BUYER-SIDE CONSOLIDATION OF COMPATIBLE PURCHASE ORDERS

• US 20080312991A1
• Filed: 12/27/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infosys Limited
• Original Assignee: Infosys Technologies Limited (Infosys Limited)
• Inventors: George, Sumesh, Bharadwaj, Suresh P., Noorani, Hariharan
• Granted Patent: US 8,655,736 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering

Abstract

Systems and methods of buyer-side consolidation of compatible purchase orders are described herein. Purchase orders can be identified for consolidation using spatial and temporal proximity parameters. Purchase orders can be modified by changing a ship date or a delivery date and the changing can be based on a buyer input. Shipments can be consolidated based on the purchase order modifications and less than truckload shipments can be reduced. Consolidated shipments can be associated with different requested delivery dates, different suppliers, and/or different buyers. Buyer-side consolidation of compatible purchase orders can occur before purchase orders are processed by a transportation management system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving purchase order records from one or more buyer agents;

identifying one or more of the received purchase order records as compatible purchase order records, wherein the identifying comprises determining that at least one of the compatible purchase order records has a target ship date and one or more others of the compatible purchase order records has a different target ship date;

receiving authorization from a buyer agent to modify the at least one of the compatible purchase order records; and

responsive to receiving authorization from the buyer agent, modifying the at least one of the compatible purchase order records.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying comprises:

changing the target ship date of the at least one of the compatible purchase order records to be the different target ship date.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the identifying, providing the buyer agent with a request for authorization to change the target ship date of the at least one of the purchase order records to the different target ship date.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the compatible purchase order records are from different buyer agents.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises:

processing the purchase order records based on one or more temporal process parameters specifying conditions under which purchase order records are identified as compatible.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one of the compatible purchase order records is associated with a first shipment associated with a first vendor location;

the one or more others of the compatible purchase order records are associated with at least one other shipment associated with a second vendor location; and

the method further comprises;

processing the modified at least one of the compatible purchase order records and the one or more others of the compatible purchase order records according to load building parameters to assign the first shipment and the at least one other shipment to a same shipping unit.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the identifying comprises assigning respective status indicators to the stored purchase order records to indicate whether purchase order records are compatible; and

responsive to receiving authorization from the buyer agent, changing the status of at least one purchase order record to indicate whether the at least one purchase order record is to be consolidated with one or more other purchase order records.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the at least one of the compatible purchase order records is associated with the buyer agent; and

routing a suggestion related to the modifying to the buyer agent associated with the at least one of the compatible purchase order records for authorization by the buyer agent.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the routing of the suggestion related to the modifying comprises:

displaying to the buyer agent the different target ship date on a user interface and a request to change the target ship date of the at least one of the compatible purchase order records to the different target ship date.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising:

selecting a first purchase order record having a first requested date from stored purchase order records having respective requested dates;

processing the first purchase order record and at least a portion of remaining stored purchase order records based on temporal proximity parameters;

identifying at least one purchase order record from the remaining stored purchase order records as compatible with the first purchase order record based on the processing; and

changing the respective requested date of the at least one compatible purchase order record to the first requested date, thereby generating a modified purchase order record.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifying of the at least one compatible purchase order record comprises:

detecting that the respective requested date of the at least one compatible record is within a predetermined timeframe of the first requested date, wherein the timeframe is specified by the temporal proximity parameters.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

processing the first purchase order record and the at least a portion of remaining stored purchase order records based on spatial proximity parameters, wherein the identifying of the at least one compatible record comprises;

detecting that the at least one compatible purchase order record is associated with one or more supplier locations that are within a predetermined distance from a supplier location associated with the first purchase order record, wherein the distance is specified by the spatial proximity parameters.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting that shipments associated with the at least one compatible purchase order record and the first purchase order record can be consolidated; and

assigning the shipments to a same shipping unit to be shipped on the first requested date.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the changing is performed responsive to receiving authorization from a buyer agent to change the respective requested date of the at least one compatible purchase order record.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

releasing the modified purchase order record to one or more suppliers associated with the at least one compatible purchase order record.

16. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a purchase order record from a buyer agent of a buyer, the purchase order record having a requested date indicating a target ship date;

before the purchase order record is released by the buyer, identifying one or more other stored purchase order records as compatible with the purchase order record; and

displaying a user interface to the buyer agent of the buyer indicating a suggested date for the purchase order record that is different from the requested date, wherein the suggested date is a target ship date of one or more of the compatible purchase order records.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving input from the buyer agent regarding the suggested date; and

changing the requested date of the purchase order record to the suggested date based on the input, thereby creating a modified purchase order record.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

releasing the modified purchase order record for processing by a transportation management system.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein changing the requested date of the purchase order record to the suggested date results in a consolidated shipment for the purchase order record and the one or more of the compatible purchase order records.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

comparing the requested date of the purchase order record to stored outbound shipment delivery dates;

wherein the suggested date is at least one of the stored outbound shipment delivery dates.

21. A system comprising:

one or more computer readable media storing purchase order records, respective requested target ship dates of the purchase order records, and associations between the purchase order records and one or more buyer agents that placed the respective purchase order records;

a processor configured to process the purchase order records based on temporal and spatial proximity parameters to identify compatible purchase order records, to determine whether respective requested target ship dates of the compatible purchase order records are changeable, and to change requested target ship dates of one or more compatible purchase order records based on the determining;

a software-driven user interface configured to display to a buyer agent a request to accept or reject changes to the one or more compatible purchase order records based on a respective stored association for the one or more compatible purchase order records; and

a load building processor system configured to organize the one or more compatible purchase order records having changed requested target ship dates into consolidated shipments.

22. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving purchase order records from one or more buyer agents;

means for identifying one or more of the received purchase order records as compatible purchase order records;

means for receiving authorization from a buyer agent to modify at least one of the compatible purchase order records; and

means for consolidating the at least one of the compatible purchase order records with one or more others of the compatible purchase order records based on the authorization, wherein the consolidating of the at least one of the compatible purchase order records with the one or more others of the compatible purchase order records consolidates shipments eventually associated with the at least one of the compatible purchase order records and the one or more others of the compatible purchase order records.