Patent Document ID: 8452628
Application ID: 11869875
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A computer-implemented method of facilitating interaction between members of a supply chain, comprising: providing, by a computer system that includes a processing unit, a communication platform offering access to standardized models and supply chain data including shared data, data management, data translation, data brokering, data aggregation, data segmentation, and collaborative planning; linking a plurality of private hubs to the communication platform for electronic data transfer, each private hub being deployed within a firewall associated with a member of the supply chain, each private hub being controlled by the member of the supply chain associated with the private hub and assessable by other members of the supply chain as authorized by the member of the supply chain associated with the private hub; providing, by the computer system, a standardized model for product decisions for each member at each level of the supply chain, the product decisions including changing product placement, assortment, space, price, promotion, inventory, manufacturing, or transportation; aligning the standardized model by mapping to a common customer, location, and time, so that content and orientation of supply chain data among each member at each level of the supply chain executes the same standardized model for the product decisions; formulating a product plan by a business that is a first member of the supply chain, the product plan utilizing the standardized model and supply chain data available to the first member to generate a forecast under the product plan; transferring the product plan with the standardized model, supply chain data, and forecast through a first private hub associated with and controlled by the first member and through the communication platform to a second private hub associated with and controlled by a business that is a second member of the supply chain and different from the business that is the first member of the supply chain so that the second member can evaluate each of the product plan, supply chain data, and forecast formulated under the standardized model independently, as formulated by the first member, within the second private hub; and approving, using the computer system, the product plan or formulating a revised product plan by the business that is the second member of the supply chain and different from the business that is the first member of the supply chain, the revised product plan utilizing the standardized model and supply chain data available to the second member to generate a revised forecast under the revised product plan; wherein the product plan includes a product decision that is controlled by the business that is the first member of the supply chain; and wherein the approving the product plan or formulating a revised product plan by the business that is the second member of the supply chain and different from the business that is the first member of the supply chain comprises: formulating, by the business that is the second member of the supply chain and different from the business that is the first member of the supply chain, a revised plan that: (i) includes a proposed change to the product decision that is controlled by the business that is the first member of the supply chain and (ii) requires approval by the business that is the first member of the supply chain after formulation of the revised plan that includes the proposed change to the product decision that is controlled by the business that is the first member of the supply chain; wherein the product plan further includes a product decision that is controlled by the business that is the second member of the supply chain; the method further comprising: formulating, by the business that is the first member of the supply chain and different from the business that is the second member of the supply chain, a revision to the revised plan that: (i) includes a proposed change to the product decision that is controlled by the business that is the second member of the supply chain and (ii) requires approval by the business that is the second member of the supply chain after formulation of the revised plan that includes the proposed change to the product decision that is controlled by the business that is the second member of the supply chain; wherein the business that is the first member of the supply chain is a retailer; wherein the business that is the second member of the supply chain and different than the business that is the first member of the supply chain is a manufacturer; wherein the product decision that is controlled by the first member of the supply chain and a change to which is proposed by the business that is the second member of the supply chain comprises: expansion of a visible display of a product in a store operated by the retailer that is the first member of the supply chain and different than the manufacturer that is the second member of the supply chain, and wherein the product plan's product decision that is controlled by the second member of the supply chain and a change to which is proposed by the business that is the first member of the supply chain comprises: a price for the product.