Generating an order plan for a supply chain network

• US 7,177,827 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2001
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: JDA Software Group Incorporated (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: i2 Technologies US Incorporated (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Abraham, Manoj
• Primary Examiner(s): Fischetti; Joseph A.
• Application Number:
  US09/925,149
• Time in Patent Office: 2,015 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28, 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Generating an order plan is disclosed. Data describing priority levels including at least one item request is accessed. Data describing a supply chain network (10) including network components (11) that supply one or more items to satisfy an item request is accessed. For each priority level, and for each item request of a priority level, an order for an item request of a current priority level is planned according to recorded unplannable network components (11) that are unable to satisfy an item request, and the unplannable network components (11) for the current priority level are determined. For each priority level, the unplannable network components (11) are validated for the current priority level, and the validated unplannable network components (11) for the current priority level are recorded. An order plan including the orders planned for the item requests at each priority level is provided.

Claims

1. Logic for generating an order plan, the logic being encoded in computer readable media and when executed by a computer operable to:

access data describing a plurality of priority levels, each priority level comprising at least one item request;

access data describing a supply chain network comprising a plurality of network components, each network component operable to supply one or more items to satisfy an item request;

access data about infeasible periods of time associated with one or more respective network components, wherein the data about infeasible periods of time associated with one or more respective network components comprises data about infeasible periods of time associated with one or more respective network components that were determined for higher priority levels;

for each priority level;

for each item request of a priority level;

plan an order for an item request of a current priority level using the data about infeasible periods of time associated with a plurality of network components that are unable to satisfy an item request during respective periods of time; and

determine any additional unplannable network components for the current priority level;

validate the additional unplannable network components; and

record the validated unplannable network components for the current priority level; and

provide an order plan comprising the orders planned for the item requests at each priority level.

2. The logic of claim 1, wherein the data about infeasible periods of time associated with one or more respective network components further comprises data associated with one of the network components describing a time interval during which the network component is unplannable.

3. The logic of claim 2, wherein the time interval is a time interval from a previously determined unplannable time to a predetermined build ahead time.

4. The logic of claim 1, wherein the recording of the validated unplannable network components comprises storing data about infeasible periods of time for the unplannable network components.