Multi-feature product inventory management and allocation system and method

Abstract

A data store includes, for a dealer of interest, a target inventory mix rate for an item having a feature. A computing device is configured to perform an optimization to obtain a recommended feature allocation of the item including the feature by minimizing a difference between a projected inventory mix rate for the feature and the target inventory mix rate for the feature.

1 - 41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . A method, comprising:
 determining, for a dealer of interest, a target inventory mix rate for an item having multiple features by using dealer-level historical sales mix rates and market-level historical sales mix rates for the features;   determining a projected inventory mix rate for the features based at least in part on projected dealer sales for the features; and   performing, in a computing device having a processor and a memory, a mathematical programming optimization that includes an objective function and constraints to obtain a recommended feature allocation of the item including the features, based at least in part on at least one weighting factor associated with the dealer of interest, by minimizing a difference between a projected inventory mix rate for the features and the target inventory mix rate for the features.   
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the constraints include at least one of a production constraint, a material availability constraint, and an item definition constraint, and further wherein the optimization compares output of the optimization relative to an optimal value of the objective function. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising:
 for the dealer of interest, calculating each of: (a) dealer-level feature-related sales of an item over a set of times where the sales are related to a feature of the item, (b) dealer-level total sales for the item over the set of times, and (c) a dealer-level historical sales mix rate for the feature based at least in part on the dealer-level total sales and the dealer-level feature sales;   for a market related to the dealer of interest, calculating each of: (d) market-level feature-related sales of an item over the set of times where the sales are related to a feature of the item, (e) market-level total sales for the item over the set of times, and (f) a market-level historical sales mix rate for the feature based at least in part on the market-level total sales and the market-level feature sales;   using the dealer-level historical sales mix rates and the market-level historical mix rates for the feature at least in part in determining the target inventory mix rate; and   calculating an amount of dealer-level item-related inventory and market-level item-related inventory related to the item over the set of the times.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising:
 calculating a historical dealer sales rate for the item by dividing the dealer-level item-related inventory into the dealer-level item-related sales;   calculating a historical market sales rate for the item by dividing the market-level item-related inventory into the market-level item-related sales;   calculating a relative dealer total sales rate by dividing the historical market sales rate for the item into a difference between the historical dealer sales rate for the item and the historical market sales rate for the item;   determining the target inventory mix rate for the item based at least in part on the relative dealer total sales rate in addition to the historical sales mix rate for the features; and   adjusting the target inventory mix rate for at least one of the features based on at least one of the dealer historical sales mix rate for the feature, the market historical sales mix rate for the feature, and a relative dealer total sales rate for the item.   
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising adjusting the target inventory mix rate based on anticipated changes to future sales mix rates. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising:
 defining the market according to a location of the dealer of interest; and   applying a weight to at least one of sales and inventories associated with a dealer in the market based upon a distance between the location of the dealer of interest and a location of the dealer in the market;   wherein defining the market includes determining an area according to a radius around the location, the radius being determined according to at least one of a predetermined distance, a predetermined time of travel, a predetermined distance of travel, and a distance necessary to encompass a predetermined number of dealers.   
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the item definition constraint is defined by at least one of a set of all possible item configurations and a set of inequalities derived from the set of all possible item configurations. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the recommended feature allocation is based at least in part one of at least one weighting factor associated with the dealer of interest, the at least one weighting factor including at least one of a weight based on expected dealer inventory and expected dealer item sales, and a feature parameter to weight a relative importance of a chosen feature relative to other features for which a recommended order is being determined. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising:
 calculating an amount of projected sales at a specified time for the item based at least in part on a dealer's inventory and sales rate for the item;   determining a projected inventory of the item at the specified time based at least in part on actual dealer inventory, the projected sales rate for dealer inventory, and an amount of expected arriving inventory of the item including the feature;   using the projected inventory at least in part to determine the projected inventory mix rate.   determining if the amount of projected inventory for the feature at the specified time is negative and, if the amount of projected inventory for the feature at the specified time is negative:
 determining a number of units projected to have been sold that are in excess of inventory for a feature family in which the feature is included; 
 setting the projected sales for the feature to available inventory for the feature at the specified time; and 
 redistributing the number of units projected to have been sold that are in excess of available inventory for the feature family to other features within the feature family. 
   
     
     
         51 . A system, comprising:
 a data store that includes, for a dealer of interest, a target inventory mix rate for an item having multiple features by using dealer-level historical sales mix rates and market-level historical sales mix rates for the features; and   a computing device including a processor and a memory that is configured to:
 determine a projected inventory mix rate for the features based at least in part on projected dealer sales for the features; and 
 perform a mathematical programming optimization that includes an objective function and constraints to obtain a recommended feature allocation of the item including the features, based at least in part on at least one weighting factor associated with the dealer of interest, by minimizing a difference between a projected inventory mix rate for the features and the target inventory mix rate for the features. 
   
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein the constraints include at least one of a production constraint, a material availability constraint, and an item definition constraint, and further wherein the optimization compares output of the optimization relative to an optimal value of the objective function. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 51 , the computing device further configured to:
 for the dealer of interest, calculate each of: (a) dealer-level feature-related sales of an item over a set of times where the sales are related to a feature of the item, (b) dealer-level total sales for the item over the set of times, and (c) a dealer-level historical sales mix rate for the feature based at least in part on the dealer-level total sales and the dealer-level feature sales;   for a market related to the dealer of interest, calculate each of: (d) market-level feature-related sales of an item over the set of times where the sales are related to a feature of the item, (e) market-level total sales for the item over the set of times, and (f) a market-level historical sales mix rate for the feature based at least in part on the market-level total sales and the market-level feature sales; and   use the dealer-level historical sales mix rates and the market-level historical mix rates for the feature at least in part in determining the target inventory mix rate.   
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 53 , the computing device further configured to:
 calculate an amount of dealer-level item-related inventory and market-level item-related inventory related to the item over the set of the times;   calculate a historical dealer sales rate for the item by dividing the dealer-level item-related inventory into the dealer-level item-related sales;   calculate a historical market sales rate for the item by dividing the market-level item-related inventory into the market-level item-related sales;   calculate a relative dealer total sales rate by dividing the historical market sales rate for the item into a difference between the historical dealer sales rate for the item and the historical market sales rate for the item;   determine the target inventory mix rate for the item based at least in part on the relative dealer total sales rate in addition to the historical sales mix rate for the features; and   adjust the target inventory mix rate for at least one of the features based on at least one of the dealer historical sales mix rate for the feature, the market historical sales mix rate for the feature, and a relative dealer total sales rate for the item.   
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 53 , the computing device further configured to adjust the target inventory mix rate based on anticipated changes to future sales mix rates. 
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 53 , the computing device further configured to:
 define the market according to a location of the dealer of interest, and   apply a weight to at least one of sales and inventories associated with a dealer in the market based upon a distance between the location of the dealer of interest and a location of the dealer in the market;   wherein defining the market includes determining an area according to a radius around the location, the radius being determined according to at least one of a predetermined distance, a predetermined time of travel, a predetermined distance of travel, and a distance necessary to encompass a predetermined number of dealers.   
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein the item definition constraint is defined by at least one of a set of all possible item configurations and a set of inequalities derived from the set of all possible item configurations. 
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein the recommended feature allocation is based at least in part one of at least one weighting factor associated with the dealer of interest, the at least one weighting factor including at least one of a weight based on expected dealer inventory and expected dealer item sales, and a feature parameter to weight a relative importance of a chosen feature relative to other features for which a recommended order is being determined. 
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 51 , the computing device further configured to:
 calculate an amount of projected sales at a specified time for the item based at least in part on a dealer's inventory and sales rate for the item;   determine a projected inventory of the item at the specified time based at least in part on actual dealer inventory, the projected sales rate for dealer inventory, and an amount of expected arriving inventory of the item including the feature;   use the projected inventory at least in part to determine the projected inventory mix rate; and   determine if the amount of projected inventory for the feature at the specified time is negative and, if the amount of projected inventory for the feature at the specified time is negative:
 determine a number of units projected to have been sold that are in excess of inventory for a feature family in which the feature is included; 
 set the projected sales for the feature to available inventory for the feature at the specified time; and 
 redistribute the number of units projected to have been sold that are in excess of available inventory for the feature family to other features within the feature family. 
   
     
     
         60 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions tangibly embodied thereon, the instructions comprising instructions for:
 determining, for a dealer of interest, a target inventory mix rate for an item having multiple features by using dealer-level historical sales mix rates and market-level historical sales mix rates for the features;   determining a projected inventory mix rate for the features based at least in part on projected dealer sales for the features; and   performing, in a computing device having a processor and a memory, a mathematical programming optimization that includes an objective function and constraints to obtain a recommended feature allocation of the item including the features, based at least in part on at least one weighting factor associated with the dealer of interest, by minimizing a difference between a projected inventory mix rate for the features and the target inventory mix rate for the features;   
     
     
         61 . The medium of  claim 60 , wherein the constraints include at least one of a production constraint, a material availability constraint, and an item definition constraint, and further wherein the optimization compares output of the optimization relative to an optimal value of the objective function. 
     
     
         62 . The medium of  claim 60 , the instructions further comprising instructions for:
 for the dealer of interest, calculating each of: (a) dealer-level feature-related sales of an item over a set of times where the sales are related to a feature of the item, (b) dealer-level total sales for the item over the set of times, and (c) a dealer-level historical sales mix rate for the feature based at least in part on the dealer-level total sales and the dealer-level feature sales;   for a market related to the dealer of interest, calculating each of: (d) market-level feature-related sales of an item over the set of times where the sales are related to a feature of the item, (e) market-level total sales for the item over the set of times, and (f) a market-level historical sales mix rate for the feature based at least in part on the market-level total sales and the market-level feature sales; and   using the dealer-level historical sales mix rates and the market-level historical mix rates for the feature at least in part in determining the target inventory mix rate.   
     
     
         63 . The medium of  claim 62 , the instructions further comprising instructions for:
 calculating an amount of dealer-level item-related inventory and market-level item-related inventory related to the item over the set of the times;   calculating a historical dealer sales rate for the item by dividing the dealer-level item-related inventory into the dealer-level item-related sales;   calculating a historical market sales rate for the item by dividing the market-level item-related inventory into the market-level item-related sales;   calculating a relative dealer total sales rate by dividing the historical market sales rate for the item into a difference between the historical dealer sales rate for the item and the historical market sales rate for the item;   determining the target inventory mix rate for the item based at least in part on the relative dealer total sales rate in addition to the historical sales mix rate for the features; and   adjusting the target inventory mix rate for at least one of the features based on at least one of the dealer historical sales mix rate for the feature, the market historical sales mix rate for the feature, and a relative dealer total sales rate for the item.   
     
     
         64 . The medium of  claim 60 , wherein the item definition constraint is defined by at least one of a set of all possible item configurations and a set of inequalities derived from the set of all possible item configurations. 
     
     
         65 . The method of medium of  claim 60 , wherein the recommended feature allocation is based at least in part one of at least one weighting factor associated with the dealer of interest, the at least one weighting factor including at least one of a weight based on expected dealer inventory and expected dealer item sales, and a feature parameter to weight a relative importance of a chosen feature relative to other features for which a recommended order is being determined.