Method and apparatus for providing intelligent and controlled access to supply chain information

• US 7,739,121 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2002
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: One Network Enterprises, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: One Network Enterprises, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Jain, Vineet Kumar, Jassal, Amrit
• Primary Examiner(s): Ouellette; Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US10/060,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20030144858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,059 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/1.1
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials

Abstract

A system and method for retaining and controlling supply chain information in the form of objects and associated metadata in a database to provide intelligent and controlled access to such objects is provided. The objects may be accessed by multiple users according to predetermined rules, and may be integrated into an application by using metadata that defines such access. A system may include a server configured to monitor and to provide intelligent access to supply chain information. The system may also include a repository for storing data and algorithms related to the retention and analysis of supply chain information, which may be explicitly developed by a user, or implicitly produced by dynamically monitoring and collecting information from an associated application. The system may also include an analysis engine configured to analyze supply chain information that is monitored and collected in the repository. A recommendation module may also be included for providing recommendations for activity related to a business supply chain.

Claims

1. A system for managing supply chain information generated by a business software application, comprising:

a) a repository configured to store application instance type information in the form of objects and associated metadata that corresponds to instances associated with the business software applications, said application instance type information including alert type code configured to produce an alert instance defined by application alert parameters;

b) a central processing unit (CPU) configured to control access to the repository by multiple users; and

c) supply chain management code stored in memory and configured to allow access to type codes contained in the repository when executed by the CPU, the supply chain management code including;

i) Software configured to instantiate objects in applications in a type-object platform where instances are decoupled from their associated classes, so that the associated classes can be implemented as instances of a class and allowing instances to be divided into two primary classes, one class in which the instances represent the actual instances of an application, and another class that represents the type of application instance, the instances being generated at run time, without recompilation, to dynamically monitor and analyze information related to a supply chain, said software further including rulebase type code configured to monitor the execution of supply chain plans according to original user entered parameters and to provide recommendations for making changes to such supply chain plans during a process of executing such supply chain plans thereby establishing altered supply chain plans according to predetermined functions that are monitored and executed in place of said supply chain plans, the rulebase type code being configured to produce an application specific rulebase instance defined by application related rules and parameters, such that the rulebase code is configured to cause application related functions to be performed according to rulebase rules and parameters when executed;

ii) an analysis server configured to analyze supply chain information originating in and collected from the business software application,

iii) an infrastructure server configured to provide application instances to the business software application, and

iv) an event server configured to perform predetermined functions generated at run time in response to events related to the business software application, said event server further configured such that an alert code causes alert functions to be performed according to events related to the application alert parameters.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the rulebase code is configured to monitor the execution of supply chain plans to identify deviations from the supply chain plans and to aid in correcting the deviations through corrective feedback during the process of executing.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the rulebase code is further configured to provide corrective feedback regarding shortages occurring in the supply chain during the process of executing.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein the rulebase code is further configured to provide corrective feedback regarding excess supply occurring in the supply chain during the process of executing.

5. A system according to claim 2, wherein the rulebase code is further configured to provide corrective feedback regarding supply chain deviancies occurring in the supply chain during the process of executing.

6. A system according to claim 2, wherein the rulebase code is further configured to provide corrective feedback regarding supply chain deviancies occurring in the supply chain during the process of executing to create a closed loop process.

7. A device to access and integrate chain information from a plurality of disparate business software applications, comprising:

a) a repository configured to store application instance type information in the form of objects and associated metadata that corresponds to instances associated with the business software applications, said application instance type information including alert type code configured to produce an alert instance defined by application alert parameters;

b) a central processing unite (CPU) configured to control access to the repository by multiple users; and

c) supply chain management code stored in memory and configured to allow access to type codes contained in the repository when executed by the CPU, the supply chain management code including;

i) software configured to instantiate objects in applications in a type-object platform where instances are decoupled from their associated classes, so that the associated classes can be implemented as instances of a class and allowing instances to be divided into two primary classes, one class in which the instances represent the actual instances of an application, and another class that represents the type of application instance, the instances being generated at run time, without recompilation, to dynamically monitor and analyze information related to a supply chain, said software further including rulebase type code configured to monitor the execution of supply chain plans and to provide corrective feedback during a process of executing such supply chain plans, said corrective feedback being utilized to create altered supply chain plans according to predetermined functions that are monitored and executed in place of said supply chain commands, the rulebase type code further configured to produce an application specific rulebase instance defined by application related rules and parameters, such that the rulebase code is configured to cause application related functions to be performed according to rulebase rules and parameters when executed;

ii) an analysis server configured to analyze supply chain information originating in and collected from the business software application,

iii) an infrastructure server configured to provide application instances to the business software application, and

iv) an event server configured to perform predetermined functions generated at run time in response to events related to the business software application, said event server further configured such that an alert code causes alert functions to be performed according to events related to the application alert parameters.

8. A method of providing access to supply chain information comprising:

receiving supply chain information originating from a plurality of multiple diverse business software applications;

instantiating objects in applications in a type-object platform where instances are decoupled from their associated classes, implementing associated classes as instances of a class and allowing instances to be divided into two primary classes, one class in which the instances represent the actual instances of an application, and another class representing the type of application instance, the instances being generated at run time, without recompilation, and dynamically monitoring and analyzing the information related to a supply chain,

producing an application specific rulebase instance defined by application related rules and parameters, and performing application related functions to be performed according to rulebase rules and parameters;

providing application instances to the business software application, and

performing predetermined functions generated at run time in response to events related to the business software application, including

a) analyzing the supply chain information originating from the business application by executing predetermined analysis algorithms stored in a repository, and

b) causing alert functions to be performed according to events related to the application alert parameters;

c) producing an application specific rulebase instance defined by application related rules and parameters, such that the rulebase code causes application related functions to be performed according to rulebase rules and parameters when executed;

the rulebase code being configured to monitor the execution of supply chain plans and to provide corrective feedback in the form of predetermined functions during the process of executing such supply chain plans, said corrective feedback being utilized to create modified supply chain plans that are monitored and executed in place of said supply chain commands; and

d) providing application instances to a business software application in execution of the supply chain management code, to provide indicators for observation and dissemination by a user in a type-object platform.