Patent ID: 7003474

Claim:
A method for processing customer demands for products in a supply chain network, the method comprising: electronically receiving by a supply chain server forecasted demands from a plurality of customers; electronically accumulating by the supply chain server the forecasted demands thereby producing an accumulated forecast; generating by the supply chain server a supply plan based upon the accumulating step; electronically sending by the supply chain server the accumulated forecast to at least one supplier; sending products corresponding to the accumulated forecast from the at least one supplier to a cross-dock point, wherein the products are sent according to supplier shipment instructions provided by the supply chain server; electronically receiving by the supply chain server a notice from the at least one supplier regarding the products sent to the cross-dock point; generating by the supply chain server at least one purchase order based upon the notice and generating at least one receipt based upon the notice; comparing by the supply chain server the at least one receipt with the supply plan; providing by the supply chain server at least one of a voucher and a payable when the at least one receipt and the supply plan match; assembling the products at the cross-dock point based upon particular customers who produced the forecasted demands, wherein the products are assembled according to product assembly instructions provided by the supply chain server; and sending corresponding products to the particular customers who produced the forecasted demands, wherein the corresponding products are sent according to customer shipment instructions provided by the supply chain server.