Patent ID: 8050958

Claim:
A method for planning demand for at least one configurable product in a managed supply chain, comprising: storing, using a processor, master data defining a set of characteristic value combinations relating to product-dependent characteristics of a configurable product, wherein the configurable product is associated with a plurality of component types; defining, using the processor, an initial demand plan for the configurable product, the initial demand plan comprising a first initial value and a plurality of second initial values, wherein the first initial value defines a planned number of the configurable product, and further wherein the second initial values define planned numbers of the plurality of component types associated with the configurable product; calculating, using the processor, an additional characteristic value for one or more of the product dependent characteristics of the configurable product based on the defined initial demand plan; and generating, using the processor, a modified demand plan for the configurable product based on the defined initial demand plan and the calculated additional characteristic value, the modified demand plan preserving a proportional relationship between the planned number of the configurable product and a sum of the planned numbers of the plurality of component types of the configurable product, wherein generating the modified demand plan comprises: modifying the planned number of the configurable product or at least one of the planned numbers of the plurality of component types of the configurable product according to the calculated additional characteristic value.