Performing hierarchical data-driven inventory and warehouse management in manufacturing environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9910427-B2
Application number	US-201414474483-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2014
Priority date	Sep 2, 2014
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

A method, data processing system and computer program product for managing inventory used in a manufacturing operation to manufacture a product. The method includes a processor communicating with at least one database containing manufacturing operation data. Several inventory locations and components are identified within the manufacturing operation data. A current component inventory and space data, historical component usage data and a demand forecast are retrieved. A statistical analysis is performed upon the current component inventory and space data, the historical component usage data and the demand forecast to obtain a target inventory level range for each of the components at each of the inventory locations. An inventory level control chart is generated, based on the statistical analysis, for selected components associated with at least one inventory location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
a processor of a data processing system, communicating, via a network interface device, with at least one database system having therein at least one database containing manufacturing operation data about a manufacturing operation of a product; and
importing, via the network interface device, the manufacturing operation data from the at least one database to a local storage device;
identifying, within the manufacturing operation data:
a plurality of inventory locations associated with the manufacturing operation; and
a plurality of components stored at each of the inventory locations that are used in manufacturing the product;

retrieving, from the manufacturing operation data:
a current component inventory and space data, the current component inventory and space data containing a current inventory quantity and space occupied for each of the plurality of components at each of the plurality of inventory locations; and
a historical component usage data, the historical component usage data indicating a magnitude of a historical consumption of the component during a first time period for each of the plurality of components at each of the plurality of inventory locations;

retrieving, for each of the plurality of components, at least one demand forecast which indicates, for each of the plurality of components, a magnitude of future component usage during a second time period;
calculating, based on the current component inventory and space data, the historical component usage data, and the demand forecast, a target inventory level range for each of the plurality of components at each of the plurality of inventory locations;
receiving, via an input device of the data processing system, a selection of at least one selected component from among the plurality of components and at least one selected inventory location from among the plurality of inventory locations;
in response to receiving the selection:
generating, by the processor, at least one inventory level control chart that depicts a number of the at least one selected component at the at least one selected inventory location during a plurality of time periods; and
displaying the at least one inventory level control chart on a display device communicably coupled to the processor;

retrieving, from the manufacturing data:
inventory location information for each of the plurality of inventory locations; and
a component space usage for each component;

calculating a percent occupancy for each inventory location based on the inventory location information and the component space usage, wherein the percent occupancy of an inventory location identifies a percentage of a total space that is occupied by all components at that location;
generating at least one space control chart for the at least one selected inventory location based on the percent occupancy, wherein the at least one space control chart identifies the percent occupancy for the selected inventory location; and
displaying the at least one space control chart on the display device;
wherein the at least one inventory level control chart and the at least one space control chart are used to determine optimal inventory levels of the plurality of components that would not disrupt manufacturing operations of the product and minimize a cost of holding the plurality of components within the plurality of inventory locations.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving, from the manufacturing operation data, component demand data for each of the plurality of components; and
calculating the demand forecast of each of the components for each of the inventory locations based on the component demand data.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating, based on the at least one inventory level control chart and the at least one space control chart, at least one inventory and space relationship chart for each of the inventory locations, wherein the at least one inventory and space relationship chart classifies a current inventory and occupancy for each inventory location; and
displaying the at least one inventory and space relationship chart on the display device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the target inventory level range for each of the components at each of the inventory locations further comprises:
calculating a first upper control limit zone;
calculating a second upper control limit zone;
calculating a first lower control limit zone; and
calculating a second lower control limit zone;
wherein the upper control limit zones and lower control limit zones are calculated based on: a current inventory level, a mean demand, a standard deviation of the mean demand, and a net lead time.

5. A data processing system comprising:
a local storage device;
a display device;
a network interface device communicably connected to at least one database system having therein at least one database containing manufacturing operation data about a manufacturing operation of a product and which imports the manufacturing operation data to the local storage device;
at least one processor coupled to the local storage device, the display device, and the network interface device that:
identifies, within the manufacturing operation data:
a plurality of inventory locations associated with the manufacturing operation; and
a plurality of components stored at each of the inventory locations that are used in manufacturing the product;

retrieves, from the manufacturing operation data:
a current component inventory and space data, the current component inventory and space data containing a current inventory quantity and space occupied for each of the plurality of components at each of the plurality of inventory locations; and
a historical component usage data, the historical component usage data indicating a magnitude of a historical consumption of the component during a first time period for each of the plurality of components at each of the plurality of inventory locations;

retrieve at least one demand forecast for each of the plurality of components, wherein a demand forecast indicates, for the components, a magnitude of future component usage of a corresponding component during a second time period; and
calculates, based on the current component inventory and space data, the historical component usage data, and the demand forecast, a target inventory level range for each of the plurality of components at each of the plurality of inventory locations; and

at least one input device coupled to the at least one processor that receives a selection of at least one selected component from among the plurality of components and at least one selected inventory location from among the plurality of inventory locations;
wherein:
the at least one processor in response to receiving the selection, generates at least one inventory level control chart that depicts a number of the at least one selected component at the at least one selected inventory location during a plurality of time periods;
display device displays the at least one inventory level control chart;
the at least one processor:
retrieves, from the manufacturing operation data:
inventory location information for each of the plurality of inventory locations; and
a component space usage for each component;

calculates a percent occupancy for each inventory location based on the inventory location information and the component space usage, wherein the percent occupancy of an inventory location identifies a percentage of a total space that is occupied by all components at that location; and
generates at least one space control chart for the at least one selected inventory location based on the percent occupancy, wherein the at least one space

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Aqlan Faisal
• Boldrin Warren
• Ramakrishnan Sreekanth

Classifications

• G05B19/418 Primary

  Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible manufacturing systems [FMS], integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] or computer integrated manufacturing [CIM] · CPC title

• G06Q10/00

  Administration; Management · CPC title

• G06Q10/087

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

• G06Q10/10

  Office automation; Time management · CPC title

• Y02P90/20

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic