Cost Impact Simulator and Gross Profit Analyzer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016019563-A1
Application number	US-201414335704-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 18, 2014
Priority date	Jul 18, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Changes in the supply chain of one product may affect the price and availability of many other products. Likewise, a product may be composed of a number of smaller parts. Changes in the cost or availability of any of the parts that comprise a product may result in changes in cost or availability of the product as well as many other related products. A supply chain analysis engine is used to model a supply chain. The supply chain analysis engine may identify dependencies between products, sub products, and supply chains. The dependencies may be used to analyze the impact of a change in the supply chain on all relevant products.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for supply chain analysis, the method comprising:
receiving, by a computer system, data for a first supply chain for a first product; receiving, by the computer system, an indication of a predicted change to the supply chain; determining, by the computer system, a first impact, wherein the first impact quantifies the impact to the first product due to the predicted change in the first supply chain; determining, by the computer system, if the first impact is greater than a threshold; if the first impact is greater than the threshold, generating a first supply chain scenario, wherein the supply chain scenario is a modification of the first supply chain; determining, by the computer system, a second impact, wherein the second impact quantifies the impact to the first product due to the predicted change if the product is manufactured according to the first supply chain scenario; and determining, by the computer system, if the second impact is greater than the threshold.

2 . The method for supply chain analysis of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, by the computer system, data for a second supply chain for a second product; and
determining, by the computer system, a third impact, wherein the third impact quantifies the impact to the second product due to the predicted change in the second supply chain.

3 . The method for supply chain analysis of claim 2 , the method further comprising:
if the third impact is less than the first impact, identifying, by the computer system, elements of the second supply chain that are different from the first supply chain; and generating, by the computer system, a second supply chain scenario, wherein the second scenario is a modification of the first supply chain according to the identified differences.

4 . The method for supply chain analysis of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining, by the computer system, a fourth impact, wherein the fourth impact quantifies the impact to the first product due to the predicted change in the second supply chain scenario; and determining, by the computer system, if the fourth impact is greater than the threshold.

5 . The method for supply chain analysis of claim 1 , wherein the first impact and the second impact are a cost of the product.

6 . The method for supply chain analysis of claim 1 , wherein the first impact and the second impact are an availability of the product.

7 . The method for supply chain analysis of claim 1 , wherein the first impact and the second impact are profitability of the product.

8 . A computer program product residing on a non-transitory processor-readable medium and comprising processor readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:
receive data for a first supply chain for a first product; receive an indication of a predicted change to the supply chain; determine a first impact, wherein the first impact quantifies the impact to the first product due to the predicted change in the first supply chain; determine if the first impact is greater than a threshold; if the first impact is greater than the threshold, generate a first supply chain scenario, wherein the supply chain scenario is a modification of the first supply chain; determine a second impact, wherein the second impact quantifies the impact to the first product due to the predicted change if the product is manufactured according to the first supply chain scenario; and determine if the second impact is greater than the threshold.

9 . The computer program of claim 8 further comprising instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:
receive data for a second supply chain for a second product; and
determine a third impact, wherein the third impact quantifies the impact to the second product due to the predicted change in the second supply chain.

10 . The computer program of claim 9 further comprising instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:
if the third impact is less than the first impact, identify elements of the second supply chain that are different from the first supply chain; and
generate a second supply chain scenario, wherein the second scenario is a modification of the first supply chain according to the identified differences.

11 . The computer program of claim 10 further comprising instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:
determine a fourth impact, wherein the fourth impact quantifies the impact to the first product due to the predicted change in the second supply chain scenario; and
determine if the fourth impact is greater than the threshold.

12 . The computer program of claim 8 , wherein the first impact and the second impact are a cost of the product.

13 . The computer program of claim 8 , wherein the first impact and the second impact are an availability of the product.

14 . The computer program of claim 8 , wherein the first impact and the second impact are profitability of the product.

15 . A system for supply chain analysis comprising:
an analysis module, configured to receive data for a first supply chain for a first product; a disruption analysis module, configured to:
receive an indication of a predicted change to the supply chain;
determine a first impact, wherein the first impact quantifies the impact to the first product due to the predicted change in the first supply chain;
determine if the first impact is greater than a threshold;
if the first impact is greater than the threshold, generate a first supply chain scenario, wherein the supply chain scenario is a modification of the first supply chain;
determine a second impact, wherein the second impact quantifies the impact to the first product due to the predicted change if the product is manufactured according to the first supply chain scenario; and
determine if the second impact is greater than the threshold.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the disruption analysis module is further configured to:
receive data for a second supply chain for a second product; and determine a third impact, wherein the third impact quantifies the impact to the second product due to the predicted change in the second supply chain.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the disruption analysis module is further configured to:
if the third impact is less than the first impact, identify elements of the second supply chain that are different from the first supply chain; and generate a second supply chain scenario, wherein the second scenario is a modification of the first supply chain according to the identified differences.

18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the first impact and the second impact are a cost of the product.

19 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the first impact and the second impact are an availability of the product.

20 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the first impact and the second impact are profitability of the product.

Assignees

• Oracle Int Corp

Inventors

• Jha Anup Kumar
• Pathak Ashish
• Yang Fan
• Pineda Ivan Canales
• Zhu Rixin
• So Bryan Siu Him
• Raman Ramchand

Classifications

• G06Q30/0202 Primary

  Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities · CPC title

• G06Q10/087

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• G06Q10/0877

  by inventory control or reporting using inventory tracking or counting · CPC title

• G06Q10/08726

  for replenishment processing, procedures, or recommendations using forecasting or optimisation · CPC title