Delivery date simulation and control

• US 20070088587A1
• Filed: 10/14/2005
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Helgogaard, Niels, Jakobsen, Karina
• Application Number:
  US11/251,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20070088587A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping

Abstract

A method and system for determining a merchant ship date and a corresponding customer receipt date when processing an order in an ERP system. The method includes accessing a delivery date simulation form stored in the ERP system during processing of the new order and changing an existing order. The method includes generating a list of alternative merchant ship dates and corresponding customer receipt dates to be displayed on the delivery date simulation form. The list of merchant ship dates and customer receipt dates are calculated based at least partially on customer parameters and at least partially on merchant parameters stored in a database of the ERP system. The method also includes transferring a selected merchant ship date and corresponding customer receipt date from the list of alternative merchant ship dates and corresponding customer receipt dates to the order.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of determining an acceptable merchant ship date and a customer receipt date when processing an order in an ERP system, the method comprising:

accessing a delivery date simulation form stored in the ERP system during processing of the order;

generating a list of alternative merchant ship dates and corresponding customer receipt dates to be displayed on the delivery date simulation form, wherein the list of alternative merchant ship dates and customer receipt dates are calculated based at least partially on customer parameters and at least partially on merchant parameters stored in a database of the ERP system; and

transferring a selected merchant ship date and corresponding customer receipt date from the list of alternative merchant ship dates and corresponding customer receipt dates to the order.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 and further comprising:

determining that none of the generated list of alternative merchant ship dates and corresponding customer receipt dates comply with customer requirements;

receiving one of a different customer parameter and a different merchant parameter; and

regenerating the list of alternative merchant ship dates and corresponding customer receipt dates based on one of the different customer parameter and the different merchant parameter before transferring the selected merchant ship date and corresponding customer receipt date to the order.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the different merchant parameter comprises a merchant warehouse that is different than a merchant warehouse used in the list of alternative merchant ship dates and corresponding customer receipt dates.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the different customer parameter comprises a mode of delivery that is different than a mode of delivery used in the list of alternative merchant ship dates and corresponding customer receipt dates.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 and further comprising repeating the steps of determining, receiving and regenerating to obtain a different list of alternative merchant ship dates and corresponding customer receipt dates.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the order is one of a sales order, quotation, item requirement, transfer order and a release order.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein if the order is the transfer order, then the customer receipt dates comprise dates that a merchant warehouse is able to receive goods and are not receipt dates based on customer parameters.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein accessing a delivery date simulation form comprises automatically accessing the delivery date simulation form upon receiving a different customer receipt date than a calculated earliest customer receipt date.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein accessing a delivery date simulation form comprises automatically accessing a delivery date simulation form upon receiving an indication from a user to access the form.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating the list of alternative merchant ship dates and corresponding customer receipt dates comprises generating an invalid indicator next to merchant ship dates and corresponding customer receipt dates that are problematic.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising displaying, in a message box on the delivery date simulation form, a description explaining the reason that certain merchant ship dates and corresponding customer receipt dates are problematic.

12. A computer implemented method of processing an order in an ERP system, the method comprising:

receiving a customer identifier;

populating the order with customer parameters based on the customer identifier;

receiving an item identifier and a quantity;

calculating if the requested customer receipt date and ship date is feasible based at least partially on the customer parameters and at least partially on merchant parameters;

automatically accessing a delivery date simulation form if the requested receipt date and ship date are not feasible;

generating a list of alternative merchant ship dates and customer receipt dates on the delivery date simulation form based at least partially on the customer parameters and at least partially on the merchant parameters; and

transferring a selected merchant ship date and corresponding customer receipt date from the list of alternative merchant ship dates and corresponding customer receipt dates to the order.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, and further comprising:

determining that none of the generated list of alternative merchant ship dates and corresponding customer receipt dates comply with customer requirements;

receiving one of a different customer parameter and a different merchant parameter; and

regenerating the list of alternative merchant ship dates and corresponding customer receipt dates based on one of the different customer parameter and the different merchant ship date before transferring the selected merchant ship date and corresponding customer receipt date to the order.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein accessing the delivery date simulation form comprises accessing the delivery date simulation form upon receiving a different and earlier customer requested receipt date than the calculated earliest feasible customer receipt date.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein accessing the delivery date simulation form comprises accessing the delivery date simulation form upon receiving an indication from the user to access the shipping simulation form.

16. An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system for use in managing business applications comprising:

a transactional application configured to manage and process an order;

a database including customer information that stores customer parameters and merchant information that stores merchant parameters; and

a delivery date simulator accessible during order processing, the delivery date simulator configured to calculate and display alternative customer receipt dates and corresponding merchant ship dates based at least partially on the customer parameters and at least partially on the merchant parameters.

17. The ERP system of claim 16, wherein the transactional application comprises a sales order management application configured to process sales orders and release orders.

18. The ERP system of claim 16, wherein the transactional application comprises an inventory management application configured to process transfer orders.

19. The ERP system of claim 16, wherein the delivery date simulator is configured to recalculate and redisplay alternative customer receipt dates and corresponding merchant ship dates based on obtaining one of a different customer parameter and a different merchant parameter.

20. The ERP system of claim 16, wherein the delivery date simulator is configured to recalculate and redisplay alternative customer receipt dates and corresponding merchant ship dates if customer requirements are not satisfied in the first calculation.