METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INTEGRATING A RESTRICTION OBJECT WITH A MATERIAL OBJECT

• US 20090198364A1
• Filed: 09/18/2008
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: KIENZLE, STEFAN
• Granted Patent: US 8,155,772 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/107
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32111 PPS production planning system
• 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

A method and system for integrating a restriction object with a material object is provided. A reference is generated between a material object and a restriction object. A restriction note is received from a supplier having a material restriction for a material in the material object. A material position is searched in the material object using a material number of the material. A selection condition is determined based on which the material is chosen from the material position. A restriction condition is generated in the restriction object based on the material restriction and the selection condition.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a reference between a material object and a restriction object;

receiving a restriction note from a supplier having a material restriction for a material in the material object;

searching a material position in the material object using a material identifier of the material;

determining a selection condition based on which the material is chosen from the material position; and

generating a restriction condition in the restriction object based on the material restriction and the selection condition.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a restriction condition comprises generating an association between the material restriction and the selection condition.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a reference comprises generating the reference between a restriction name attribute in the material object and a restriction key in the restriction object.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a reference comprises generating the reference between a first selection condition attribute in the material object and a second selection condition attribute in the restriction object.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising converting a shipment quantity of a product to a maximum shipment quantity of the product based on the restriction condition.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein converting a shipment quantity to a maximum shipment quantity comprises:

reading a number of pieces of the material used in the product; and

calculating the maximum shipment quantity of the product based on the number of pieces of the material.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the material restriction comprises a maximum quantity of the material to be supplied in a time period.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the time period is selected from a group comprising a day, a week, a month and a year.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the material object has the material arranged in a hierarchy of material positions.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the selection condition is a boolean expression.

11. A system comprising:

a material object for storing a material;

a restriction object for storing a restriction condition for the material;

an integrator for generating a reference between the material object and the restriction object;

a note receiver for receiving a restriction note from a supplier having a material restriction for a material in the material object;

a material object controller electronically coupled to the integrator, the note receiver and the material object for searching a material position in the material object using a material identifier of the material, the material object controller determining a selection condition based on which the material is chosen from the material position; and

a restriction object controller electronically coupled to the integrator, the material object controller and the restriction object for generating a restriction condition in the restriction object based on the material restriction and the selection condition.

12. A machine-accessible medium that provides instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

generating a reference between a material object and a restriction object;

receiving a restriction note from a supplier having a material restriction for a material in the material object;

searching a material position in the material object using a material identifier of the material;

determining a selection condition based on which the material is chosen from the material position; and

generating a restriction condition in the restriction object based on the material restriction and the selection condition.

13. The machine-accessible medium of claim 12 wherein generating a restriction condition comprises generating an association between the material restriction and the selection condition.

14. The machine-accessible medium of claim 12 wherein generating a reference comprises generating the reference between a restriction name attribute in the material object and a restriction key in the restriction object.

15. The machine-accessible medium of claim 12 wherein generating a reference comprises generating the reference between a first selection condition attribute in the material object and a second selection condition attribute in the restriction object.

16. The machine-accessible medium of claim 12 further providing instructions which when executed by the machine cause the machine to perform further operations comprising converting a shipment quantity of a product to a maximum shipment quantity of the product based on the restriction condition.

17. The machine-accessible medium of claim 16 wherein converting a shipment quantity to a maximum shipment quantity comprises:

reading a number of pieces of the material used in the product; and

calculating the maximum shipment quantity of the product based on the number of pieces of the material.

18. The machine-accessible medium of claim 12 wherein the material restriction comprises a maximum quantity of the material to be supplied in a time period.

19. The machine-accessible medium of claim 12 wherein the material object has the material arranged in a hierarchy of material positions.

20. The machine-accessible medium of claim 12 wherein the selection condition is a boolean expression.