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 system for transportation scheduling comprising:
 an order controller operating on a processor and configured to receive retail location inventory data for each of a plurality of retail locations and to generate first vendor order data that identifies first products that are to be shipped from a first vendor and second vendor order that identifies second products that are to be shipped from a second vendor, wherein the first products and the second products are to be shipped to an internal warehouse associated with the order controller as a function of the retail location inventory data, and to generate third vendor order data that identifies third products that are to be shipped from a third vendor to an external warehouse associated with a third party, and wherein the first vendor order data, the second vendor order data and the third vendor order data are generated as a function of the retail location inventory data;   an internal warehouse system operating on a processor and configured to receive the first vendor order data and the second vendor order data and to generate first shipment data for shipment of the first supplies to a distribution center and to generate second shipment data for shipment of the second supplies to the external warehouse;   an external warehouse system operating on a processor and configured to receive the third vendor order data and to generate third shipment data for shipment of the second supplies and the third supplies to a first subset of the plurality of retail locations on a single vehicle; and   a distribution system operating on a processor and configured to receive the first shipment data and to generate fourth shipment data for shipment of the first supplies and fourth supplies to a second subset of the plurality of retail locations on a single vehicle.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the order controller system is further configured to receive product promotion data and to generating fifth shipment data to transfer non-defective inventory at the external warehouse to the internal warehouse. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the order controller system is further configured to receive product rollout data and to generate fifth shipment data to transfer non-defective inventory at the external warehouse to the internal warehouse. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the order controller system is further configured to receive product replacement data and to generate fifth shipment data to transfer non-defective inventory at the external warehouse to the internal warehouse. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the order controller system is further configured to receive product deletion data and to generate fifth shipment data to transfer non-defective inventory at the external warehouse to the internal warehouse. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the order controller system is further configured to receive inventory data for the plurality of retail locations and to generate fifth shipment data to modify non-defective inventory at the external warehouse and the internal warehouse based on the inventory data for the plurality of retail locations. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the order controller system is further configured to generate fifth shipment data to modify a distribution of inventory at the external warehouse and the internal warehouse in response to product promotion data for a third subset of the plurality of retail locations. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the order controller system is further configured to generate fifth shipment data to modify a distribution of inventory at the external warehouse and the internal warehouse in response to product rollout data for a third subset of the plurality of retail locations. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the order controller system is further configured to generate fifth shipment data to modify a distribution of inventory at the external warehouse and the internal warehouse in response to product replacement data for a third subset of the plurality of retail locations. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the order controller system is further configured to generate fifth shipment data to modify a distribution of inventory at the external warehouse and the internal warehouse in response to product deletion data for a third subset of the plurality of retail locations. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the fifth shipment data is generated by modifying shipment data for regularly scheduled delivery vehicles. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 21  further comprising an implied inventory system operating on a processor and configured to receive the third shipment data and the fourth shipment data and to generate implied inventory data for an external warehouse. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the order controller system is configured to modify one or more of the first shipment data, the second shipment data, the third shipment data, the fourth shipment data or the fifth shipment data. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the order controller system is configured to modify one or more of the first shipment data, the second shipment data, the third shipment data, the fourth shipment data or the fifth shipment data as a function of the retail location inventory data. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the order controller system is configured to receive out of stock data from a subset of the plurality of the retail locations and to generate fifth shipment data to transfer supplies from the external warehouse to the internal warehouse. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the order controller system is configured to receive out of stock data from a subset of the plurality of the retail locations and to generate fifth shipment data to transfer supplies from the internal warehouse to the external warehouse. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the order controller system is configured to receive product promotion data for a subset of the plurality of the retail locations and to generate fifth shipment data to transfer supplies from the external warehouse to the internal warehouse. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the order controller system is configured to receive product rollout data for a subset of the plurality of the retail locations and to generate fifth shipment data to transfer supplies from the external warehouse to the internal warehouse. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the order controller system is configured to receive product replacement data for a subset of the plurality of the retail locations and to generate fifth shipment data to transfer supplies from the external warehouse to the internal warehouse.