Cost Impact Simulator and Gross Profit Analyzer

• US 20160019563A1
• Filed: 07/18/2014
• Published: 01/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Jha, Anup Kumar, Pathak, Ashish, Yang, Fan, Pineda, Ivan Canales, Zhu, Rixin, So, Bryan Siu Him, Raman, Ramchand
• Granted Patent: US 10,049,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities

Abstract

Changes in the supply chain of one product may affect the price and availability of many other products. Likewise, a product may be composed of a number of smaller parts. Changes in the cost or availability of any of the parts that comprise a product may result in changes in cost or availability of the product as well as many other related products. A supply chain analysis engine is used to model a supply chain. The supply chain analysis engine may identify dependencies between products, sub products, and supply chains. The dependencies may be used to analyze the impact of a change in the supply chain on all relevant products.

Claims

1. A method for supply chain analysis, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, data for a first supply chain for a first product;

receiving, by the computer system, an indication of a predicted change to the supply chain;

determining, by the computer system, a first impact, wherein the first impact quantifies the impact to the first product due to the predicted change in the first supply chain;

determining, by the computer system, if the first impact is greater than a threshold;

if the first impact is greater than the threshold, generating a first supply chain scenario, wherein the supply chain scenario is a modification of the first supply chain;

determining, by the computer system, a second impact, wherein the second impact quantifies the impact to the first product due to the predicted change if the product is manufactured according to the first supply chain scenario; and

determining, by the computer system, if the second impact is greater than the threshold.

2. The method for supply chain analysis of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the computer system, data for a second supply chain for a second product; and

determining, by the computer system, a third impact, wherein the third impact quantifies the impact to the second product due to the predicted change in the second supply chain.

3. The method for supply chain analysis of claim 2, the method further comprising:

if the third impact is less than the first impact, identifying, by the computer system, elements of the second supply chain that are different from the first supply chain; and

generating, by the computer system, a second supply chain scenario, wherein the second scenario is a modification of the first supply chain according to the identified differences.

4. The method for supply chain analysis of claim 3, further comprising:

determining, by the computer system, a fourth impact, wherein the fourth impact quantifies the impact to the first product due to the predicted change in the second supply chain scenario; and

determining, by the computer system, if the fourth impact is greater than the threshold.

5. The method for supply chain analysis of claim 1, wherein the first impact and the second impact are a cost of the product.

6. The method for supply chain analysis of claim 1, wherein the first impact and the second impact are an availability of the product.

7. The method for supply chain analysis of claim 1, wherein the first impact and the second impact are profitability of the product.

8. A computer program product residing on a non-transitory processor-readable medium and comprising processor readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:

receive data for a first supply chain for a first product;

receive an indication of a predicted change to the supply chain;

determine a first impact, wherein the first impact quantifies the impact to the first product due to the predicted change in the first supply chain;

determine if the first impact is greater than a threshold;

if the first impact is greater than the threshold, generate a first supply chain scenario, wherein the supply chain scenario is a modification of the first supply chain;

determine a second impact, wherein the second impact quantifies the impact to the first product due to the predicted change if the product is manufactured according to the first supply chain scenario; and

determine if the second impact is greater than the threshold.

9. The computer program of claim 8 further comprising instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:

receive data for a second supply chain for a second product; and

determine a third impact, wherein the third impact quantifies the impact to the second product due to the predicted change in the second supply chain.

10. The computer program of claim 9 further comprising instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:

if the third impact is less than the first impact, identify elements of the second supply chain that are different from the first supply chain; and

generate a second supply chain scenario, wherein the second scenario is a modification of the first supply chain according to the identified differences.

11. The computer program of claim 10 further comprising instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:

determine a fourth impact, wherein the fourth impact quantifies the impact to the first product due to the predicted change in the second supply chain scenario; and

determine if the fourth impact is greater than the threshold.

12. The computer program of claim 8, wherein the first impact and the second impact are a cost of the product.

13. The computer program of claim 8, wherein the first impact and the second impact are an availability of the product.

14. The computer program of claim 8, wherein the first impact and the second impact are profitability of the product.

15. A system for supply chain analysis comprising:

an analysis module, configured to receive data for a first supply chain for a first product;

a disruption analysis module, configured to;

receive an indication of a predicted change to the supply chain;

determine a first impact, wherein the first impact quantifies the impact to the first product due to the predicted change in the first supply chain;

determine if the first impact is greater than a threshold;

if the first impact is greater than the threshold, generate a first supply chain scenario, wherein the supply chain scenario is a modification of the first supply chain;

determine a second impact, wherein the second impact quantifies the impact to the first product due to the predicted change if the product is manufactured according to the first supply chain scenario; and

determine if the second impact is greater than the threshold.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the disruption analysis module is further configured to:

receive data for a second supply chain for a second product; and

determine a third impact, wherein the third impact quantifies the impact to the second product due to the predicted change in the second supply chain.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the disruption analysis module is further configured to:

if the third impact is less than the first impact, identify elements of the second supply chain that are different from the first supply chain; and

generate a second supply chain scenario, wherein the second scenario is a modification of the first supply chain according to the identified differences.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the first impact and the second impact are a cost of the product.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the first impact and the second impact are an availability of the product.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the first impact and the second impact are profitability of the product.