Patent ID: 6711550
Filing Date: 2004-03-23
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
A method for accurately forecasting the quantity of all parts necessary to assemble all vehicles of a vehicle product line for a predetermined time period, the method comprising:inputting the available features and product rules for vehicle orders of the vehicle line into a computer data base; inputting sales forecasts for a first plurality of features of the vehicle line into the computer data base; randomly generating a substantial sample of vehicle orders based on the features, product rules, and the feature sales forecasts; and determining the quantity of all parts necessary to assemble all vehicles of a vehicle product line for a predetermined time period based on the sample of orders, wherein the step of determining the quantity of all parts to assemble all of the vehicles of a product line for a predetermined time period comprises computing a weighting factor for each order, and summing the weighted orders, such that the weighted sums of the orders with respect to designated target features equals the forecasts for the targeted features and determining the quantity of all the parts necessary to physically assemble the vehicles of the order sample and multiplying the quantities by a factor that will convert the quantity of all the parts necessary to assemble all the vehicles of the order sample to the quantity of the parts necessary to physically assemble the vehicles of the product line for the predetermined time period.