Patent ID: 7996276

Claim:
A system for managing at least one welding consumable, comprising: a welder comprising a consumables monitor that monitors an amount of at least one consumable remaining; and a local system operatively coupled to the welder via a first network, the local system comprising a processor that executes the following components stored in memory: a production control component that receives information regarding the amount of the at least one consumable remaining from the consumables monitor and measures a consumable demand rate based at least in part upon a production control policy and the information regarding the amount of the at least one consumable remaining; a financial account component that receives the information regarding the amount of the at least one consumable remaining from the consumables monitor and performs accounting tasks based at least in part on the information regarding the amount of the at least one consumable remaining; a materials management component that receives the information regarding the amount of the at least one consumable remaining from the consumables monitor and performs inventory control tasks based at least in part on the information; an inventory management component that maintains data regarding an inventory of the at least one consumable at a customer location, adjusts the inventory based at least in part on the information regarding the amount of the at least one consumable remaining received from the consumables monitor, determines a change in the inventory based at least in part on the information regarding the amount of the at least one consumable remaining, and invoices for an amount of the at least one welding consumable used based at least in part upon the change in inventory; a procurement management component receives the information regarding the amount of the at least one consumable remaining and initiates reordering the at least one consumable based at least in part upon the information regarding the amount of the at least one consumable remaining and forecast data associated with a vender managed replacement contract; and a reorder proposal component that generates a reorder proposal when the procurement management component initiates reordering of the at least one consumable.