Generating a supply chain plan
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of generating a supply chain plan and using the supply chain plan to generate an order plan, comprising:
- accessing, by a server, data in a database describing a supply chain network comprising a plurality of buffers, each buffer configured to store a plurality of items and associated with a corresponding time variable, the supply chain network constrained by one or more constraints selected from the group consisting of a lead time constraint, a lot size constraint and a capacity constraint;
generating, by the server, a linear programming problem for the supply chain network;
approximating, by the server, the linear programming problem by discretizing the corresponding time variables of the buffers to yield a plurality of discretized corresponding time variables and by relaxing the one or more constraints to yield a relaxed constraint;
calculating, by the server, an optimized supply chain plan for the approximated linear programming problem, the optimized supply chain plan describing a quantity of items at each buffer for at least one time value of the corresponding time variable and including a list of producers configured to supply the items to each buffer; and
adjusting, by the server, the optimized supply chain plan to satisfy the one or more constraints, wherein adjusting the optimized supply chain plan comprises;
repeating the following until a last upstream buffer is reached;
selecting a buffer;
sorting the list of producers in order of preference according to the optimized supply chain plan and the amount of items across a time horizon that each producer may be able to supply;
selecting a producer from the list;
determining whether the producer selected is capable of producing all, some, or none of the quantity of items at the buffer;
adjusting one of (a) the quantity of items at the selected buffer, and (b) at least one time value of the corresponding time variable of the selected buffer, to satisfy the one or more constraints; and
proceeding to a next upstream buffer; and
repeating the following until a last downstream buffer is reached;
selecting a buffer;
determining whether there is a remaining quantity of items to be produced;
deciding whether to delay delivery or delay planning to the next buffer based on the determining whether there is a remaining quantity of items to be produced and delaying planning of the remaining quantity until a next buffer or delay delivery in accordance with the decision;
determining whether there is a next downstream buffer;
planning production to either (a) supply the items to the selected buffer at the adjusted time value, or (b) supply the adjusted quantity of items to the selected buffer; and
proceeding to a next downstream buffer; and
generating, by the server, an order plan by planning production to supply the quantity of items to each buffer according to the list of producers associated with the buffer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Generating a supply chain plan includes accessing data describing a supply chain network having buffers. Each buffer is operable to store items and is associated with a corresponding time variable. The supply chain network is constrained by a constraint. A linear programming problem is generated for the supply chain network. The linear programming problem is approximated by discretizing the time variables of the buffers to yield discretized time variables and by relaxing the constraint to yield a relaxed constraint. An optimized supply chain plan is calculated for the approximated linear programming problem. The optimized supply chain plan describes a quantity of items at each buffer for at least one time value of the corresponding time variable. The optimized supply chain plan is adjusted to satisfy the constraint.
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Citations
54 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of generating a supply chain plan and using the supply chain plan to generate an order plan, comprising:
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accessing, by a server, data in a database describing a supply chain network comprising a plurality of buffers, each buffer configured to store a plurality of items and associated with a corresponding time variable, the supply chain network constrained by one or more constraints selected from the group consisting of a lead time constraint, a lot size constraint and a capacity constraint; generating, by the server, a linear programming problem for the supply chain network; approximating, by the server, the linear programming problem by discretizing the corresponding time variables of the buffers to yield a plurality of discretized corresponding time variables and by relaxing the one or more constraints to yield a relaxed constraint; calculating, by the server, an optimized supply chain plan for the approximated linear programming problem, the optimized supply chain plan describing a quantity of items at each buffer for at least one time value of the corresponding time variable and including a list of producers configured to supply the items to each buffer; and adjusting, by the server, the optimized supply chain plan to satisfy the one or more constraints, wherein adjusting the optimized supply chain plan comprises; repeating the following until a last upstream buffer is reached; selecting a buffer; sorting the list of producers in order of preference according to the optimized supply chain plan and the amount of items across a time horizon that each producer may be able to supply; selecting a producer from the list; determining whether the producer selected is capable of producing all, some, or none of the quantity of items at the buffer; adjusting one of (a) the quantity of items at the selected buffer, and (b) at least one time value of the corresponding time variable of the selected buffer, to satisfy the one or more constraints; and proceeding to a next upstream buffer; and repeating the following until a last downstream buffer is reached; selecting a buffer; determining whether there is a remaining quantity of items to be produced; deciding whether to delay delivery or delay planning to the next buffer based on the determining whether there is a remaining quantity of items to be produced and delaying planning of the remaining quantity until a next buffer or delay delivery in accordance with the decision; determining whether there is a next downstream buffer; planning production to either (a) supply the items to the selected buffer at the adjusted time value, or (b) supply the adjusted quantity of items to the selected buffer; and proceeding to a next downstream buffer; and generating, by the server, an order plan by planning production to supply the quantity of items to each buffer according to the list of producers associated with the buffer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system of generating a supply chain plan and using the supply chain plan to generate an order plan, comprising:
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a database configured to store data describing a supply chain network comprising a plurality of buffers, each buffer configured to store a plurality of items and associated with a corresponding time variable, the supply chain network constrained by a one or more constraints selected from the group consisting of a lead time constraint, a lot size constraint and a capacity constraint; a linear programming optimizer coupled with the database and configured to; generate a linear programming problem for the supply chain network; approximate the linear programming problem by discretizing the corresponding time variables of the buffers to yield a plurality of discretized corresponding time variables and by relaxing the one or more constraints to yield a relaxed constraint; and calculate an optimized supply chain plan for the approximated linear programming problem, the optimized supply chain plan describing a quantity of items at each buffer for at least one time value of the corresponding time variable and including a list of producers configured to supply the items to each buffer; and a heuristic solver coupled with the database and configured to adjust the optimized supply chain plan to satisfy the one or more constraints, wherein the heuristic solver is configured to adjust the optimized supply chain plan by; repeating the following until a last upstream buffer is reached; selecting a buffer; sorting the list of producers in order of preference according to the optimized supply chain plan and the amount of items across a time horizon that each producer may be able to supply; selecting a producer from the list; determining whether the producer selected is capable of producing all, some, or none of the quantity of items at the buffer; adjusting one of (a) the quantity of items at the selected buffer, and (b) at least one time value of the corresponding time variable of the selected buffer to satisfy the one or more constraints; and proceeding to a next upstream buffer; and repeating the following until a last downstream buffer is reached; selecting a buffer; determining whether there is a remaining quantity of items to be produced; deciding whether to delay delivery or delay planning to the next buffer based on the determining whether there is a remaining quantity of items to be produced and delaying planning of the remaining quantity until a next buffer or delay delivery in accordance with the decision; determining whether there is a next downstream buffer; planning production to either (a) supply the items to the selected buffer at the adjusted time value, or (b) supply the adjusted quantity of items to the selected buffer; and proceeding to a next downstream buffer; and an order planner coupled with the database and configured to generate an order plan by planning production to supply the quantity of items to each buffer according to the list of producers associated with the buffer. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. Logic for generating a supply chain plan and using the supply chain plan to generate an order plan, the logic encoded in a computer-readable medium and when executed by a computer configured to:
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access data describing a supply chain network comprising a plurality of buffers, each buffer configured to store a plurality of items and associated with a corresponding time variable, the supply chain network constrained by a one or more constraints selected from the group consisting of a lead time constraint, a lot size constraint, and a capacity constraint; generate a linear programming problem for the supply chain network; approximate the linear programming problem by discretizing the corresponding time variables of the buffers to yield a plurality of discretized corresponding time variables and by relaxing the one or more constraints to yield a relaxed constraint; calculate an optimized supply chain plan for the approximated linear programming problem, the optimized supply chain plan describing a quantity of items at each buffer for at least one time value of the corresponding time variable and including a list of producers configured to supply the items to each buffer; and adjust the optimized supply chain plan to satisfy the one or more constraints, the logic configured to adjust the optimized supply chain plan by; repeating the following until a last upstream buffer is reached; selecting a buffer; sorting the list of producers in order of preference according to the optimized supply chain plan and the amount of items across a time horizon that each producer may be able to supply; selecting a producer from the list; determining whether the producer selected is capable of producing all, some, or none of the quantity of items at the buffer; adjusting one of (a) the quantity of items at the selected buffer, and (b) at least one time value of the corresponding time variable of the selected buffer, to satisfy the constraint; and proceeding to a next upstream buffer; and repeating the following until a last downstream buffer is reached; selecting a buffer; determining whether there is a remaining quantity of items to be produced; deciding whether to delay delivery or delay planning to the next buffer based on the determining whether there is a remaining quantity of items to be produced and delaying planning of the remaining quantity until a next buffer or delay delivery in accordance with the decision; determining whether there is a next downstream buffer; planning production to either (a) supply the items to the selected buffer at the adjusted time value, or (b) supply the adjusted quantity of items to the selected buffer; and proceeding to a next downstream buffer; and generate an order plan by planning production to supply the quantity of items to each buffer according to the list of producers associated with the buffer. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A system for generating a supply chain plan and using the supply chain plan to generate an order plan, comprising:
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means for accessing data describing a supply chain network comprising a plurality of buffers, each buffer configured to store a plurality of items and associated with a corresponding time variable, the supply chain network constrained by a one or more constraints selected from the group consisting of a lead time constraint, a lot size constraint, and a capacity constraint; means for generating a linear programming problem for the supply chain network; means for approximating the linear programming problem by discretizing the corresponding time variables of the buffers to yield a plurality of discretized corresponding time variables and by relaxing the one or more constraints to yield a relaxed constraint; means for calculating an optimized supply chain plan for the approximated linear programming problem, the optimized supply chain plan describing a quantity of items at each buffer for at least one time value of the corresponding time variable and including a list of producers configured to supply the items to each buffer; and means for adjusting the optimized supply chain plan to satisfy the one or more constraints, wherein adjusting the optimized supply chain plan comprises; repeating the following until a last upstream buffer is reached; selecting a buffer; sorting the list of producers in order of preference according to the optimized supply chain plan and the amount of items across a time horizon that each producer may be able to supply; selecting a producer from the list; determining whether the producer selected is capable of producing all, some, or none of the quantity of items at the buffer; adjusting one of (a) the quantity of items at the selected buffer, and (b) at least one time value of the corresponding time variable of the selected buffer, to satisfy the constraint; and proceeding to a next upstream buffer; and repeating the following until a last downstream buffer is reached; selecting a buffer; determining whether there is a remaining quantity of items to be produced; deciding whether to delay delivery or delay planning to the next buffer based on the determining whether there is a remaining quantity of items to be produced and delaying planning of the remaining quantity until a next buffer or delay delivery in accordance with the decision; determining whether there is a next downstream buffer; planning production to either (a) supply the items to the selected buffer at the adjusted time value, or (b) supply the adjusted quantity of items to the selected buffer; and proceeding to a next downstream buffer; and means for generating an order plan by planning production to supply the quantity of items to each buffer according to the list of producers associated with the buffer.
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53. A computer-implemented method of generating a supply chain plan and using the supply chain plan to generate an order plan, comprising:
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accessing, by a server, data in a database describing a supply chain network comprising a plurality of buffers, each buffer configured to store a plurality of items and associated with a corresponding time variable, the supply chain network constrained by a plurality of one or more constraints selected from the group consisting of a lead time constraint, a lot size constraint, and a capacity constraint; generating, by the server, a linear programming problem for the supply chain network; approximating, by the server, the linear programming problem by discretizing the corresponding time variables of the buffers to yield a plurality of discretized corresponding time variables and by relaxing the one or more constraints to yield a plurality of relaxed constraints; calculating, by the server, an optimized supply chain plan for the approximated linear programming problem, the optimized supply chain plan describing a quantity of items at each buffer for at least one time value of the corresponding time variable and including a list of producers configured to supply the items to each buffer; generating, by the server, an order plan by planning production to supply the quantity of items to each buffer according to the list of producers associated with the buffer; and adjusting, by the server, the optimized supply chain plan to satisfy the one or more constraints, by repeating the following until a last upstream buffer is reached; selecting a buffer, adjusting at least one time value of the corresponding time variable of the selected buffer to satisfy the lead time constraint, adjusting the quantity of items at the selected buffer to satisfy the lot size constraint, and proceeding to a next upstream buffer; and repeating the following until a last downstream buffer is reached; selecting a buffer, planning production to supply the adjusted quantity of items to the selected buffer at the adjusted time value, and proceeding to a next downstream buffer. - View Dependent Claims (54)
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Specification