Managing a material batch

• US 8,090,631 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2004
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Eigemann, Sven-Eric, Elfner, Stefan, Wettengl, Juergen
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amsdell, Dana
• Application Number:
  US10/895,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20050261992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,723 Days
• Field of Search: 705/16, 705/28, 705/29, 235/375, 235/383, 340/572
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials

Abstract

Inventory may be managed by affixing to material batches respective documentary batch numbers that are associated with the material batches in a computer system. The material batches may be placed as inventory in a warehouse. The documentary batch number of any of the material batches that is removed from the warehouse may be registered, wherein the documentary batch numbers are not used in managing the inventory. A material batch may be managed by affixing to the material batch a documentary batch number that is associated with the material batch in a computer system. Upon a predetermined action being taken with regard to the material batch, the documentary batch number may be received in the computer system. The documentary batch number may be read from the material batch, wherein any action taken with regard to the material batch before receiving the documentary batch number upon the predetermined action is not tracked.

Claims

1. A method of managing a material batch, the method comprising:

physically affixing to a material batch a documentary batch number that is associated with the material batch in a computer system, the documentary batch number allowing a tracing of at least one ingredient in the material batch;

placing the material batch with the affixed documentary batch number in inventory; and

in response to the material batch being removed from the inventory for delivery, reading the documentary batch number from the material batch for receipt in the computer system,

wherein management of the material batch in the inventory taken before reading the documentary batch number is not tracked by the computer system, so that the material batch is indistinguishable in the computer system from other material batches in the inventory before the documentary batch number is read, and so that the material batch is distinguished from the other material batches after the documentary batch number is read,

wherein the computer system records only information that affects material composition of the material batch in association with the documentary batch number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein non-tracked actions include movement of the material batch in a warehouse.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer system proposes the documentary batch number and generates a label bearing the documentary batch number that is affixed to the material batch.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a label bearing the documentary batch number is affixed to the material batch, and wherein the documentary batch number is read from the label into the computer system to associate the documentary batch number with the material batch.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the label is obtained from a group of labels bearing pre-generated documentary batch numbers.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a tracing using the documentary batch number.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the tracing includes determining at least one material from which the material batch is manufactured.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the tracing includes determining at least one material that is manufactured from the material batch.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the material batch includes at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a product, a material, a mixture, and combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein several material batches are associated with the documentary batch number.

11. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage device, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

associate in a computer system a documentary batch number with a material batch, the documentary batch number being affixed to the material batch, the documentary batch number allowing a tracing of at least one ingredient in the material batch;

the material batch being placed with the affixed documentary batch number in inventory; and

in response to the material batch being removed from the inventory for delivery, reading the documentary batch number from the material batch for receipt in the computer system,

wherein management of the material batch in the inventory taken before reading the documentary batch number is not tracked by the computer system, so that the material batch is indistinguishable in the computer system from other material batches in the inventory before the documentary batch number is read, and so that the material batch is distinguished from the other material batches after the documentary batch number is read,

wherein the computer system records only information that affects material composition of the material batch in association with the documentary batch number.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein several material batches are associated with the documentary batch number.

13. A system comprising:

a programmable processor; and

a computer-readable storage device coupled to the processor and having instructions stored therein that, when executed, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

associate in a computer system a documentary batch number with a material batch, the documentary batch number being affixed to the material batch, the documentary batch number allowing a tracing of at least one ingredient in the material batch;

the material batch being placed with the affixed documentary batch number in inventory; and

in response to the material batch being removed from the inventory for delivery, reading the documentary batch number from the material batch for receipt in the computer system,

wherein management of the material batch in the inventory taken before reading the documentary batch number is not tracked by the computer system, so that the material batch is indistinguishable in the computer system from other material batches in the inventory before the documentary batch number is read, and so that the material batch is distinguished from the other material batches after the documentary batch number is read,

wherein the computer system records only information that affects material composition of the material batch in association with the documentary batch number.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein several material batches are associated with the documentary batch number.