System and Method for Providing Buffer Inventory Profile in a Discrete Time Supply Chain Planner using a Nested Bucketization Structure

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for providing nested bucketization in a supply chain network. The system includes a server coupled with a database and configured to access data describing a time horizon of a specified time interval. The server is further configured to create an on-hand inventory profile which comprises a set of (day, quantity) pairs, stored in a linked list within a data structure involving nested buckets, wherein the on-hand inventory profile points to an empty link list when first created and store the on-hand inventory profile in the database.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A system comprising:
 a supply chain network comprising one or more supply chain entities having an on-hand inventory of one or more items;   a computer comprising a processor and memory configured to update an on-hand inventory by:
 receiving, from a database, a plurality of parent and leaf buckets comprising an on-hand inventory value and at least one leaf bucket comprising a linked list; 
 inserting a (day, quantity) pair into a current leaf bucket of the plurality of leaf buckets corresponding to a time period covering the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair after any nodes in the current leaf bucket which come before the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair; 
 adding the quantity specified by quantity of the (day, quantity) pair to each quantity of any nodes in the current leaf bucket which come before the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair; 
 adding the quantity specified by the quantity of the (day, quantity) pair to each bucket after the current leaf bucket and all buckets after all parent buckets in each level of nestedness; and 
 updating the on-hand inventory according to the insertion of the (day, quantity) pair; and 
   a supplier of the supply chain network that ships one or more items to the one or more supply chain entities based, at least in part, on the updated on-hand inventory.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the linked list comprises a number of (day, quantity) pairs less than or equal to a value, m, and each of the plurality of parent and leaf buckets comprises a length less than or equal to a time horizon divided by the value, m. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein inserting the (day, quantity) pair into the current leaf bucket comprises:
 when a linked list in the current leaf bucket does not exceed size m−1, inserting the (day, quantity) pair into the current leaf bucket corresponding to a time period covering the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair after any nodes in the current leaf bucket which come before the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair; and   when the linked list in the current leaf bucket exceeds size m−1, dividing the current leaf bucket into m number of further leaf buckets and inserting the (day, quantity) pair into one of the further leaf buckets corresponding to a time period covering the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair after any nodes in the further leaf bucket which come before the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the on-hand inventory comprises one or more of starting on-hand inventory, maximum on-hand inventory, and minimum on-hand inventory. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the computer further:
 generates a total of on-hand inventory for a queried time by:   when a (day, quantity) pair corresponds to the queried time, retrieves the total on-hand inventory for the queried time; and   when no (day, quantity) pair corresponds to the queried time and when a (day, quantity) pair corresponds to a time before the queried time, retrieves the total on-hand inventory for the time corresponding to the (day, quantity) pair corresponding to the time before the queried time.   
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the computer further:
 retrieves a listing of all days with quantities for which the on-hand inventory falls below a predetermined level.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein m is an integer and the time horizon is discontinuous or m is any number and the time horizon is continuous. 
     
     
         27 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a computer, a plurality of parent and leaf buckets comprising an on-hand inventory of one or more supply chain entities in a supply chain network and at least one leaf bucket comprising a linked list;   inserting, by the computer, a (day, quantity) pair into a current leaf bucket of the plurality of leaf buckets corresponding to a time period covering the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair after any nodes in the current leaf bucket which come before the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair;   adding, by the computer, the quantity specified by quantity of the (day, quantity) pair to each quantity of any nodes in the current leaf bucket which come before the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair;   adding, by the computer, the quantity specified by the quantity of the (day, quantity) pair to each bucket after the current leaf bucket and all buckets after all parent buckets in each level of nestedness;   updating, by the computer, the on-hand inventory according to the insertion of the (day, quantity) pair; and   shipping, by a supplier, one or more items to the one or more supply chain entities based, at least in part, on the updated on-hand inventory.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the linked list comprises a number of (day, quantity) pairs less than or equal to a value, m, and each of the plurality of parent and leaf buckets comprises a length less than or equal to a time horizon divided by the value, m. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein inserting, by the computer, the (day, quantity) pair into the current leaf bucket comprises:
 when a linked list in the current leaf bucket does not exceed size m−1, inserting, by the computer, the (day, quantity) pair into the current leaf bucket corresponding to a time period covering the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair after any nodes in the current leaf bucket which come before the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair; and   when the linked list in the current leaf bucket exceeds size m−1, dividing, by the computer, the current leaf bucket into m number of further leaf buckets and inserting, by the computer, the (day, quantity) pair into one of the further leaf buckets corresponding to a time period covering the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair after any nodes in the further leaf bucket which come before the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the on-hand inventory comprises one or more of starting on-hand inventory, maximum on-hand inventory, and minimum on-hand inventory. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 generating, by the computer, a total of on-hand inventory for a queried time by:   when a (day, quantity) pair corresponds to the queried time, retrieving, by the computer, the total on-hand inventory for the queried time; and   when no (day, quantity) pair corresponds to the queried time and when a (day, quantity) pair corresponds to a time before the queried time, retrieving, by the computer, the total on-hand inventory for the time corresponding to the (day, quantity) pair corresponding to the time before the queried time.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 retrieving, by the computer, a listing of all days with quantities for which the on-hand inventory falls below a predetermined level.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein m is an integer and the time horizon is discontinuous or m is any number and the time horizon is continuous. 
     
     
         34 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium embodied with software, the software when executed using one or more computers is configured to:
 receive a plurality of parent and leaf buckets comprising an on-hand inventory of one or more supply chain entities in a supply chain network and at least one leaf bucket comprising a linked list;   store a plurality of parent and leaf buckets comprising an on-hand inventory and at least one leaf bucket comprising a linked list;   insert a (day, quantity) pair into a current leaf bucket of the plurality of leaf buckets corresponding to a time period covering the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair after any nodes in the current leaf bucket which come before the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair;   add the quantity specified by quantity of the (day, quantity) pair to each quantity of any nodes in the current leaf bucket which come before the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair;   add the quantity specified by the quantity of the (day, quantity) pair to each bucket after the current leaf bucket and all buckets after all parent buckets in each level of nestedness;   update the on-hand inventory according to the insertion of the (day, quantity) pair; and   ship one or more items to the one or more supply chain entities based, at least in part, on the updated on-hand inventory.   
     
     
         35 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the linked list comprises a number of (day, quantity) pairs less than or equal to a value, m, and each of the plurality of parent and leaf buckets comprises a length less than or equal to a time horizon divided by the value, m. 
     
     
         36 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein the software is configured to insert the (day, quantity) pair into the current leaf bucket by:
 when a linked list in the current leaf bucket does not exceed size m−1, insert the (day, quantity) pair into the current leaf bucket corresponding to a time period covering the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair after any nodes in the current leaf bucket which come before the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair; and   when the linked list in the current leaf bucket exceeds size m−1, divide the current leaf bucket into m number of further leaf buckets and insert the (day, quantity) pair into one of the further leaf buckets corresponding to a time period covering the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair after any nodes in the further leaf bucket which come before the time specified by day of the (day, quantity) pair.   
     
     
         37 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein the on-hand inventory comprises one or more of starting on-hand inventory, maximum on-hand inventory, and minimum on-hand inventory. 
     
     
         38 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein the software is further configured to:
 generate a total of on-hand inventory for a queried time by:   when a (day, quantity) pair corresponds to the queried time, retrieve the total on-hand inventory for the queried time; and   when no (day, quantity) pair corresponds to the queried time and when a (day, quantity) pair corresponds to a time before the queried time, retrieve the total on-hand inventory for the time corresponding to the (day, quantity) pair corresponding to the time before the queried time.   
     
     
         39 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein the software is further configured to:
 retrieve a listing of all days with quantities for which the on-hand inventory falls below a predetermined level.