MANUFACTURING COLLABORATION HUB DATA EXCHANGE INTERFACE

• US 20100153154A1
• Filed: 04/10/2009
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture SPA (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Giammusso, Andrea, Bergantino, Stefano, Irione, Marco
• Granted Patent: US 9,864,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management

Abstract

A data exchange system provides an efficient and cost effective way to control and monitor the manufacturing processes of multiple logistics plants in a virtual manufacturing network. The data exchange system provides a way to quickly and efficiently implement a virtual manufacturing network that includes multiple logistic plants and an electronic production execution system. The data exchange system and electronic production execution system together form a manufacturing collaboration hub that unifies internal and external manufacturing processes of multiple logistic plants to implement a virtual manufacturing network.

Claims

1. A data exchange system comprising:

a logistics plant synchronization interface operable to connect to multiple logistics plants;

a virtual hub interface operable to connect to a centralized manufacturing collaboration hub that implements a virtual manufacturing network for the multiple logistics plants; and

a memory comprising;

a material master views definition specifying;

a material master view identifier for a logistics plant material master view, a virtual manufacturing network relevance identifier for the material master view identifier, and a logistic plant data copy flag for the material master view identifier; and

a data exchange module operable to;

analyze the virtual manufacturing network relevance identifier to determine whether the logistics plant material master view is relevant; and

when the logistics plant material master view is relevant, analyze the logistic plant data copy flag to determine when to initiate a mirroring operation, the mirroring operation comprising synchronization of data in the logistics plant material master view and received through the logistics plant synchronization interface from an originating logistics plant from among the multiple logistics plants, with a mirrored material master view for the logistics plant material master view in the virtual manufacturing network through the virtual hub interface; and

a processor operable to execute the data exchange module.

2. The data exchange system of claim 1, where the memory further comprises:

a data conversion specifier operable to direct the data exchange module to implement a specified data conversion during the mirroring operation.

3. The data exchange system of claim 1, where the data exchange module comprises:

process order creation logic that receives a process order request through the logistics plant synchronization interface from the originating logistics plant to initiate execution of a production activity and communicates the process order request to the virtual manufacturing network; and

process order release request logic that receives a process order release status from the virtual manufacturing network and communicates the process order release status to the originating logistics plant.

4. The data exchange system of claim 1, where the data exchange module comprises:

additional material transfer logic that receives an additional material request from the virtual manufacturing network and communicates the additional material request to a selected logistics plant from among the multiple logistics plants.

5. The data exchange system of claim 1, where the data exchange module comprises:

dynamic bins logic that receives materials movement information from the originating logistics plant and communicates the materials movement information to the virtual manufacturing network.

6. The data exchange system of claim 1, where the data exchange module comprises:

material return logic that receives material-to-return-to-warehouse information from the virtual manufacturing network and communicates the material-to-return-to-warehouse information to a selected logistics plant from among the multiple logistics plants.

7. The data exchange system of claim 1, where the data exchange module comprises:

material consumption transfer logic that receives materials consumption information from virtual manufacturing network and communicates the materials consumption information to a selected logistics plant from among the multiple logistics plants; and

stock transfer logic that receives final goods receipt information from the virtual manufacturing network and communicates the final goods receipt information to the selected logistics plant.

8. The data exchange system of claim 1, where the data exchange module comprises:

operation confirmation data transfer logic that receives an operation confirmation process order closure status from the virtual manufacturing network and communicates the operation confirmation process order closure status to a selected logistics plant from among the multiple logistics plants.

9. A data exchange method comprising:

connecting through a logistics plant synchronization interface to multiple logistics plants;

connecting through a virtual hub interface to a centralized manufacturing collaboration hub that implements a virtual manufacturing network for the multiple logistics plants;

creating a material master views definition specifying;

a material master view identifier for a logistics plant material master view, a virtual manufacturing network relevance identifier for the material master view identifier, and a logistic plant data copy flag for the material master view identifier; and

executing a data exchange module operable to;

analyze the virtual manufacturing network relevance identifier to determining whether the logistics plant material master view is relevant; and

when the logistics plant material master view is relevant, analyze the logistic plant data copy flag to determine when to initiate a mirroring operation, the mirroring operation comprising synchronization of data in the logistics plant material master view and received through the logistics plant synchronization interface from an originating logistics plant from among the multiple logistics plants, with a mirrored material master view for the logistics plant material master view in the virtual manufacturing network through the virtual hub interface.

10. The data exchange method of claim 9, where the data exchange module is further operable to:

receive a process order request through the logistics plant synchronization interface from the originating logistics plant to initiate execution of a production activity and communicate the process order request to the virtual manufacturing network; and

receive a process order release status from the virtual manufacturing network and communicate the process order release status to the originating logistics plant.

11. The data exchange method of claim 9, where the data exchange module is further operable to:

receive an additional material request from the virtual manufacturing network and communicate the additional material request to a selected logistics plant from among the multiple logistics plants.

12. The data exchange method of claim 9, where the data exchange module is further operable to:

receive materials movement information from the originating logistics plant and communicate the materials movement information to the virtual manufacturing network.

13. The data exchange method of claim 9, where the data exchange module is further operable to:

receive material-to-return-to-warehouse information from the virtual manufacturing network and communicate the material-to-return-to-warehouse information to a selected logistics plant from among the multiple logistics plants.

14. The data exchange method of claim 9, where the data exchange module is further operable to:

receive materials consumption information from virtual manufacturing network and communicate the materials consumption information to a selected logistics plant from among the multiple logistics plants; and

receive final goods receipt information from the virtual manufacturing network and communicate the final goods receipt information to the selected logistics plant.

15. The data exchange method of claim 9, where the data exchange module is further operable to:

receive an operation confirmation process order closure status from the virtual manufacturing network and communicate the operation confirmation process order closure status to a selected logistics plant from among the multiple logistics plants.

16. A computer readable memory encoded with instructions which cause a data processing system to:

connect through a logistics plant synchronization interface to multiple logistics plants;

connect through a virtual hub interface to a centralized manufacturing collaboration hub that implements a virtual manufacturing network for the multiple logistics plants;

create a material master views definition specifying;

a material master view identifier for a logistics plant material master view, a virtual manufacturing network relevance identifier for the material master view identifier, and a logistic plant data copy flag for the material master view identifier; and

execute a data exchange module operable to;

analyze the virtual manufacturing network relevance identifier to determining whether the logistics plant material master view is relevant; and

when the logistics plant material master view is relevant, analyze the logistic plant data copy flag to determine when to initiate a mirroring operation, the mirroring operation comprising synchronization of data in the logistics plant material master view and received through the logistics plant synchronization interface from an originating logistics plant from among the multiple logistics plants, with a mirrored material master view for the logistics plant material master view in the virtual manufacturing network through the virtual hub interface.

17. The computer readable memory of claim 16, where the data exchange module is further operable to:

receive a process order request through the logistics plant synchronization interface from the originating logistics plant to initiate execution of a production activity and communicate the process order request to the virtual manufacturing network; and

receive a process order release status from the virtual manufacturing network and communicate the process order release status to the originating logistics plant.

18. The computer readable memory of claim 16, where the data exchange module is further operable to:

receive an additional material request from the virtual manufacturing network and communicate the additional material request to a selected logistics plant from among the multiple logistics plants.

19. The computer readable memory of claim 16, where the data exchange module is further operable to:

receive materials movement information from the originating logistics plant and communicate the materials movement information to the virtual manufacturing network.

20. The computer readable memory of claim 16, where the data exchange module is further operable to:

receive material-to-return-to-warehouse information from the virtual manufacturing network and communicate the material-to-return-to-warehouse information to a selected logistics plant from among the multiple logistics plants.

21. The computer readable memory of claim 16, where the data exchange module is further operable to:

receive materials consumption information from virtual manufacturing network and communicate the materials consumption information to a selected logistics plant from among the multiple logistics plants; and

receive final goods receipt information from the virtual manufacturing network and communicate the final goods receipt information to the selected logistics plant.

22. The computer readable memory of claim 16, where the data exchange module is further operable to:

receive an operation confirmation process order closure status from the virtual manufacturing network and communicate the operation confirmation process order closure status to a selected logistics plant from among the multiple logistics plants.