Patent ID: 6931347

Claim:
Method for assigning to a set of products (P 1 , P 2 , P 3 , P 4 ) a set of corresponding continuous demand densities (D P1c , D P2c , D P3c , D P4c ) comprising the following steps: a conversion step ( 10 ) wherein for each product (P 1 , P 2 , P 3 , P 4 ) its demand time series (H(P 1 ), H(P 2 ), H(P 3 ), H(P 4 )) is converted into a discrete demand density (D P1d , D P2d , D P3d , D P4d ), a normalization step ( 20 ) wherein said discrete demand densities (D P1d , D P2d , D P3d , D P4d ) are transformed into normalized discrete demand densities (D N P1d , D N P2d , D N P3d , D N P4d ), a clustering step ( 30 ) wherein each of said normalized discrete demand densities (D N P1d , D N P2d , D N P3d , D N P4d ) is assigned to a cluster (C 1 , C 2 ) and wherein for each said cluster (C 1 , C 2 ) a cluster-representative discrete density (R fC1 , R fC2 ) is determined, a selection step ( 40 ) wherein for each cluster-representative discrete density (R fC ) out of a predetermined set (L D ) of continuous model densities (D m Mc ) a cluster-representative continuous density (D m Cc ) is selected, a parameter-determination step ( 50 ) wherein for each product (P 1 , P 2 , P 3 , P 4 ) for its cluster-representative continuous density (D m Cc ) product-individual density parameters (p(P)) are determined under use of which for each product (P 1 , P 2 , P 3 , P 4 ) a continuous density (D m P1c , D m P2c , D m P3c , D m P4c ) is determined, a adjustment step ( 70 ) wherein for each product (P 1 , P 2 , P 3 , P 4 ) average and variance of said continuous density (D m P1c , D m P2c , D m P3c , D m P4c ) are adjusted to form said continuous demand density (D P1c , D P2c , D P3c , D P4c ).