Patent ID: 7389249
Filing Date: 2008-06-17
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method of using an automated supply chain management system to automatically fulfill a customer order on-time, the method comprising the steps of: a) defining a quantity N needed to fulfill a customer order; b) defining a customer requested due date; c) providing an order fulfillment matrix having a plurality of allocated capacity cells, each of the plurality of allocated capacity cells having an associated allocated capacity quantity T, wherein T equals or exceeds zero, and wherein each of the plurality of allocated capacity cells has an associated calendar date of production; d) searching each of the plurality of allocated capacity cells having an allocated capacity quantity T exceeding zero in accordance with an allocation search sequence, the allocation search sequence selected from the group of as soon as possible, customer request date, and customer request date having a shipping window; e) summing each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells until a summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells equals or exceeds M; and f) returning a calendar date of production associated with a last searched one of the plurality of allocated capacity cells having an allocated capacity quantity T greater than zero to an order management system as an available to promise date to fulfill a customer order when the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells equals or exceeds N; g) defining each of a plurality of allocated capacity cells having an associated capacity quantity T equaling zero as a work in process cell, wherein each work in process cell is not available for searching in accordance with a selected allocation search sequence; h) skipping searching each of the plurality of work in process cells in accordance with an allocation search sequence; i) reserving each of a plurality of allocated capacity cells having an associated capacity quantity T exceeding zero as a work in process cell upon being searched in accordance with a selected allocation search sequence; j) associating each of the plurality of allocated capacity cells having an allocated quantity T with a portion of the order fulfillment matrix, the portion of the matrix selected from the group of a customer family portion, an available capacity of known machines portion, and a remaining capacity portion; k) performing a customer request date allocation search sequence to search the order fulfillment matrix, the customer request date allocation search sequence having the substeps of: i) searching the customer family portion of the order fulfillment matrix within a month X in reverse chronological order between a customer requested due date and an earliest available date within the month X, wherein X is an integer equal to or greater than 1; ii) searching the available capacity of known machines portion of the order fulfillment within month K in reverse chronological order between a customer requested due date and an earliest available date within the month K upon performing step i); iii) searching the remaining capacity portion of the order fulfillment within month K in reverse chronological order between a customer requested due date and an earliest available date within the month K upon performing step ii; iv) determining whether the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells equals or exceeds N upon completing step iii); v) stopping the search sequence if the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells equals or exceeds M; vi) decrementing X by 1 if the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells does not equal or exceed N, wherein X=X−1; vii) determining whether X=1 upon completing step vi; viii) repeating steps i-vi until X equals 1 if the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells does not equal or exceed N; ix) searching the month X within the customer family portion of the order fulfillment matrix chronologically between the customer requested due date and the end of month X upon completing step vii); x) searching the month X within the available capacity of known machines portion of the order fulfillment matrix chronologically between the due date and the end of month X upon completing step viii; xi) searching the month X within the remaining capacity portion of the order fulfillment matrix chronologically between the customer requested due date and the end of month X upon completing step ix; xii) incrementing X by 1, wherein X=X+1; xiii) determining whether the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells equals or exceeds M upon completing step xii; and xiiii) repeating steps ix-xiii until the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells equals or exceeds M.