METHOD FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY CONSIDERING CUSTOMER COMMIT DATES AND CUSTOMER REQUEST DATES

• US 20100280868A1
• Filed: 04/22/2010
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Milne, Robert J., Denton, Brian T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,234,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The invention disclosed here is a method for achieving simultaneous consideration of multiple customer demand dates within an advanced planning system. The invention provides a method of production planning that considers multiple due dates. The invention solves a production planning model based upon the second (commit) date to produce a first solution, sorts the demand records in order of importance, and then re-solves the production planning model based upon the first (request) date to produce a second solution. The re-solving process is performed on each demand item in the sorted order of importance. The invention optimizes between the first solution and the second solution. Before re-solving the production planning model, the invention changes the lower bound constraints on backorder variables. The re-solving process changes the required date for a single demand item, and this re-solving process is repeated for all demand items that have a first (request) date that is before a corresponding required date. The invention reports the optimal solution produced during the optimizing process. The system and method integrate the consideration of multiple demand dates with an advanced planning system for optimizing established planning objectives (e.g. customer service, short lead times, low inventory, and prioritized allocation of supply and capacity) to compute a feasible production plan for the division.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of production planning that considers multiple due dates for providing the same resource to the same demand item, wherein said multiple due dates comprise a first date when said resource can be provided to said demand item, and a later second date when said resource must be provided to said demand item, said method comprising:

solving a production planning model based upon said first date to produce a first solution using a computer;

re-solving said production planning model based upon said second date to produce a second solution using said computer; and

optimizing between said first solution and said second solution using said computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said re-solving processing is based on iterative solutions of a linear program.

3. The method in claim 1, further comprising before re-solving said production planning model, sorting demand records in order of importance using said computer.

4. The method in claim 3, wherein said re-solving is performed on each demand item in the sorted order of importance.

5. The method in claim 1, further comprising before re-solving said production planning model, changing lower bound constraints on backorder variables using said computer.

6. The method in claim 1, further comprising reporting the optimal solution produced during said optimizing process using said computer.

7. The method in claim 1, wherein said re-solving process changes the required date for a single demand item, and wherein said re-solving process is repeated for all demand items that have a first date that is before a corresponding second date.

8. A computer-implemented method of production planning that considers multiple due dates for providing the same resource to the same demand item, wherein said multiple due dates comprise a first date when said resource can be provided to said demand item, and a later second date when said resource must be provided to said demand item, said method comprising:

solving a production planning model based upon said first date to produce a first solution using a computer;

re-solving said production planning model based upon said second date to produce a second solution using said computer; and

optimizing between said first solution and said second solution using said computer,

wherein said re-solving process changes the required date for a single demand item, and

wherein said re-solving process is repeated for all demand items that have a first date that is before a corresponding second date.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said re-solving processing is based on iterative solutions of a linear program.

10. The method in claim 8, further comprising before re-solving said production planning model, sorting demand records in order of importance using said computer.

11. The method in claim 10, wherein said re-solving is performed on each demand item in the sorted order of importance.

12. The method in claim 8, further comprising before re-solving said production planning model, changing lower bound constraints on backorder variables using said computer.

13. The method in claim 8, further comprising reporting the optimal solution produced during said optimizing process using said computer.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a computer to perform a method comprising:

solving a production planning model based upon said first date to produce a first solution using a computer;

re-solving said production planning model based upon said second date to produce a second solution using said computer; and

optimizing between said first solution and said second solution using said computer.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein said re-solving processing is based on iterative solutions of a linear program.

16. The computer-readable storage medium in claim 14, said method further comprising before re-solving said production planning model, sorting demand records in order of importance using said computer.

17. The computer-readable storage medium in claim 16, wherein said re-solving is performed on each demand item in the sorted order of importance.

18. The computer-readable storage medium in claim 14, said method further comprising before re-solving said production planning model, changing lower bound constraints on backorder variables using said computer.

19. The computer-readable storage medium in claim 14, said method further comprising reporting the optimal solution produced during said optimizing process using said computer.

20. The computer-readable storage medium in claim 14, wherein said re-solving process changes the required date for a single demand item, and wherein said re-solving process is repeated for all demand items that have a first date that is before a corresponding second date.