Min/max inventory control system and associated method and computer program product
First Claim
1. A method for managing an inventory of at least one product of a supplier that is provided to at least one customer, wherein the at least one customer is capable of receiving and shipping out the at least one product, said method comprising a plurality of steps one or more of which are performed by at least one processing unit configured to perform the respective one or more steps, said plurality of steps comprising:
- creating an open purchase order comprising an acceptable inventory range bounded by a lower limit and an upper limit for each product that the supplier provides to the at least one customer;
storing a supply amount of the at least one product in a storage unit that is remote from the supplier and proximate to the customer;
maintaining, using the at least one processing unit, a product inventory count for each product representative of the amount of the product that is maintained in inventory by the at least one customer, said maintaining comprising;
decreasing the product inventory count as the at least one customer ships out the respective product; and
increasing the product inventory count as the at least one customer receives additional amounts of the respective product, wherein the at least one customer receives the additional amounts from the supply amount stored in the storage unit; and
monitoring, using the at least one processing unit, the product inventory count at a supplier location such that the supplier is capable of detecting when product inventory counts approach the respective lower limits, wherein the product inventory count approaches the respective lower limit when the product inventory count falls below a notification level greater than the lower limit and between the lower limit and the upper limit, and wherein the supplier location is remote from the customer location.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for providing products to a customer operates with an open purchase order having an acceptable inventory range bounded by a lower and an upper limit for each product supplied to the customer. The system includes a storage unit, a first processing unit that maintains a product inventory count, and a second processing unit that monitors the product inventory count. A system for transferring electronic files includes a first processing unit that stores and transfers the electronic file, generates a pointer associated with the transferred electronic file, generates a reference electronic file and thereafter includes the pointer in the reference electronic file. A second processing unit then displays the reference electronic file. A system for generating composite electronic files includes a first processing unit having composite locations including component electronic files, and generating the composite electronic files when the respective composite location is accessed from a second processing unit.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for managing an inventory of at least one product of a supplier that is provided to at least one customer, wherein the at least one customer is capable of receiving and shipping out the at least one product, said method comprising a plurality of steps one or more of which are performed by at least one processing unit configured to perform the respective one or more steps, said plurality of steps comprising:
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creating an open purchase order comprising an acceptable inventory range bounded by a lower limit and an upper limit for each product that the supplier provides to the at least one customer; storing a supply amount of the at least one product in a storage unit that is remote from the supplier and proximate to the customer; maintaining, using the at least one processing unit, a product inventory count for each product representative of the amount of the product that is maintained in inventory by the at least one customer, said maintaining comprising; decreasing the product inventory count as the at least one customer ships out the respective product; and increasing the product inventory count as the at least one customer receives additional amounts of the respective product, wherein the at least one customer receives the additional amounts from the supply amount stored in the storage unit; and monitoring, using the at least one processing unit, the product inventory count at a supplier location such that the supplier is capable of detecting when product inventory counts approach the respective lower limits, wherein the product inventory count approaches the respective lower limit when the product inventory count falls below a notification level greater than the lower limit and between the lower limit and the upper limit, and wherein the supplier location is remote from the customer location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 19)
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10. A system for providing at least one product from a supplier to at least one remote customer, wherein the customer is capable of receiving and shipping out the at least one product, wherein the supplier and the at least one customer have an open purchase order comprising an acceptable inventory range bounded by a lower and an upper limit for each product that the supplier provides to the at least one customer, said system comprising:
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a storage unit disposed remote from the supplier and proximate to the at least one customer, wherein a supply amount of the at least one product is stored in said storage unit, wherein the supplier provides the at least one product to the customer from the supply amount stored in the storage unit; a first processing unit disposed proximate the at least one customer for maintaining a product inventory count for each product representative of the amount of the product that is maintained in inventory by the respective customer, wherein the product inventory count is decreased as the customer ships out each product, and wherein the product inventory count is increased as the customer receives additional amounts of each product; and a second processing unit disposed proximate the supplier, wherein at least one of the supplier and said second processing unit is capable of monitoring the product inventory count such that at least one of the supplier and said second processing unit is capable of detecting product inventory counts that approach the respective lower limit, wherein the product inventory count approaches the respective lower limit when the product inventory count falls below a notification level greater than the lower limit and between the lower limit and the upper limit. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20)
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Specification