Patent ID: 7827076

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of matching customer demand with a manufacturer supply of products from plurality of factory facilities, comprising using a computer to perform the steps of: inputting demand data, using the computer, for a demand of at least one product requested by at least one customer and supply data corresponding to a production capacity of the factory facilities; performing a first matching operation, using the computer, to match the demand data with the supply data to obtain a first demand-supply matching result; collecting rematched demand data, using the computer, corresponding to a portion of the demand unsatisfied by the first matching operation from the demand data and collecting rematched supply data corresponding to a portion of the production capacity unused in the first matching operation from the supply data; classifying the rematched demand data, using the computer, into a plurality of classified demand data records according to at least one attribute of the at least one product and the at least one customer corresponding thereto, the classified demand data having different priorities wherein new customers and manufacturing processes are highest priority, existing customers and new manufacturing processes are next priority, and existing customers and manufacturing processes are lowest priority; and performing a second matching operation, using the computer, to match the classified demand data with the rematched supply data based on the priorities of the classified demand data to obtain a second demand-supply matching result.