Patent ID: 7941331

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of determining a probability distribution to represent order lead time, comprising: generating, using a computer, a plurality of probability distributions of order lead time options, each probability distribution of order lead time option associated with one of a plurality of categories; identifying, using the computer, a category that corresponds to a supply chain comprising a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes comprising a starting node and an ending node that supplies a customer, the supply chain designating a path from the starting node to the ending node; dividing, using the computer, the path into a plurality of order lead time segments; selecting, using the computer, a probability distribution of order lead time option associated with the identified category as a probability distribution of order lead time of the supply chain, the probability distribution of order lead time describing order lead time at an ending node demand of the ending node; and determining a demand percentage of each order lead time segment in accordance with the probability distribution of order lead time, each demand percentage describing a percentage of ending node demand associated with an order lead time segment.