Methods and systems for generating and displaying the capacity of a delivery management system

• US 7,313,530 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2001
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Smith, Timothy Jay, Rao, Vivek Prabhakar
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jarrett, Scott L.
• Application Number:
  US09/829,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20030023465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,450 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/8
• US Class Current: 705/7.24
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis

Abstract

The present invention is adapted to calculate expected capacity utilization information by zone for a respective delivery agent within the zone then to display delivery agent shipping capacity information via a communications network. The present invention further provides a zone capacity calculation and display system that is intuitive and easy for the user to understand. In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, capacity data may be illustrated for a respective delivery agent on a monthly basis. In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the capacity data of a respective delivery agent may be illustrated for a respective zone on a daily basis.

Claims

1. A method of displaying the capacity utilization of a goods delivery system, the goods delivery system having a delivery agent location, an address and a delivery zone, said method implemented by a computing unit and comprising the steps of:

obtaining delivery agent information of a delivery agent that delivers a plurality of goods, the delivery agent information comprising at least one of a delivery agent location, a delivery agent name, a delivery agent code, a delivery management system schedule name and a delivery agent zone group name;

calculating a first delivery capacity for said delivery agent information, the first delivery capacity comprising a first volume defined by a first plurality of slots, each slot defining a slot volume;

assigning a work unit to each good of the plurality of goods representing a multiplication factor associated with each good and indicative of a portion of the first volume defined by a number of slots used to deliver each good, the work unit generated by a supplier of the good based on a size of the good and a degree of difficulty in installing the good to facilitate equalizing slots for the first delivery capacity;

calculating, by the computing unit, a portion of the first delivery capacity used for said delivery agent information based on assigned work units;

calculating usage information for said delivery agent information based on a single day and a delivery zone;

displaying a periodic calendar format illustrating said delivery agent information and delivery agent statistics for a respective zone for each day in a respective period, the delivery agent statistics comprising at least one of a delivery capacity, a reserved capacity and scheduled deliveries;

said periodic calendar further adapted to have drill down capability to display additional daily details;

determining whether the first delivery capacity of the delivery agent to deliver the goods during a first period is exceeded;

determining whether a second delivery capacity of the delivery agent to deliver the goods during a second period is exceeded; and

determining to deliver the goods during the second period upon determining that the first delivery capacity is exceeded and the second delivery capacity is not exceeded, wherein the goods are configured to utilize the entire second delivery capacity.

2. The method of displaying as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of calculating usage information further comprises the step of calculating the deliveries scheduled for said delivery agent information.

3. The method of displaying as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of calculating usage information further comprises the step of calculating the percent capacity utilization per day for said delivery agent information.

4. The method of displaying as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of calculating usage information further comprises the step of marking out of capacity conditions.

5. The method of displaying as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of displaying a periodic calendar format comprises the step of displaying daily delivery agent statistics on a monthly basis.

6. The method of displaying as recited in claim 5, wherein the step of displaying a periodic calendar format comprises the step of displaying daily delivery agent statistics on a daily basis.

7. The method of displaying as recited in claim 6, wherein said delivery agent statistics further comprise data selected from the group consisting of default capacity, override capacity, capacity usage, and percent capacity usage.

8. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for executing a computer process for displaying the capacity utilization of a goods delivery system, the goods delivery system having a delivery agent location, an address and a delivery zone, said computer program comprising at least one code segment for employing a of displaying the capacity utilization comprising the steps of:

obtaining delivery agent information of a delivery agent that delivers a plurality of goods, the delivery agent information comprising at least one of a delivery agent location, a delivery agent name, a delivery agent code, a delivery management system schedule name and a delivery agent zone group name;

calculating a first delivery capacity for said delivery agent information, the first delivery capacity comprising a first volume defined by a first plurality of slots, each slot defining a slot volume;

assigning a work unit to each good of the plurality of goods representing a multiplication factor associated with each good and indicative of a portion of the first volume defined by a number of slots used to deliver each good, the work unit generated by a supplier of the good based on a size of the good and a degree of difficulty in installing the good to facilitate equalizing slots for the first delivery capacity;

calculating a portion of the first delivery capacity used for said delivery agent information based on assigned work units;

calculating usage information for said delivery agent information based on a single day and a delivery zone;

displaying a periodic calendar format illustrating said delivery agent information and delivery agent statistics for a respective zone for each day in a respective period, the delivery agent statistics comprising at least one of a delivery capacity, a reserved capacity and scheduled deliveries;

said periodic calendar further adapted to have drill down capability to display additional daily details;

determining whether the first delivery capacity of the delivery agent to deliver the goods during a first period is exceeded;

determining whether a second delivery capacity of the delivery agent to deliver the goods during a second period is exceeded; and

determining to deliver the goods during the second period upon determining that the first delivery capacity is exceeded and the second delivery capacity is not exceeded, wherein the goods are configured to utilize the entire second delivery capacity.

9. The computer process as recited in claim 8, wherein the step of calculating usage information further comprises the step of calculating the deliveries scheduled for said delivery agent information.

10. The computer process as recited in claim 8, wherein the step of calculating usage information further comprises the step of calculating the percent capacity utilization per day for said delivery agent information.

11. The computer process as recited in claim 8, wherein the step of calculating usage information further comprises the step of marking out of capacity conditions.

12. The computer process as recited in claim 8, wherein the step of displaying a periodic calendar format comprises the step of displaying daily delivery agent statistics on a monthly basis.

13. The computer process as recited in claim 12, wherein the step of displaying a periodic calendar format comprises the step of displaying daily delivery agent statistics on a daily basis.

14. The computer process as recited in claim 13, wherein said delivery agent statistics further comprise data selected from the group consisting of default capacity, override capacity, capacity usage, and percent capacity usage.

15. A apparatus for displaying the capacity utilization of a goods delivery system, the goods delivery system having a delivery agent location, an address and a delivery zone, said apparatus for displaying the capacity utilization comprising:

means for obtaining delivery agent information of a delivery agent that delivers a plurality of goods, the delivery agent information comprising at least one of a delivery agent location, a delivery agent name, a delivery agent code, a delivery management system schedule name and a delivery agent zone group name;

means for calculating a first delivery capacity for said delivery agent information, the first delivery capacity comprising a first volume defined by a first plurality of slots, each slot defining a slot volume;

means for assigning a work unit to each good of the plurality of goods representing a multiplication factor associated with each good and indicative of a portion of the first volume defined by a number of slots used to deliver each good, the work unit generated by a supplier of the good based on a size of the good and a degree of difficulty in installing the good to facilitate equalizing slots for the first delivery capacity;

means for calculating a portion of the first delivery capacity used for said delivery agent information based on assigned work units;

means for calculating usage information for said delivery agent information based on a single day and a delivery zone;

means for displaying a periodic calendar format illustrating said delivery agent information and delivery agent statistics for a respective zone for each day in a respective period, the delivery agent statistics comprising at least one of a delivery capacity, a reserved capacity and scheduled deliveries;

means for said periodic calendar further adapted to have drill down capability to display additional daily details;

means for determining whether the first delivery capacity of the delivery agent to deliver the goods during a first period is exceeded;

means for determining whether a second delivery capacity of the delivery agent to deliver the goods during a second period is exceeded; and

means for determining to deliver the goods during the second period upon determining that the first delivery capacity is exceeded and the second delivery capacity is not exceeded, wherein the goods are configured to utilize the entire second delivery capacity.