System and method for allocating manufactured products to sellers

• US 6,167,380 A
• Filed: 02/18/1997
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: JDA Software Group Incorporated (RedPrairie Holding Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: i2 Technologies Incorporated (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kennedy, Brian M., Burchett, Christopher D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US08/802,434
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 705/10, 705/22, 705/28, 705/29, 364/468.05, 364/468.13
• US Class Current: 705/7.31
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A software system is provided for managing available to promise (ATP) and making promises to fulfill customer requests. The software system includes a plurality of generic product models (600) each representing a generic product. Each generic product model (600) specifies one component of a plurality of possible components. A plurality of specific product models (602) each represent a specific product and each specify all components of the specific product. Each component specified by each specific product model (602) is specified by one of the generic product models (600) such that each specific product model (602) is related to a subset of the generic product models (600). A customer request matching a specific product then can be fulfilled by available-to-promise of the specific product or by available-to-promise of all related generic products. In addition, an organization in a seller hierarchy can retain product and designate first-come-first-served product. The organization also can define an ATP horizon to specify when forecasted product is actually available. Further, the organization can use an automatic allocation policy to allocate to members, and some forecast entries can be designated zero-ATP entries.

Claims

1. A system operating on a computer for allowing an organization to allocate manufactured products among sellers, comprising:

a seller model stored in a memory of the computer and representing sellers that sell at least one product, the seller model forecasting for at least one product and defining commitment levels for creating at least one forecast request value;

at least one supplier model stored in the memory, the supplier model receiving the forecast request value and providing at least one supplier promise value to the seller model, the supplier promise value being based on the forecast request value; and

at least one customer model stored in the memory, the customer model providing a customer order value to the seller model and receiving an actual customer promise value;

a forecast model for the product that is stored in the memory and maintains an allocation value, a forecast request value, and a supplier promise value, the allocation value representing the sum of promises from different suppliers plus any promises to customers;

wherein the system displays allocation data to make product allocation available to the sellers; and

wherein the seller model comprises a hierarchy of sellers, the forecast data representing an aggregate of forecasts from members of the hierarchy, the allocation data being distributed as sub-allocation data to the members.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the products are designated as retained product not available for promising.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein an automatic allocation policy allows the organization to designate forecast entry of a member as a zero-available-to-promise entry to make the available-to-promise product at the member zero for that forecast entry.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein an automatic allocation policy for distributing the allocation data is a first-come-first-served allocation policy.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the automatic allocation policy is a per allocated allocation policy.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the automatic allocation policy is a per committed allocation policy.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the automatic allocation policy is a member rank allocation policy.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the automatic allocation policy is a fixed split allocation policy.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of generic product models stored in the memory and each representing a generic product, each generic product model specifying one component of a plurality of possible components;

a plurality of specific product models stored in the memory and each representing a specific product, each specific product model specifying all components of the specific product;

wherein each component specified by each specific product model is specified by one of the generic product models, each specific product model being related to a subset of the generic product models; and

wherein the system provides a customer promise value for a specific product according to a determined available-to-promise of related generic products.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the generic product models and specific product models are repeated across at least a portion of a seller hierarchy, there being organization-member relationships between generic products and between specific products in addition to generic-specific relationships.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said allocation value is distributed on a first-come-first-served basis.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the forecast model has an associated forecast period, and wherein an available-to-promise (ATP) of said forecast data has an associated available-to-promise period shorter than the forecast period.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further operable to distribute the allocation data in accordance with an automatic allocation policy.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the forecast model adjusts the forecast request value and the supplier promise value in response to the customer order value, the allocation value remaining the same, but the forecast request value and the supplier promise value being reduced.

15. A method operating on a computer for allowing an organization to allocate manufactured products among sellers, comprising:

using a seller model stored in a memory of the computer to represent sellers that sell at least one product, the seller model forecasting for at least one product and defining commitment levels for creating at least one forecast request value;

using at least one supplier model stored in the memory to receive the forecast request value and to provide at least one supplier promise value to the seller model, the supplier promise value being based on the forecast request value; and

using at least one customer model stored in the memory to provide a customer order value to the seller model and to receive an actual customer promise value;

using a forecast model for the product that is stored in the memory to maintain an allocation value, a forecast request value, and a supplier promise value, the allocation value representing the sum of promises from different suppliers plus any promises to customers;

displaying allocation data to make product allocation available to the sellers; and

wherein the seller model comprises a hierarchy of sellers, the forecast data representing an aggregate of forecasts from members of the hierarchy, the allocation data being distributed as sub-allocation data to the members.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the products are designated as retained product not available for promising.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the automatic allocation policy for distributing the allocation data allows an organization to designate forecast entry of a member as a zero-available-to-promise entry to make the available-to-promise product at the member zero for that forecast entry.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein automatic allocation policy for distributing the allocation data is a first-come-first-served allocation policy.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein an automatic allocation policy for distributing the allocation data is a per allocated allocation policy.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein an automatic allocation policy for distributing the allocation data is a per committed allocation policy.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein an automatic allocation policy for distributing the allocation data is a member rank allocation policy.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein an automatic allocation policy for distributing the allocation data is a fixed split allocation policy.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

using a plurality of generic product models stored in the memory to represent generic products, each generic product model representing a particular generic product and specifying one component of a plurality of possible components;

using a plurality of specific product models stored in the memory to represent specific products, each specific product model representing a particular specific product and specifying all components of the specific product;

wherein each component specified by each specific product model is specified by one of the generic product models, each specific product model being related to a subset of the generic product models; and

providing a customer promise value for a specific product according to a determined available-to-promise of related generic products.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the generic product models and specific product models are repeated across at least a portion of a seller hierarchy, there being organization-member relationships between generic products and between specific products in addition to generic-specific relationships.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of said allocation value is distributed on a first-come-first-served basis.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the forecast model has an associated forecast period, and wherein an available-to-promise (ATP) of said forecast data has an associated available-to-promise period shorter than the forecast period.

27. The method of claim 15, further comprising distributing the allocation data in accordance with an automatic allocation policy.

28. The method of claim 15, further comprising using the forecast model to adjust the forecast request value and the supplier promise value in response to the customer order value, the allocation value remaining the same, but the forecast request value and the supplier promise value being reduced.