System and method for distribution chain management

Abstract

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.

1 - 20 . (canceled)  
     
     
         21 . A coordinated database system for managing supply chain logistics data comprising: 
 a plurality of manufacturer database systems receiving order data and transmitting internal warehouse shipment data to an internal warehouse database system and external warehouse shipment data to an external warehouse database system;    the internal warehouse database system receiving the internal warehouse shipment data and generating internal warehouse inventory data;    the external warehouse database system receiving the external warehouse shipment data and generating external warehouse inventory data; 
 order controller means for generating the order data and receiving the internal warehouse shipment data, the external warehouse shipment data, the internal warehouse inventory data and the external warehouse inventory data, the order controller means further comprising: 
 internal warehouse order system means for determining inventory levels at an internal warehouse and generating shipment data for shipments from the internal warehouse to a plurality of retail locations; and  
 external warehouse order means for determining inventory levels at an external warehouse and generating shipment data for shipments from the first warehouse to the plurality of retail locations; and  
 
   wherein the order controller means is associated with the internal warehouse and gives priority to shipments to the plurality of retail locations from the internal warehouse over shipments from the external warehouse.    
     
     
         22 . The coordinated database system for managing supply chain logistics data of  claim 21  further comprising implied inventory means for generating implied inventory data from shipment data and historical inventory data.  
     
     
         23 . The coordinated database system for managing supply chain logistics data of  claim 21  further comprising forecast management means for receiving sales data from the plurality of retail locations and generating forecast data, where the order controller means receives the forecast data and generates the order data based on the forecast data.  
     
     
         24 . The coordinated database system for managing supply chain logistics data of  claim 21  further comprising product management means for receiving new product data and retail store location data and generating product replacement data for the plurality of retail locations, where the order controller means receives the product replacement data and generates the order data based on the product replacement data.  
     
     
         25 . The coordinated database system for managing supply chain logistics data of  claim 21  further comprising promotion management means for receiving promotion data and retail store location data and generating product promotion data for the plurality of retail locations, where the order controller means receives the product promotion data and generates the order data based on the product promotion data.  
     
     
         26 . The coordinated database system for managing supply chain logistics data of  claim 21  further comprising product management means for receiving new product data and retail store location data and generating product replacement data for the plurality of retail locations, where the order controller means receives the product replacement data and generates the order data based on the product replacement data.  
     
     
         27 . The coordinated database system for managing supply chain logistics data of  claim 21  further comprising reverse logistic means for receiving new product data and retail store location data and generating product replacement data for the plurality of retail locations, where the order controller means receives the product replacement data and generates the order data based on the product replacement data.  
     
     
         28 . The coordinated database system for managing supply chain logistics data of  claim 21  further comprising: 
 a distribution center database system receiving the internal warehouse shipment data and distribution center shipment data and generating distribution center inventory data;    the order controller means also for receiving the distribution center shipment data and the distribution center inventory data, the order controller means further comprising: 
 distribution center order means for determining inventory levels at a distribution center and generating shipment data for shipments from the distribution center to the plurality of retail locations; and  
   wherein the order controller means is associated with the distribution center and gives priority to shipments to the plurality of retail locations from the distribution center over shipments from the internal warehouse or the external warehouse.    
     
     
         29 . The coordinated database system for managing supply chain logistics data of  claim 28  wherein the order controller means further comprises distribution center order means for receiving order data from the plurality of retail locations and generating shipment data for shipments from the distribution center to the plurality of retail locations  
     
     
         30 . A method for managing a supply chain database comprising: 
 receiving external inventory data at an order controller database, where the external inventory data is associated with inventory data from a third party warehouse database;    receiving internal inventory data at the order controller database, where the internal inventory data is associated with inventory data from a warehouse database associated with the order controller;    receiving order data at the order controller database; and    generating external order data and internal order data in response to the order data, the external inventory data and the internal inventory data, where priority is given to filling the order data with the internal inventory data before using the external inventory data.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30  further comprising receiving inventory data from a plurality of retail database systems at the order controller database and generating the external order data and the internal order data in response to the order data, the external inventory data, the internal inventory data, and the inventory data for the plurality of retail database systems, where priority is given to filling the order data with the internal inventory data before using the external inventory data.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30  further comprising receiving inventory data from a plurality of retail database systems, each associated with a retail location, at the order controller database and generating the external order data and the internal order data in response to the order data, the external inventory data, the internal inventory data, and the inventory data for the plurality of retail database systems, where priority is given to filling the order data based on a shorter of a distance between each of the plurality of retail locations and the external warehouse or the internal warehouse.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  further comprising receiving product promotion data at the order controller database and generating the external order data and the internal order data in response to the order data, the external inventory data, the internal inventory data, and the product promotion data, where priority is given to filling the order data based on the product promotion data and a shorter of a distance between each of the plurality of retail locations and the external warehouse or the internal warehouse.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32  further comprising receiving product rollout data at the order controller database and generating the external order data and the internal order data in response to the order data, the external inventory data, the internal inventory data, and the product rollout data, where priority is given to filling the order data based on the product rollout data and the inventory of each of the plurality of retail database systems, so as to ensure that there is adequate space available for a product associated with the product rollout data.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32  further comprising receiving product replacement data associated with a replacement product at the order controller database and generating the external order data and the internal order data in response to the order data, the external inventory data, the internal inventory data, and the product replacement data, where priority is given to filling the order data based on the product replacement data and the inventory of each of the plurality of retail database systems, so as to ensure that there is no overlap between a discontinued product and the replacement product.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 32  further comprising receiving product deletion data associated with a deleted product at the order controller database and generating the external order data and the internal order data in response to the order data, the external inventory data, the internal inventory data, and the product deletion data, where priority is given to filling the order data based on the product deletion data and the inventory of each of the plurality of retail database systems, so as to ensure that a deleted product is removed in a predetermined sequence from the retail locations.  
     
     
         37 . A system for supply chain database management comprising: 
 a plurality of manufacturer database systems receiving order data and generating first and second warehouse shipment data;    a warehouse database system receiving the order data and the first warehouse shipment data;    a forecast and planning database system generating forecast data; and    an order controller database system receiving the forecast data and the first and second warehouse shipment data and generating the order data, the order controller database system further comprising: 
 an internal warehouse order database system generating internal warehouse order data for a warehouse that is operated by an operator of the supply chain management system;  
 an external warehouse order database system generating external warehouse order data for a warehouse that is not operated by the operator of the supply chain management system; and  
 an implied inventory database system receiving shipping data, receiving data, and loss data, and generating implied inventory data.  
   
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 35  wherein the forecast and planning database system further comprises product management means for generating one or more of the group comprising product rollout data, product deletion data, and product replacement, data wherein the order controller system receives the one or more of the product rollout data, the product deletion data, and the product rollout data and generates the order data in response to the one or more of the product rollout data, the product deletion data, and the product rollout data.  
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 35  wherein the forecast and planning database system further comprises promotion management means for generating product promotion data, wherein the order controller system receives the product promotion data and generates the order data in response to the product promotion data.