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US 8,027,860 B2Granted
Systems and methods for planning demand for configurable products
AssigneeSap SE
InventorThomas John
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed for planning demand of a product, such as a configurable product. In one embodiment, a method is provided for planning demand for a configurable product in a managed supply chain. The method may comprise the steps of storing data relating to the possible combinations of characteristics defining configurable products, wherein product dependent characteristic data and product independent characteristic data are stored dependently with respect to one another, and converting a planning demand for a configurable product into a planning demand for an actual combination of characteristics defining a configured product.
Claims23
A computer-implemented method for planning demand for a configurable product in a managed supply chain, comprising:
- storing, using a processor, characteristic values relating to product-dependent characteristics and product-independent characteristics of configurable products, wherein the storing comprises storing product-dependent characteristic values and product-independent characteristic values dependently with respect to one another in a hierarchical manner;
- calculating, using the processor, possible characteristic value combinations of the product-dependent characteristics defining a configurable product, the number of possible characteristic value combinations being dependent on a stored product-independent characteristic value, wherein the calculating comprises:
- generating an identifier that indicates an object-related dependency between product-dependent characteristic values of the configurable product;
- storing the calculated characteristic value combinations of the product-dependent characteristics:
- generating, using the processor, a planning demand for the configurable product comprising at least one of the possible characteristic value combinations of product-dependent and product-independent characteristics defining the configurable product;
- and
- converting, using the processor, the planning demand for the configurable product into a planning demand for an actual characteristic value combination defining a configured product.
4 more elements
An apparatus for planning demand for configurable products in a managed supply chain, comprising:
- a computer-readable storage medium;
- and
- a processor coupled to the computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores instructions for controlling the processor, and wherein the processor, being operative with the instructions, is configured to:
- store characteristic values relating to product-dependent characteristics and product-independent characteristics of configurable products, wherein product-dependent characteristic values and product-independent characteristic values are stored dependently with respect to one another in a hierarchical manner;
- calculate possible characteristic value combinations of the product-dependent characteristics defining a configurable product, the number of possible characteristic value combinations being dependent on a stored product-independent characteristic value, wherein the calculating comprises:
- generating an identifier that indicates an object-related dependency between product-dependent characteristic values of the configurable product;
- store the calculated characteristic value combinations of the product-dependent characteristics;
- generate a planning demand for the configurable product comprising at least one of the possible characteristic value combinations of the product-dependent and product-independent characteristic values defining the configurable product;
- and
- convert the planning demand for the configurable product into a planning demand for an actual characteristic value combination of characteristics defining a configured product.
7 more elements
A program storage device readable by a processor, the program storage device storing a set of instructions executable by the processor to perform a method for demand planning, the method comprising the steps of:
- storing characteristic values relating to product-dependent characteristics and product-independent characteristics of configurable products, wherein the storing comprises storing the product-dependent characteristic values and the product-independent characteristic values dependently with respect to one another in a hierarchical manner;
- calculating possible characteristic value combinations of the product-dependent characteristics defining a configurable product, the number of possible characteristic value combinations being dependent on a stored product-independent characteristic, wherein the calculating comprises:
- generating an identifier that indicates an object-related dependency between the product-dependent characteristic values of the configurable product;
- storing the calculated characteristic value combinations of the product-dependent characteristics;
- generating a planning demand for the configurable product comprising at least one of the possible characteristic value combinations of product-dependent and product-independent characteristics defining the configurable product;
- and
- converting the planning demand for the configurable product into a planning demand for an actual characteristic value combination of characteristics defining a configured product.
4 more elements
A computer-implemented method for planning demand for a configurable product in a managed supply chain, comprising:
- storing, using a processor, characteristic values relating to product-dependent characteristics and product-independent characteristics of configurable products, wherein the storing comprises storing the product-dependent characteristic values and the product-independent characteristic values dependently with respect to one another in a hierarchical manner;
- calculating, using the processor, possible characteristic value combinations of the product-dependent characteristics defining a configurable product, the number of possible characteristic value combinations being dependent on a stored product-independent characteristic value, wherein the calculating comprises:
- generating an identifier that indicates an object-related dependency between the product-dependent characteristic values of the configurable product;
- storing the calculated characteristic value combinations of the product-dependent characteristics;
- generating, using the processor, a planning demand for the configurable product comprising at least one of the possible characteristic value combinations of product-dependent and product-independent characteristic values;
- converting, using the processor, the planning demand for the configurable product into a planning demand for an actual characteristic value combination defining requirements of a sales forecast of a configured product;
- receiving, using the processor, an order for the configured product;
- matching, using the processor, characteristic values of the sales forecast with one or more characteristic values of the received order;
- and
- when a characteristic value of the sales order matches a characteristic value of the order, replacing, using the processor, at least one requirement of the sales forecast with a requirement of the received order.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.