METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR AUTOMATING SUPPLY CHAIN PLANNING PROCESSES

• US 20080294496A1
• Filed: 05/25/2007
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seaman, E. Weston, Whalen, David, Hall, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US11/753,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20080294496A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for automating supply chain planning processes are provided. A method includes providing a user interface having data fields for receiving product information including projected and actual sales data and finance information from a plurality of entities. The method also includes receiving the projected and actual sales data and finance information via the data fields and storing the projected and actual sales data and finance information in a first database. The method further includes retrieving portions of the projected and actual sales data, for a selected period of time, from the first database in response to a request, and providing a consolidated view of projected and actual sales of products for the selected period of time via the user interface.

Claims

1. A method for automating supply chain planning processes, comprising:

providing a user interface having data fields for receiving product information including projected and actual sales data and finance information from a plurality of entities;

receiving the projected and actual sales data and finance information via the data fields and storing the projected and actual sales data and finance information in a first database;

retrieving portions of the projected and actual sales data, for a selected period of time, from the first database in response to a request; and

providing a consolidated view of projected and actual sales of products for the selected period of time via the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the projected sales data is received from cost analysts for each product division of an enterprise and includes projected requirements for products to be manufactured, the projected requirements including product component data, sourcing data, and product component quantities.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the actual sales data is received from finance groups of an enterprise and includes product component descriptions, product component identifiers, and revenue received for each product component sold.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving current selling prices for product components from the finance groups;

receiving current contract component costs for purchasing the product components from a second database; and

determining the percentage uplift from the current contract component costs to set the current selling prices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the projected sales data is received from commodity councils for each commodity type of an enterprise, the projected sales data includes product-level requirements, sourcing data, and quantities of products to be manufactured.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data fields include at least one of:

execution site of an enterprise executing purchase orders for the products and the product components;

product division of the enterprise;

product brand;

contract manufacturer of the enterprise;

contract manufacturer site location; and

geography;

wherein the view is displayed via at least one of the data fields.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a view includes displaying a comparison view including at least one of:

projected sales data for two consecutive time periods;

actual sales data for two consecutive time periods;

difference in projected sales between two consecutive time periods represented as a percentage;

difference in actual sales between two consecutive time periods represented as a percentage;

difference in projected sales between two consecutive time periods represented in dollars; and

difference in actual sales between two consecutive time periods represented in dollars.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes an option to modify previously entered projected sales data.

9. A system for automating supply chain planning processes, comprising:

a host system; and

a planning application executing on the host system, the planning application including a user interface having data fields for receiving product information including projected and actual sales data and finance information from a plurality of entities, the planning application implementing a method, comprising;

receiving the projected and actual sales data and finance information via the data fields and storing the projected and actual sales data and finance information in a first database;

retrieving portions of the projected and actual sales data, for a selected period of time, from the first database in response to a request; and

providing a consolidated view of projected and actual sales of products for the selected period of time via the user interface.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the projected sales data is received from cost analysts for each product division of an enterprise and includes projected requirements for products to be manufactured, the projected requirements including product component data, sourcing data, and product component quantities.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the actual sales data is received from finance groups of an enterprise and includes sales data classified by at least one of enterprise division, enterprise brand, contract manufacturer, and contract manufacturer location for each product sold;

and

wherein current selling prices for products sold is received from the finance groups of the enterprise.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the planning application further performs:

receiving current selling prices for product components from the finance groups;

receiving current contract component costs for purchasing the product components from a second database; and

determining the percentage uplift from the current contract component costs to set the current selling prices.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the projected sales data is received from commodity councils for each commodity type of an enterprise, the projected sales data including product-level requirements, sourcing data, and quantities of products to be manufactured.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the data fields include at least one of:

execution site of an enterprise executing purchase orders for the products and the product components;

product division of the enterprise;

product brand;

contract manufacturer of the enterprise;

contract manufacturer site location; and

geography;

wherein the view is displayed via at least one of the data fields.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein providing a view includes displaying a comparison view including at least one of:

projected sales data for two consecutive time periods;

actual sales data for two consecutive time periods;

difference in projected sales between two consecutive time periods represented as a percentage;

difference in actual sales between two consecutive time periods represented as a percentage;

difference in projected sales between two consecutive time periods represented in dollars; and

difference in actual sales between two consecutive time periods represented in dollars.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the user interface includes an option to modify previously entered projected sales data.

17. A computer program product for automating supply chain planning processes, the computer program product including instructions for causing a computer to implement a method, comprising:

providing a user interface having data fields for receiving product information including projected and actual sales data and finance information from a plurality of entities;

receiving the projected and actual sales data and finance information via the data fields and storing the projected and actual sales data and finance information in a first database;

retrieving portions of the projected and actual sales data, for a selected period of time, from the first database in response to a request; and

providing a consolidated view of projected and actual sales of products for the selected period of time via the user interface.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the projected sales data is received from cost analysts for each product division of an enterprise and includes projected requirements for products to be manufactured, the projected requirements including product component data, sourcing data, and product component quantities.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the actual sales data is received from finance groups of an enterprise and includes product component descriptions, product component identifiers, and revenue received for each product component sold.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising instructions for implementing:

receiving current selling prices for product components from the finance groups;

receiving current contract component costs for purchasing the product components from a second database; and

determining the percentage uplift from the current contract component costs to set the current selling prices.