Managing Planning of Component Requirements
First Claim
1. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium and comprising instructions that when executed by a processor perform a method for managing planning of component requirements, the method comprising:
- providing a system for a product manufacturing enterprise having a central location and multiple manufacturing plants at different locations, the system comprising a central computer device at the central location and respective manufacturing computer devices for each of the multiple manufacturing plants;
maintaining, in the central computer device, a BOM for a plurality of product types manufactured at the multiple manufacturing plants, the BOM defining that each of the product types belongs to a platform design and comprises at least (i) a first component common to all of the products types and (ii) a second component not common to all of the product types;
forwarding, from the BOM, first-component data regarding the first component of the product types to a central planning unit in the central computer device, the central planning unit being configured to generate a central plan for managing planning for the first component;
forwarding, from the BOM, second-component data regarding the second component of each of the product types to local planning units in the manufacturing computer devices, each of the local planning units being configured to generate a local plan for managing planning for the second component used by the corresponding manufacturing plant; and
causing the first and second components to be purchased for use by the product manufacturing enterprise according to the central plan and the local plan.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Component planning for a product manufacturing enterprise having a central computer device and respective local manufacturing computer devices. A BOM for product types manufactured at the multiple manufacturing plants is maintained in the central computer device, defining that each of the product types belongs to a platform design and includes at least (i) a first component common to all of the products types and (ii) a second component not common to all of the product types. First-component data and second-component data from the BOM are forwarded to a central planning unit in the central computer device for generating a central plan for the first component, and to local planning units in the manufacturing computer devices configured to generate a local plan for the second component used by the corresponding manufacturing plant, respectively. The components are purchased according to the central plan and the local plan.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium and comprising instructions that when executed by a processor perform a method for managing planning of component requirements, the method comprising:
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providing a system for a product manufacturing enterprise having a central location and multiple manufacturing plants at different locations, the system comprising a central computer device at the central location and respective manufacturing computer devices for each of the multiple manufacturing plants; maintaining, in the central computer device, a BOM for a plurality of product types manufactured at the multiple manufacturing plants, the BOM defining that each of the product types belongs to a platform design and comprises at least (i) a first component common to all of the products types and (ii) a second component not common to all of the product types; forwarding, from the BOM, first-component data regarding the first component of the product types to a central planning unit in the central computer device, the central planning unit being configured to generate a central plan for managing planning for the first component; forwarding, from the BOM, second-component data regarding the second component of each of the product types to local planning units in the manufacturing computer devices, each of the local planning units being configured to generate a local plan for managing planning for the second component used by the corresponding manufacturing plant; and causing the first and second components to be purchased for use by the product manufacturing enterprise according to the central plan and the local plan. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium and comprising instructions that when executed by a processor perform a method for managing planning of component requirements, the method comprising:
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providing a system for a product manufacturing enterprise having a central location and multiple manufacturing plants at different locations, the system comprising a central computer device at the central location and respective manufacturing computer devices for each of the multiple manufacturing plants; maintaining, in the central computer device, a BOM for at least one product type manufactured at the multiple manufacturing plants, the BOM defining that the product type comprises at least (i) a first component delivered from a first vendor and (ii) a second component delivered from a second vendor; associating a first plant of the manufacturing plants with the first vendor based on a location of the first vendor and a geographic-allocation criterion; associating a second plant of the manufacturing plants with the second vendor based on a location of the second vendor and the geographic-allocation criterion; forwarding, from the BOM, first-component data regarding the first component to a first local planning unit in the manufacturing computer device of the first plant, the first local planning unit being configured to generate a first central plan for managing planning for the first component on behalf of all of the manufacturing plants; and forwarding, from the BOM, second-component data regarding the second component to a second local planning unit in the manufacturing computer device of the second plant, the second local planning unit being configured to generate a second central plan for managing planning for the second component on behalf of all of the manufacturing plants. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system comprising:
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a central computer device at a central location of a product manufacturing enterprise, the central computer device having stored therein a BOM defining a product manufactured by the product manufacturing enterprise as comprising at least first and second components; manufacturing computer devices connected to the central computer device and operated by manufacturing plants at different locations of the product manufacturing enterprise; and planning units tangibly embodied in computer readable storage media distributed within the system, each of the planning units configured to generate a plan for managing planning for at least one of the first and second components; wherein the system dynamically distributes, among the planning units and based on at least one criterion, the planning for the first and second components for manufacturing the product. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification