Architectural design for service request and order management application software
First Claim
1. A computer program product comprising application software encoded on a tangible machine-readable information carrier, the application software being structured as process components interacting with each other through service interfaces, the software comprising:
- a plurality of process components, each of the process components being a package of software implementing a respective and distinct business process, the plurality of process components including;
an Outbound Delivery process component that combines tasks concerning outbound delivery processes and enables communication with a vendor;
a Site Logistics Processing process component that supports preparation and execution tasks concerning internal inventory movement in a warehouse type environment;
a Confirmation and Inventory process component that combines tasks required to confirm inventory changes and provided activities;
a Customer Requirement Processing process component that combines tasks required for processing customer requirements and provides an interface to presales, sales and services, and receives the customer requirements, prepares them and passes them on as supply planning requirements;
a Supply and Demand Matching process component that combines tasks necessary to ensure that sufficient material receipt elements exist to cover material demand;
a Logistics Execution Control process component that controls and monitors the supply chain execution activities necessary for the fulfillment of an order;
a Service Request Processing process component that covers requests from a customer to a service provider to answer a question or solve a problem about a product that the customer possesses;
a Customer Quote Processing process component that offers a customer a binding delivery of goods or services according to fixed terms;
a Service Order Processing process component that deals with short-term agreements between a customer and a service provider, in which the customer orders one-off services;
a Service Contract process component that deals with long-term agreements between a customer and a service provider, specifying the scope of services and general conditions used for processing service requests and service orders; and
a Service Confirmation Processing process component that deals with services rendered for a service order; and
a plurality of service interface operations, each service interface operation being implemented for a respective process component, the operations comprising inbound and outbound operations, the outbound operation for a first process component being operable to send a message to a second process component of the plurality of process components, the second process component having an inbound operation for receiving the message, the passing of messages between an inbound and an outbound operation defining a message-based pair-wise interaction between the respective process components of the respective operations, the pair-wise interactions between pairs of the process components including interactions between;
the Customer Quote Processing process component and the Customer Requirement Processing process component;
the Service Confirmation Processing process component and the Confirmation and Inventory process component;
the Service Request Processing process component and the Service Request Processing in External Provider System process component;
the Logistics Execution Control process component and the Site Logistics Processing process component;
the Service Request Processing External Requester System process component and the Service Request Processing process component;
the Logistics Execution Control process component and the Outbound Delivery Processing process component; and
the Service Order Processing process component and the Customer Requirement Processing process component.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for implementing a software architecture design for a software application implementing service request and order management. The application is structured as multiple process components interacting with each other through service interfaces, and multiple service interface operations, each being implemented for a respective process component. The process components include an Outbound Delivery process component, a Site Logistics Processing process component, a Confirmation and Inventory process component, a Customer Requirement Processing process component, a Supply and Demand Matching process component, a Logistics Execution Control process component, a Service Request Processing process component, a Customer Quote Processing process component, a Service Order Processing process component, a Service Contract process component, and a Service Confirmation Processing process component.
268 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer program product comprising application software encoded on a tangible machine-readable information carrier, the application software being structured as process components interacting with each other through service interfaces, the software comprising:
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a plurality of process components, each of the process components being a package of software implementing a respective and distinct business process, the plurality of process components including; an Outbound Delivery process component that combines tasks concerning outbound delivery processes and enables communication with a vendor; a Site Logistics Processing process component that supports preparation and execution tasks concerning internal inventory movement in a warehouse type environment; a Confirmation and Inventory process component that combines tasks required to confirm inventory changes and provided activities; a Customer Requirement Processing process component that combines tasks required for processing customer requirements and provides an interface to presales, sales and services, and receives the customer requirements, prepares them and passes them on as supply planning requirements; a Supply and Demand Matching process component that combines tasks necessary to ensure that sufficient material receipt elements exist to cover material demand; a Logistics Execution Control process component that controls and monitors the supply chain execution activities necessary for the fulfillment of an order; a Service Request Processing process component that covers requests from a customer to a service provider to answer a question or solve a problem about a product that the customer possesses; a Customer Quote Processing process component that offers a customer a binding delivery of goods or services according to fixed terms; a Service Order Processing process component that deals with short-term agreements between a customer and a service provider, in which the customer orders one-off services; a Service Contract process component that deals with long-term agreements between a customer and a service provider, specifying the scope of services and general conditions used for processing service requests and service orders; and a Service Confirmation Processing process component that deals with services rendered for a service order; and a plurality of service interface operations, each service interface operation being implemented for a respective process component, the operations comprising inbound and outbound operations, the outbound operation for a first process component being operable to send a message to a second process component of the plurality of process components, the second process component having an inbound operation for receiving the message, the passing of messages between an inbound and an outbound operation defining a message-based pair-wise interaction between the respective process components of the respective operations, the pair-wise interactions between pairs of the process components including interactions between; the Customer Quote Processing process component and the Customer Requirement Processing process component; the Service Confirmation Processing process component and the Confirmation and Inventory process component; the Service Request Processing process component and the Service Request Processing in External Provider System process component; the Logistics Execution Control process component and the Site Logistics Processing process component; the Service Request Processing External Requester System process component and the Service Request Processing process component; the Logistics Execution Control process component and the Outbound Delivery Processing process component; and the Service Order Processing process component and the Customer Requirement Processing process component. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system, comprising:
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a computer system comprising one or more hardware platforms for executing a computer software application; a plurality of process components, each of the process components being a package of software implementing a respective and distinct business process, the plurality of process components including; an Outbound Delivery process component that combines tasks concerning outbound delivery processes and enables communication with a vendor; a Site Logistics Processing process component that supports preparation and execution tasks concerning internal inventory movement in a warehouse type environment; a Confirmation and Inventory process component that combines tasks required to confirm inventory changes and provided activities; a Customer Requirement Processing process component that combines tasks required for processing customer requirements and provides an interface to presales, sales and services, and receives the customer requirements, prepares them and passes them on as supply planning requirements; a Supply and Demand Matching process component that combines tasks necessary to ensure that sufficient material receipt elements exist to cover material demand; a Logistics Execution Control process component that controls and monitors the supply chain execution activities necessary for the fulfillment of an order; a Service Request Processing process component that covers requests from a customer to a service provider to answer a question or solve a problem about a product that the customer possesses; a Customer Quote Processing process component that offers a customer a binding delivery of goods or services according to fixed terms; a Service Order Processing process component that deals with short-term agreements between a customer and a service provider, in which the customer orders one-off services; a Service Contract process component that deals with long-term agreements between a customer and a service provider, specifying the scope of services and general conditions used for processing service requests and service orders; and a Service Confirmation Processing process component that deals with services rendered for a service order; and a plurality of service interface operations, each service interface operation being implemented for a respective process component, the operations comprising inbound and outbound operations, the outbound operation for a first process component being operable to send a message to a second process component of the plurality of process components, the second process component having an inbound operation for receiving the message, the passing of messages between an inbound and an outbound operation defining a message-based pair-wise interaction between the respective process components of the respective operations, the pair-wise interactions between pairs of the process components including interactions between; the Customer Quote Processing process component and the Customer Requirement Processing process component; the Service Confirmation Processing process component and the Confirmation and Inventory process component; the Service Request Processing process component and the Service Request Processing in External Provider System process component; the Logistics Execution Control process component and the Site Logistics Processing process component; the Service Request Processing External Requester System process component and the Service Request Processing process component; and the Logistics Execution Control process component and the Outbound Delivery Processing process component; and the Service Order Processing process component and the Customer Requirement Processing process component. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for developing a computer software application, comprising:
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obtaining in a computer system digital data representing an architectural design for a set of processes implementing an end-to-end application process, the design specifying a process component for each process in the set of processes, the design specifying further specifying a set of process component interactions, wherein the specified process components include an Outbound Delivery process component that combines tasks concerning outbound delivery processes and enables communication with a vendor; a Site Logistics Processing process component that supports preparation and execution tasks concerning internal inventory movement in a warehouse type environment; a Confirmation and Inventory process component that combines tasks required to confirm inventory changes and provided activities; a Customer Requirement Processing process component that combines tasks required for processing customer requirements and provides an interface to presales, sales and services, and receives the customer requirements, prepares them and passes them on as supply planning requirements; a Supply and Demand Matching process component that combines tasks necessary to ensure that sufficient material receipt elements exist to cover material demand; a Logistics Execution Control process component that controls and monitors the supply chain execution activities necessary for the fulfillment of an order; a Service Request Processing process component that covers requests from a customer to a service provider to answer a question or solve a problem about a product that the customer possesses; a Customer Quote Processing process component that offers a customer a binding delivery of goods or services according to fixed terms; a Service Order Processing process component that deals with short-term agreements between a customer and a service provider, in which the customer orders one-off services; a Service Contract process component that deals with long-term agreements between a customer and a service provider, specifying the scope of services and general conditions used for processing service requests and service orders; and a Service Confirmation Processing process component that deals with services rendered for a service order; and
whereinthe process component interactions include interactions between the Customer Quote Processing process component and the Customer Requirement Processing process component; the Service Confirmation Processing process component and the Confirmation and Inventory process component; the Service Request Processing process component and the Service Request Processing in External Provider System process component; the Logistics Execution Control process component and the Site Logistics Processing process component; the Service Request Processing External Requester System process component and the Service Request Processing process component; and the Logistics Execution Control process component and the Outbound Delivery Processing process component; and the Service Order Processing process component and the Customer Requirement Processing process component; and using the design including the specified process components and the specified process component interactions to develop a computer software application to perform the set of processes. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification