Supply Chain Analysis

• US 20130018696A1
• Filed: 06/25/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Empirica Consulting Limited
• Original Assignee: Empirica Consulting Limited
• Inventors: Meldrum, Peter Fox
• Application Number:
  US13/532,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20130018696A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 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

The disclosure relates to analyzing and visualizing flows in a supply chain context for the purpose of inventory optimization. Embodiments disclosed include a method of analyzing a process flow in a supply chain context, the method comprising: inputting (3402) a first set of data to an application residing on a processor, relating to products, locations and supply routes connecting the different locations in the supply chain; the application generating (3403) from the first set of data an input data array; inputting (3404) a second set of data relating to measured and forecast flows of products through the supply chain over a defined time period; the application calculating (3405) from the data a series of measures of operation of the supply chain; and, based on one or more of the measures being outside a predefined range, the application generating (3406) an output indicating recommendations for adjusting operation of the supply chain.

Claims

1. A method of analyzing a process flow in a supply chain context, the method comprising:

inputting a first set of data to an application residing on a processor, the first set of data relating to a plurality of different products, a plurality of different locations and a plurality of supply routes connecting the different locations in the supply chain along which the plurality of products are distributed;

the application generating from the first set of data an input data array having dimensions corresponding to the plurality of products, locations and supply routes;

inputting into the input data array a second set of data relating to measured and forecast flows of the different products through the supply chain over a defined time period;

the application calculating from the second set of data a series of measures of operation of the supply chain; and

based on one or more of the series of measures being outside a predefined range, the application generating an output indicating recommendations for adjusting operation of the supply chain.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the series of measures includes for each of the plurality of different products at each of the plurality of different locations one or more of:

a measure of volatility in demand;

a measure of average inventory;

a measure of forecast accuracy; and

a measure of forecast bias.

3. The method of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the series of measures take into account the effect of including one or more events within the defined time period.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the one or more events comprise a promotional event relating to one or more of the plurality of products.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the application performs analysis of the second set of data for each of the plurality of locations and outputs a customized recommendation relating to any of the series of measures being outside a predefined bound for each location.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the application outputs a customized recommendation relating to one or more of:

an inventory level for one or more of the products being above a defined threshold for the defined period;

a service level for one or more of the products being below a defined threshold for the defined period;

a level of shelf availability for one or more of the products being below a defined threshold; and

a level of responsiveness for one or more of the products being delivered at the optimum threshold.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the application outputs one or more potential causes for the series of measures being outside the predefined bound.

8. The method of claim 6 or claim 7 wherein the customized recommendation comprises a predefined checklist specific to an associated measure being outside the defined bound.

9. A method of analyzing a process flow in a supply chain context, the supply chain comprising a plurality of different products flowing between a plurality of different locations connected by a plurality of supply routes, the method comprising:

inputting a set of data to an application residing on a processor, the set of data relating to measured and forecast flows of the different products through the supply chain over a defined time period;

the application calculating from the input set of data a series of measures of operation of the supply chain; and

based on one or more of the series of measures being outside a predefined range, the application generating an output indicating recommendations for adjusting operation of the supply chain.

10. A method of visualizing a process flow in a supply chain context, the method comprising:

providing data relating to a plurality of different products in the supply chain, the data relating to inventory levels and process flow timings associated with a plurality of locations in the supply chain;

selecting one of the plurality of different products; and

generating a graphical representation of data relating to the selected product, the graphical representation comprising a timeline indicating the inventory levels and process timings for the selected product at each of the plurality of locations in the supply chain.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of providing data comprises sampling product data from a larger data set representing a product portfolio.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the supply chain includes a plurality of parallel processes, the inventory levels and process timings for each of the parallel processes being displayed in the graphical representation.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of providing data comprises taking a sample of data relating to the plurality of products in the supply chain.

14. The method of claim 13 comprising generating a report relating to the sample of data, wherein entries in the report are indicated relative to a predefined range.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein entries in the report outside a predefined range are highlighted.

16. The method of claim 10 comprising presenting a graphical representation of inventory levels for one or more of the plurality of locations in the supply chain over a defined sampling period.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the graphical representation indicates predefined maximum and/or minimum inventory levels over the defined sampling period.

18. A system for analyzing a process flow in a supply chain context, the system comprising an application residing on a processor and a memory, the system comprising:

a first input data array having a first set of data relating to a plurality of different products, a plurality of different locations and a plurality of supply routes connecting the different locations in the supply chain along which the plurality of products are distributed;

a data array generator configured to generate from the first set of data a second input data array having dimensions corresponding to the plurality of products, locations and supply routes in the first set of data; and

a calculating module configured to input into the second input data array a second set of data relating to measured and forecast flows of the different products through the supply chain over a defined time period, calculate from the second set of data a series of measures of operation of the supply chain and, based on one or more of the series of measures being outside a predefined range, generate an output indicating recommendations for adjusting operation of the supply chain.