Redistribution of Parts in a Distribution Network

• US 20070185760A1
• Filed: 04/04/2007
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Yonder Group, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: i2 Technologies US Incorporated (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Bakkalbasi, Omer, Veerappanaicker, Dharmaraj, Birjandi, Rosa, Shapiro, Joel
• Granted Patent: US 7,562,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials

Abstract

Redistributing parts includes defining locations. An actual inventory of parts is established among the locations, and a desired allocation of the parts is established among the locations. A demand for the parts at each location is determined using the actual inventory and the desired allocation. Paths are determined, where a path transfers an excess part from one location to another location. A transfer function describing a cost of transferring the excess part along the paths is generated. The transfer function is optimized to achieve the desired allocation of the excess parts at a minimum cost.

Claims

1. A method for redistributing a plurality of parts, comprising:

defining a plurality of locations;

establishing an actual inventory of a plurality of parts among the locations;

establishing a desired allocation of the parts among the locations;

determining a demand for the parts at each location using the actual inventory and the desired allocation;

determining a plurality of paths, a path being operable to transfer an excess part from one location to another location;

generating a transfer function describing a cost of transferring the excess part along the paths; and

optimizing the transfer function to achieve the desired allocation of the excess parts at a minimum cost.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the transfer function describes the cost associated with transferring a part along a plurality of alternative paths; and

optimizing the transfer function comprises minimizing the transfer function.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the paths comprises sending a notification if there is no path between one location and any of the other locations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the desired allocation comprises calculating an optimized allocation of the excess parts among the locations.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding a dummy location with an associated demand and an infinite transfer cost.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising satisfying a constraint requiring that the parts transferred to a location and the parts transferred from the location satisfy the demand for the parts at the location.

7-12. -12. (canceled)

13. Logic embodied in a computer-readable medium and when executed by a computer operable to:

define a plurality of locations;

establish an actual inventory of a plurality of parts among the locations;

establish a desired allocation of the parts among the locations;

determine a demand for the parts at each location using the actual inventory and the desired allocation;

determine a plurality of paths, a path being operable to transfer a part from one location to another location;

generate a transfer function describing transferring a plurality of excess parts along the paths; and

optimize the transfer function to achieve the desired allocation of the excess parts at a minimum cost.

14. The logic of claim 13, wherein:

the transfer function describes a cost associated with transferring the excess parts along a plurality of alternative paths; and

the logic further operable to optimize the transfer function by minimizing the transfer function.

15. The logic of claim 13, wherein the logic is further operable to determine the paths by sending a notification if there is no path between one location and another location.

16. The logic of claim 13, wherein the logic is further operable to establish the desired distribution by calculating an optimized allocation of the excess parts among the locations.

17. The logic of claim 13, wherein the logic is further operable to add a dummy location with an associated demand and an infinite transfer cost.

18. The logic of claim 13, wherein the logic is further operable to satisfy a constraint requiring that the parts transferred to a location and the parts transferred from the location satisfy the demand for the parts at the location.

19. A system for redistributing a part, comprising:

means for defining a plurality of locations;

means for establishing an actual inventory of a plurality of parts among the locations;

means for establishing a desired allocation of the parts among the locations;

means for determining a demand for the parts at each location using the actual inventory and the desired allocation;

means for determining a plurality of paths, a path being operable to transfer a part from one location to another location;

means for generating a transfer function describing a cost of transferring a plurality of excess parts along the paths; and

means for optimizing the transfer function to achieve the desired allocation of the excess parts at a minimum cost.

20. A method for redistributing a part, comprising:

defining a plurality of locations;

establishing an actual inventory of a plurality of parts among the locations;

establishing an optimized allocation of the parts among the locations;

determining a demand for a part at each location using the actual inventory and the optimized allocation;

determining a plurality of paths, a path being operable to transfer a part from one location to another location;

generating a transfer function cost being associated with transferring a part along a plurality of alternative paths;

satisfying a constraint requiring that the parts transferred to a location and the parts transferred from the location satisfy the demand for the parts at the location; and

minimizing the transfer function to achieve the desired allocation of a plurality of excess parts at a minimum cost.