Patent ID: 8494823
Filing Date: 2013-07-23
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A computer implemented method for determining supply chain service area, comprising: establishing a plurality of simulation parameters to include stochastic factors for use with a supply chain simulation model; running said supply chain simulation model with said simulation parameters repeatedly; analyzing data output from said repeated runs of said supply chain simulation model to determine service cycle time; and computing service area for a facility based on said supply chain simulation runs including the service cycle time, the service area being a geographic region that is serviced by the facility in providing various services to customers in that area, the service area computed by a processor, by geometrically connecting the facility with each of the customers that has same order-to-delivery time from the facility, the order-to-delivery time automatically estimated based on the simulation runs, and geometrically connecting said customers, wherein a plurality of the service areas are computed for different levels of the order-to-delivery time associated with the facility, wherein the stochastic factors include order processing lead time and associated variability, supply lead time and associated variability, resource availability and associated variability, transit time and associated variability, or customer requirement, or combinations thereof, and wherein one or more of the simulation parameters can be parameterized based on historical data.