Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING PLANNING INFORMATION
ASSOCIATED WITH A SUPPLY CHAIN
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to the field of
enterprise resource planning and, more particularly, to a
system and method for displaying planning information
associated with a supply chain.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Business enterprises use computer-implemented
management systems to model supply chains and to provide
plans for producing and delivering products and services to
customers. Typically, management systems address planning
decisions as constrained optimization problems. For
example, in a manufacturing environment, a management
system may schedule a sequence of tasks for a piece of
manufacturing equipment. The management system might
specify start times for each task according to one or more
optimization criteria, such as minimizing inventory,
maximizing profit, or maximizing resource utilization. The
management system might also considers various constraints,
such as the capabilities of the equipment or deadlines by
which products must be delivered to customers. Previous
systems are inadequate for many needs, particularly with
respect to the manner in which planning information
associated with supply chains is provided to users of these
systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a system and
method for displaying planning information associated with
a supply chain is provided that substantially reduces or
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eliminates disadvantages and problems associated with
previous supply chain management systems and methods.
According to one embodiment of the present invention,
a system operating on at least one computer for displaying
planning information associated with a supply chain
includes an enterprise model, a planning engine, and a
presentation interface. The enterprise model represents a
supply chain that involves a plurality of products and
resources. The planning engine uses the enterprise model
to generate planning information for the supply chain
according to one or more specified constraints and one or
more optimization criteria. The presentation interface
generates a first visual display for selected planning
information. The first visual display includes a cashflow
report providing a net present value for one or more
products in the supply chain. Each net present value
reflects revenues and expenses associated with a
corresponding product according to time periods in which
the revenues and expenses occur.
The system and method of the present invention provide
a number of important technical advantages. The present
invention describes a variety of reports that visually
display planning information to a user. Using the reports,
a supply chain planner can more effectively understand the
dynamic problems and performance issues associated with a
supply chain, and can better solve and optimize a supply
chain plan. Additional technical advantages will be
readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
To provide a more complete understanding of the
present invention, and for further features and advantages
thereof, reference is now made to the following description
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taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in
which:
FIGURE 1 illustrates an exemplary system for managing
a supply chain;
FIGURE 2 illustrates an exemplary planning cashflow
report according to the present invention;
FIGURE 3 illustrates an exemplary profit margin report
according to the present invention;
FIGURE 4 illustrates an exemplary allocation according
to the present invention;
FIGURE 5 illustrates an exemplary product report
according to the present invention;
FIGURE 6 illustrates a product mix report according to
the present invention;
FIGURE 7 illustrates a production report according to
the present invention;
FIGURE 8 illustrates a three-dimensional cashflow
report according to the present invention; and
FIGURE 9 illustrates a three-dimensional plant
distribution report according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIGURE 1 illustrates an exemplary system 10 for
managing a supply chain. System 10 includes a computer 14,
a memory 16, an input device 18, and an output device 20.
As described in further detail below, system 10 generates
a visual display 32 that presents to a user planning
information relating to a supply chain. The supply chain
may exist entirely within a single enterprise or may span
a number of enterprises, and the planning information may
relate to procuring raw materials or component parts,
manufacturing, distribution, transportation, warehousing,
sales, or any other suitable activity involved in providing
products to customers or flow within the supply chain.
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Memory 16 contains an enterprise model 24, a planning
engine 26, and a presentation interface 28. Enterprise
model 24, planning engine 26, and presentation interface 28
represent software components that are each responsible for
a separate set of well-defined tasks. In a particular
embodiment, enterprise model 24, planning engine 26, and
presentation interface 28 are implemented using object-
oriented programming techniques. Although a particular
software implementation is described with reference to
FIGURE 1, system 10 contemplates any suitable combination
of hardware, software, or both hardware and software that
implements the described functionality. Although memory 16
is illustrated as external to computer 14 in FIGURE 1,
memory I6 may be external or integral to computer 14
according to particular needs. Memory 16 may include
volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or both.
Enterprise model 24 represents a supply chain in terms
its products and their component parts. To produce and
deliver products to customers, an enterprise must use
resources to perform various activities. These resources
may include raw materials, component parts, labor,
manufacturing facilities and equipment, distribution
channels, transportation resources, warehouses, sales
support, or any other resources that may affect the
enterprise's ability to produce and deliver products to
customers. For profit optimization planning, enterprise
model 24 generates, for each product in a supply chain,
cash inflows and cash outflows that represent revenues and
expenses associated with the products. In a particular
embodiment, model 24 calculates expenses by representing
costs according to the times at which the costs occur.
This method of calculating expenses more accurately
reflects the time value of money than an accrual method
that does not recognize costs until a sale occurs. Model
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24 includes raw material costs, operation costs, inventory
carrying costs, handling costs, or any other suitable costs
that accompany supply chain activities in any suitable
combination. In a particular embodiment, model 24 stores
5 raw material costs in terms of dollars/unit, operation
costs in terms of dollars/unit or dollars/hour, inventory
carrying costs in terms of dollars/unit/time, and handling
costs in terms of dollars/unit.
Using enterprise model 24, planning engine 26
generates planning information relating to the supply chain
being modeled. The planning information may relate to
long-term, short-term, or any other planning horizon and
may include various level of detail. For example only and
not by way of limitation, the planning information may
describe aggregate levels of production over several years
or schedules of daily activities relating to specific
products and resources. To generate the planning
information, engine 26 attempts to maximize or minimize one
or more optimization criteria while satisfying specified
constraints. The optimization criteria may include
minimizing inventory, maximizing profit, maximizing
resource utilization, maximizing profit margins, or any
other suitable criteria according to particular needs. The
constraints may include resource requirements, resource
availability, material requirements, material availability,
process run rates and yields, demand, contractual demand
fulfillment requirements, order commitments, initial on-
hand inventories, maximum and minimum inventory amounts,
customer priority or any other factors that may affect
decisions of the enterprise in providing products to
customers. In a particular embodiment, engine 26 generates
a plan that optimizes profit by maximizing the net present
values of cashflows in model 24, where net present value is
defined as:
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D Revenue - Raw Material Costs - Operation Expenses
- OCarrying Costs
In other embodiments, engine 26 may maximize profit in
terms other than net present value.
Engine 26 may use one or more customer priority
constraints to provide hierarchical "layered-demand"
planning. This feature permits recognition of specified
customer priorities. For example, dealings with a
particular customer may provide strategic advantages for
the enterprise despite lower profit margins associated with
servicing the customer. Engine 26 also permits the user to
simulate and evaluate proposed plans and business
scenarios. In a particular embodiment, a user may test
scenarios by changing a demand for a product, production
volume of a product, resource capacity, inventory levels,
or any other suitable constraints.
Presentation layer 28 provides a user interface for
inputting data affecting model 24, for scenario analysis of
model 24, and for viewing planning information generated by
engine 26. Based on the planning information generated by
engine 26, presentation interface 28 generates several
supply chain reports, singly or in any suitable
combination, which are described in further detail below
with reference to FIGURES 2-9.
Enterprise model 24, planning engine 26, and
presentation interface 28 operate on one or more computers
14 that include at least one processor 30. Computer 14
receives information from a user using an input device 18,
which may include a keyboard, mouse, touch-screen,
microphone, or any other advice that accepts information.
Computer 14 presents visual display 32 to the user using
output device 20, which may include a computer monitor, a
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projector, a printer, or any other suitable device with a
display screen or other visual output capability. In a
particular embodiment, computer 14 is a network server, and
users interact with computer 14 using one or more client
computers 22. In such an embodiment, client computers 22
may provide planning information to various personnel at
geographically distributed locations.
FIGURES 2-9 illustrate exemplary visual displays 32
generated by presentation interface 28 and displayed using
output device 20. Although the supply chain reports in
FIGURES 2-9 relate to the steel industry, presentation
interface 28 may generate and output device 20 may display
similar supply chain reports relating to any suitable
single-enterprise or multi-enterprise industry or supply
chain environment. In a particular embodiment, visual
display 32 present the reports in one or more application
windows that include pull-down menus, tool bars, or other
suitable graphical user interfaces to receive commands,
instructions, options, or other input from a user. Using
any of the supply chain reports described with reference to
FIGURES 2-9, a user can simulate and evaluate proposed
supply chain plans developed by planning engine 26.
FIGURE 2 illustrates an exemplary cashflow report 40
that provides a net present value of the cashflows
associated with each product in a supply chain. In
cashflow report 40, a product panel 42 lists various
products produced during a specified time frame, organized
by product group or in any other suitable manner. A net
present value ("NPV") panel 44 lists the net present value
of the cashflows associated with each product. As
indicated in NPV panel 44, enterprise model 24 associates
revenues and expenses with end products, which permits
presentation interface 28 to list cashflows separately for
each product. This capability may be especially
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significant for industries where a resource or raw material
may be used to make multiple end products . For example,
the steel-making industry may use a hot strip mill to
produce a number of end products . The net present value
information in NPV panel 44 reflects supply chain revenues
and expenses discounted according to the time periods in
which the revenues and expenses occur. Cashflow report 40
specifies a discount rate 48 and a yearly compound number
50. Using discount rate 48 and compound number 50,
planning engine 26 calculates the net present value
information displayed in NPV panel 44. In a particular
embodiment, a user may modify discount rate 48 and compound
number 50 to view various scenarios under alternative
assumptions.
A profit panel 46 divides the profits or other
cashflows associated with each product into a number of
different time periods. Each column 52 displays cashflows
during a particular time period. The time period may be a
day, week, month, quarter, year, or any other suitable time
period according to particular needs. As an alternative
to, or in addition to cashflow report 40, an income
statement report (not shown) may provide, for each product,
a net income that reflects costs according to the time
periods in which related revenues are realized.
FIGURE 3 illustrates an exemplary profit margin report
60 indicating, for each product related to a selected
resource, a profit margin per time interval use of the
selected resource. In an entry box 62, report 60 specifies
a time horizon that may be modified by a user. The time
horizon may be limited to a day, week, month, quarter,
year, or any other suitable time period, or may be
unlimited as shown in the illustrated embodiment. Using a
pull-down selector 64, a user selects a resource in the
supply chain. In the illustrated embodiment, a user has
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selected a manufacturing facility, specifically a hot roll
mill. As indicated in pull-down selector 64, the hot roll
mill has an 88 percent utilization rate. Report 60
represents products associated with the selected resource
using nodes 66 labeled by product identifiers 67. Report
60 displays nodes 66 on a graph 68 to indicate, for each
product, a profit margin per time interval use of the
selected resource.
In the illustrated embodiment, graph 68 indicates
profit margins per resource hour, although graph 68 may
indicate profits margin averaged over a day, week, quarter,
year, or any other suitable time interval for measuring use
of the selected resource. Graph 68 breaks down the
parameter of profit margin per resource hour into two
dimensions: profit margin per unit and units per resource
hour. If the two dimensions are multiplied, the result is
in terms of margin per resource hour. A first axis 70,
labeled "Contribution," provides a scale illustrating a
profit margin per unit for each product represented by one
of nodes 66. A second axis 72, labeled "Run Rate,"
provides a scale illustrating a rate at which the selected
resource processes each product represented by one of nodes
66. Products represented by nodes 66 in the upper right of
graph 68 have the highest margin per resource hour.
FIGURE 4 illustrates an exemplary resource allocation
report 80 indicating, for each product associated with a
selected resource, a forecasted demand and a number of
units allocated for production. As described above with
reference to FIGURE 3, a user selects a time horizon using
an entry box 81 and a resource in the supply chain using a
pull-down selector 82. As shown, the user has again
selected the hot roll mill with an 88 percent utilization
rate. Product allocation report 80 displays a bar graph 84
that includes a bar 86 for each product associated with the
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selected resource. A first axis 88 is scaled in terms of
profit margin per resource hour and a second axis 90 is
scaled in terms of number of units. Each bar 86 is
associated with a first position on first axis 88 and
5 indicates a profit margin per resource hour for an
associated product. The total length of each bar 86
indicates a forecasted demand in terms of the number of
units that could be sold if customer demand were
satisfied. A marker 92 on each bar 86 indicates the number
10 of units actually allocated for production. Because, in
the illustrated embodiment, system 10 allocates production
resources, such as the selected hot roll mill, to maximize
profit, products having higher margins per resource hour
have a higher number of units allocated for production.
Graph 84 illustrates this relationship in that markers 92
appear higher on bars 86 that are positioned further to the
right on first axis 88.
In response to a user selecting one of the products
associated with the hot roll mill, presentation interface
28 generates a pop-up box 94 specifying numerical values
for the forecasted demand, the allocated production, and
the profit margin per resource hour for the selected
product. In a particular embodiment, pop-up box 99 also
indicates a "lower bound," representing a minimum
production allocation. The user may select a product for
which pop-up box 94 is generated by clicking on an
associated bar 86 or marker 92.
FIGURE 5 illustrates an exemplary product report 100
indicating, for, each product, a percentage of forecasted
demand satisfied by allocated production, a profit margin
per unit, and a rate at which units are processed by a
selected resource. In entry box 101, report 100 specifies
a time horizon that may be modified by a user as described
above with reference to FIGURE 3. Product report 100
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includes a list 108 of product identifiers 110. A user may
select a sort criterion using pull-down selector I12 to
cause presentation interface 28 to sort list 108 according
to the selected criterion. In the illustrated embodiment,
a user has selected "Contribution" as the sort criterion
and, in response, presentation interface 28 has sorted list
108 of product identifiers 110 according to the profit
margin per unit of each product.
Product report I00 includes a forecast allocated bar
graph 102, a contribution bar graph 104, and a run rate bar
graph 106. Forecast allocated bar graph 102 associates
each product identifier 110 with a bar 114 indicating a
percentage of forecasted demand allocated for production.
In the illustrated embodiment, bar graph I02 also includes
numerical values 116 indicating the percentages of
forecasted demand allocated for production and ranks 118
indicating the relative sizes of the percentages.
Contribution bar graph 104 associates each product
identifier 110 with a bar 120 indicating each identified
product's profit margin per unit. In the illustrated
embodiment, bar graph 104 also associates each product
identifier 110 with a numerical value 122 indicating the
profit margin per unit and a rank 124 indicating the
relative sizes of the profit margins. Because presentation
interface 28 sorted list I08 of product identifiers 110
according to contribution in the illustrated embodiment,
ranks 124 appear in order of the relative sizes of profit
margins.
Run rate .bar graph 106 associates each product
identifier 110 with a bar 128 indicating a rate at which
units are processed by a selected resource. Using pull-
down selector 216, a user selects a resource in the supply
chain. In the illustrated embodiment, a user again has
selected the hot roll mill with an 88 percent utilization
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rate. In response to the user selection, run rate bar
graph 106 associates each product identifier 110 with a bar
i28 indicating a rate at which the selected resource, in
this case the hot roll mill, processes units of each
identified product. In the illustrated embodiment, run
rate bar graph 106 also includes numerical values 130
indicating the rates of processing and ranks 132 indicating
relative relationships among the processing rates.
Although the processing rates are specified in terms of
units produced per hour, processing rates may be determined
over days, weeks, months, quarters, years, or any other
suitable time periods.
FIGURE 6 illustrates an exemplary product mix report
140 indicating several products' shares of an allocated mix
of production, and a utilization report 142 indicating the
percentages of resources or raw materials utilized in a
production plan. Product mix report 240 includes a pie
chart 144 indicating several products' share of an
allocated mix of production. Using pull-down selector 146,
a user may choose to view each product's share of the total
allocated production or a portion of the allocated
production. A legend 148 associates product identifiers
150 with display characteristics 152 of sections 156 of pie
chart 144. In the illustrated embodiment, product mix
report 140 also specifies percentage values 154 associated
with each section 156 of pie chart 144.
Utilization report 142 includes a bar graph 158
indicating the percentages of raw materials or resources
utilized in a production plan generated by planning engine
26. In the illustrated embodiment, utilization report 142
includes a resource utilization tab 160 and a raw materials
tab 162, such that a user may elect to view either resource
utilization information or raw material utilization
information, respectively. In the illustrated embodiment,
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either by default or in response to a user selection,
utilization report 142 displays resource utilization
information. Bar graph 158 includes an axis 164 with
resource identifiers 166 and an axis 168 scaled according
to percentages 170. Each resource identifier 166 is
associated with a bar 172 extending from axis 164 a length
indicative of each identified resource's percent
utilization. In the illustrated embodiment, bar graph 158
also includes values 174 specifying percent utilizations
for each resource identifier 166. If a user were to select
tab 162, bar graph 158 would indicate the percent of
purchased raw materials utilized according to a production
plan generated by engine 26.
FIGURE 7 illustrates an exemplary production report
180 indicating, for each product, a forecasted demand and
a number of units allocated for production. Production
report 180 is similar to resource allocation report 80 in
FIGURE 4 but, unlike resource allocation report 80,
production report 180 displays all products without regard
to whether the products are associated with a selected
resource and does not include an axis scaled according to
profit margin per resource hour. Like resource allocation
report 80, production report 180 includes a bar graph 182
with bars 184 associated with products in a supply chain.
Each bar 184 is labeled with a product identifier 186. The
length of each bar 184 indicates a forecasted demand for
each identified product, and marker 188 on each bar 184
indicates a number of units allocated for production
according to the planning information generated by engine
26.
FIGURE 8 illustrates an exemplary three-dimensional
cashflow report 190 indicating cashflows associated with
various products and time periods. Presentation interface
28 may generate such three-dimensional reports to provide,
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in a single window, coordinated information that would
otherwise require several windows and might be more
difficult to interpret for a user. Cashflow report 190
includes a bottom panel 192, a left panel 194, and a right
panel 196. Bottom panel 192 displays a three-dimensional
bar graph 197. A first axis 198 is divided into intervals
199 according to time periods and a second axis 200 is
divided into intervals 201 according to products in a
supply chain. Time period intervals 199 along first axis
198 are labeled by a month 202 and a year 204, and product
intervals 201 along second axis 200 are labeled by product
identifiers 206. Although the time periods are months in
the illustrated embodiment, the time periods may be days,
weeks, months, quarters, years, or any other suitable time
periods.
Time period intervals 199 and product intervals 201
intersect to form a grid 208. Each box 210 in grid 208 is
associated with a particular combination of a time period
and a product, and each box 210 includes a bar 212 having
a height 214 indicating a number of units of the associated
product produced during the associated time period. In
response to a user selecting one of bars 212, presentation
interface 28 may generate a pop-up window (not shown)
specifying numerical values related to the time period and
product associated with selected bar 212. Left panel 194
displays a two dimensional bar graph 216 of net cashflow
for each product across all time periods. Right panel 196
displays a two-dimensional bar graph 218 of net cashflow in
each time period across all products.
FIGURE 9 illustrates an exemplary three-dimensional
plant distribution report 220 indicating planning
information related to specific plant locations. Plant
distribution report includes a bottom panel 222, a left
panel 224, and a right panel 226. Bottom panel 222
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displays different plant locations along a first axis 228
and margins per hour along a second axis 230. Icons 232 in
bottom panel 222 represent products or resources in a
supply chain and are each associated with a particular
5 plant location along first axis 228 and a particular profit
margin per hour along second axis 230.
Left panel 224 displays planning information relating
to the locations specified along first axis 228 according
to a selected parameter. A user selects a parameter using
10 a menu, tool bar, or in any other suitable manner.
Although a user has selected resource utilization as the
parameter in the illustrated embodiment, left panel 224 may
display planning information relating to profit margins per
unit, profit margins per hour, rates of production,
15 forecasted demands, allocated production, net present
values, cash flows, costs, or any other parameter relating
to a supply chain. Each bar 234 on left panel 224
corresponds to a location at the same position on first
axis 228 of bottom panel 222. In other words, a first bar
236 corresponds to the "Boston" location, a second bar 238
corresponds to the "Singapore" location, etc. Thus, a user
can quickly determine a location's margin rate and resource
utilization using bottom panel 222 and left panel 224,
respectively. Right panel 226 displays additional data for
a selected location. A user selects a location and a
parameter using a menu, tool bar, or in any other suitable
manner. In the illustrated embodiment, a user has selected
"Austin" and units per hour.
Although the present invention has been described with
several embodiments, a person skilled in the art could make
various alterations, modifications, and additions without
departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention as defined in the appended claims.
