MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20140089032A1
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: BELL, David
• Application Number:
  US14/027,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20140089032A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.24
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• 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 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a graphical interface and application for managing assets and products in and between shipper/receiver facilities. A shipper/receiver management application manages assets and products and provides selectable options to a user to control operations across the shipper/receiver facility and between shipper/receiver facilities. Aspects include inventory and/or workflow management to facilitate timing and control facets of inventory, production planning, and graphical representations thereof for both shippers and receivers.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving one or more product locations of one or more products within a facility;

receiving one or more asset locations of one or more assets within the facility;

receiving an order for at least one of the one or more products;

assigning at least a portion of the at least one of the one or more products to at least one of the one or more assets to complete the order; and

scheduling a fulfillment of the order based on one or more workflow times associated with one or more tasks.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more tasks include one or more of receiving, inspecting, cleaning, repairing, maintaining, moving, loading, unloading, transferring, or testing of the one or more products or the one or more assets.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a map of the facility including representations of the one or more products at the one or more product locations, the one or more assets at the one or more asset locations, and one or more locations associated with the order.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the map is generated with visual characteristics, representing at least the one or more product locations and the one or more asset locations, on a display screen of a user device.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving an order status update based on the one or more tasks; and

updating the map based on the order status update.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a production schedule within the facility for the one or more products based on at least the fulfillment and the order.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the production schedule is further based on a customer schedule.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an order status update based on the one or more tasks; and

generating an alert based on the order status update.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising releasing the at least one of the one or more assets for transport based on the fulfillment.

10. A system comprising a controller configured to:

receive a product inventory relating to one or more products at a facility;

receive an asset inventory relating to one or more assets at the facility;

receive a set of orders including one or more product orders and one or more statuses associated respectively with the one or more product orders, wherein the statuses include location information describing at least one location associated with the one or more products and the one or more assets;

control generation of a graphical representation of the facility including the location information to be displayed on a user device; and

produce a notification based on the location information that prompts one or more tasks related to the set of orders.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller further is configured to:

modify the product inventory based on the set of orders; and

schedule an inventory replenishment based on the set of orders.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to:

calculate a total storage capacity of at least a subset of the asset inventory; and

calculate an available capacity of at least the subset of the asset inventory, wherein the inventory replenishment is further based on at least one of the total capacity or the available capacity.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate a fulfillment rate based on at least the set of orders.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller further is configured to schedule a downtime associated with at least a portion of the facility based on the set of orders.

15. A system, comprising:

an enterprise resource planning system configured to schedule an order to be fulfilled from an inventory at a facility;

a controller associated with the facility and communicatively linked to the enterprise resource planning system, wherein the controller is configured to allocate the inventory to a plurality of assets at the facility based at least in part on the order; and

a user device communicatively linked to the controller and configured to receive from the controller a workflow list based on the order.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the workflow list includes at least one task that completes the order by causing a portion of the inventory for the order to ship to a customer.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the workflow list includes at least one task that replenishes the inventory based on at least the order.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the user device is further configured to transmit an update to the workflow list based on activity that modifies at least one of an order status or an inventory status.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the enterprise resource planning system is further configured to schedule a subsequent order based on a fulfillment time associated with the order.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to schedule repositioning of at least a portion of the inventory or at least one of the plurality of assets based on the order.