Supply chain orchestration system with orchestration, change management and internal material transfer flow

Abstract

A system is provided that orchestrate a supply chain orchestration process. The system receives a supply request and creates a supply order. The system further selects a supply chain orchestration process for the supply order, where the supply chain orchestration process includes one or more steps. The system further generates an executable supply chain orchestration process. The system further executes the executable supply chain orchestration process to generate one or more supply tasks that are defined by the one or more steps of the supply chain orchestration process. The system further sends the one or more supply tasks to one or more external supply execution systems. The system further receives one or more status values from the one or more external supply execution systems. The system further generates an overall status value for the supply chain orchestration process based on the one or more status values.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to orchestrate a supply chain orchestration process, the orchestrating comprising:
 receiving a supply request;   creating a supply order;   selecting a supply chain orchestration process for the supply order, wherein the supply chain orchestration process comprises one or more steps;   generating an executable supply chain orchestration process;   executing the executable supply chain orchestration process to generate one or more supply tasks that are defined by the one or more steps of the supply chain orchestration process;   sending the one or more supply tasks to one or more external supply execution systems;   receiving one or more status values from the one or more external supply execution systems; and   generating an overall status value for the supply chain orchestration process based on the one or more status values.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , the orchestrating further comprising:
 validating the supply request, wherein the supply request comprises a payload, and wherein the payload comprises one or more attributes;   determining whether the supply request is a request to create a supply or a request to modify a supply;   validating at least one attribute of the one or more attributes of the payload of the supply request;   determining a supply type of the supply request; and   enriching at least one attribute of the one or more attributes of the payload of the supply request.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the supply order comprises supply order header, one or more supply order lines, and one or more supply tracking lines;   wherein creating the supply order further comprises translating the one or more attributes of the payload of the supply request into one or more attributes of at least one of the supply order header, the one or more supply order lines, or the one or more supply tracking lines of the supply order.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , the orchestrating further comprising:
 defining the one or more steps for the supply chain orchestration process;   defining a task for each step of the supply chain orchestration process;   defining a sequence of the one or more steps of the supply chain orchestration process;   defining one or more status values for the supply chain orchestration process; and   assigning a cost of change to each step of the supply chain orchestration process.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 4 , the orchestrating further comprising:
 deploying the supply chain orchestration process;   creating a supply chain orchestration process instance, wherein the supply chain orchestration process instance comprises the executable supply chain orchestration process; and   executing the supply chain orchestration process instance.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , the orchestrating further comprising:
 receiving a supply task request;   creating a supply task comprising a payload;   sending a message comprising the payload of the supply task to an external interface layer;   transforming the payload of the supply task into an execution system-specific payload of the supply task; and   sending a message comprising the execution system-specific payload of the supply task to an external supply execution system.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 6 , the orchestrating further comprising:
 receiving one or more status values from the external supply execution system;   transforming the one or more status values into one or more transformed status values;   sending the one or more transformed status values to a business layer service;   transforming the one or more transformed status values into a task status; and   sending the task status to an orchestration layer.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , the orchestrating further comprising:
 receiving a change supply request;   creating a change supply order;   computing a delta between the change supply order and the supply order;   executing the executable supply chain orchestration process in a change mode to compensate at least one supply task that is defined by at least one step of the supply chain orchestration process using a compensation pattern; and   compensating the at least one supply task using at least one external supply execution system.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , the orchestrating further comprising:
 analyzing a supply request and determining whether the supply request is an internal material transfer request;   invoking one or more execution rules when the supply request is an internal material transfer request;   selecting one or more execution documents based on the one or more invoked execution rules when the supply request is an internal material transfer request;   creating a supply task comprising a payload when the supply request is an internal material transfer request, wherein the payload creates the one or more selected execution documents; and   sending a message comprising the payload of the supply task to an external supply execution system when the supply request is an internal material transfer request.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the supply request comprises one of: a request to create a supply; a request to make a supply; or a request to transfer a supply;   wherein the supply order comprises one of: an order to create a supply; a request to make a supply; or a request to transfer a supply;   wherein the supply chain orchestration process orchestrates a supply creation process; and   wherein the one or more external supply execution systems comprises at least one of: an external purchasing system; an external manufacturing system; or an external transfer system.   
     
     
         11 . A computer-implemented method for orchestrating a supply chain orchestration process, the computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving a supply request;   creating a supply order;   selecting a supply chain orchestration process for the supply order, wherein the supply chain orchestration process comprises one or more steps;   generating an executable supply chain orchestration process;   executing the executable supply chain orchestration process to generate one or more supply tasks that are defined by the one or more steps of the supply chain orchestration process;   sending the one or more supply tasks to one or more external supply execution systems;   receiving one or more status values from the one or more external supply execution systems; and   generating an overall status value for the supply chain orchestration process based on the one or more status values.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 validating the supply request, wherein the supply request comprises a payload, and wherein the payload comprises one or more attributes;   determining whether the supply request is a request to create a supply or a request to modify a supply;   validating at least one attribute of the one or more attributes of the payload of the supply request;   determining a supply type of the supply request; and   enriching at least one attribute of the one or more attributes of the payload of the supply request.   
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 defining the one or more steps for the supply chain orchestration process;   defining a task for each step of the supply chain orchestration process;   defining a sequence of the one or more steps of the supply chain orchestration process;   defining one or more status values for the supply chain orchestration process; and   assigning a cost of change to each step of the supply chain orchestration process.   
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving a change supply request;   creating a change supply order;   computing a delta between the change supply order and the supply order;   executing the executable supply chain orchestration process in a change mode to compensate at least one supply task that is defined by at least one step of the supply chain orchestration process using a compensation pattern; and   compensating the at least one supply task using at least one external supply execution system.   
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 analyzing a supply request and determining whether the supply request is an internal material transfer request;   invoking one or more execution rules when the supply request is an internal material transfer request;   selecting one or more execution documents based on the one or more invoked execution rules when the supply request is an internal material transfer request;   creating a supply task comprising a payload when the supply request is an internal material transfer request, wherein the payload creates the one or more selected execution documents; and   sending a message comprising the payload of the supply task to an external supply execution system when the supply request is an internal material transfer request.   
     
     
         16 . A system, comprising:
 a request reception module configured to receive a supply request;   an order creation module configured to create a supply order;   an orchestration process selection module configured to select a supply chain orchestration process for the supply order, wherein the supply chain orchestration process comprises one or more steps;   an executable orchestration process generating module configured to generate an executable supply chain orchestration process;   an execution module configured to execute the executable supply chain orchestration process to generate one or more supply tasks that are defined by the one or more steps of the supply chain orchestration process;   a task transmission module configured to send the one or more supply tasks to one or more external supply execution systems;   a status value reception module configured to receive one or more status values from the one or more external supply execution systems; and   a status value generating module configured to generate an overall status value for the supply chain orchestration process based on the one or more status values.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a supply request validation module configured to validate the supply request, wherein the supply request comprises a payload, and wherein the payload comprises one or more attributes;   a supply request determination module configured to determine whether the supply request is a request to create a supply or a request to modify a supply;   an attribute validation module configured to validate at least one attribute of the one or more attributes of the payload of the supply request;   a supply type determination module configured to determine a supply type of the supply request; and   an attribute enrichment module configured to enrich at least one attribute of the one or more attributes of the payload of the supply request.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 an orchestration process definition module configured to define the one or more steps for the supply chain orchestration process;   wherein the orchestration process definition module is further configured to define a task for each step of the supply chain orchestration process;   wherein the orchestration process definition module is further configured to define a sequence of the one or more steps of the supply chain orchestration process;   wherein the orchestration process definition module is further configured to define one or more status values for the supply chain orchestration process; and   wherein the orchestration process definition module is further configured to assign a cost of change to each step of the supply chain orchestration process.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a change supply request reception module configured to receive a change supply request;   a change supply order creation module configured to create a change supply order;   a delta computation module configured to compute a delta between the change supply order and the supply order;   a change mode execution module configured to execute the executable supply chain orchestration process in a change mode to compensate at least one supply task that is defined by at least one step of the supply chain orchestration process using a compensation pattern; and   a compensation module configured to compensate the at least one supply task using at least one external supply execution system.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 an analysis module configured to analyze a supply request and determining whether the supply request is an internal material transfer request;   an execution rule invocation module configured to invoke one or more execution rules when the supply request is an internal material transfer request;   an execution document selection module configured to select one or more execution documents based on the one or more invoked execution rules when the supply request is an internal material transfer request;   a supply task creation module configured to create a supply task comprising a payload when the supply request is an internal material transfer request, wherein the payload creates the one or more selected execution documents; and   a message transmission module configured to send a message comprising the payload of the supply task to an external supply execution system when the supply request is an internal material transfer request.