Architectural Design for Plan-Driven Procurement Application Software

• US 20100070324A1
• Filed: 09/18/2008
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Yu, Tao, Mayer, Uwe, Maier, Gerhard, Ihrig, Christian, Wachholz-Prill, Andre, Von Der Emde, Martin, Engler, Christoph, Wickel, Jochen, Heger, Achim, Wunsch, Martin, Kenntner, Joachim, Henningsen, Imme, Reinke, Ralf, Heun, Rainer, Zwerger, Wilhelm, Ude, Cordula, Merkel, Wilfried, Kasteleiner, Katja, Lahr, Martina, Picht, Michael, Sala, Paola, Bach, Thomas, Steinbach, Jochen, Liebich, Gunther, Podhajsky, Georg, Adelmann, Stefan, Hirth, Jochen, Stegmann, Volkmar, Pfitzner, Ingo, Nitschke, Thomas, Hetzer, Stephan, Bock, Daniel, Bildmayer, Reiner, Herrmann, Karina, Marschall, Peer, Poth, Andreas, Nowotny, Dietmar, Sudbrack, Andrea, Herrmann, Holger, Freund, Jens
• Granted Patent: US 8,386,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for implementing a software architecture design for a software application implementing plan-driven procurement. The application is structured as multiple process components interacting with each other through service interfaces, and multiple service operations, each being implemented for a respective process component. The process components include an Inbound Delivery Processing process component, a Site Logistics Processing process component, an Inventory Processing process component, a Purchase Request Processing process component, a Purchase Order Processing process component, a Purchasing Contract process component, a Supplier Invoice Processing process component, a Demand Forecast Processing process component, a Supply and Demand Matching process component, an External Procurement Trigger and Response process component, and a Logistics Execution Control process component.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising application software encoded on a tangible machine-readable information carrier, the application software being structured as process components interacting with each other through service interfaces, the software comprising:

a plurality of process components, each of the process components being a package of software implementing a respective and distinct business process, the plurality of process components including;

an inventory processing process component that provides services to maintain current stock, content, and structure of logistics units and allocations;

an inbound delivery processing process component that combines tasks concerning inbound delivery processes and enables communication with an originating document, a vendor, and invoicing;

a site logistics processing process component that supports preparation, execution, and confirmation of logistics processes within a site;

a material inspection processing process component that processes of quality inspection steps that have to be performed to check whether a material fulfills its specified requirements;

a purchase request processing process component that creates, changes, and processes purchase requests to locate appropriate external sources of supply;

a purchase order processing process component that creates and maintains purchase orders and purchase order confirmations;

a purchasing contract process component that creates and maintains purchasing contracts;

a supplier invoice processing process component that processes supplier invoices, the processes including exception handling and approval;

a demand forecast processing process component that receives and processes demand forecasts;

a supply and demand matching process component that combines tasks necessary to ensure that sufficient material receipt elements exist to cover material demand while taking available capacity into account;

an external procurement trigger and response process component that combines tasks necessary for processing procurement planning orders and the interface to purchasing from a supply planning perspective; and

a logistics execution control process component that creates, controls, and monitors supply chain execution activities that are necessary for fulfillment of an order, and triggers the necessary site logistics activities and receives information about the supply chain execution progress; and

a plurality of service operations, each service operation being implemented for a respective process component, the operations comprising inbound and outbound operations, the outbound operation for a first process component being operable to send a message to a second process component of the plurality of process components, the second process component having an inbound operation for receiving the message the passing of messages between an inbound and an outbound operation defining a message-based pair-wise interaction between the respective process components of the respective operations, the pair-wise interactions between pairs of the process components including interactions between;

the logistics execution control process component and the inbound delivery processing process component;

the purchase order processing process component and the supplier invoice processing process component;

the inbound delivery processing process component and the supplier invoice processing process component;

the purchase order processing process component and the external procurement trigger and response process component;

the pricing engine process component and the external tax calculation process component;

the external procurement trigger and response process component and the purchase order processing process component;

the inventory processing process component and the supply and demand matching process component;

the site logistics processing process component and the supply and demand matching process component;

the site logistics processing process component and the logistics execution control process component; and

the external procurement trigger and response process component and the purchases request processing process component.

2. The product of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of process components further includes:

an accounting process component that represents relevant business transactions for valuation and profitability analysis;

a due item processing process component that collects, manages, and monitors trade receivables or payables and corresponding sales tax or withholding tax;

a balance of foreign payment management process component that collects, processes, and reports receivables and payables according to foreign trade regulations to create a balance of payments of a country;

a demand planning process component that provides accurate and measurable estimates of future demand;

a payment processing process component that processes and manages payments; and

an RFQ processing process component that processes requests for quotes and supplier quotes for strategic as well as operational negotiation purposes; and

wherein

the pair-wise interactions between pairs of the process components further include interactions between;

the purchase request processing process component and an RFQ Processing process component;

the due item processing process component and the payment processing process component;

the purchase order processing process component and the accounting process component;

the payment processing process component and a payment processing at a business partner external processing component;

a bank statement creation at bank external process component and the payment processing process component;

the supplier invoice processing process component and the due item processing process component;

the payment processing process component and the accounting process component;

the purchase order processing process component and a sales order processing at supplier external process component;

a customer invoice processing at supplier external process component and the supplier invoice processing process component;

the due item processing component and the accounting process component;

the RFQ Processing process component and an opportunity/customer quote processing at supplier external process component;

the payment processing process component and a payment order processing at house bank external process component;

the site logistics processing process component and the accounting process component;

the RFQ processing process component and the purchase order processing process component;

the supplier invoice processing process component and the accounting process component;

the supplier invoice processing process component and a supplier invoice verification exception resolution at processor external process component;

an outbound delivery processing at supplier external process component and the inbound delivery processing process component;

the demand planning process component and the demand forecast processing process component;

the site logistics processing process component and the site logistics processing process component;

the supplier invoice processing process component and a customer invoice at supplier process component; and

the supplier invoice processing process component and the balance of foreign payment management process component.

3. The product of claim 1, wherein:

each of the plurality of process components is assigned to no more than one deployment unit among multiple deployment units, and each deployment unit is deployable on a separate computer hardware platform independent of every other deployment unit; and

all interaction between a process component in one deployment unit and any other process component in any other deployment unit takes place through the respective service interfaces of the two process components.

4. The product of claim 1, wherein the deployment units comprise:

a financial accounting deployment unit that includes the accounting process component;

a production and site logistics execution deployment unit that includes the inbound delivery processing process component, the site logistics processing process component, the material inspection processing process component, and the inventory processing process component;

a purchasing deployment unit that includes the purchase request processing process component, the purchase order processing process component, and the purchasing contract processing process component;

a supplier invoicing deployment unit that includes the supplier invoice processing process component;

a payment deployment unit that includes the payment processing process component;

a strategic sourcing processing deployment unit that includes the request for quote (RFQ) processing process component;

a business planning deployment unit that includes the demand planning process component;

a due item management deployment unit that includes the due item processing process component and the balance of foreign payment management process component; and

a supply chain control deployment unit that includes the demand forecast processing process component, the supply and demand matching process component, the external procurement trigger and response process component, and the logistics execution control process component.

5. The product of claim 1, wherein:

each of the process components includes one or more business objects; and

none of the business objects of any one of the process components interacts directly with any of the business objects included in any of the other process components.

6. The product of claim 5, wherein the business objects comprise a business process object.

7. The product of claim 5, wherein none of the business objects included in any one of the process components is included in any of the other process components.

8. The product of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of process agents, each process agent being either an inbound process agent or an outbound process agent, an inbound process agent being operable to receive a message from an inbound operation, an outbound process agent being operable to cause an outbound operation to send a message, each process agent being associated with exactly one process component.

9. The product of claim 8, wherein the inbound process agents comprise a first inbound process agent operable to start the execution of step requested in a first inbound message by creating or updating one or more business object instances.

10. The product of claim 8, wherein the outbound process agents comprise a first asynchronous outbound process agent that is called after a business object that is associated with the first outbound process agent changes.

11. The product of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise synchronous and asynchronous operations.

12. A system, comprising:

a computer system comprising one or more hardware platforms for executing a computer software application;

a plurality of process components, each of the process components being a package of software implementing a respective and distinct business process, the plurality of process components including;

an inventory processing process component that provides services to maintain current stock, content, and structure of logistics units and allocations;

an inbound delivery processing process component that combines tasks concerning inbound delivery processes and enables communication with an originating document, a vendor, and an invoicing;

a site logistics processing process component that supports preparation, execution, and confirmation of logistics processes within a site;

a material inspection processing process component that processes of quality inspection steps that have to be performed to check whether a material fulfills its specified requirements;

a purchase request processing process component that creates, changes, and processes purchase requests to locate appropriate external sources of supply;

a purchase order processing process component that creates and maintains purchase orders and purchase order confirmations;

a purchasing contract process component that creates and maintains purchasing contracts;

a supplier invoice processing process component that processes supplier invoices, the processes including exception handling and approval;

a demand forecast processing process component that receives and processes demand forecasts;

a supply and demand matching process component that combines tasks necessary to ensure that sufficient material receipt elements exist to cover material demand while taking available capacity into account;

an external procurement trigger and response process component that combines tasks necessary for processing procurement planning orders and the interface to purchasing from a supply planning perspective;

a logistics execution control process component that creates, controls, and monitors supply chain execution activities that are necessary for fulfillment of an order, and triggers the necessary site logistics activities and receives information about the supply chain execution progress; and

a plurality of service operations, each service operation being implemented for a respective process component, the operations comprising inbound and outbound operations, the outbound operation for a first process component being operable to send a message to a second process component of the plurality of process components, the second process component having an inbound operation for receiving the message, the passing of messages between an inbound and an outbound operation defining a message-based pair-wise interaction between the respective process components of the respective operations, the pair-wise interactions between pairs of the process components including interactions between;

the logistics execution control process component and the inbound delivery processing process component;

the purchase order processing process component and the supplier invoice processing process component;

the inbound delivery processing process component and the supplier invoice processing process component;

the purchase order processing process component and the external procurement trigger and response process component;

the pricing engine process component and the external tax calculation process component;

the external procurement trigger and response process component and the purchase order processing process component;

the inventory processing process component and the supply and demand matching process component;

the site logistics processing process component and the supply and demand matching process component;

the site logistics processing process component and the logistics execution control process component; and

the external procurement trigger and response process component and the purchase request processing process component.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein:

the plurality of process components further includes;

an accounting process component that represents relevant business transactions for valuation and profitability analysis,

a due item processing process component that collects, manages, and monitors trade receivables or payables and corresponding sales tax or withholding tax;

a balance of foreign payment management process component that collects, processes, and reports receivables and payables according to foreign trade regulations to create a balance of payments of a country;

a demand planning process component that provides accurate and measurable estimates of future demand;

a payment processing process component that processes and manages payments; and

an RFQ processing process component that processes requests for quotes and supplier quotes for strategic as well as operational negotiation purposes; and

the pair-wise interactions between pairs of the process components further include interactions between;

the purchase request processing process component and an RFQ Processing process component;

the due item processing process component and the payment processing process component;

the purchase order processing process component and the accounting process component;

the payment processing process component and a payment processing at a business partner external processing component;

a bank statement creation at bank external process component and the payment processing process component;

the supplier invoice processing process component and the due item processing process component;

the payment processing process component and the accounting process component;

the purchase order processing process component and a sales order processing at supplier external process component;

a customer invoice processing at supplier external process component and the supplier invoice processing process component;

the due item processing component and the accounting process component;

the RFQ Processing process component and an opportunity/customer quote processing at supplier external process component;

the payment processing process component and a payment order processing at house bank external process component;

the site logistics processing process component and the accounting process component;

the RFQ processing process component and the purchase order processing process component;

the supplier invoice processing process component and the accounting process component;

the supplier invoice processing process component and a supplier invoice verification exception resolution at processor external process component;

an outbound delivery processing at supplier external process component and the inbound delivery processing process component;

the demand planning process component and the demand forecast processing process component;

the site logistics processing process component and the site logistics processing process component;

the supplier invoice processing process component and a customer invoice at supplier process component; and

the supplier invoice processing process component and the balance of foreign payment management process component.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein:

each of the process components includes one or more business objects; and

none of the business objects of any one of the process components interacts directly with any of the business objects included in any of the other process components.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein none of the business objects included in any one of the process components is included in any of the other process components.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of process agents, each process agent being either an inbound process agent or an outbound process agent, an inbound process agent being operable to receive a message from an inbound operation, an outbound process agent being operable to cause an outbound operation to send a message, and each process agent being associated with exactly one process component.

17. The system of claim 12, the system comprising multiple hardware platforms, wherein:

the inbound delivery processing process component, the site logistics processing process component, the material inspection processing process component, and the inventory processing process component are deployed on a first hardware platform;

the purchase request processing process component, the purchase order processing process component, and the purchasing contract process component are deployed on a second hardware platform;

the supplier invoice processing process component is deployed on a third hardware platform; and

the demand forecast processing process component, the supply and demand matching process component, the external procurement trigger and response process component, and the logistics execution control process component are deployed on an fourth hardware platform.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein each of the first through the fourth hardware platforms are distinct and separate from each other.

19. A method for developing a computer software application, comprising:

obtaining in a computer system digital data representing an architectural design for a set of processes implementing an end-to-end application process, the design specifying a process component for each process in the set of processes and the design further specifying a set of process component interactions, wherein

the specified process components include;

an inventory processing process component that provides services to maintain current stock, content, and structure of logistics units and allocations;

an inbound delivery processing process component that combines tasks concerning inbound delivery processes and enables communication with an originating document, a vendor, and invoicing;

a site logistics processing process component that supports preparation, execution, and confirmation of logistics processes within a site;

a material inspection processing process component that processes of quality inspection steps that have to be performed to check whether a material fulfills its specified requirements;

a purchase request processing process component that creates, changes, and processes purchase requests to locate appropriate external sources of supply;

a purchase order processing process component that creates and maintains purchase orders and purchase order confirmations;

a purchasing contract process component that creates and maintains purchasing contracts;

a supplier invoice processing process component that processes supplier invoices, the processes including exception handling and approval;

a demand forecast processing process component that receives and processes demand forecasts;

a supply and demand matching process component that combines tasks necessary to ensure that sufficient material receipt elements exist to cover material demand while taking available capacity into account;

an external procurement trigger and response process component that combines tasks necessary for processing procurement planning orders and the interface to purchasing from a supply planning perspective;

a logistics execution control process component that creates, controls, and monitors supply chain execution activities that are necessary for fulfillment of an order, and triggers the necessary site logistics activities and receives information about the supply chain execution progress; and

wherein

the process component interactions include interactions between;

the logistics execution control process component and the inbound delivery processing process component;

the purchase order processing process component and the supplier invoice processing process component;

the inbound delivery processing process component and the supplier invoice processing process component;

the purchase order processing process component and the external procurement trigger and response process component;

the pricing engine process component and the external tax calculation process component;

the external procurement trigger and response process component and the purchase order processing process component;

the inventory processing process component and the supply and demand matching process component;

the site logistics processing process component and the supply aid demand matching process component;

the site logistics processing process component and the logistics execution control process component; and

the external procurement trigger and response process component and the purchase request processing process component.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the specified process components further include;

an accounting process component that represents relevant business transactions for valuation and profitability analysis;

a due item processing process component that collects, manages, and monitors trade receivables or payables and corresponding sales tax or withholding tax;

a balance of foreign payment management process component that collects, processes, and reports receivables and payables according to foreign trade regulations to create a balance of payments of a country;

a demand planning process component that provides accurate and measurable estimates of future demand;

a payment processing process component that processes and manages payments; and

an RFQ processing process component that processes requests for quotes and supplier quotes for strategic as well as operational negotiation purposes; and

the process component interactions further include interactions between;

the purchase request processing process component and an RFQ Processing process component;

the due item processing process component and the payment processing process component;

the purchase order processing process component and the accounting process component;

the payment processing process component and a payment processing at a business partner external processing component;

a bank statement creation at bank external process component and the payment processing process component;

the supplier invoice processing process component and the due item processing process component;

the payment processing process component and the accounting process component;

the purchase order processing process component and a sales order processing at supplier external process component;

a customer invoice processing at supplier external process component and the supplier invoice processing process component;

the due item processing component and the accounting process component;

the RFQ Processing process component and an opportunity/customer quote processing at supplier external process component;

the payment processing process component and a payment order processing at house bank external process component;

the site logistics processing process component and the accounting process component;

the RFQ processing process component and the purchase order processing process component;

the supplier invoice processing process component and the accounting process component;

the supplier invoice processing process component and a supplier invoice verification exception resolution at processor external process component.

an outbound delivery processing at supplier external process component and the inbound delivery processing process component;

the demand planning process component and the demand forecast processing process component;

the site logistics processing process component and the site logistics processing process component;

the supplier invoice processing process component and a customer invoice at supplier process component; and

the supplier invoice processing process component and the balance of foreign payment management process component.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein each process in the set of processes is a business process transforming a defined business input into a defined business outcome.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein obtaining digital data representing the architectural design further comprises editing the design before using the design.