Closed-Loop Supply Chain in the Paper Packaging Sector

• US 20070073571A1
• Filed: 09/19/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Millen, Jonathan, Sheridan, Paul, Leslie, Luke
• Granted Patent: US 8,515,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for providing a closed loop supply chain in a paper packaging business sector. A closed loop supply chain, as provided by a paper packaging company, includes collecting paper packaging waste from a retailer, producing paper material from the paper packaging waste, converting the paper material into packaging material, providing the packaging material to a product manufacturing company, and assisting the product manufacturing company in packaging a manufactured product. The paper packaging company may transport the manufactured product from the product manufacturing company to the retailer, obtain timber harvest, and produce paper material from the timber harvest and the paper packaging waste. Paper-packaging material is monitored as the paper-packaging material moves with a closed-loop supply chain. A collection and analyzing site collects data from a plurality of monitoring sites that are located at specified locations within the closed-loop supply chain in order to track the paper packaging material.

Claims

1. A method for providing a closed loop supply chain for paper packaging-related materials, comprising:

(a) collecting, by a paper packaging company, paper packaging waste from a retailer, the paper packaging waste being associated with a manufactured product;

(b) producing, by the paper packaging company, paper material from the paper packaging waste;

(c) converting, by the paper packaging company, the paper material into packaging material;

(d) providing, by the paper packaging company, the packaging material to a product manufacturing company; and

(e) assisting, by the paper packaging company, the product manufacturing company in packaging the manufactured product.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(f) transporting, by the paper packaging company, the manufactured product from the product manufacturing company to the retailer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e)(i) providing fulfillment and packaging operations for downsteam customers of the product manufacturing company.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(d)(i) managing an incoming good space to the product manufacturing company, the inventory including the packaging material.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

(d)(i)(1) procuring secondary materials for the product manufacturing company.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

(e)(i) developing a packaging design from the packaging material for the product manufacturing company.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(a)(i) separating a contaminant from the paper packaging waste.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

(a)(ii) in response to (a)(i), obtaining recycling credits.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

(a)(iii) transporting the paper packaging waste from the retailer.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(f) obtaining, by the paper packaging company, timber harvest from a timber supplier; and

(g) including the timber harvest with the paper packaging waste to produce the paper material.

11. A method for monitoring paper packaging-related materials in a closed loop supply chain, comprising:

(a) obtaining, at a first monitoring site, a first identification that identifies first paper packaging material at a first specified location within the closed loop supply chain; and

(b) sending the first identification to a collection site.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

(c) obtaining, at the first monitoring site, a first measurement that gauges an environmental factor on the first paper packaging material; and

(d) sending the first measurement to the collection site.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

(c) obtaining, at a second monitoring site, the first identification that identifies the first paper packaging material at a second specified location within the closed loop supply chain; and

(d) sending the first identification to a collection site.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

(c) obtaining, at a second monitoring site, a second identification that identifies second paper packaging material at a second specified location within the closed loop supply chain;

(d) sending the second identification to the collection site.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

(c) tracking the first paper packaging material as the first paper packaging material is transported within the closed loop supply chain.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein (a) comprises:

(i) reading tag information from a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, the RFID tag being attached to the first paper packaging material; and

(ii) extracting the first identification from the tag information.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

(e) in response to (a), including a first time stamp when the first identification was obtained at the first specified site; and

(f) in response to (c), including a second time stamp when the second identification was obtained at the second specified site.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

(e) tracking the first paper packaging material as the first paper packaging material moves within the closed loop supply chain.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

(e) determining whether the first packaging material is damaged.

20. A system for monitoring a plurality of paper packaging-related materials in a closed loop supply chain, comprising:

a first monitoring unit that obtains an identification of a first paper packaging material at a first specified location;

a second monitoring unit that obtains the identification of the first paper packaging material at a second specified location; and

a collection site that receives the identification from the first monitoring unit and the second monitoring unit and that tracks the first paper packaging material in the closed loop supply chain.