Method, system and software for inventory management
AssigneeFischer USA Inc.
InventorsGary F. Falkenstein, Norbert Fischer, Daniel A. DeLeeuw
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computer implemented method, system, and software that tracks inventories of a time period sensitive item on a time period basis. A demand for the time period sensitive item for each time period in a time interval is generated. A production plan for producing a source item that produces the time period sensitive item for each time period in the time interval is generated. The source item generates the time period sensitive item over various time periods in the time interval. The time period sensitive items are reserved for the established demand on a time period basis. The time period sensitive items include vegetative cuttings and plug seedlings.
Claims35
A computer implemented method of tracking inventories of a time period sensitive item on a time period basis, the method comprising the steps of:
- establishing demand for the time period sensitive item for each time period in a time interval;
- establishing a production plan for producing a source item that produces the time period sensitive item for each time period in the time interval, wherein the source item generates the time period sensitive item over various time periods in the time interval;
- and
- reserving time period sensitive items for the established demand on a time period basis.
2 The computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the time period sensitive item comprises a vegetative cutting and the source item comprises a stock plant.
The computer implemented method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:
- determining time period based availability of cuttings from the stock plants;
- and
- determining a production period for rooted stock plant, wherein the production plan is calculated by factoring in the time period based availability of cuttings and the production period for the rooted stock plant cuttings.
The computer implemented method according to claim 2, wherein the step of reserving time period sensitive items for the established demand on a time period basis comprises:
- receiving orders for the time period items;
- and
- automatically spreading the orders to farms based on logic rules.
The computer implemented method according to claim 2, wherein the step of establishing a production plan comprises correlating the stock plants to actual physical locations in a farm and specifying the variety, type, and quantity of the stock plants.
The computer implemented method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of adjusting the production plan by verifying actual plantings of the stock plants and comparing with planned plantings of the stock plants.
An inventory control system for tracking inventories of a time period sensitive item on a time period basis, comprises:
- a sales system processing unit configured to establish demand for the time period sensitive item for each time period in a time interval;
- a farm system processing unit configured to establish a production plan to generate a source item that produces the time period sensitive item for each time period in the time interval, wherein the source item generates the time period sensitive item over various time periods in the time interval;
- and
- a main system processing unit configured to reserve the time period sensitive items for the established demand on a time period basis.
A computer readable medium having computer program code recorded thereon, the computer program code configured to cause a computing system to perform the following steps:
- establishing demand for the time period sensitive item for each time period in a time interval;
- establishing a production plan for producing a source item that produces the time period sensitive item for each time period in the time interval, wherein the source item generates the time period sensitive item over various time periods in the time interval;
- and
- reserving time period sensitive items for the established demand on a time period basis.
An inventory control system for tracking inventories of a time period sensitive item on a time period basis, comprising:
- means for establishing demand for the time period sensitive item for each time period in a time interval;
- means for establishing a production plan for producing a source item that produces the time period sensitive item for each time period in the time interval, wherein the source item generates the time period sensitive item over various time periods in the time interval;
- and
- means for reserving time period sensitive items for the established demand on a time period basis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.