System and method for allocating manufactured products to sellers
Patent 7085729 Issued on August 1, 2006. Estimated Expiration Date: February 15, 2020. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
705/10, Market analysis, demand forecasting or surveying705/28, Inventory management707/5, Query augmenting and refining (e.g., inexact access)705/8, Allocating resources or scheduling for an administrative function700/106, Material requirement707/3, Query processing (i.e., searching)705/26, Electronic shopping (e.g., remote ordering)707/102, Generating database or data structure (e.g., via user interface)705/27, Presentation of image or description of sales item (e.g., electronic catalog browsing)235/383, Mechanized store705/38, Credit (risk) processing or loan processing (e.g., mortgage)705/1, AUTOMATED ELECTRICAL FINANCIAL OR BUSINESS PRACTICE OR MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENT405/10, Movable relative to mobile support706/52, Reasoning under uncertainty (e.g., fuzzy logic)709/200, MISCELLANEOUS705/80, ELECTRONIC NEGOTIATION705/7, Operations research707/2, Access augmentation or optimizing707/203, Version management700/100, Job scheduling700/99, Resource allocation709/231, Computer-to-computer data streaming705/37Trading, matching, or bidding
A software system is provided for managing available to promise (ATP) and making promises to fulfill customer requests. The software system includes a plurality of generic product models (600) each representing a generic product. Each generic product model (600) specifies one component of a plurality of possible components. A plurality of specific product models (602) each represent a specific product and each specify all components of the specific product. Each component specified by each specific product model (602) is specified by one of the generic product models (600) such that each specific product model (602) is related to a subset of the generic product models (600). A customer request matching a specific product then can be fulfilled by available-to-promise of the specific product or by available-to-promise of all related generic products. In addition, an organization in a seller hierarchy can retain product and designate first-come-first-served product. The organization also can define an ATP horizon to specify when forecasted product is actually available. Further, the organization can use an automatic allocation policy to allocate to members, and some forecast entries can be designated zero-ATP entries.
Other References
“Concentra and i2 technologies to integrate sales configuration with global supply chain management; Product configuration recognized as critical link in intelligent global supply chain management”, Business Wire p10101141, Oct. 19, 1995, Dialog fi.
Smith, F., et al., “Dun & Bradstreet Software Delivers Sales and Promotion System to Manufacturers,” Business Wire; s1, p. 1, Jun. 11, 1990.
Castagna, R., et al., “A Model for Evaluating Manufacturing System Time Performances,” Integrated Manufacturing Systems, v 3, n 3, pp. 15-21, 1992.
Foxlow, T.; “Knowledge-Based Manufacturing: The Key to Recovery,” Logistics Information Management, v 7, n 4, pp. 23-26, 1994.
Parker, K., “Demand Management and Beyond,” Manufacturing Systems Supply-Chain Strategies: Forecasting and Demand Management Supplement, pp. 2A-14A.
Marilyn K,. McClelland, “Using Simulation to Facilitate Analysis of Manufacturing Strategy”, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 215-237, 1992.
David M. McClutheon, et al., “The Customization-Responsiveness Squeeze,” Sloan Management Review, vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 89-99.
Anonymous, Dialog File 148, No. 8283166, Concentra and i2 Technologies to integrate sales configuration with global supply chain management; Product configuration recognized as critical link in intelligent global supply chain management, Business Wire, 2 pages, Oct. 10, 1995.
Anonymous, MRP upstaged (One trend in the software industry is that the top enterprise-resource-planning software companies are outright supplanting the core planning functions of their manufacturing-resource planning (MRP II) systems or are augmenting them with new scheduling software that provides real-time decision support), Industry Week, v. 246, n. 3, 4 pages, Feb. 3, 1997.
Notification of Transmittal of International Preliminary Examination Report, Oct. 24, 2000.
PCT Notification of Transmittal of the International Search Report or the Declaration, 4 pages, May 12, 2001.
Rhodes, D.; The Keys to the Enterprise: Integrated Applications Drive Information Systems to New Horizons; HP Professional, v5, n11, p. 44(e), Nov. 1991.
Smith, F. et al.; Dun & Bradstreet Software Delivers Sales and Promotion System to Manufacturers; Business Wire; s1, p. 1, Jun. 11, 1990.
Parker, Kevin; Demand Management and Beyond; Manufacturing Systems Supply-Chain Strategies: Forecasting and Demand Management Supplement, pp. 2A-14A, Jun. 1996.
A. Greene, et al., “MRP II: Out with the Old . . . ; Available: Real-Time EDI, Multiplant Functions, More; MRP II Software Systems; How to Negotiate the Right Price,” Computerworld, Framingham, 7 pages, Jun. 8, 1992.
C.J. Cavallaro, Dialog file 621 (Gale Group New Prod. Annou. (R)), No. 1007808, “New Para Research MRP II System Adapts Itself to your Business”, PR Newswire, 4 pages, Aug. 13, 1985.
O. Morton, “The uses of time,” The Economist, London, V. 330, Issue 7853, 4 pages, Mar. 5, 1994.
K. Parker, “What new tools will best tame time?,” Manufacturing Systems; Wheaton, vol. 12, Issue 1, 6 pages, Jan. 1994.
B.M. Kennedy, “Managing Data Associated with Available-to-Promise (ATP) Products,” U.S. Appl. No. 09/510,607, pending, Feb. 22, 2000.
A.C. Kapadia, et al., “System and Method for Promising Delivery of Configured Products with Selected Optimizations,” U.S. Appl. No. 09/333,894, pending, Jun. 14, 1999.
A.C. Kapadia, et al., “System and Method for Promising Delivery of Configured Products,” U.S. Appl. No. 09/333,895, pending, Jun. 14, 1999.
Foxlow, Tim; Knowledge-Based Manufacturing: The Key to Recovery, Logistics Information Management, v7, n4, pp. 23-26, 1994.
Castagna, Romeo; A Model for Evaluating Manufacturing System Time by Performances, Integrated Manufacturing Systems, v3, n3, pp. 15-21, 1992.
Allen, Supply Chain Management Software, May 1998, University of Texas, Austin http://esallen.home.mindspring.com/erp.SCH.htm, May 1998.
Available to Promise (ATP) http://sandbox.aiss.uiuc.edu/oracle/nca/mrp.atp.htm, Date Unknown.
carmax.com, webpages dated prior to Mar. 2, 2001 retrieved from archive.org, 10 pages, Date Unknown.
Funaki, et al., “Method and System for Production Planning Transaction,” JP02001331693A, EAST Version 1.03.0002, 58 pages, Apr. 9, 2002.
SAP Annual Report—1998, SAP Ag. http://www.sap-ag.de/company/investor/ar—onlin/1998/init—e.asp, 1998.