Order commitment method and system

• US 7,657,534 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2004
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jon Kirkegaard
• Original Assignee: Jon Kirkegaard
• Inventors: Kirkegaard, Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Khanh B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yen; Syling
• Application Number:
  US10/864,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20040254842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,063 Days
• Field of Search: 705/22, 705/28, 705/7, 705/37, 707/3, 707/9, 707/10, 707/102, 707/205, 340/5.92, 235/385
• US Class Current: 707/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

An order commitment method and system are described. The method includes the steps of identifying services and data capable of supporting an order commitment, and mapping the services to enable synchronized on-demand queries. The mapping step includes determining relationships among the services and the data and maintaining the relationships, wherein links are established to create fulfillment information. The method also includes using the fulfillment information to generate the order commitment.

Claims

1. A supply chain order commitment method, executed on a supply chain entity computer, comprising:

identifying services and data sources, utilizing the supply chain entity computer, capable of supporting generation of a supply chain order commitment, wherein the data sources are associated with the services, are unrelated to other data sources, are external to the supply chain entity, and are remotely located from the supply chain entity computer;

mapping the services and data sources to enable synchronized on-demand queries, comprising;

registering relationships between the supply chain entity the data sources and among the services and the data sources, wherein registering relationships includes;

mapping the data sources to a pre-existing data schema;

establishing persistent data transfer links to allow creation of real-time, concurrent order fulfillment information based on data from the data sources, wherein the persistent data transfer links enable the real-time, concurrent order fulfillment information to be automatically updated with corresponding changes to data at the data sources without persistently storing a duplicate copy of data from the data sources; and

storing the persistent data transfer links in a repository co-located with the supply chain entity computer;

retrieving data from the data sources using the persistent data transfer links;

generating a graphical user interface (GUI) view of the real-time, concurrent order fulfillment information based on the retrieved data and the mapping of data sources to the pre-existing data schema;

displaying the GUI view of the real-time, concurrent order fulfillment information on a display of the supply chain entity computer;

if the data from the data sources changes at the data sources, automatically updating the GUI view of the real-time, concurrent order fulfillment information and displaying the updated GUI view of the real-time, concurrent order fulfillment information; and

using the order fulfillment information to generate in real-time the supply chain order commitment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fulfillment information is created from structured data and unstructured data.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

using an order commitment Xschema, mapping the structured and the unstructured data to the order commitment Xschema to create decision support results.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the pre-existing data schema remains unchanged if the data from the data sources changes.

5. A supply chain order commitment system, comprising:

a computer including a processor and a memory;

a supply chain console hosted by the computer, the console, comprising;

means for relating data from multiple, unrelated data sources to a pre-existing data schema and for managing the data, wherein the multiple unrelated data sources are external to the supply chain entity and are remotely located from the supply chain console and the means for relating data comprises;

means for automatically mapping the data from the multiple unrelated data sources and supply chain services to the data schema, wherein the mapping means converts data from the data sources from a non-data schema format into a data schema format; and

means for forming a query to retrieve data from the multiple unrelated data sources based on the data mapping;

means for generating views of data from the multiple unrelated data sources, wherein the viewed data is synchronized with the data on the multiple unrelated data sources, so that the viewed data is automatically updated to reflect changes to the data on the multiple data sources; and

means for storing the data relationships as persistent data transfer links that cause the viewed data to be synchronized with and automatically updated to reflect changes to the data on the multiple data sources without persistently storing a duplicate copy of data from the data sources.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the means for relating data further comprises means for receiving pre-certified data from one or more of the multiple, unrelated data sources and supply chain.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the data schema is an Xschema, and wherein the means for mapping comprises:

an Xquery designer that maps XML-formatted data to the Xschema; and

an XML designer that maps non-XML-formatted data to the Xschema.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the views generating means comprise:

means for displaying a result of an unstructured search of the multiple, unrelated data sources;

means for displaying an unstructured order commit query of the multiple, unrelated data sources; and

means for displaying a role-based structured order commit query of the multiple, unrelated data sources.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the role-based structured order commit query is based on one or more defined roles in an order commit network, the one or more defined roles including warehouse manager, postponed manufacturing facility manager managing inbound material and on hand material, customer service clerk, master material planner validating plans executing as planned, logistics and transportation manager, chief financial officer managing inventory and risk, and procurement purchasing manager.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the Xschema is stored locally on a user device, wherein queries are initiated from the user device, further comprising means for asynchronous distribution and replication of changes and additions to the Xschema.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the means for storing the data relationships comprises means for caching unreliable data sources based on user preferences.

12. The system of claim 5, further comprising means for providing multiple-company, multiple project security.

13. The system of claim 5, wherein the means for displaying the decision support results comprises a web service application.

14. The system of claim 5 wherein the pre-existing data schema remains unchanged if the data from the multiple data sources changes.

15. A supply chain order commitment method, executable on a computer, comprising:

relating data from multiple, unrelated data sources to a pre-existing data schema, utilizing the computer, wherein the multiple unrelated data sources are external to and remotely located to a supply chain entity and are remotely located from the computer, wherein the relating data includes;

automatically mapping the data from the multiple unrelated data sources and supply chain services to the data schema, wherein the mapping includes converting data from the data sources from a non-data schema format into a data schema format;

forming a query to retrieve data from the multiple unrelated data sources based on the data mapping;

generating views of data from the multiple unrelated data sources, wherein the viewed data is synchronized with the data on the multiple unrelated data sources, so that the viewed data is automatically updated to reflect changes to the data on the multiple data sources;

storing the data relationships as persistent data transfer links that cause the viewed data to be synchronized with and automatically updated to reflect changes to the data on the multiple data sources without persistently storing a duplicate copy of the data from the data sources;

displaying the generated data views.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein relating data comprises receiving pie-certified data from one or more of the multiple, unrelated data sources and supply chain.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the data schema is an Xschema, and wherein the mapping comprises:

using an Xquery designer to map XML-formatted data to the Xschema; and

using an XML designer to map non-XML-formatted data to the Xschema.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein generating views of data comprises:

displaying a result of an unstructured search of the multiple, unrelated data sources;

displaying an unstructured order commit query of the multiple, unrelated data sources; and

displaying a role-based structured order commit query of the multiple, unrelated data sources.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

storing the Xschema locally on a user device;

initiating Xqueries from the user device; and

asynchronously distributing and replicating changes and additions to the Xschema.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein storing the data relationships comprises caching unreliable data sources based on user preferences.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing multiple-company, multiple project security.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein displaying the generated data views comprises displaying the results using a web service application.

23. The method of claim 15 wherein the pre-existing data schema remains unchanged if the data from the multiple data sources changes.