Computer program product for determining and reducing customer service impact

• US 7,647,241 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2000
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Profuse Group B.V.
• Original Assignee: Infor Global Solutions Veenendaal BV (Infor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Carignan, Richard D., Lilly, Michael P., Longmire, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boswell; Beth V
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATS, JUSTIN
• Application Number:
  US09/690,566
• Time in Patent Office: 3,374 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/7, 705/8, 705/42, 705/10, 700/36, 700/97, 700/99, 700/96, 700/108, 702/84
• US Class Current: 705/7.26
• 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 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

In general, in one aspect, the invention features a computerized method for determining customer service impact. The method includes receiving item orders having a requested completion date. The method also includes scheduling a scheduled completion date for each item order. The method also includes selecting at least one item order, each item order having a scheduled completion date. The method also includes comparing the scheduled completion date with the requested completion date for each selected item order. The method also includes deriving a customer service measurement for each selected item order based on the comparing step. The method can include the optional step of reporting and/or displaying customer service measurement data. In general, in another aspect, the invention relates to a system for determining customer service impact that performs the method steps just described.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions thereon that, when executed by a computer, perform a method for quantitatively determining customer service impact of scheduling changes, the method comprising:

receiving customer line item orders, each having a requested completion date, wherein each customer line item is an individual customer requested product for purchase;

scheduling a scheduled completion date for each item order;

selecting at least one item order, each item order having a scheduled completion date;

comparing the scheduled completion date with the requested completion date for each selected item order, wherein said comparing comprises;

generating a demand array of item orders;

generating a supply array of manufacturing inventory;

selecting an item order in the demand array;

matching manufacturing inventory in the supply array with the selected item order; and

comparing the scheduled completion date of an item in the supply array with the requested completion date for the matched item in the demand array;

displaying a group of customer service measurements comprising days late, value late, and value-days late, wherein

days late is determined by the amount of time difference between the requested completion date and a scheduled completion date multiplied by the value of the item order and multiplied by a predetermined interest rate;

value late is a value of a late item order determined by multiplying a number of late item orders by a unit price per item order, then subtracting any commission and discount; and

value-days late is a value-time late determined by multiplying a time difference between the requested completion date and the scheduled completion date multiplied by a value of the item order;

selecting a customer service measurement from the group of customer service measurements;

deriving a customer service impact for each selected item order based on said comparing and the selected customer service measurement; and

reporting the customer service impact for each selected item order.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the value of the item order is determined by multiplying a number of item orders by a unit price per item order, then subtracting any commission and discount.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining an overall customer service impact based on the customer service impact for each item order.

4. The computer program product of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

reporting the overall customer service impact as the overall customer service impact for that scheduling operation.

5. The computer program product of claim 3, further comprising:

displaying the customer service impact on a calendar showing the total customer service impact for a predetermined time period.

6. The computer program product of claim 3, further comprising repeating said receiving, scheduling, selecting, comparing, deriving, and determining for different schedules to determine the customer service impact of schedule changes.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, further comprising:

selecting one or more customers; and

determining a customer service impact for each of the selected customers based on the customer service impact for each item order of the selected customer.

8. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining a customer service impact for a first customer and a second customer, based on the customer service impact for each item order from each of the first and second customers.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

displaying the customer service impact on a calendar showing the total customer service impact for a predetermined time period.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising repeating said receiving, scheduling, selecting, comparing and determining for different schedules to determine the customer service impact of schedule changes.

11. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said generating a demand array comprises generating a demand array of unshipped customer line items.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said generating a supply array comprises generating a supply array of at least one of inventory work orders and manufactured inventory.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

identifying a subset of work orders having a customer service impact greater than a predetermined threshold;

performing at least one of a utilization, contention, and material constraint inquiry on the subset of work orders.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein:

the utilization inquiry involves identifying resources having a highest load/capacity ratio during a specified time period;

the contention inquiry involves identifying resources allocated most frequently in scheduling; and

the material limitation inquiry involves identifying material items causing scheduling delay.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

identifying as a potential bottleneck a material or resource having the greatest result in the at least one of a utilization, contention, and material constraint inquiry.