Lot/serial engine for a warehouse management system

• US 7,725,426 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Juneja, Manju, Chorley, Jon S., Ngai, Raymond, Rana, Mani
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Yicun
• Application Number:
  US10/327,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20090048947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,713 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 455/422.1, 235/385
• US Class Current: 707/600
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A novel method for configuring an item specific user-definable lot or serial attribute. The method also provides for grouping one or more attributes into an time specific context. The method also provides for capturing, maintaining and querying attribute data values according to the item specific context.

Claims

1. In a warehouse management system, a method comprising:

receiving a specification of an item from a user of the warehouse management system;

receiving control data from the user, the control data indicating whether the specified item is lot controlled, serial controlled, or both lot and serial controlled;

receiving a specification of one or more attributes of the item from the user;

receiving a specification of a context defined by the one or more attributes specified for the item, the context representing a subset of attributes defined in the warehouse management system that are specific to the item;

storing, in a computer-readable storage medium, a database record linking the context to the specified item;

receiving a selection of a flex field from the user, the flex field being capable of storing attribute data values;

receiving a selection of a user definable attribute of the item;

receiving a specification of a descriptive flex field name from the user;

storing, in a computer-readable storage medium, a database record linking the descriptive flex field name to the flex field;

storing the descriptive flex field name and the user definable attribute in a flex field table, the flex field table providing a mapping of the descriptive flex field name to an internal flex field name in a lot table, a serial table, or both;

storing, in a computer-readable storage medium, a database record assigning the context to the item; and

displaying a record of the item indicating that the item is assigned to the specified context, the context including the user definable attribute.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more attributes is a pre-defined attribute.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more attributes is a user-defined attribute.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more attributes is a lot attribute.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more attributes is a serial attribute.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the flex field is configurable by the user, and the flex field is specific to the item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the flex field is configurable by the user, and the flex field is specific to a category of the item.

8. A computer-readable storage medium storing a plurality of instruction which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a specification of an item from a user of the warehouse management system;

receiving control data from the user, the control data indicating whether the specified item is lot controlled, serial controlled, or both lot and serial controlled;

receiving a specification of one or more attributes of the item from the user;

receiving a specification of a context defined by the one or more attributes specified for the item, the context representing a subset of attributes defined in the warehouse management system that are specific to the item;

storing, in a computer-readable storage medium, a database record linking the context to the specified item;

receiving a selection of a flex field from the user, the flex field being capable of storing attribute data values;

receiving a selection of a user definable attribute of the item;

receiving a specification of a descriptive flex field name from the user;

storing, in a computer-readable storage medium, a database record linking the descriptive flex field name to the flex field;

storing the descriptive flex field name and the user definable attribute in a flex field table, the flex field table providing a mapping of the descriptive flex field name to an internal flex field name in a lot table, a serial table, or both;

storing, in a computer-readable storage medium, a database record assigning the context to the item; and

displaying a record of the item indicating that the item is assigned to the specified context, the context including the user definable attribute.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the flex field is configurable by the user, and the flex field is specific to the item.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the flex field is configurable by the user, and the flex field is specific to a category of the item.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein at least one of the one or more attributes is a pre-defined attribute.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein at least one of the one or more attributes is a user-defined attribute.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein at least one of the one or more attributes is a lot attribute.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein at least one of the one or more attributes is a serial attribute.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a memory;

a computer-readable storage medium in communication with the memory; and

a processor in communication with the memory and the storage medium, the processor configured to perform a method comprising;

receiving a specification of an item from a user of the warehouse management system;

receiving control data from the user, the control data indicating whether the specified item is lot controlled, serial controlled, or both lot and serial controlled;

receiving a specification of one or more attributes of the item from the user;

receiving a specification of a context defined by the one or more attributes specified for the item, the context representing a subset of attributes defined in the warehouse management system that are specific to the item;

storing, in a computer-readable storage medium, a database record linking the context to the specified item;

receiving a selection of a flex field from the user, the flex field being capable of storing attribute data values;

receiving a selection of a user definable attribute of the item;

receiving a specification of a descriptive flex field name from the user;

storing, in a computer-readable storage medium, a database record linking the descriptive flex field name to the flex field;

storing the descriptive flex field name and the user definable attribute in a flex field table, the flex field table providing a mapping of the descriptive flex field name to an internal flex field name in a lot table, a serial table, or both;

storing, in a computer-readable storage medium, a database record assigning the context to the item; and

displaying a record of the item indicating that the item is assigned to the specified context, the context including the user definable attribute.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to perform the method based on a plurality of instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the flex field is a field capable of storing attribute data values, the field is configurable by the user, and the field is specific to the item.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the flex field is a field capable of storing attribute data values, the field is configurable by the user, and the field is specific to a category of the item.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein at least one of the one or more attributes is a pre-defined attribute.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein at least one of the one or more attributes is a user-defined attribute.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein at least one of the one or more attributes is a lot attribute.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein at least one of the one or more attributes is a serial attribute.