Architectural design for intra-company stock transfer application software

• US 8,311,904 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2008
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Steinbach, Jochen, Poth, Andreas, Heger, Achim, Hetzer, Stephan, Reinelt, Klaus, Colle, Renzo, Freund, Jens
• Primary Examiner(s): KUCAB, JAMIE R
• Application Number:
  US12/327,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for implementing a software architecture design for a software application implementing intra-company stock transfer of physical inventory. The application is structured as multiple process components interacting with each other through service operations, each implemented for a respective process component. The process components include a Supply and Demand Matching process, a Customer Requirement Processing process component, a Logistics Execution Control process component, a Site Logistics Processing process component, an Outbound Delivery Processing process component, an Inbound Delivery Processing process component, an Inventory Processing process component, a Production and Site Logistics Auxiliaries process component and a Freight Documents Processing process component.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising instructions encoded on a non-transitory, computer-readable medium, the instructions being structured as process components interacting with each other through service interfaces, the instructions operable when executed by at least one processor to:

define a plurality of process components, each of the process components comprising a modular and application-independent package of reusable, granular software implementing a respective and distinct business process, the business process comprising functionality exposed by the process component via a corresponding service interface, the plurality of process components including;

a supply and demand matching process component that manages the tasks used to ensure that sufficient material receipt elements exist to cover material demand while taking available capacity into account;

a customer requirement processing process component that controls the customer requirements in the supply chain;

a logistics execution control process component that creates, controls, and monitors the supply chain execution activities used for the fulfillment of an order on a macro-logistics level;

a site logistics processing process component that prepares, executes, and confirms the logistics processes associated with a site;

an outbound delivery processing process component that manages and processes the outbound delivery requirements for shipping goods to a product recipient;

an inbound delivery processing process component that manages and processes the inbound delivery requirements for received goods from a vendor;

an inventory processing process component that manages the inventory and recording of inventory changes;

an accounting process component that handles the representation of relevant business transactions for valuation and profitability analysis;

a production and site logistics auxiliaries processing process component that supports the functionality valid for multiple process components; and

a freight documents processing process component that processes the freight-related documents for shipping purposes; and

define a plurality of service interfaces, each service interface associated with exactly one process component and comprising at least one operation, each operation being implemented for exactly one 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 sending and receiving 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 inventory processing process component and the supply and demand matching process component, where the pair-wise interaction between the inventory processing process component and the supply and demand matching process component includes the transmission of;

a planning view of inventory reconciliation notification message from the inventory processing process component to the supply and demand matching process component, the planning view of inventory reconciliation notification message comprising a notification to the supply and demand matching process component regarding reconciliation of aggregated inventory quantities aggregated on a material and supply planning area level;

the site logistics processing process component and the accounting process component, where the pair-wise interaction between the site logistics processing process component and the accounting process component includes the transmission of;

an inventory change and activity confirmation accounting notification message from the site logistics processing process component to the accounting process component, the inventory change and activity confirmation accounting notification message comprising a notification to accounting regarding inventory changes for physical goods and activity confirmation, and to trigger a valuation of the relevant inventory changes and activities; and

an inventory change and activity confirmation cancellation accounting notification message from the site logistics processing process component to the accounting process component, the inventory change and activity confirmation cancellation accounting notification message comprising a notification to accounting about a cancellation of previously-sent inventory changes and activity confirmations;

the logistics execution control process component and the outbound delivery processing process component, where the pair-wise interaction between the logistics execution control process component and the outbound delivery processing process component includes the transmission of;

a first delivery request fulfillment request message from the logistics execution control process component to the outbound delivery processing process component, the delivery request fulfillment request message comprising a request to create or update an outbound delivery request;

a first delivery request fulfillment confirmation message from the outbound delivery processing process component to the logistics execution control process component, the delivery request fulfillment confirmation message comprising a notification to confirm and fulfill an outbound delivery request; and

a first delivery request fulfillment confirmation reconciliation notification message from the outbound delivery processing process component to the logistics execution control process component, the delivery request fulfillment confirmation reconciliation notification message comprising a notification of a confirmation of a delivery request fulfillment for reconciliation purposes;

the logistics execution processing process component and the inbound delivery processing process component, where the pair-wise interaction between the logistics execution control process component and the outbound delivery processing process component includes the transmission of;

a second delivery request fulfillment request message from the logistics execution control process component to the inbound delivery processing process component, the delivery request fulfillment request message comprising a request to create or update an inbound delivery request;

a second delivery request fulfillment confirmation message from the inbound delivery processing process component to the logistics execution control process component, the second delivery request fulfillment confirmation message comprising a notification to confirm and fulfill an inbound delivery request; and

a second delivery request fulfillment confirmation reconciliation notification message from the inbound delivery processing process component to the logistics execution control process component, the second delivery request fulfillment confirmation reconciliation notification message comprising a notification of a confirmation of a delivery request fulfillment for reconciliation purposes; and

the outbound delivery processing process component and the inbound delivery processing process component, where the pair-wise interaction between the outbound delivery processing process component and the inbound delivery processing process component includes the transmission of;

a delivery dispatch advice notification message from the outbound delivery processing process component to the inbound delivery processing process component, the delivery dispatch advice notification message comprising a notification to an internal business system when an outbound delivery is released or cancelled.

2. The product of claim 1, wherein:

each of the plurality of process components is associated with no more than one deployment unit among a plurality of deployment units, and each deployment unit is deployable on a separate computer hardware platform independent of every other deployment unit; and

all interaction between a process component in one deployment unit and any other process component in any other deployment unit takes place through the respective service interfaces of the two process components.

3. The product of claim 2, wherein the deployment units comprise:

a production and site logistics execution deployment unit that includes the site logistics processing process component, the outbound delivery processing process component, the inbound delivery processing process component, the freight documents processing process component, the production and site logistics auxiliaries processing process component, and the inventory processing process component; and

a supply chain control deployment unit that includes the supply and demand matching process component, the customer requirement processing process component, and the logistics execution control process component.

4. The product of claim 1, wherein:

each of the process components includes one or more business objects; and

none of the business objects of any one of the process components interacts directly with any of the business objects included in any of the other process components.

5. The product of claim 4, wherein the business objects comprise a business process object.

6. The product of claim 4, wherein none of the business objects included in any one of the process components is included in any of the other process components.

7. The product of claim 1, at least a subset of the process components including at least one process agent, each process agent being either an inbound process agent or an outbound process agent, each inbound process agent being operable to receive a message from a corresponding inbound operation, each outbound process agent being operable to cause a corresponding outbound operation to send a message, each process agent being associated with exactly one process component.

8. The product of claim 7, wherein each inbound process agent comprises a first inbound process agent operable to start an execution of a business process step requested in a first inbound message by creating or updating at least one business object instance.

9. The product of claim 7, wherein the outbound process agents comprise a first asynchronous outbound process agent that is called after a business object that is associated with the first outbound process agent changes.

10. The product of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise synchronous and asynchronous operations.

11. A system, comprising:

a computer system comprising at least one hardware platform for executing computer instructions, the computer instructions structured as a plurality of process components interacting with each other through service interfaces, each hardware platform including at least one processor for executing the computer instructions;

memory storing a plurality of process components executable by the respective at least one processor of the particular hardware platform, each of the process components comprising a modular and application-independent package of reusable, granular software implementing a respective and distinct business process, the business process comprising functionality exposed by the process component via at least one service interface, the plurality of process components including;

a supply and demand matching process component that manages the tasks used to ensure that sufficient material receipt elements exist to cover material demand while taking available capacity into account;

a customer requirement processing process component that controls the customer requirements in the supply chain;

a logistics execution control process component that creates, controls, and monitors the supply chain execution activities used for the fulfillment of an order on a macro-logistics level;

a site logistics processing process component that prepares, executes, and confirms the logistics processes associated with a site;

an outbound delivery processing process component that manages and processes the outbound delivery requirements for shipping goods to a product recipient;

an inbound delivery processing process component that manages and processes the inbound delivery requirements for received goods from a vendor;

an inventory processing process component that manages the inventory and recording of inventory changes;

an accounting process component that handles the representation of relevant business transactions for valuation and profitability analysis;

a production and site logistics auxiliaries processing process component that supports the functionality valid for multiple process components; and

a freight documents processing process component that processes the freight-related documents for shipping purposes; and

the memory further storing a plurality of service interfaces, each service interface associated with exactly one process component and comprising at least one operation, each being implemented for exactly one 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 sending and receiving 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 inventory processing process component and the supply and demand matching process component, where the pair-wise interaction between the inventory processing process component and the supply and demand matching process component includes the transmission of;

a planning view of inventory reconciliation notification message from the inventory processing process component to the supply and demand matching process component, the planning view of inventory reconciliation notification message comprising a notification to supply and demand matching regarding reconciliation of aggregated inventory quantities aggregated on a material and supply planning area level;

the site logistics processing process component and the accounting process component, where the pair-wise interaction between the site logistics processing process component and the accounting process component includes the transmission of;

an inventory change and activity confirmation accounting notification message from the site logistics processing process component to the accounting process component, the inventory change and activity confirmation accounting notification message comprising a notification to accounting regarding inventory changes for physical goods and activity confirmation, and to trigger a valuation of the relevant inventory changes and activities; and

an inventory change and activity confirmation cancellation accounting notification message from the site logistics processing process component to the accounting process component, the inventory change and activity confirmation cancellation accounting notification message comprising a notification to accounting about a cancellation of previously-sent inventory changes and activity confirmations;

the logistics execution control process component and the outbound delivery processing process component, where the pair-wise interaction between the logistics execution control process component and the outbound delivery processing process component includes the transmission of;

a first delivery request fulfillment request message from the logistics execution control process component to the outbound delivery processing process component, the delivery request fulfillment request message comprising a request to create or update an outbound delivery request;

a first delivery request fulfillment confirmation message from the outbound delivery processing process component to the logistics execution control process component, the delivery request fulfillment confirmation message comprising a notification to confirm and fulfill an outbound delivery request; and

a first delivery request fulfillment confirmation reconciliation notification message from the outbound delivery processing process component to the logistics execution control process component, the delivery request fulfillment confirmation reconciliation notification message comprising a notification of a confirmation of a delivery request fulfillment for reconciliation purposes;

the logistics execution processing process component and the inbound delivery processing process component, where the pair-wise interaction between the logistics execution control process component and the outbound delivery processing process component includes the transmission of;

a second delivery request fulfillment request message from the logistics execution control process component to the inbound delivery processing process component, the delivery request fulfillment request message comprising a request to create or update an inbound delivery request;

a second delivery request fulfillment confirmation message from the inbound delivery processing process component to the logistics execution control process component, the second delivery request fulfillment confirmation message comprising a notification to confirm and fulfill an inbound delivery request; and

a second delivery request fulfillment confirmation reconciliation notification message from the inbound delivery processing process component to the logistics execution control process component, the second delivery request fulfillment confirmation reconciliation notification message comprising a notification of a confirmation of a delivery request fulfillment for reconciliation purposes; and

the outbound delivery processing process component and the inbound delivery processing process component, where the pair-wise interaction between the outbound delivery processing process component and the inbound delivery processing process component includes the transmission of;

a delivery dispatch advice notification message from the outbound delivery processing process component to the inbound delivery processing process component, the delivery dispatch advice notification message comprising a notification to an internal business system when an outbound delivery is released or cancelled.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

each of the process components includes one or more business objects; and

none of the business objects of any one of the process components interacts directly with any of the business objects included in any of the other process components.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein none of the business objects included in any one of the process components is included in any of the other process components.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein at least a subset of the process components includes at least one process agent, each process agent being either an inbound process agent or an outbound process agent, each inbound process agent being operable to receive a message from a corresponding inbound operation, each outbound process agent being operable to cause a corresponding outbound operation to send a message, each process agent being associated with exactly one process component.

15. The system of claim 11, the system comprising multiple hardware platforms, wherein:

the site logistics processing process component, the outbound delivery processing process component, the inbound delivery process component, the production and site logistics auxiliaries processing process component, and the inventory processing process component are deployed on a first hardware platform;

the accounting process component is deployed on a second hardware platform; and

the supply and demand matching process component, the customer requirement processing process component, and the logistics execution control process component are deployed on a third hardware platform.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein each of the first through the third hardware platforms are distinct and separate from each other.