Order commitment method and system

Abstract

An order commitment method and system are described. The method includes the steps of identifying services and data capable of supporting an order commitment, and mapping the services to enable synchronized on-demand queries. The mapping step includes determining relationships among the services and the data and maintaining the relationships, wherein links are established to create fulfillment information. The method also includes using the fulfillment information to generate the order commitment.

1 .- 52 . (canceled) 
     
     
         53 . A method for synchronizing multiple, unrelated, external supply chain data sources into unified display of related data for a supply chain entity, comprising:
 registering the multiple, unrelated, external supply chain data sources, utilizing a processor and a memory;   mapping the registered data sources to a pre-existing data schema, wherein the mapping stores persistent data links that link to the registered data sources in a repository and establishes relationships between the data from the registered data sources without persistently storing a duplicate copy of the data from the registered data sources;   connecting to the registered data sources utilizing the persistent data links;   retrieving data from the registered data sources;   if the retrieved data is not in a system format, converting the retrieved data to the system format;   creating a view of the retrieve data based on the mapping of the registered data sources and a role of a user;   displaying the created view; and   if the data at the registered data sources is changed, automatically retrieving the changed data from registered data sources and repeating the creating a view with the changed data and repeating the displaying the created view.   
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53  wherein the pre-existing data schema remains unchanged if the data from the data sources changes. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 53  further comprising creating real-time, concurrent order fulfillment information based on data from the data sources, wherein the persistent data links enable the real-time, concurrent order fulfillment information to be automatically updated with corresponding changes to data at the data sources without persistently storing a duplicate copy of data from the data sources. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55  wherein the fulfillment information is created from structured data and unstructured data. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 55 , further comprising:
 using an order commitment Xschema, mapping the structured and the unstructured data to the order commitment Xschema to create decision support results.   
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 53  wherein displaying the created view-comprises:
 displaying a result of an unstructured search of the multiple, unrelated data sources;   displaying an unstructured order commit query of the multiple, unrelated data sources; and   displaying a role-based structured order commit query of the multiple, unrelated data sources.   
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 53  wherein displaying the created view comprises displaying the view using a web service application. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the pre-existing data schema is an Xschema, and wherein the mapping comprises:
 using an Xquery designer to map XML-formatted data to the Xschema; and   using an XML designer to map non-XML-formatted data to the Xschema.   
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 60  further comprising:
 storing the Xschema locally on a user device;   initiating Xqueries from the user device; and   asynchronously distributing and replicating changes and additions to the Xschema.