Abstract:
A method, program, and system for creating sales orders are provided. The invention includes receiving a request for an order to be sent to a plurality of locations, wherein the request includes order contents and selection criteria that specify types of locations that are to receive the mass order. A plurality of locations that match the selection criteria are retrieved from a database. An order template is created, wherein the order template specifies the contents of the order, and wherein the order template has a blank field for designating a destination to which the order should be sent. A separate order is then created for each of the plurality of locations retrieved from the database, wherein for each separate order a copy of the order template is created and one of the plurality of locations is filled into the blank field, wherein the separate orders for the plurality of locations all have the same content but differ in their respective destinations.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Technical Field  
           [0002]    The present invention relates generally to automated order fulfillment, and more specifically to automated fulfillment of multiple orders.  
           [0003]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0004]    Modern mass distribution systems often employ “push” orders. In contrast to fulfilling specific product orders from distributors, push orders comprise sending pre-specified numbers of particular items to distributors at regular intervals, without waiting for individuals to place orders. Therefore, push orders are proactive, rather than reactive. For example, a company that sells mobile telephones might specify a push order that consists of five phone models, with a specified number of each model. In addition, the push order might also include particular accessories for the phones, as well as customer literature (e.g., promotional brochures). The items included in this push order would then be sent to specific distributors at regular intervals. For example, the push order described above might be sent every month to retail stores operating in shopping centers of a certain size or in a particular geographic region.  
           [0005]    Distributors include direct (brand) retailers, indirect retailers (e.g., department stores), kiosks, etc. Product manufacturers and suppliers can further classify distributors according to geographic region, population density, language markets (e.g., Spanish), and any other classification that might be relevant for business purposes. The suppliers can choose a defined group of distributors (e.g., all kiosks in the New England market) and send the same push order to each of the distributors in the group.  
           [0006]    Prior to the present invention, when a push order was sent to a specified group of distributors, the orders for each separate location must be created one at a time, even though all of the locations in the group are receiving an identical push order. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method for automatically creating orders for multiple locations based on a single push order content.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    The present invention provides a method, program, and system for creating sales orders. The invention includes receiving a request for an order to be sent to a plurality of locations, wherein the request includes order contents and selection criteria that specify types of locations that are to receive the mass order. A plurality of locations that match the selection criteria are retrieved from a database. An order template is created, wherein the order template specifies the contents of the order, and wherein the order template has a blank field for designating a destination to which the order should be sent. A separate order is then created for each of the plurality of locations retrieved from the database, wherein for each separate order a copy of the order template is created and one of the plurality of locations is filled into the blank field, wherein the separate orders for the plurality of locations all have the same content but differ in their respective destinations.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 depicts a pictorial representation of a network of data processing systems in which the present invention may be implemented;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of a data processing system that may be implemented as a server in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram illustrating a data processing system in which the present invention may be implemented;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 depicts a flowchart illustrating the process of manual mass order creation in accordance with the prior art; and  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 depicts a flowchart illustrating an automated mass order creation process in accordance with the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]    With reference now to the figures, FIG. 1 depicts a pictorial representation of a network of data processing systems in which the present invention may be implemented. Network data processing system  100  is a network of computers in which the present invention may be implemented. Network data processing system  100  contains a network  102 , which is the medium used to provide communications links between various devices and computers connected together within network data processing system  100 . Network  102  may include connections, such as wire, wireless communication links, or fiber optic cables.  
         [0015]    In the depicted example, a server  104  is connected to network  102  along with storage unit  106 . In addition, clients  108 ,  110 , and  112  also are connected to network  102 . These clients  108 ,  110 , and  112  may be, for example, personal computers or network computers. In the depicted example, server  104  provides data, such as boot files, operating system images, and applications to clients  108 - 112 . Clients  108 ,  110 , and  112  are clients to server  104 . Network data processing system  100  includes printers  114 ,  116 , and  118 , and may also include additional servers, clients, and other devices not shown.  
         [0016]    In the depicted example, network data processing system  100  is the Internet with network  102  representing a worldwide collection of networks and gateways that use the TCP/IP suite of protocols to communicate with one another. At the heart of the Internet is a backbone of high-speed data communication lines between major nodes or host computers, consisting of thousands of commercial, government, educational and other computer systems that route data and messages. Of course, network data processing system  100  also may be implemented as a number of different types of networks, such as for example, an intranet, a local area network (LAN), or a wide area network (WAN). FIG. 1 is intended as an example, and not as an architectural limitation for the present invention.  
         [0017]    Referring to FIG. 2, a block diagram of a data processing system that may be implemented as a server, such as server  104  in FIG. 1, is depicted in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Data processing system  200  may be a symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) system including a plurality of processors  202  and  204  connected to system bus  206 . Alternatively, a single processor system may be employed. Also connected to system bus  206  is memory controller/cache  208 , which provides an interface to local memory  209 . I/O bus bridge  210  is connected to system bus  206  and provides an interface to I/O bus  212 . Memory controller/cache  208  and I/O bus bridge  210  may be integrated as depicted.  
         [0018]    Peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus bridge  214  connected to I/O bus  212  provides an interface to PCI local bus  216 . A number of modems may be connected to PCI bus  216 . Typical PCI bus implementations will support four PCI expansion slots or add-in connectors. Communications links to network computers  108 - 112  in FIG. 1 may be provided through modem  218  and network adapter  220  connected to PCI local bus  216  through add-in boards.  
         [0019]    Additional PCI bus bridges  222  and  224  provide interfaces for additional PCI buses  226  and  228 , from which additional modems or network adapters may be supported. In this manner, data processing system  200  allows connections to multiple network computers. A memory-mapped graphics adapter  230  and hard disk  232  may also be connected to I/O bus  212  as depicted, either directly or indirectly.  
         [0020]    Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware depicted in FIG. 2 may vary. For example, other peripheral devices, such as optical disk drives and the like, also may be used in addition to or in place of the hardware depicted. The depicted example is not meant to imply architectural limitations with respect to the present invention.  
         [0021]    The data processing system depicted in FIG. 2 may be, for example, an eServer pSeries system, a product of International Business Machines Corporation in Armonk, N.Y., running the Advanced Interactive Executive (AIX) or Linux operating systems.  
         [0022]    With reference now to FIG. 3, a block diagram illustrating a data processing system is depicted in which the present invention may be implemented. Data processing system  300  is an example of a client computer. Data processing system  300  employs a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) local bus architecture. Although the depicted example employs a PCI bus, other bus architectures such as Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) and Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) may be used. Processor  302  and main memory  304  are connected to PCI local bus  306  through PCI bridge  308 . PCI bridge  308  also may include an integrated memory controller and cache memory for processor  302 . Additional connections to PCI local bus  306  may be made through direct component interconnection or through add-in boards. In the depicted example, local area network (LAN) adapter  310 , SCSI host bus adapter  312 , and expansion bus interface  314  are connected to PCI local bus  306  by direct component connection. In contrast, audio adapter  316 , graphics adapter  318 , and audio/video adapter  319  are connected to PCI local bus  306  by add-in boards inserted into expansion slots. Expansion bus interface  314  provides a connection for a keyboard and mouse adapter  320 , modem  322 , and additional memory  324 . Small computer system interface (SCSI) host bus adapter  312  provides a connection for hard disk drive  326 , tape drive  328 , and CD-ROM drive  330 . Typical PCI local bus implementations will support three or four PCI expansion slots or add-in connectors.  
         [0023]    An operating system runs on processor  302  and is used to coordinate and provide control of various components within data processing system  300  in FIG. 3. The operating system may be a commercially available operating system, such as Windows 2000, which is available from Microsoft Corporation. An object oriented programming system such as Java may run in conjunction with the operating system and provide calls to the operating system from Java programs or applications executing on data processing system  300 . “Java” is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. Instructions for the operating system, the object-oriented operating system, and applications or programs are located on storage devices, such as hard disk drive  326 , and may be loaded into main memory  304  for execution by processor  302 .  
         [0024]    Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware in FIG. 3 may vary depending on the implementation. Other internal hardware or peripheral devices, such as flash ROM (or equivalent nonvolatile memory) or optical disk drives and the like, may be used in addition to or in place of the hardware depicted in FIG. 3. Also, the processes of the present invention may be applied to a multiprocessor data processing system.  
         [0025]    As another example, data processing system  300  may be a stand-alone system configured to be bootable without relying on some type of network communication interface, whether or not data processing system  300  comprises some type of network communication interface. As a further example, data processing system  300  may be a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, which is configured with ROM and/or flash ROM in order to provide non-volatile memory for storing operating system files and/or user-generated data.  
         [0026]    The depicted example in FIG. 3 and above-described examples are not meant to imply architectural limitations. For example, data processing system  300  also may be a notebook computer or hand held computer in addition to taking the form of a PDA. Data processing system  300  also may be a kiosk or a Web appliance.  
         [0027]    Referring to FIG. 4, a flowchart illustrating the process of manual mass order creation is depicted in accordance with the prior art. The process begins with the manual entry of an order (step  401 ). The system then determines if there is inventory available to fulfill the order (step  402 ). If there is not sufficient inventory, the order is placed in back order files  403 .  
         [0028]    If there is sufficient inventory available, reports are generated to check or replenish inventory (step  404 ). These reports note that inventory has been used to fulfill the order and may need to be replenished before the next order can be fulfilled. Examples of reports include a bin manifest report, negative bin report and usage report. These reports provide storage bin contents by part number and quantity, indicate if the BIN is in a negative quantity state and by how much as well as usage rate of product over a specified period of time.  
         [0029]    A picking document is generated for warehouse personnel (step  405 ). This pick document is essentially a barcode picking list that personnel use to gather the items to include in the push order. Using the picking document, the pick order is put together (step  406 ). After the order is assembled, a separate person performs a quality control inspection to make sure the order is correct and then finishes packing the order (step  407 ).  
         [0030]    The order is then shipped (step  408 ). As part of the shipping process shipping documents and labels  410  are generated. In addition, inventory files and sales order files  409  are updated to reflect the order.  
         [0031]    In the prior art, the sequence of steps described above has to be performed for each separate shipping location is a mass push order. Since push orders may often include thousands of shipping locations, the prior art process is very labor and time intensive. The present invention provides a way to automate much of the mass order creation process and allows thousands of individual push orders to be created from a single order.  
         [0032]    Referring now to FIG. 5, a flowchart illustrating an automated mass order creation process is depicted in accordance with the present invention. The client submits a request to create a mass push order (step  501 ). In the request, the client provides a set of criteria for the push order, which include not only the contents of the order but the types of distributors to which the order is to be sent. The contents of the push order might include the items to be included and the quantity of each item, as well as shipment method. Examples of location criteria include geography, demographics, sales channel, distributor type (e.g., direct (brand) retail, indirect retailers), cost center, sales representatives, administrator, equipment/product type, language type (e.g., Spanish market), or a combination of these factors.  
         [0033]    In response to the request, the system creates the launch data based on the criteria provided by the client (step  502 ) and builds the launch (step  503 ). This involves coalescing the information that make up the push order criteria and retrieving all distributor locations that match the market criteria included in the push order request. These locations are retrieved from a database that is updated by the client and contains all approved distributors. This information is used to create an order template that provides a common order form that can be used with all of the locations that match the push order criteria. The particular items and respective quantities of those items will be the same for all of the locations receiving the push order. The main variable in the order template is the specific shipping address.  
         [0034]    The order template might also designate a sales channel, which specifies the type of distributor receiving the push order. Types of sales channels include direct brand retailer, indirect retailers such as department stores, kiosks, small “mom and pop” stores, and individual sales persons. The push order in question might include one or a combination of these sales channels, depending on the criteria in the client request.  
         [0035]    The system validates the launch (step  504 ). This is done in two parts. One part of the validation process is to validate the parts included in the content of the order (step  505 ). This may result in the production of replenishment and collateral reports  506 . A replenishment report indicates that the inventory of the distributors in question has been replenished. Collateral refers to supplementary product literature that may be sent to distributors.  
         [0036]    The other part of the validation process is to validate the dealers included in the push (step  507 ). This results in the production of a dealer list report  508 . This report shows all “Ship To” locations based on the selection criteria. This is used in conjunction with an operations revision control process to validate that sufficient inventory of the correct version is available to create the mass push order. Once validation is complete, the push order is created. There are both detailed and summary reports.  
         [0037]    After the validation process, the launch is authorized (step  509 ) and launch reports  510  are created. These reports break out all the “Ship To” locations for which the push order was created and gives order-level detail according to sales channel (e.g., business to business, wholesale, etc.). This tells operations which quantities were sent to which locations.  
         [0038]    The system then creates all of the individual orders in the mass push order. This process comprises three steps for automatically creating separate orders for each of the locations that meet the push order criteria. The first step is to create the order template (described above) that provides the common order content for all of the shipping locations (step  511 ). As described above, the same order template is used for all of the locations in question, but the shipping address and order number is different for each separate location. In this way, the same order content might be sent to, e.g., 10,000 separate locations, by using a single template without the need to create each of the 10,000 orders from scratch one at a time.  
         [0039]    After the template is created, the system retrieves the first ship-to location (step  512 ). As described above, the ship-to locations are gathered from a database according to the push order criteria. The system then creates an individual order by placing the ship-to address into the appropriate field in the order template (step  513 ). The system then determines if there are more ship-to addresses remaining in the mass push order (step  514 ). If there are more locations, the system retrieves the next one (step  512 ) and continues creating individual orders for all of the locations in the mass order.  
         [0040]    After the mass creation of the individual sales orders has been completed, pick documents  515  are created for orders in flagged channels (e.g., Business to Business and wholesalers). Pick documents are used by the warehouse personnel to load the boxes for shipping locations that are listed under the flagged channels. Other channels do not require pick documents. For these, the pick document is created in the background and never printed. The information in pick documents  515  may also stored in particular files  516 , e.g., Sales Order Header (SOH), Pick Header (PICH), and inventory files. These are database files where part of the sales order information is stored.  
         [0041]    The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention, the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.