Patent ID: 7788145
Filing Date: 2010-08-31
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A distributed inventory management system, comprising: one or more computers coupled with a plurality of participant computers in one or more tiers of a value chain, the one or more computers configured to: evaluate inventory data received from one or more of the plurality of participant computers according to one or more business rules; execute a business process using one or more software agents, based on the evaluation of the received inventory data; communicate output of the business process to one or more of the plurality of participant computers; generate an alert when at least one of the plurality of participant computers uses a first replenishment policy in a first tier of the one or more tiers of the value chain that is different than a second replenishment policy used by at least one of the plurality of participant computers in at least a second tier of the one or more tiers of the value chain; and communicate the generated alert to one or more of the plurality of participant computers.