System and method for building loads from requisitions

• US 7,668,727 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Mitchell, Patrick J., Sandvig, Dean J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEVINE, ADAM L
• Application Number:
  US11/119,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20060287926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: 705/22, 705 26- 28, 705/1, 705 7- 9, 700/99
• US Class Current: 705/330
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders

Abstract

A system and method of optimizing loads to be delivered on a particular date to a particular destination in response to a plurality of requisitions for various items to be delivered from various vendors to various destinations. Requisitions are arranged chronologically and line items are moved forward for early delivery to build optimized truck/container loads.

Claims

1. A method of optimizing loads to be delivered on a particular date to a particular destination in response to a plurality of requisitions for various items to be delivered from various vendors to various destinations, said method comprising:

Determining a demand for one or more items that are needed at a particular destination during a time period;

Identifying requisitions of the one or more items to be delivered to the particular destination from a vendor on a particular date corresponding to the time period;

Consolidating, by a processor, the requisitions for the particular date to create one or more optimized loads and a partial load, said created loads being optimized for container capacity;

Determining a horizon date subsequent to the particular date;

Consolidating, by a processor, the partial load with at least one requisition for a date later than the particular date but not later than the horizon date to create an additional optimized load, thereby creating a delivery schedule of optimized loads for the particular date; and

Displaying the delivery schedule of optimized loads on a display device, wherein an operator either confirms or edits the delivery schedule based on the displayed delivery schedule of optimized loads.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said consolidating requisitions comprises consolidating item orders based on one or more of the following:

a minimum incremental order quantity for each item, a minimum total order quantity for each item, an optimum total order quantity for each item, and a maximum total order quantity.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein, in response to a change in one of the identified requisitions relating to the one or more items to be delivered at a particular destination at the particular date, said method further comprises repeating, for requisitions affected by the change to the one of the identified requisitions, said consolidating the requisitions for the particular date and said consolidating the partial load with at least one requisition later than the particular date but not later than the horizon date.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the optimized loads of the delivery schedule.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

identifying requisitions affected by the modifying of the optimized loads; and

optimizing loads for the identified requisitions affected by the modifying of the optimized loads.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the horizon date subsequent to the particular date comprises receiving a horizon date specified by an operator.

7. A method of optimizing loads to be delivered on a particular date to a particular destination from a plurality of requisitions for various items from various vendors for various destinations, said method comprising:

Determining a demand for one or more items that are needed at a particular destination during a time period;

Identifying requisitions of the one or more items to be delivered to the particular destination from a vendor on a particular date corresponding to the time period;

Consolidating, by a processor, the requisitions for the particular date to create one or more optimized loads and a partial load, said created loads being optimized for container capacity;

Determining a horizon date subsequent to the particular date;

Consolidating, by a processor, the partial load with at least one requisition subsequent to the particular date but not subsequent to the horizon date to create an additional optimized load, thereby creating a delivery schedule of optimized loads for the particular date; and

Displaying the delivery schedule of optimized loads on a display device, wherein an operator either confirms or edits the delivery schedule based on the displayed delivery schedule of optimized loads.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said consolidating requisitions comprises consolidating item orders based on one or more of the following:

a minimum incremental order quantity for each item, a minimum total order quantity for each item, an optimum total order quantity for each item, and a maximum total order quantity.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein displaying the delivery schedule of optimized loads on the display device comprises displaying the delivery schedule for review and modification by an individual.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein, in response to a change in a particular requisition relating to a particular item to be delivered at a particular destination at a particular date, said method further comprises repeating, for requisitions affected by the change to the particular requisition, said consolidating the requisitions for the particular date and said consolidating the partial load with at least one requisition subsequent to the particular date but not subsequent to the horizon date.

11. A method of consolidating a plurality of requisitions for various items from various vendors to be delivered to various destinations on or after a specified date to create one or more truckloads, each for delivery on the specified date or thereafter, said method comprising:

Identifying requisitions of items to be delivered on the specified date from a particular vendor to a particular destination;

Consolidating, by a processor, the requisitions to create one or more optimized loads and a partial load, said created loads being optimized for container capacity;

Determining a horizon date subsequent to the specified date;

Consolidating, by a processor, the partial load with at least part of one or more requisitions for delivery on a date subsequent to the specified date but not subsequent to the horizon date to create an additional optimized load;

Assigning the specified date as the delivery date for the additional optimized load, thereby creating a delivery schedule of optimized loads for the specified date; and

Displaying the delivery schedule of optimized loads on a display device, wherein an operator either confirms or edits the delivery schedule based on the displayed delivery schedule of optimized loads.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said consolidating requisitions comprises consolidating item orders based on one or more of the following:

a minimum incremental order quantity for each item, a minimum total order quantity for each item, an optimum total order quantity for each item, and a maximum total order quantity.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising modifying the delivery schedule and implementing the modified delivery schedule.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein, in response to a change in a particular requisition relating to a particular item to be delivered at a particular destination at a particular date, said method further comprises repeating, for requisitions affected by the change to the particular requisition, said consolidating the requisitions for the particular date and said consolidating the partial load with at least part of one or more requisitions for delivery on a date subsequent to the particular date but not subsequent to the horizon date.

15. A computer readable medium including instructions for consolidating a plurality of requisitions for various items from various vendors to be delivered to various destinations on or after a specified date to create one or more truckloads, each for delivery on the specified date or thereafter, said instructions comprising instructions for:

Identifying requisitions of items to be delivered on the specified date from a particular vendor to a particular destination;

Consolidating the requisitions to create one or more optimized loads and a partial load, said created loads being optimized for container capacity;

Determining a horizon date subsequent to the specified date;

Consolidating the partial load with at least part of one or more requisitions for delivery on a date subsequent to the specified date but not subsequent to the horizon date to create an additional optimized load;

Assigning the specified date as the delivery date for the additional optimized load, thereby creating a delivery schedule of optimized loads for the specified date; and

Displaying the delivery schedule of optimized loads on a display device.

16. The medium of claim 15 further including instructions for optimizing a layout of a load with respect to unloading and/or with respect to an anticipated deployment of the load at the particular destination.