Patent ID: 7734365

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of allocating supplies among competing demands comprising: providing projected supply quantities of a supply using a computer; providing demands on said supply using said computer; transforming said demands to create multiple demand records, each having an associated priority, such that a single original demand record is transformed into a plurality of related demand records, each having an associated priority using said computer; accumulating said supply quantities based on raw component supply records into period ending inventories using said computer; and matching said multiple demand records to said period ending inventories in a process comprising: inputting an active demand of said multiple demand records using a computer; determining component information for said active demand using a bill of materials using said computer; attempting to satisfy said active demand from said period ending inventories using said computer; if said active demand is fully satisfied, removing all later related demand records associated with said active demand that have a later demand date than said active demand using said computer; if said active demand is only partially satisfied, continuing attempting to satisfy said active demand using said computer; and if said active demand is not satisfied, removing all related demand records associated with said active demand that have an earlier demand date than said active demand, and updating a present demand date of said active demand to a next demand date using said computer; if said present demand date cannot be updated, deleting said active demand and processing a next demand record as said active demand using said computer.