Non-instrumented perishable product tracking in a supply chain

• US 8,463,651 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2011
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Connors, Daniel P., Ettl, Markus R., Helander, Mary E., Kapoor, Shubir, Siegel, Stuart A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gort, Elaine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ludwig, Peter L
• Application Number:
  US13/117,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20120303492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 705/22, 705/23, 705/24, 705/25
• US Class Current: 705/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking

Abstract

There are provided a system, a method and a computer program product for tracking an inventory distribution of a perishable product in a supply chain. The system receives shipment data and point of sale data for the product from every location in the supply chain. The system creates, based on the obtained shipment data and the point of sale data, a network graph that represents a flow of the product in the supply chain. The system identifies an age of unsold inventory of the product at each node of the graph based on the created graph. The system provides a notification to a user at each location that informs the age of the unsold inventory of the product at that location.

Claims

1. A method for tracking an inventory distribution of a perishable product in a supply chain, the method comprising:

receiving shipment data and point of sale data for the perishable product from multiple locations in the supply chain;

automatically creating, based on the obtained shipment data and point of sale data, a network graph that represents a flow of the perishable product in the supply chain, the network graph including;

a plurality of nodes interconnected by a plurality of arcs, each of the plurality of nodes in the network graph representing one of the multiple locations in the supply chain, at least one arc that connects one of the plurality of nodes to another node of the plurality of nodes where each arc represents a shipment of the perishable product, the at least one arc including;

     1) movement data of the perishable product including information associated with a movement of the perishable product throughout the supply chain and

     2) a quantity data value of the perishable product moved;

automatically identifying an age of unsold inventory of the perishable product at each node of the plurality of nodes of the network graph based on;

the at least one arc and the data included in the at least one arc, a manufacture date of the unsold inventory of the perishable product, and a date indicating when the perishable product entered into the supply chain;

comparing, at each node of the plurality of nodes, the identified age of the unsold inventory of the perishable product against a threshold value;

in response to the comparing step, automatically providing a notification to a user at each node of the plurality of nodes of the network graph, the provided notification including;

the identified age of the unsold inventory of the perishable product at the each node of the plurality of nodes, a recommended action to the user relating the perishable product at the each node of the plurality of nodes, and a percentage of the unsold inventory of the perishable product whose identified age is larger than the threshold at the each node of the plurality of nodes;

upon receiving the notification, modifying the movement of the perishable product among the plurality of nodes within the supply chain to decrease an amount of time that the perishable product is within the supply chain; and

upon receiving the notification, adjusting, by a manufacturer of the perishable product, a production schedule of the perishable product in accordance with the identified age of the unsold inventory of the perishable product at the each node of the plurality of nodes,

wherein a processor coupled to a memory device is configured to perform;

the steps of the receiving, the automatically creating, the automatically identifying, the comparing, the automatically providing, the modifying, and the adjusting.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the movement data includes one or more of:

a date of a shipment of the perishable product, a name of the perishable product, the manufacturer of the perishable product.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the point of sale data includes one or more of:

quantity of the perishable product shipped, a location that ships the perishable product, a location that receives the perishable product.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the age of the unsold inventory of the perishable product includes:

applying a mass balance technique at each node in the network graph and receiving information regarding an inventory rotation policy of each node in the network graph.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of applying the mass balance technique comprises:

determining that a quantity of the perishable product entered at a first node in the network graph is equal to an addition of quantity of the perishable product remained at the first node and quantity of the perishable product shipped from the first node.

6. The method according to claim 4, the inventory rotation policy includes one or more of:

FIFO (First-In-First-Out) and LIFO (Last-In-First-Out).

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network graph informs a manufacturer of the perishable product how an individual location of the supply chain maintains inventory of the perishable product and provides the age of the unsold inventory of the perishable product to each location of the supply chain.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the perishable product does not include RFID (Radio-frequency identification).

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recommended action is different to each location in the supply chain, and the different recommended action includes:

returning the unsold inventory of the perishable product to the manufacturer of the product, and conducting a sales promotion for the unsold inventory of the perishable product.

24. The method according to claim 1, wherein in response to the provided notification, each location in the supply chain reacts differently to reduce the unsold inventory of the perishable product.

9. A system for tracking an inventory distribution of a perishable product in a supply chain, the system comprising:

a computing system including at least one memory device and at least one processor device connected to the memory device,

wherein the computing system is configured to;

receive shipment data and point of sale data for the perishable product from multiple locations in the supply chain;

automatically create, based on the obtained shipment data and the point of sale data, a network graph that represents a flow of the perishable product in the supply chain, the graph including a plurality of nodes interconnected by a plurality of arcs, each of the plurality of nodes in the graph representing one of the multiple locations in the supply chain, at least one arc that represents a shipment of the perishable product, the at least one arc including;

     1) movement data of perishable product including information associated with a movement of the perishable product throughout the supply chain and

     2) a quantity data value of the product moved;

automatically identify an age of unsold inventory of the perishable product at each node of the plurality of nodes of the created network graph based on;

the at least one arc and the data included in the at least one arc, a manufacture date of the unsold inventory of the perishable product, and a date indicating when the perishable product entered into the supply chain;

compare, at each node of the plurality of nodes, the identified age of the unsold inventory of the perishable product against a threshold value;

in response to the compare step, automatically provide a notification to a user at each node of the plurality of nodes of the network graph, the provided notification including;

the identified age of the unsold inventory of the perishable product at the each node of the plurality of nodes, a recommended action to the user relating the perishable product at the each node of the plurality of nodes, and a percentage of the unsold inventory of the perishable product whose identified age is larger than the threshold at the location associated with the user;

upon receiving the notification, modify the movement of the perishable product among the plurality of nodes within the supply chain to decrease an amount of time the perishable product is within the supply chain; and

upon receiving the notification, adjusting, by a manufacturer of the perishable product, a production schedule of the perishable product in accordance with the identified age of the unsold inventory of the perishable product at the each node of the plurality of nodes.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the movement data includes one or more of:

a date of a shipment of the perishable product, a name of the perishable product, the manufacturer of the perishable product.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the point of sale data includes one or more of:

quantity of the perishable product shipped, a location that ships the perishable product, a location that receives the perishable product.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein to identify the age of unsold inventory of the perishable product, the computing system is further configured to apply a mass balance technique at each node in the network graph and receive information regarding an inventory rotation policy of each node in the network graph.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein by applying the used mass balance technique, the computing system determines that a quantity of the perishable product entered at a first node in the network graph is equal to an addition of quantity of the perishable product remained at the first node and quantity of the perishable product shipped from the first node.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the inventory rotation policy includes one or more of:

FIFO (First-In-First-Out) and LIFO (Last-In-First-Out).

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein the network graph informs a manufacturer of the perishable product how an individual location of the supply chain maintains inventory of the perishable product and provides the age of the unsold inventory of the perishable product to each location of the supply chain.

16. The system according to claim 9, wherein the perishable product does not include RFID (Radio-frequency identification).

17. A computer program product for tracking an inventory distribution of a perishable product in a supply chain, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions run by the processing circuit for performing a method, the method comprising:

receiving shipment data and point of sale data for the perishable product from multiple locations in the supply chain;

automatically creating, based on the obtained shipment data and point of sale data, a network graph that represents a flow of the perishable product in the supply chain, the graph including a plurality of nodes interconnected by a plurality of arcs, each of the plurality of nodes in the network graph representing one of the multiple locations in the supply chain, at least one arc that connects one of the plurality of nodes to another node of the plurality of nodes where each arc represents a shipment of the perishable product, the at least one arc including;

     1) movement data of the perishable product including information associated with a movement of the perishable product throughout the supply chain and

     2) a quantity data value of the perishable product moved;

automatically identifying an age of unsold inventory of the perishable product at each node of the plurality of nodes of the network graph based on;

the at least one arc and the data included in the at least one arc, a manufacture date of the unsold inventory of the perishable product, and a date indicating when the perishable product entered into the supply chain;

comparing, at each node of the plurality of nodes, the identified age of the unsold inventory of the perishable product against a threshold value;

in response to the comparing step, automatically providing a notification to a user at each node of the plurality of nodes of the network graph, the provided notification including;

the identified age of the unsold inventory of the perishable product at the each node of the plurality of nodes, a recommended action to the user relating the perishable product at the each node of the plurality of nodes, and a percentage of the unsold inventory of the perishable product whose identified age is larger than the threshold at the each node of the plurality of nodes;

upon receiving the notification, modifying the movement of the perishable product among the plurality of nodes within the supply chain to decrease an amount of time the perishable product is within the supply chain; and

upon receiving the notification, adjusting, by a manufacturer of the perishable product, a production schedule of the perishable product in accordance with the identified age of the unsold inventory of the perishable product at the each node of the plurality of nodes.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the identifying the age of the unsold inventory of the perishable product includes:

applying a mass balance technique at each node in the network graph and receiving information regarding an inventory rotation policy of each node in the network graph.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the applying the mass balance technique comprises:

determining that a quantity of the perishable product entered at a first node in the network graph is equal to an addition of quantity of the perishable product remained at the first node and quantity of the perishable product shipped from the first node.

20. The computer program product according to claim 18, the inventory rotation policy includes one or more of:

FIFO (First-In-First-Out) and LIFO (Last-In-First-Out).

21. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the network graph informs a manufacturer of the perishable product how an individual location of the supply chain maintains inventory of the perishable product and provides the age of the unsold inventory of the perishable product to each location of the supply chain.

22. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the perishable product does not include RFID (Radio-frequency identification).