DE10053881A1 - Computer controlled logistic system for handling supply of goods to a user - Google Patents

Abstract

A computer controlled logistics system is used to manage the delivery of goods from a supplier to a customer. The supplier and customer are linked via the internet and the requirements are continuously updated . The supplier operated a prognosis system to predict the delivery times.

Description

The invention relates to a method for computer-aided Logistics support, a logistics system as well as a Computer-readable storage medium and a computer program Element.

A logistics system is known in which there is a need for Supplier products that are required to manufacture a End product takes place on the part of a consumer in such a way that monitoring the inventory of supplier products On the part of the consumer is done by the consumer himself. The consumer believes that subsequent delivery of a respective supplier product is required from a scheduling department or one Production department of the consumer usually to one Purchasing department of the consumer reported that a Subsequent delivery of the respective supplier product required is.

In addition, each type of is under a supplier product To understand raw material or packaging material, which in Framework of a manufacturing process for manufacturing a predetermined end product is used.

The purchasing department of the consumer created on the basis of Requirement request from the MRP department or Production department placed an order and submitted the Order to the respective supplier (supplier), that means the company that the desired Supplier product manufactures and provides.  

Due to the order placed by the consumer from the supplier the desired quantity of the ordered respective supplier product delivered to the consumer.

The one delivered to the consumer by the supplier The quantity of the supplier product is recorded by the consumer and according to an invoice issued by the supplier on the basis of the quantity delivered by the respective supplier Product billed and booked and paid accordingly.

In other words, that means that of that Suppliers, generally a supplier Invoices are checked by the consumer and at positive verification can be released for payment.

This well-known procedure in a logistics system requires a lot of manual effort for everyone in the Entire departments involved both on the side of the consumer as well as on the side of the supplier.

Furthermore, there is a considerable disadvantage of this known one Procedure to be seen in that product responsibility and responsibility for managing the Material stocks, i.e. the stocks of the supplier Products are the responsibility of the consumer and thus an increased effort to monitor the Required material on the consumer side is.

Another major disadvantage for the supplier is especially seen in that due to the usual Checking a bill he made a significant one Time required for the check, combined with a corresponding delay in the payment of the Bill exists, creating a corresponding material Impairment for the supplier can be observed.  

The invention is therefore based on the problem of a improved computer-aided logistics support with respect to at least part of the above Create disadvantages.

The problem is compounded by the process Logistics support, the logistics system, the Computer-readable storage medium and the computer program Element with the characteristics according to the independent Claims resolved.

In a computer-based process Logistics support in a system with at least one Consumers in need of supplier products to manufacture of at least one end product from at least part of the Supplier products and with at least one supplier from the supplier supplier products for removal by the Provided to consumers.

In this context, everyone is under one supplier Understand the authority that manufactures supplier products and / or sells, for example a supplier company or an individual acting as a supplier.

Furthermore, each type of is under a supplier product Understand raw material and / or packaging material, which is part of a manufacturing process of a final Product which is manufactured using at least the supplier Products are made to understand.

In this context, everyone is a consumer Instance to understand the supplier products to manufacture of an end product from at least part of the supplier Products used and the corresponding end product manufactures, in general, every instance that the supplier Products in any way you can specify processed or reused.  

The provision of the supplier products by the supplier can be done through a warehouse, for example by the consumer is made available to the supplier. So can the warehouse, for example, on a company site of the Consumer.

Are used by the consumer to manufacture under a Manufacturing process Supplier products for manufacturing the End product removed, then one, preferably automatic, recording of the removal of the supplier Products from the warehouse.

The removal can be done automatically, for example by means of one or more barcode scanners or others automatic detection means take place, as well as by means of manual input by an employee on the part of the Consumer.

After recording the removal, which for example through entries in a supplier product Removal file is saved, an automatic takes place Billing on the basis of the consumer withdrawn supplier products, preferably using the supplier product removal file.

There are at least one consumer in a logistics system Need for supplier products to manufacture at least an end product from at least part of the supplier Products and at least one supplier are provided. Furthermore, a warehouse is provided for providing Supplier products from the supplier for removal by the Consumer.

In general, any number of suppliers, one any number of consumers, as well as one  basically any number of bearings in the Logistics system to be provided.

Thus, through the logistics system, a vividly "Marketplace" can be created using the above and the procedure described below is carried out.

Furthermore, at least one detection unit is for detection of consumer products that have been removed provided, the supplier products by the consumer be taken out using at least part of the supplier products the desired end product manufacture.

With the registration unit is a billing unit coupled with which an automatic billing by the Consumer on the basis of the extracted supply Products can be carried out.

There is a in a computer readable storage medium Computer program stored in logistics support a system with at least one consumer with need Supplier products to provide at least one End product from at least some of the supplier products, and with at least one supplier, which computer program when executed by a processor, the ones described above Has process steps.

Furthermore, a computer program element assigns Logistics support in a system with at least one Consumers in need of supplier products to manufacture of at least one end product from at least part of the Supplier products and with at least one supplier its execution by a processor the above described process steps.  

The invention makes it considerably easier Logistics system or a considerably simplified procedure for computer-aided logistics support, which for both the consumer and the supplier allows significant advantages, especially in the context of Simplify the relevant required Transactions.

This leads to significant cost savings for both the consumer as well as the supplier.

The invention can be used both by means of a computer program, that means in software, as well as by means of a special electronic circuit, that is, implemented in hardware become.

The procedure described above clearly means that the supplier takes full responsibility for the constant Availability of supplier products in the respective warehouse for removal by the consumer.

Preferred developments of the invention result from the dependent claims.

The described embodiments of the invention relate to both the process, the logistics system, the computer readable Storage medium as well as the computer program element.

The supplier can get additional from the consumer Forecast information about a forecast supplier Product needs are provided that are preferably based on previous consumption data on consumption or Needs of supplier products based, d. H. history-based is determined, and / or based on the current Production planning (at finished product level) is determined.  

By this embodiment of the invention, it is for the Suppliers much more reliable possible set up corresponding manufacturing planning and thus a reliable continuous deployment of corresponding required supplier products for the To ensure consumers.

The forecast information can be given to the respective supplier for example by means of an electronic medium, preferably a fax or also via a Telecommunications network, such as the Internet or the Intranet, are generally provided in any electronic form.

This embodiment of the invention is another Simplification and thus a further cost reduction reached.

Settlement can be done using a electronic credit for the respective supplier take place on the basis of the actual factual Consumption per billing period.

The logistics system is particularly vivid under Use of a networked public Telecommunications system using the Internet Protocol, that is, a protocol stack from transport Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP), vividly as an electronic "marketplace" for the Administration and billing of supplier products and their Removal and billing by a consumer for Manufacture an end product.

Billing can be done using an electronic Billing system done, which in periodic Intervals can be started, preferably several times Every day.  

In this way, one becomes very good for the supplier advantageous instantane, d. H. immediate and immediate Settlement and credit of the corresponding negotiated Amounts for the withdrawn supplier products reached become.

An embodiment of the invention is in the figures shown and will be explained in more detail below.

Show it

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a section of the logistics system of Figure 2 with a consumer and a supplier.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of a logistics system with any number of consumers, any number of bearings and any number of suppliers according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a flow diagram in which the individual process steps, which are carried out on the part of a consumer, are shown; and

Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the individual process steps that are carried out on the part of a supplier.

FIG. 2 shows a logistics system 200 with any number of consumers 201 , 202 , 203 , 204 , which each manufacture and / or sell at least one end product 209 , 210 , 211 , 212 using intermediate products.

Any number of suppliers 205 , 206 , 207 , 208 are also provided.

The suppliers 205 , 206 , 207 , 208 each produce supplier products that are used by one or more consumers 201 , 202 , 203 , 204 to produce an end product 209 that is specific to the respective consumer 201 , 202 , 203 , 204 , 210 , 211 , 212 to manufacture and / or sell.

In this context, it should be pointed out that the suppliers 205 , 206 , 207 , 208 may alternatively or additionally also be intermediaries for the corresponding supplier products.

Furthermore, a storage system 213 with an arbitrary number of bearings 214 , 215 , 216 , 217 is provided for receiving the supplier products that are provided by the suppliers 205 , 206 , 207 , 208 .

Each supplier 205 , 206 , 207 , 208 each has access to at least a portion of the bearings 214 , 215 , 216 , 217 , symbolized in FIG. 2 by corresponding connections between the suppliers 205 , 206 , 207 , 208 and the bearings 214 , 215 , 216 , 217 .

Each supplier 205 , 206 , 207 , 208 produces at least one supplier product 218 , 219 , 220 , 221 , 222 , 223 , 224 and makes this available in the respective warehouse 214 , 215 , 216 , 217 .

Each supplier 205 , 206 , 207 , 208 is responsible for the permanent sufficient availability of its supplied supplier products 218 , 219 , 220 , 221 , 222 , 223 , 224 in the respective warehouses 214 , 215 , 216 , 217 .

The consumers 201 , 202 , 203 , 204 have sufficient access authorization to remove at least some of the stores 214 , 215 , 216 , 217 from the supply products 218 , 219 , 220 stored in the stores 214 , 215 , 216 , 217 , 221 , 222 , 223 , 224 .

Supplier products 218 , 219 , 220 , 221 , 222 , 223 , 224 are removed from the respective stores 214 , 215 , 216 , 217 as required by the consumer 201 , 202 , 203 , 204 and using the removed supplier products 218 , 219 , 220 , 221 , 222 , 223 , 224 the respective end product 209 , 210 , 211 , 212 is manufactured by the respective consumers 201 , 202 , 203 , 204 .

Furthermore, consumers 201 , 202 , 203 , 204 and suppliers 205 , 206 , 207 , 208 are coupled to one another via a telecommunications network (not shown), so that communication between consumers 201 , 202 , 203 , 204 and suppliers 205 , 206 , 207 , 208 using, for example, the Internet and / or intranet.

To simplify the representation of the actions and processes carried out in the logistics system 200 , FIG. 1 shows a section 100 of the logistics system 200 from FIG. 2 with a consumer 101 and a supplier 102 , which are coupled to one another by means of a telecommunication connection 104 .

A bearing 103 is also shown in FIG. 1.

From a computer of the consumer 101 , forecast information about a forecast consumption of one or more predetermined supplier products that are to be provided by the supplier 102 is transmitted to the supplier 102 (that is to say in particular a computer of the supplier) via the Internet or the intranet a forecast information message 105 .

The information can, for example, be made available to the supplier 102 as an Excel ^™ file on an Internet homepage of the consumer 101 and downloaded by the consumer 102 .

The forecast information can be based, for example, on previous consumption data of the consumer and / or planned production information, that is to say depending on production plans for the production of an end product using the supplier products provided by the consumer 102 .

Based on the planned volume of production on the part of the consumer 101 , the supplier 102 can determine on the basis of the knowledge of the supply products required in each case for an end product, the quantity of supply products required by the consumer at a specific point in time or for a specific period of time become.

On the basis of the forecast information, the supplier 102 provides supplier products 106 in the warehouse 103 for their need-based removal by the consumer 101 .

This clearly means that the consumer 102 checks and manages the inventory 107 of the supplier products 106 in the warehouse 103 using the forecast information message 105 , so that if the consumer 101 complies with the actual consumption of the supplier products 106 accordingly Comparison with the forecast consumption in the forecast information message 105 ensures that sufficient supply products 106 are available for the consumer for removal and further use or further processing.

Using the supply products 106 , the consumer 101 also produces (block 108 ) an end product 109 using additional sub-products 107, for example.

Furthermore, on the basis of the delivery products 106 removed from the warehouse 103 , the removal is automatically recorded by a registration unit 110 , for example a barcode scanner, which detects the receipt of the delivery products 106 in the respective production site of the consumer 101 .

The data about the registered supplier products 106 are supplied as consumption data 111 to a billing unit 112 , from which billing unit 112 an automatic electronic credit 113 is generated and credited to the supplier 102 .

The electronic credit note that has been made is transmitted to the supplier 102 as a credit message 114, preferably via the Internet by means of an electronic message.

As explained above, the billing is therefore no longer based on the supplier products 106 supplied by the supplier 102, which were delivered according to an order on the part of the consumer, but the billing is based on the actually removed supplier products 106 the warehouse 103 , which warehouse is managed by the supplier 102 .

In Fig. 3 is shown in a flow chart 300 for the respective load 101, which steps are performed by a computer of the consumer 101 in accordance with this embodiment, as part of the logistics process.

In a first step (step 301 ), for example, the forecast information is ascertained in the manner described above, that is to say it is ascertained which probable need for one or more supplier product 106 exists in a predetermined future period.

The forecast information is made available to the supplier 102 in a further step (step 302 ), for example via a homepage of the consumer 101 on the Internet.

Alternatively, information about the inventory can be provided to the supplier 102 , likewise, for example, via a homepage of the consumer 101 on the Internet.

Furthermore, as part of his production, the consumer 101 removes the supply products 106 which he requires from the warehouse 103 , to which he has access in each case (step 303 ).

Depending on the number of supplier products actually removed from the warehouse 103 , the consumer carries out automated electronic billing (step 304 ).

FIG. 4 shows on a flowchart 400 which actions each of the suppliers 102 according to this exemplary embodiment takes place in the context of the logistics process, that is to say in the context of its provision of supplier products for the consumer 101 .

In a first step (step 401 ), the supplier 102 reads in forecast information, for example via the Internet, by downloading a forecast information file, and the forecast information is used to determine a forecast supplier's supply product demand in the respective future time period to which the forecast information relates relates, determined.

Furthermore, preferably in predetermined periodic time intervals, the supplier 102 determines the inventory of the supplier products 106 in the warehouse 103 which he manages in each case (step 402 ).

This step is optional especially if information about the inventory of the consumer itself is reported.

Depending on the ascertained actual inventory and the ascertained predicted supplier product requirement, the supplier 102 determines whether there are sufficient supplier products in the warehouse 103 or whether there is a need for subsequent delivery, that is to say, in other words, whether there are further supplier products 106 delivered to the warehouse 103 and thus must be made available to the consumer 101 (step 403 ).

It is seen from the supplier 102 required 103 to complement the bearing to further supplies products 106 to the bearing 103 in a further step (step 404) filled with the corresponding supply-products 106th

Claims (11)

1. A method for computer-aided logistics support in a system with at least one consumer with the need for supplier products for producing at least one end product from at least some of the supplier products and at least one supplier,
in which supplier products are made available by a supplier for removal by the consumer,
in which the supplier products are removed by the consumer in order to produce the end product using at least some of the supplier products,
where the removal of the supplier products is recorded, and
in which the consumer is automatically billed based on the supplied products. 2. The method according to claim 1, when the forecast information about the forecast Supply needs from the consumer to the supplier is transmitted. 3. The method according to claim 2, where the forecast information is a history-based Forecast information is used. 4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, where the forecast information is electronic Forecast information file is provided. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, where the supplier and the consumer have one public telecommunications network coupled are.   6. The method according to claim 5, where the public communications network Internet / intranet is. 7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which an electronic Credit for the supplier generated by the consumer becomes. 8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which the provision of the supplier products through several suppliers took place. 9. logistics system,
with at least one consumer with a need for supplier products for producing at least one end product from at least some of the supplier products,
with at least one supplier,
with a warehouse for providing supplier products from the supplier for removal by the consumer,
with a detection unit for detecting removed supplier products by the consumer in order to produce the end product using at least a part of the supplier products, and
with a billing unit for automatic billing by the consumer on the basis of the supplier products removed. 10. Computer-readable storage medium in which a computer program for logistics support in a system with at least one consumer with a need for supplier products for producing at least one end product from at least some of the supplier products and with at least one supplier is stored, which is at Execution by a processor has the following procedural steps:
the supplier provides supplier products for removal by the consumer,
the supplier products are removed by the consumer in order to produce the end product using at least some of the supplier products,
the removal of the supplier products is recorded, and
there is an automatic billing on the part of the consumer on the basis of the taken delivery products. 11. Computer program element for logistics support in a system with at least one consumer with a need for supplier products for producing at least one end product from at least part of the supplier products and with at least one supplier, which, when carried out by a processor, does the following Process steps comprises:
the supplier provides supplier products for removal by the consumer,
the supplier products are removed by the consumer in order to produce the end product using at least some of the supplier products,
the removal of the supplier products is recorded, and
the consumer is automatically billed on the basis of the supplied products.