feeding and caring for the livestock;

a plurality of intermediaries for facilitating processing of the livestock to become finished product;

a plurality of retailers, each of the retailers retailing finished product derived from the livestock;

a network system for facilitating interaction between the producers, intermediaries, and retailers via the Internet such that the producers, intermediaries, and retailers are interconnected to communicate, manage, market, and transact the livestock; and

a system administrator for managing the network system and relationships between the producers, intermediaries, and retailers regarding the livestock.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the producers comprise seedstock and cow/calf operations, stockers, and feeders, the intermediaries include packers and vendors to a livestock industry, and the retailers include retail entities and wholesalers.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the livestock is transacted on the network system from pre-birth through sales of finished product at a consumer retail level.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the producers provide source verification of their livestock comprising on-line sworn affidavits attesting to livestock listing information, including type of livestock, origin and source information, physical identification methods, calving methods, and calving dates.

5. A system according to claim 1, further comprising custom retail programs for which livestock produced by the producers is prequalified for adding value thereto.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the custom retail programs include qualifying the livestock based on attributes of the livestock comprising nutrition and feeding protocols, health and medication protocols, palatability, appearance, designation as all-natural products, product tenderness, product selection attributes, specialty labeled meat products, and packaging.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the retailers interact with finished cattle information to develop product promotion and pricing strategies, to complete supply forecasting objectives, and to request handling parameters controlled by the producers and intermediaries for the livestock in custom retail programs originated by the retailers.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the retailers prescribe attributes of the livestock for various upstream supply chain participants including the producers and intermediaries, the producers and intermediaries make changes within the system to fulfill the attributes to create and define desirable parameters for consumers, and the producers review feedback regarding the value added by the attribute fulfillment to make their future livestock management decisions.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the system further provides historical, benchmark, and seasonal information to users thereof.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the intermediaries comprise vendors external to the livestock supply chain that provide an automated, Internet services-based buying program that enables producers and other intermediaries to automatically coordinate real time management of their supplies inventory.

11. A system according to claim of 10, wherein the supplies inventory includes pharmaceutical products, feeding equipment, animal handling equipment, animal identification equipment, feed ration components, and fuel and energy inputs.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein the intermediaries comprise vendors that provide decision support information, such as livestock industry information, network intelligence, and sponsored reports to the producers, other intermediaries, and retailers, subject to approval of the system administrator, through an interactive reporting within the network system whereby the producers, other intermediaries, and retailers interact with the decision support information to make livestock management decisions.

13. A system according to claim 5, wherein the custom retail programs are selected by the producers subject to approval of and qualification by the system administrator and, in the alternative, the system administrator selects the custom retail programs for the producers to increase livestock value to the producers.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein the system administrator qualifies livestock for the custom retail programs by physically inspecting the livestock in-person at a physical location of the livestock and, in the alternative, by remote inspection via the Internet wherein the system administrator is in a different physical location than the livestock, such that decisions by the system administrator are implemented and the livestock is managed by the network system in response thereto.

15. A system according to claim 5, wherein the custom retail programs include specifications for prescribing genetics of the livestock such that attributes of the livestock are prescribed prior to conception of the livestock.

16. A system according to claim 5, wherein the producers qualify for the custom retail programs by fulfilling a set of production protocols that are communicated in the network system and interacted with by the system administrator and retailers.

17. A system according to claim 10, wherein the network system enables vendors to monitor, manage, and implement decisions for the supplies inventory to facilitate fulfillment of livestock attributes prescribed by the retailers, including managing product orders, monitoring and reacting to customer inventory levels, and managing shipment and delivery communications and decisions to customers.

18. A system according to claim 4, further comprising fulfilling export document requirements with the network system to facilitate international transactions of livestock to foreign countries outside of the United States.

19. A computer-implemented method of managing an integrated supply chain of livestock, the method comprising:

(a) engaging producers that produce livestock, intermediaries that facilitate processing of the livestock to become finished product, and retailers that retail finished product derived from the livestock;

(b) facilitating interaction between the producers, intermediaries, and retailers via the Internet such that the producers, intermediaries, and retailers are interconnected to communicate, manage, market, and transact the livestock;

(c) managing relationships between the producers, intermediaries, and retailers, and providing historical, benchmark, and seasonal information to the producers and retailers regarding the livestock;

(d) providing custom retail programs defined by the retailers for which livestock produced by the producers is prequalified for adding value thereto, such that the producers qualify for the custom retail programs by fulfilling a set of production protocols that are communicated and interacted with by retailers;

(e) qualifying the livestock for the custom retail programs by physically inspecting the livestock in-person at a physical location of the livestock and, in the alternative, by remote, non-physical inspection via the Internet wherein the livestock is in a remote location, such that decisions are implemented and the livestock is managed; and

(f) prescribing attributes of the livestock for upstream supply chain participants including the producers and intermediaries, the producers and intermediaries making changes to management of the livestock to fulfill the attributes to create and define desirable parameters for consumers, and the producers reviewing feedback regarding the value added by the attribute fulfillment to make their future livestock management decisions.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the producers comprise seedstock and cow/calf operations, stockers, and feeders, the intermediaries include packers and vendors to a livestock industry, and the retailers include retailers and wholesalers.

21. A method according to claim 19, further comprising transacting the livestock from pre-birth through sales of finished product at a consumer retail level.

22. A method according to claim 19, further comprising:

enabling the producers to provide source verification of their livestock comprising on-line sworn affidavits attesting to livestock listing information, including type of livestock, origin and source information, physical identification methods, calving methods, and calving dates; and

fulfilling export document requirements to facilitate international transactions of livestock to foreign countries outside of the United States.

23. A method according to claim 19, wherein the intermediaries comprise vendors that provide decision support information, such as livestock industry information, network intelligence, and sponsored reports to the producers, other intermediaries, and retailers, through interactive reporting whereby the producers, other intermediaries, and retailers interact with the decision support information to make livestock management decisions.

24. A method according to claim 19, wherein the custom retail programs are selected by the producers and, in the alternative, selecting the custom retail programs for the producers to increase livestock value to the producers.

25. A method according to claim 19, wherein the custom retail programs include specifications for prescribing genetics of the livestock such that attributes of the livestock are prescribed prior to conception of the livestock.

26. A method according to claim 19, wherein the custom retail programs include qualifying the livestock based on attributes of the livestock including nutrition and feeding protocols, health medication protocols, palatability, appearance, designation as all-natural products, product tenderness, product selection attributes, specialty labeled meat products, and packaging.

27. A method according to claim 19, wherein the retailers interact with finished cattle information to develop product promotion and pricing strategies, to complete supply forecasting objectives, and to request handling parameters controlled by the producers and intermediaries for the livestock in custom retail programs originated by the retailers.

28. A method according to claim 19, wherein the intermediaries comprise vendors external to the livestock supply chain that provide an automated, Internet services-based buying program that enables producers and other intermediaries to automatically coordinate real time management of their supplies inventory;

and wherein

the supplies inventory includes pharmaceutical products, feeding equipment, animal handling equipment, animal identification equipment, feed ration components, and fuel and energy inputs.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein the vendors monitor, manage, and implement decisions for the supplies inventory to facilitate fulfillment of livestock attributes prescribed by the retailers, including managing product orders, monitoring and reacting to customer inventory levels, and managing shipment and delivery communications and decisions to customers.

30. A computer readable medium that is readable by a computer facilitating electronic commerce in a publicly accessible computer network, the computer readable medium comprising:

a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the following operations;

engage producers that produce livestock, intermediaries that facilitate processing of the livestock to become finished product, and retailers that retail finished product derived from the livestock;

facilitate interaction between the producers, intermediaries, and retailers via the Internet such that the producers, intermediaries, and retailers are interconnected to communicate, manage, market, and transact the livestock;

manage relationships between the producers, intermediaries, and retailers, and providing historical, benchmark, and seasonal information to the producers and retailers regarding the livestock;

provide custom retail programs defined by the retailers for which livestock produced by the producers is prequalified for adding value thereto, such that the producers qualify for the custom retail programs by fulfilling a set of production protocols that are communicated and interacted with by retailers;

qualify the livestock for the custom retail programs by physically inspecting the livestock in-person at a physical location of the livestock and, in the alternative, by remote, non-physical inspection via the Internet wherein the livestock is in a remote location, such that decisions are implemented and the livestock is managed; and

prescribe attributes of the livestock for upstream supply chain participants including the producers and intermediaries, the producers and intermediaries making changes to management of the livestock to fulfill the attributes to create and define desirable parameters for consumers, and the producers reviewing feedback regarding the value added by the attribute fulfillment to make their future livestock management decisions.

31. A computer memory element containing stored in signal bearing media a database, the database containing the following data in computer readable format:

data indicating producers that produce livestock, intermediaries that facilitate processing of the livestock to become finished product, and retailers that retail finished product derived from the livestock;

data indicating interaction between the producers, intermediaries, and retailers via the Internet such that the producers, intermediaries, and retailers are interconnected to communicate, manage, market, and transact the livestock;

data indicating relationships between the producers, intermediaries, and retailers, and providing historical, benchmark, and seasonal information to the producers and retailers regarding the livestock;

data indicating custom retail programs defined by the retailers for which livestock produced by the producers is prequalified for adding value thereto, such that the producers qualify for the custom retail programs by fulfilling a set of production protocols that are communicated and interacted with by retailers;

data indicating the livestock for the custom retail programs by physically inspecting the livestock in-person at a physical location of the livestock and, in the alternative, by remote, non-physical inspection via the Internet wherein the livestock is in a remote location, such that decisions are implemented and the livestock is managed; and

data indicating attributes of the livestock for upstream supply chain participants including the producers and intermediaries, the producers and intermediaries making changes to management of the livestock to fulfill the attributes to create and define desirable parameters for consumers, and the producers reviewing feedback regarding the value added by the attribute fulfillment to make their future livestock management decisions.

32. A computer system facilitating electronic commerce over a publicly accessible computer network, comprising:

a processor;

a storage medium having data accessible to the processor;

an input/output for transferring data to the processor;

the processor comprising;

means for engaging producers that produce livestock, intermediaries that facilitate processing of the livestock to become finished product, and retailers that retail finished product derived from the livestock;

means for facilitating interaction between the producers, intermediaries, and retailers via the Internet such that the producers, intermediaries, and retailers are interconnected to communicate, manage, market, and transact the livestock;

means for managing relationships between the producers, intermediaries, and retailers, and providing historical, benchmark, and seasonal information to the producers and retailers regarding the livestock;

means for providing custom retail programs defined by the retailers for which livestock produced by the producers is prequalified for adding value thereto, such that the producers qualify for the custom retail programs by fulfilling a set of production protocols that are communicated and interacted with by retailers;

means for qualifying the livestock for the custom retail programs by physically inspecting the livestock in-person at a physical location of the livestock and, in the alternative, by remote, non-physical inspection via the Internet wherein the livestock is in a remote location, such that decisions are implemented and the livestock is managed; and

means for prescribing attributes of the livestock for upstream supply chain participants including the producers and intermediaries, the producers and intermediaries making changes to management of the livestock to fulfill the attributes to create and define desirable parameters for consumers, and the producers reviewing feedback regarding the value added by the attribute fulfillment to make their future livestock management decisions.