EVALUATING EXTENDED SUPPLY CHAINS

• US 20100241490A1
• Filed: 03/19/2010
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Market6, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Market6, Inc.
• Inventors: Purcell, William John, Levy, Wayne Howard
• Application Number:
  US12/728,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20100241490A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Techniques described herein generally relate to evaluating extended supply chains. In an embodiment, supply chains may be evaluated by efficiently linking current, past, and/or upcoming consumer demand signals to the supply chain. The evaluated supply chains may be extended supply chains, e.g., at select points along supply chains. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving input data originating from one or more sources along a supply chain; and

calculating at least one index that is indicative of how inventory will likely match upcoming consumer demand at a select time and at a select point of the supply chain, at least in part, based on the input data corresponding to current or past consumer demand.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the index is to be indicative of how the inventory is matched to current consumer demand.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected point in time is a next order cycle for a product shipment to a store or a distribution center.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected point in time is a next order cycle for a product shipment to a distribution center, the method further comprising comparing the calculated index to an index that would be generated if the product was distributed to a same store from an different distribution center.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected point in time is any order cycle after a next order cycle for a product shipment to a store or a distribution center.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected point in time is any order cycle after a next order cycle for a product shipment to a store, the method further comprising comparing the calculated index to an index that would be generated if the product was shipped to a same store from an different distribution center.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected point in time is any order cycle after a next order cycle for a product shipment to a store from a distribution center, the method further comprising comparing the calculated index to an index that would be generated if the product was shipped to a same store at a different time period for the store or the distribution center.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected point in time is any order cycle after a next order cycle for a product shipment to a store from a distribution center, the method further comprising comparing the calculated index to an index that would be generated for a different product at a different time period for the store or the distribution center.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected point in time is any order cycle after a next order cycle for a product shipment to a store from a distribution center, the method further comprising comparing the calculated index to an index that would be generated for the product at a different time period for a different store or a different distribution center.

10. A system comprising:

a memory to store input data received from one or more sources along a supply chain; and

a processor coupled to the memory to determine at least one index that is indicative of how inventory will likely match upcoming consumer demand at a select time and at a select point of the supply chain, at least in part, based on the input data corresponding to current or past consumer demand.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the index is to be indicative of how the inventory is matched to current consumer demand.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the selected point in time is a next order cycle for a product shipment to a store or a distribution center.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the selected point in time is a next order cycle for a product shipment to a distribution center or a store, the method further comprising comparing the calculated index to an index that would be generated if the product or a different product was shipped to a same store from an different distribution center or to a different store from the distribution center or a different distribution center.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the selected point in time is any order cycle after a next order cycle for a product shipment to a store or a distribution center.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the selected point in time is any order cycle after a next order cycle for a product shipment to a store or a distribution center, the method further comprising comparing the calculated index to an index that would be generated if the product or a different product was shipped to a same store from an different distribution center or to the same store at a different time period for the store or the distribution center.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the selected point in time is any order cycle after a next order cycle for a product shipment to a store or a distribution center, the method further comprising comparing the calculated index to an index that would be generated if the product or a different product was shipped to a same store of a different store from the distribution center or a different distribution center at a different time period for the store or the distribution center.

16. A computer-readable storage device to store one or more instructions, wherein the one or more instructions when executed by a process are to cause the processor to:

receive input data originating from one or more sources along a supply chain; and

calculate at least one index that is indicative of how inventory will likely match upcoming consumer demand at a select time and at a select point of the supply chain, at least in part, based on the input data corresponding to current or past consumer demand.

17. The storage device of claim 16, wherein the index is to be indicative of how the inventory is matched to current consumer demand.

18. The storage device of claim 16, wherein the selected point in time is a next order cycle for a product shipment to a store or a distribution center.

19. The storage device of claim 16, wherein the selected point in time is a next order cycle for a product shipment to a distribution center or a store, the method further comprising comparing the calculated index to an index that would be generated if the product or a different product was shipped to a same store from an different distribution center or to a different store from the distribution center or a different distribution center.