Lot/serial engine for a warehouse management system

• US 20090048947A1
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Juneja, Manju, Chorley, Jon S., Ngai, Raymond, Rana, Mani
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,426 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A novel method for configuring an item specific user-definable lot or serial attribute. The method also provides for grouping one or more attributes into an time specific context. The method also provides for capturing, maintaining and querying attribute data values according to the item specific context.

Claims

1. In a warehouse management system, a method comprising:

receiving a specification of an item from a user of the warehouse management system;

receiving control data from the user, the control data indicating whether the specified item is lot controlled, serial controlled, or both lot and serial controlled;

receiving a specification of one or more attributes of the item from the user;

receiving a specification of a context defined by the one or more attributes specified for the item, the context representing a subset of attributes defined in the warehouse management system, the subset of attributes being specific to the item;

storing a database record linking the context to the specified item.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more attributes is a pre-defined attribute.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more attributes is a user-defined attribute.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more attributes is a lot attribute.

5. The method for according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more attributes is a serial attribute.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a specification of an item category from the user; and

storing a database record linking the specified attributes to the specified item category.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing one or more database records mapping the attributes to the context.

8. In a warehouse management system, a method comprising:

receiving a specification of an item from a user of the warehouse management system;

receiving a specification of a flex field from the user;

receiving a specification of a user definable attribute of the item;

receiving a specification of a descriptive flex field name from the user;

linking the descriptive flex field name to the flex field; and

linking the descriptive flex field name to the specified item; and

storing the descriptive flex field name and the user definable attribute in a flex field table, the flex field table providing a mapping of the descriptive flex field name to an internal flex field name in a lot table, a serial table, or both.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the user definable attribute is a lot attribute.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the user definable attribute is a serial attribute.

27. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a specification of a context defined at least partly by the attribute specified by the user, the context representing a subset of attributes defined in the warehouse management system that are specific to the item; and

storing a database record linking the context to the specified item.

28. The method according to claim 8, further comprising receiving control data from the user, the control data indicating whether the specified item is lot controlled, serial controlled, or both lot and serial controlled.

11-26. -26. (canceled)

29. In a warehouse management system, a method comprising:

receiving a specification of an item from a user of the warehouse management system;

receiving control data from the user, the control data indicating whether the specified item is lot controlled, serial controlled, or both lot and serial controlled;

receiving a specification of one or more attributes of the item from the user;

receiving a specification of a context defined by the one or more attributes specified for the item, the context representing a subset of attributes defined in the warehouse management system that are specific to the item;

storing a database record linking the context to the specified item;

receiving a selection of a flex field from the user;

receiving a selection of a user definable attribute of the item;

receiving a specification of a descriptive flex field name from the user;

storing a database record linking the descriptive flex field name to the flex field;

storing the descriptive flex field name and the user definable attribute in a flex field table, the flex field table providing a mapping of the descriptive flex field name to an internal flex field name in a lot table, a serial table, or both;

storing a database record assigning the context to the item; and

displaying a record of the item indicating that the item is assigned to the specified context, the context including the user definable attribute.