Delivery data objects in enterprise computing systems

• US 20070152044A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Colle, Renzo, Heitner, Ami, Hirth, Jochen, Hetzer, Stephan
• Granted Patent: US 7,841,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method for managing a supply chain for a business enterprise in a manner that is applicable to many different business enterprises and a computer program product for performing the method are provided. The method includes creating a planning-delivery data object for use in documenting planned delivery of goods or services related to a business transaction. The method also includes creating a shipping-delivery data object for use in documenting shipment of at least some of the goods or services related to the business transaction. The method further includes confirmed-delivery data object for use in documenting receipt of at least some of the goods or services by a product recipient. The planning-delivery data object, the shipping-delivery data object, and the confirmed-delivery data object correspond to one another.

Claims

1. A computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier for managing a supply chain for a business enterprise in a manner that is applicable to many different business enterprises, the computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed, perform operations comprising:

creating a planning-delivery data object for use in documenting planned delivery of goods or services related to a business transaction;

creating a shipping-delivery data object for use in documenting shipment of at least some of the goods or services related to the business transaction; and

creating a confirmed-delivery data object for use in documenting receipt of at least some of the goods or services by a product recipient,

wherein the planning-delivery data object, the shipping-delivery data object, and the confirmed-delivery data object correspond to one another.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the planning-delivery data object includes attributes identifying the goods or services to be provided through the business transaction.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the shipping-delivery data object includes attributes identifying goods shipped from a logistics location to the product recipient, wherein the attributes include a product-identifier attribute and a product-quantity attribute.

4. The computer program product of claim 3 wherein the shipping-delivery data object includes an attribute identifying materials used to ship at least some of the goods from the logistics location to the product recipient.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the confirmed-delivery data object includes attributes identifying goods received by the product recipient, wherein the attributes include a product-identifier attribute and a product-quantity attribute.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein:

at least one attribute of the shipping-delivery data object is the same attribute of at least one attribute of the confirmed-delivery data object, and

a data value of the at least one of the attributes of the shipping-delivery data object is different from the data value of the at least one attribute of the confirmed-delivery data object.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein:

the business transaction involves outbound delivery of goods from a logistics location to the product recipient, and

the planning-delivery data object, the shipping-delivery data object, and the confirmed-delivery data object document aspects of shipment of the goods from the logistics location to the product recipient.

8. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein:

the business transaction involves inbound delivery of goods from a product supplier to a logistics location, and

the planning-delivery data object, the shipping-delivery data object, and the confirmed-delivery data object document aspects of shipment of the goods from the product supplier to the logistics location.

9. A computer-implemented method for managing a supply chain for a business enterprise in a manner that is applicable to many different business enterprises, the method comprising:

creating a planning-delivery data object for use in documenting planned delivery of goods or services related to a business transaction;

creating a shipping-delivery data object for use in documenting shipment of at least some of the goods or services related to the business transaction; and

creating a confirmed-delivery data object for use in documenting receipt of at least some of the goods or services by a product recipient,

wherein the planning-delivery data object, the shipping-delivery data object, and the confirmed-delivery data object correspond to one another.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the planning-delivery data object includes attributes identifying the goods or services to be provided through the business transaction.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the shipping-delivery data object includes attributes identifying goods shipped from a logistics location to the product recipient, wherein the attributes include a product-identifier attribute and a product-quantity attribute.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the shipping-delivery data object includes an attribute identifying materials used to ship at least some of the goods from the logistics location to the product recipient.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the confirmed-delivery data object includes attributes identifying goods received by the product recipient, wherein the attributes include a product-identifier attribute and a product-quantity attribute.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein:

at least one attribute of the shipping-delivery data object is the same attribute of at least one attribute of the confirmed-delivery data object, and

a data value of the at least one of the attributes of the shipping-delivery data object is different from the data value of the at least one attribute of the confirmed-delivery data object.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the business transaction involves outbound delivery of goods from a logistics location to the product recipient, and

the planning-delivery data object, the shipping-delivery data object, and the confirmed-delivery data object document aspects of shipment of the goods from the logistics location to the product recipient.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the business transaction involves inbound delivery of goods from a product supplier to a logistics location, and

the planning-delivery data object, the shipping-delivery data object, and the confirmed-delivery data object document aspects of shipment of the goods from the product supplier to the logistics location.