Systems and methods for integrated global shipping and visibility

• US 20050149453A1
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Marcus, Stuart D., Amling, Alan, Rankin, Kenneth T., Post, George R., Woods, Bruce L., Zamsky, David S.
• Application Number:
  US11/026,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20050149453A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0831 Overseas transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

Disclosed is an integrated global shipment system that provides end-to-end visibility of the movement of a package. The integrated global shipment system employs a shipment consolidating application for integrating one or more freight tracking systems with one or more end-delivery systems. As a result, shippers are provided with complete visibility of the movement of their shipments of goods from an origin country to a destination country and till the final consignees. In addition, the integrated shipment system significantly decreases the cost of managing inventories by providing a virtual inventory solution. Under this virtual inventory solution, suppliers are able to bypass distribution centers and delay allocation of goods until after the importation of goods into a destination country.

Claims

1. An integrated global shipment system providing end-to-end visibility of movement of goods in shipment, said system comprising:

a first shipment visibility system for tracking movement of a consolidated shipment from an origin country to a destination country, said consolidated shipment comprising one or more child shipments that need to be shipped to said destination country,

said first shipment visibility system configured to communicate with a second shipment visibility system so as to provide an integrated visibility interface for tracking movement of each of said one or more child shipments from said origin country to said destination country and within said destination country, said second visibility system tracking movement of each of said one or more child shipments within said destination country.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first shipment visibility system comprises one or more databases accessible to a processor, said processor configured for:

receiving shipping data associated with said one or more child shipments, said shipping data comprising at least one or more child shipment reference numbers corresponding to said one or more child shipments;

generating a consolidated shipment reference number for identifying said consolidated shipment;

associating said consolidated shipment reference number with each one of said one or more child shipment reference numbers;

creating a data file to include said associations and said shipping data associated with said one or more child shipments; and

storing said data file in said one or more databases.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said processor is further configured for:

obtaining said consolidated shipment reference number identifying said consolidated shipment;

using said consolidated shipment reference number to retrieve shipping data associated with said one or more child shipments from said one or more databases;

using said consolidated shipment reference number to retrieve movement data associated with said consolidated shipment from a transportation management database;

using said consolidated shipment reference number to retrieve customs clearance data associated with said consolidated shipment from a customs management database;

displaying said shipping data, said movement data, and said customs clearance data to a user; and

receiving input from said user to update said one or more databases, said transportation management database and said customs management database.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said one or more child shipments consists of multiple small packages.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said second shipment visibility system comprises one or more databases accessible to a processor, said processor configured for:

obtaining a package tracking number identifying a small package from said multiple small packages, said package tracking number obtained by scanning a shipping label affixed on said small package or receiving a key-entry input;

using said package tracking number to retrieve package data associated with said small package from a package database, said package data comprising information of each item of goods enclosed in said small package;

using said package tracking number to retrieve movement data associated with said small package from a transportation management database;

displaying said package data and said movement data to a user; and

receiving input from said user to update said package database and said transportation management database.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said first shipment visibility system is associated with said second shipment visibility system through:

a repository unit storing package data associated with said one or more child shipments, said repository unit accessible to said first shipment visibility system and said second shipment visibility system; and

a server computer having access to said repository unit, said server computer configured for;

using a consolidated shipment reference number to identify one or more child shipment reference numbers corresponding to said one or more child shipments;

searching a package database in said second shipment visibility system to retrieve said package data associated with said one or more child shipments; and

loading said package data into said repository unit.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said server computer is further configured for detecting changes in said package data associated with said one or more child shipments in said package database in said second shipment visibility system;

and responsive to the detection, updating said repository unit.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said integrated visibility interface receives a user input of a particular child shipment reference number for querying movement of a particular child shipment of said one or more child shipments.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said integrated visibility interface is further configured for:

in response to the input of said particular child shipment reference number, displaying movement data of said consolidation shipment if said consolidated shipment has not arrived in said destination country, and further displaying movement data of said child shipment if said consolidated shipment has arrived in said destination country and said child shipment is in delivery within said destination country.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said movement data of said consolidation shipment is retrieved from a database based upon a consolidation shipment reference number, said consolidation shipment reference number associated with said particular child shipment reference number.

11. An integrated global shipment system providing visibility of movement of goods in shipment, said system comprising one or more databases accessible to at least a server computer,

said one or more databases storing shipping data for multiple shipments of goods, wherein said shipping data is received from a carrier-customized client shipping system or a web-based client shipping application;

and

said server computer configured for;

receiving, from a warehouse management system, shipper-to-consignee transaction data associated with a shipment of goods;

receiving, from a transportation management system, movement data associated with said shipment of goods;

receiving, from a customs management system, customs clearance data associated with said shipment of goods;

retrieving, from said one or more databases, particular shipping data associated with said shipment of goods; and

generating a shipment output data file based in part upon said shipper-to-consignee transaction data, said movement data, said customs clearance data, and said particular shipping data associated with said shipment of goods.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said carrier-customized client shipping system is configured for processing shipment requests to generate LTL shipment data for said shipment requests, and further configured for generating shipping labels based upon said LTL shipment data.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said web-based client shipping application is configured for processing shipment requests to generate small package shipping data for said shipment requests, and further configured for generating shipping labels based upon said small package shipping data.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said movement data comprises first movement data from an origin country to a destination country, and second movement data associated with different locations within said destination country.

15. An integrated global shipment system providing end-to-end visibility of movement of goods in shipment, said system comprising:

a client interface for receiving a user query directed to one or more specified shipments using specified criteria;

a visibility system comprising;

one or more web servers capable of communicating with said client interface over a communications network, and

one or more application servers capable of communicating with said one or more web servers, said one or more application servers having access to one or more application server databases, and configured to process a user query received from said client interface; and

a carrier'"'"'s shipping system comprising one or more mainframe servers, said one or more mainframe servers having access to a shipment database that stores shipping data associated with multiple shipments, said one or more mainframe servers being configured to communicate with said one or more application servers.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said visibility system further comprises one or more database servers configured for loading said shipping data from said shipment database of said carrier'"'"'s shipping system into said one or more application server databases.

17. An integrated global shipment system providing visibility of movement of goods in shipment, said system comprising one or more shipment databases and a web portal that is configured for:

(1) providing a web interface to said web portal through which a user is enabled to enter criteria defining a group of consolidated shipments;

(2) in response to said criteria entered by said user, identifying, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with said group of consolidated shipments;

(3) displaying to said user said shipping data associated with said group of consolidated shipments;

(4) receiving a first input from said user to select a particular consolidated shipment from said group of consolidated shipments;

(5) in response to said selection in (4), retrieving, from said one or more shipment databases, first-level shipment details associated with said particular consolidated shipment and a list of child shipments that are combined in said particular consolidated shipment, said first-level shipment details including movement data of said particular consolidated shipment;

(6) displaying to said user said first-level shipment details associated with said particular consolidated shipment and said list of child shipments that are combined in said particular consolidated shipment;

(7) receiving a second input from said user to further select a particular child shipment from said list of child shipments;

(8) in response to said selection in (7), retrieving, from said one or more shipment databases, second-level shipment details associated with said particular child shipments and a list of packages in said particular child shipment, said second-level shipment details including movement data of said particular child shipment;

(9) displaying to said user said second-level shipment details associated with said particular child shipments and said list of packages in said particular child shipment;

(10) receiving a third input from said user to further select a particular package from said list of packages; and

(11) in response to said selection in (10), retrieving, from said one or more shipment databases a movement status of said particular package; and

(12) displaying said movement status of said particular package to said user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein each of said group of consolidated shipments is represented in said one or more shipment databases by a shipment reference number that is associated with one or more child shipment reference numbers or package tracking numbers.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said criteria in Step (1) comprise an input of a particular shipment date or a particular shipment period.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said criteria in Step (1) comprise an input of a particular destination country.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein said one or more shipment databases are in a carrier'"'"'s backend shipping system, said carrier'"'"'s backend shipping system configured for communicating with a web server, said web server operating said web portal.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein said web portal is further configured for verifying, prior to allowing access to said web interface at (1), a user'"'"'s identity and for selectively permitting access as far as inputs at (1), (4), (7), or (10) based on said identity.

23. An integrated global shipment system providing visibility of movement of goods in shipment, said system comprising one or more shipment databases and a web portal that is configured for:

(1) providing a web interface to said web portal through which a user is enabled to query for a specific shipment or a specific package by entering a particular identifier;

(2) in response to receiving said particular shipment identifier, determining whether said particular identifier is a consolidated shipment reference number;

(3) in response to the determination that said particular identifier is a consolidated shipment reference number, identifying, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with said specific shipment, and displaying said shipping data to said user, said shipping data including at least said consolidated shipment reference number;

(4) in response to the determination that said particular identifier is not a consolidated shipment reference number, determining whether said particular identifier is an LTL shipment reference number or a package tracking number,

a. in response to the determination that said particular identifier is an LTL shipment reference number,

i. identifying, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with a consolidated shipment in which said specific shipment is included;

ii. identifying, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with said specific shipment; and

iii. displaying to said user said shipping data in (i) if said specific shipment has not reached a destination country, or said shipping data in (ii) if said specific shipment is in delivery within said destination country; and

b. in response to the determination that said particular identifier is a package tracking number,

i. identifying, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with a consolidated shipment in which said specific package is included;

ii. identifying, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with said specific package; and

iii. displaying to said user said shipping data in (i) if said specific package has not reached a destination country, or said shipping data in (ii) if said specific package is in delivery within said destination country.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said shipping data in Step (3) further comprises a list of child shipments included in said specific shipment, and wherein said web portal is further configured for:

receiving from said user a selection of a particular child shipment from said list of child shipments;

retrieving, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with said particular child shipment; and

displaying to said user said shipping data associated with said particular child shipment.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said shipping data in Step (3) further comprises a list of packages included in said specific shipment, and wherein said web portal is further configured for:

receiving from said user a selection of a particular package from said list of packages;

retrieving, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with said particular package; and

displaying to said user said shipping data associated with said particular package.