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System and method for distribution chain managementRelated Patent Categories: Data Processing: Financial, Business Practice, Management, Or Cost/price Determination, Automated Electrical Financial Or Business Practice Or Management Arrangement, Operations Research, Market Analysis, Demand Forecasting Or SurveyingSystem and method for distribution chain management description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20050261954, System and method for distribution chain management. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention pertains to the field of inventory management. More specifically, the invention relates to a system and method for distribution change management that allows a single entity to control distribution through warehouses controlled by multiple entities. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Systems for distribution chain management are known in the art. Such systems include systems that track orders from manufacturers through a warehouse or warehouses that are controlled by a single entity, for distribution to retail locations. [0003] While such systems are useful, they do not support distribution through other than straight distribution chains. Thus, every distribution chain must be modeled as a manufacturer-warehouse-retail store distribution chain. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0004] In accordance with the present invention, a system and method for distribution chain management are provided that overcomes known problems with existing systems and methods for distribution chain management. [0005] In particular, a system for distribution chain management is provided that allows architectures other than the manufacturer-warehouse-- retail store architecture to be implemented. [0006] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a system for supply chain management is provided. The system includes two or more manufacturer systems receiving order data, such as data identifying goods that have been ordered for each of two or more warehouses, and generating first and second shipment data, such as data identifying the actual amount of goods that were shipped. A warehouse system receives the order data, such as to allow a warehouse operator to make plans for accommodating the order, and the shipment data, such as to notify the warehouse operator of actual amounts of goods that have been shipped. An order controller system generates the order data and receives the shipment data, such as data identifying goods that are being shipped to the order controller system. [0007] The present invention provides many important technical advantages. One important technical advantage of the present invention is a distribution chain management system that allows warehouses controlled by multiple entities to be coordinated, so as to decrease shipping costs and storage costs, and to improve the ability to take advantage of volume discounts. [0008] Those skilled in the art will appreciate the advantages and superior features of the invention together with other important aspects thereof on reading the detailed description that follows in conjunction with the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS [0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system for supply chain management in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [0010] FIG. 2 is a diagram of a system for providing order control in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [0011] FIG. 3 is a diagram of a system for forecast and planning in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [0012] FIG. 4 is a diagram of a system for providing warehouse management in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [0013] FIG. 5 is a diagram of a system for providing distribution functionality in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [0014] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method for supply chain management in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [0015] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method for processing data at a warehouse facility in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and [0016] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method for reverse logistics in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0017] In the description that follows like parts are marked throughout the specification and drawings with the same reference numerals, respectively. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be shown in somewhat generalized or schematic form in the interest of clarity and conciseness. [0018] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system 100 for supply chain management in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. System 100 allows a supply chain to be managed from an order controller, which generates purchase order data for one or more external warehouses, such as those controlled by unaffiliated organizations, in addition to purchase order data for goods that are processed through an internal warehouse of the order controller. [0019] System 100 includes order controller system 102, forecast and planning system 104, manufacturer systems 106a through 106n, warehouse systems 108a and 108b, distribution system 110, and retail systems 112a through 112n, each of which can be implemented in hardware, software, or a suitable combination of hardware and software, and each of which can be one or more software systems operating on separate general purpose processing platforms. As used herein, a hardware system can include discrete semiconductor devices, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other suitable devices. A software system can include one or more objects, agents, threads, lines of code, subroutines, separate software applications, user-readable (source) code, machine-readable (object) code, two or more lines of code in two or more corresponding software applications, databases, or other suitable software architectures. In one exemplary embodiment, a software system can include one or more lines of code in a general purpose software application, such as an operating system, and one or more lines of code in a specific purpose software application. Continue reading about System and method for distribution chain management... Full patent description for System and method for distribution chain management Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this System and method for distribution chain management patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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