Integrated inventory management system

Abstract

A vehicle part inventory management system is provided for filling at least part of the vehicle part orders by one vehicle dealer from the inventory of another vehicle dealer. The inventory management system includes an ordered parts data structure for storing ordered parts information; an inventory data structure for storing vehicle part inventory information for a plurality of vehicle dealers; and a dealer assessment module connected to the ordered parts data structure and the inventory data structure, such that the dealer assessment module receives at least one request to fill a vehicle part order and is able to determine a list of potential supplying dealers that have the ordered vehicle part. The inventory management system further includes a dealer interface module that receives the list of potential supplying dealers and is able communicate a request to supply the ordered vehicle part to at least one of the potential supplying dealers. The dealer interface module is also able to update the ordered parts data structure in real-time when the request for the ordered vehicle part is accepted by one of the potential supplying dealers.

1 . A computer-implemented vehicle part inventory management system that fills vehicle part orders from the inventory of a vehicle retailer, comprising: 
 an ordered parts data structure for storing ordered parts information;    an inventory data structure for storing vehicle part inventory information for a plurality of vehicle retailers;    a dealer assessment module connected to the ordered parts data structure and the inventory data structure, the dealer assessment module receptive of at least one request to fill a vehicle part order from a requesting vehicle retailer and operative to determine a list of vehicle retailers having the ordered vehicle part; and    a dealer interface module receptive of the list of vehicle retailers and operative to communicate a request to supply the ordered vehicle part to at least one of the vehicle retailers;    said dealer interface module connected to the ordered parts data structure and further operative to update the ordered parts data structure in real-time when the request to supply the ordered vehicle part is accepted by the vehicle retailer.    
   
   
       2 . The vehicle part inventory management system of  claim 1  further comprises a part extraction module connected to the ordered parts data structure and operative to compile a list of backordered vehicle parts to serve as input to the dealer assessment module.  
   
   
       3 . The vehicle part inventory management system of  claim 2  wherein the part extraction module is operative to sequence the list of backordered vehicle parts based on a priority code associated with each backordered vehicle part.  
   
   
       4 . The vehicle part inventory management system of  claim 1  wherein the dealer assessment module is further operative to determine time zone information for the requesting vehicle retailer and each of the supplying vehicle retailers, and to sequence the list of vehicle retailers using the time zone information of the supplying vehicle retailer as it relates to the time zone information for the requesting vehicle retailer.  
   
   
       5 . The vehicle part inventory management system of  claim 1  further comprises an interactive voice response (IVR) system receptive of the request for the backordered vehicle part from the dealer interface module and operative to place a telephone call to at least one of the vehicle retailers.  
   
   
       6 . The vehicle part inventory management system of  claim 1  wherein the dealer interface module connected to the inventory data structure and operative to update the vehicle part inventory information for the corresponding vehicle retailer in real-time when the request to supply the ordered vehicle part is accepted by the vehicle retailer.  
   
   
       7 . The vehicle part inventory management system of  claim 1  wherein the dealer interface module is operative to verify an order status for the ordered vehicle part as stored in the ordered parts data structure prior to communicating the request to supply to the vehicle retailer.  
   
   
       8 . A computer-implemented method for identifying potential supplying dealers to fill a vehicle part order in a dealer-to-dealer referral program, comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a request to fill a vehicle part order from a requesting dealer;    determining time zone information for the requesting dealer;    identifying dealers that stock the ordered vehicle part;    determining time zone information for each of the dealers that stock the ordered vehicle part; and    sequencing the dealers that stock the ordered vehicle part using the time zone information as it relates to the time zone information of the requesting dealer.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the step of sequencing the dealers further comprises ordering the dealers geographically by time zone from west to east starting with the time zone of the requesting dealer.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the step of identifying dealers that stock the ordered vehicle part further comprises identifying dealers that stock at least one of a superceded part or a superceding part that corresponds to the ordered vehicle part.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising the steps of: 
 determining a fill status for each dealer that stocks the ordered vehicle part, where the fill status is indicative of the quantity of the ordered vehicle part that is stocked by the dealer; and    sequencing the dealers that stock the ordered vehicle part using the fill status and the time zone information as it relates to the time zone information of the requesting dealer.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the step of determining a fill status further comprises: 
 determining a dealer's excess by subtracting a predetermined preferred stocking level for the ordered vehicle part from the quantity of the ordered vehicle part that is currently stocked by the dealer;    setting the fill status to complete fill by excess, when the dealer's excess is greater than or equal to the quantity of the ordered vehicle part;    setting the fill status to complete fill by quantity-on-hand, when the dealer's excess is less than the quantity of the ordered vehicle part, but the quantity-on-hand is greater than or equal to the quantity of the ordered vehicle part;    setting the fill status to partial fill by excess, when the dealer's excess is less than the required quantity of the ordered vehicle part but greater than zero and the quantity-on-hand is less that the quantity of the ordered vehicle part; and    setting the fill status to partial fill by quantity-on-hand, when dealer's excess is equal to zero and the quantity-on-hand is less than the quantity of the ordered vehicle part.