Manufacturing resource planning using a component management system

• US 8,239,054 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2009
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Kienzle, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sivanesan, Sivalingam
• Application Number:
  US12/533,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20110029120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 700/107, 700/97, 705/28, 705/29
• US Class Current: 700/107
• 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

Order information is received for an order executable using a computer system to assemble a product from a plurality of components at a manufacturing location. A real-time record associated with the manufacturing location and being kept updated substantially in real time with order changes is updated with the order information, the real-time record associating the order with the plurality of components. For each of the plurality of components, it is determined whether a component change due to the order information meets a component-specific change criterion associated with the component. A static record is updated with the component change for any of the plurality of components required for the order where the component-specific change criterion is met. After the static record is updated, a management process configured to manage supply of at least one of the plurality of components according to the static record is initiated for the manufacturing location.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for component management based on production planning, the method comprising:

receiving, in a computer system, order information for a first order to be executed using the computer system to assemble a first product from a plurality of components at a manufacturing location;

updating a real-time record with the order information, the real-time record associated with the manufacturing location and being kept updated substantially in real time with order changes, the real-time record associating the first order with the plurality of components;

determining, for each of the plurality of components, whether a required quantity of the component in the real-time record has changed, due to the updating of the real-time record with the order information, by at least a component-specific threshold amount associated with the component;

based on the determining, updating a static record with required quantities from the real-time record for at least a portion of the plurality of components that are used to assemble the first product of the first order, wherein the static record is updated when the required quantities for the at least a portion of the plurality of components have changed in the real-time record by at least corresponding component-specific threshold amounts; and

initiating, after the static record is updated, a management process regarding the plurality of components for the manufacturing location, the management process configured to manage supply of at least one of the plurality of components according to the static record.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising creating the static record by copying the real-time record at a selected time.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising creating a new static record at a later time than the selected time, the new static record replacing the static record in managing the supply of the plurality of components, the static record created by copying a current version of the real-time record at the later time.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the order information comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

the first order is being modified, the first order is being added to planned production, and the first order is being removed from the planned production.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of components are assigned to a group, and wherein a component-specific threshold amount is commonly assigned based on the group.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the group is created based on component type.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the group is created based on vendor.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determining is performed based on each occasion when the real-time record is updated.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the real-time record includes a binary matrix where, for each order, binary indicators specify whether the plurality of components are included in the order.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the real-time record includes a flat file specifying whether the plurality of components are included in the order.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising determining, before the determination regarding the component-specific threshold amount, whether any of the plurality of components is associated with a real-time flag indicating that the static record is updated regarding the component without regard to the component-specific threshold amount.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a component-specific threshold amount for a particular component from the plurality of components is based on a lot size of the particular component.

13. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium and comprising instructions that when executed by a processor perform a method for component management based on production planning, the method comprising:

receiving, in a computer system, order information for a first order to be executed using the computer system to assemble a first product from a plurality of components at a manufacturing location;

updating a real-time record with the order information, the real-time record associated with the manufacturing location and being kept updated substantially in real time with order changes, the real-time record associating the first order with the plurality of components;

determining, for each of the plurality of components, whether a required quantity of the component in the real-time record has changed, due to the updating of the real-time record with the order information, by at least a component-specific threshold amount associated with the component;

based on the determining, updating a static record with required quantities from the real-time record for at least a portion of the plurality of components that are used to assemble the first product of the first order, wherein the static record is updated when the required quantities for the at least a portion of the plurality of components have changed in the real-time record by at least corresponding component-specific threshold amounts; and

initiating, after the static record is updated, a management process regarding the plurality of components for the manufacturing location, the management process configured to manage supply of at least one of the plurality of components according to the static record.

14. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium and comprising instructions that when executed by a processor perform a method for component management based on production planning, the method comprising:

receiving, in a computer system, information that corresponds to at least a first order to be executed using the computer system, the first order corresponding to assembling a first product at a manufacturing location;

updating a real-time record with the information, the real-time record including multiple entries corresponding, respectively, to multiple orders planned for the manufacturing location and being kept updated substantially in real time with order changes, each of the entries associating one of the multiple orders with a corresponding plurality of components to be assembled per the order;

determining, for each of the plurality of components required for the first order, whether a required quantity of the component change in the real-time record has changed, due to the updating of the real-time record with the information, by at least a component-specific threshold amount associated with the component;

based on the determining, updating a static record with required quantities from the real-time record for at least a portion of the plurality of components that are used to assemble the first product of the first order, wherein the static record is updated when the required quantities for the at least a portion of the plurality of components have changed in the real-time record by at least corresponding component-specific threshold amounts; and

initiating, after the static record is updated, a purchasing process for the plurality of components for the manufacturing location, the purchasing process configured to control, according to the static record, purchasing of at least one of the plurality of components for use at the manufacturing location.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the order information comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

the first order is being modified, the first order is being added to planned production, and the first order is being removed from the planned production.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein at least some of the plurality of components are assigned to a group, and wherein a component-specific threshold amount is commonly assigned based on the group.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the group is created based on component type.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the group is created based on vendor.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the determining is performed based on each occasion when the real-time record is updated.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising determining, before the determination regarding the component-specific threshold amount, whether any of the plurality of components is associated with a real-time flag indicating that the static record is updated regarding the component without regard to the component-specific threshold amount.