Product offering management and tracking system

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for product tracking and management of merchandise and a method of accomplishing the same. The disclosed system can also be used to forecast and adjust projected allocations of merchandise based upon the product tracking information collected and managed. There is also provided a method for substantially optimizing logistics for loading vehicles and transporting goods which is capable of being utilized with the disclosed tracking and management system.

1 . A method of managing one or more product offerings, the method comprising the steps of: 
 defining one or more parameters for the one or more product offerings;    defining one or more receivers of the one or more product offerings;    defining one or more identified products of the one or more product offerings;    defining a forecast of the one or more identified products projected to be allocated to the one or more receivers;    defining one or more product offering commitments of the one or more receivers;    shipping the one or more identified products to the one or more receivers from one or more distributors based at least in part upon the forecast;    tracking sales or dispensation of the one or more identified products to generate sales or dispensation data of the identified products;    identifying one or more imbalances between the forecast and the sales or dispensation data; and    adjusting subsequent shipments of the one or more identified products based at least in part upon the one or more imbalances.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of archiving the sales or dispensation data.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the parameters of the one or more product offerings comprise one or more identified product components of the one or more identified products, a start date of the one or more product offerings, an end date of the one or more product offers; one or more promotional materials, one or more advertising materials, and one or more logistics materials.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more components of the one or more identified products are identified by one or more identification codes.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more identification codes is a member selected from the group consisting essentially of an EAN, an SKU, an EPC, a GS1 GDSN, or a UPC.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sales or dispensation data comprises identification codes of the one or more identified products sold.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tracking step is performed on a real-time tracking basis.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps are implemented by computer hardware, computer software, or a combination of computer hardware and computer software.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the shipping step further comprises the steps of: 
 determining the one or more identified products required to be maintained in inventory by the one or more receivers in response to data received from the one or more receivers from one or more shippers; and    substantially optimizing the shipment of the one or more identified products by determining one or more substantially maximum loads of one or more transport vehicles at least in part by calculating an amount of the one or more identified products for shipment from the one or more shippers by one or more transport vehicles from the one or more shippers to the one or more receivers that reduces the logistics costs and maintains the inventory within the amount of one or more identified products required to be maintained according to an algorithm employing one or more metrics and data.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more metrics comprise the level of the inventory.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more metrics comprise the time of the shipment of the one or more identified products.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more metrics comprise at least one of the following: 
 capacity utilization per vehicle mile; total transportation cost metric;    transportation cost as a percentage of product value shipped metric; shipping revenue metric;    total logistics cost metric; and shipping revenue less freight cost metric.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more transport vehicles have one or more capacities and wherein the one or more metrics comprise bin-packaging characteristics of the one or more vehicles, including one or more of the amount of pallet layers, pallets, pallet foot prints, and cases of the one or more identified products within the one or more capacities of the one or more vehicles.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the calculating further comprises the step of providing a trade allowance or a profit share to the one or more receivers.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the defining a forecast step further comprises the step of tracking the sales or dispensation of one or more individual components of the identified product to generate sales or dispensation data of the one or more individual components.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the steps are implemented by computer hardware, computer software, or a combination of computer hardware and computer software.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the steps of: 
 adjusting the forecast based at least in part upon the one or more product offering commitments of the one or more receivers; and    shipping the identified product to the one or more receivers from the one or more distributors based upon the adjusted forecast.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the steps are implemented by computer hardware, computer software, or a combination of computer hardware and computer software.  
     
     
         19 . A method of managing a product offering, the method comprising the steps of: 
 defining a product offering having an identified product;    defining one or more receivers of the product offering;    defining a forecast of the identified product projected to be allocated to the one or more receivers;    defining one or more product offering commitments of the one or more receivers;    adjusting the forecast based at least in part upon the one or more product offering commitments of the one or more receivers;    shipping the identified product to the one or more receivers from one or more distributors based upon the adjusted forecast;    tracking sales or dispensation of the identified product to generate sales or dispensation data;    identifying one or more imbalances between the adjusted forecast and the sales or dispensation data; and    adjusting subsequent shipments of the identified product based at least in part upon the one or more imbalances.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the tracking step is performed on a real-time basis.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the steps are implemented by computer hardware, computer software, or a combination of computer hardware and computer software.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the shipping step further comprises the steps of: 
 determining the one or more identified products to be maintained in inventory by the one or more receivers in response to data received from the one or more receivers from one or more shippers; and    substantially optimizing the shipment of the one or more identified products by determining one or more substantially maximum loads of one or more transport vehicles at least in part by calculating an amount of the one or more identified products for shipment from the one or more shippers by one or more transport vehicles from the one or more shippers to the one or more receivers that reduces the logistics costs and maintains the inventory within the amount of one or more identified products required to be maintained according to an algorithm employing one or more metrics and data.    
     
     
         23 . A computer program embodied on a tangible medium for managing a product offering comprising: 
 a first set of instructions to define a product offering;    a second set of instructions to define one or more receivers of the product offering;    a third set of instructions to define one or more parameters of an identified product of the product offering;    a fourth set of instructions to define a forecast of the identified product projected to be allocated to the one or more receivers;    a fifth set of instructions to define one or more product offering commitments of the one or more receivers;    a sixth set of instructions to substantially optimize shipping of the identified product to the one or more receivers from one or more distributors based at least in part upon the forecast;    a seventh set of instructions to track sales or dispensation of the identified product to generate sales or dispensation data;    an eighth set of instructions to identify one or more imbalances between the forecast and the sales or dispensation data; and    a ninth set of instructions to adjust subsequent shipments of the identified product based at least in part upon the one or more imbalances.    
     
     
         24 . The computer program embodied on a tangible medium for managing a product offering on-line of  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 a tenth set of instructions to adjust the forecast based at least in part upon the one or more product offering commitments of the one or more receivers;    an eleventh set of instructions to ship the identified product to the one or more receivers from the one or more distributors based at least in part upon the adjusted forecast; and    a twelfth set of instructions to identify the one or more imbalances between the adjusted forecast and the sales or dispensation data.    
     
     
         25 . An on-line method of providing and replenishing one or more products of a product offering to one or more receivers by shipments from one or more distributors, comprising the steps of: 
 defining a product offering;    defining one or more receivers of the product offering;    defining one or more parameters of an identified product of the product offering;    defining a forecast of the identified product projected to be allocated to the one or more receivers;    defining one or more product offering commitments of the one or more receivers;    shipping the identified product to the one or more receivers from one or more distributors based at least in part upon the forecast;    tracking sales or dispensation of the identified product to generate sales or dispensation data;    identifying one or more imbalances between the forecast and the sales or dispensation data; and    adjusting subsequent shipments of the identified product based at least in part upon the one or more imbalances.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the steps are implemented by computer hardware, computer software, or a combination of computer hardware and computer software.  
     
     
         27 . The on-line method of providing and replenishing one or more products of a product offering of  claim 25 , further comprising the steps of: 
 adjusting the forecast based at least in part upon the one or more product offering commitments of the one or more receivers;    shipping the identified product to the one or more receivers from the one or more distributors based upon the adjusted forecast; and    identifying the one or more imbalances between the adjusted forecast and the sales or dispensation data.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the shipping step further comprises the steps of: 
 determining the one or more identified products to be maintained in inventory by the one or more receivers in response to data received from the one or more receivers from one or more shippers; and    substantially optimizing the shipment of the one or more identified products by determining one or more substantially maximum loads of one or more transport vehicles at least in part by calculating an amount of the one or more identified products for shipment from the one or more shippers by one or more transport vehicles from the one or more shippers to the one or more receivers that reduces the logistics costs and maintains the inventory within the amount of one or more identified products required to be maintained according to an algorithm employing one or more metrics and data.    
     
     
         29 . The method of claim of  claim 28 , wherein the steps are implemented by computer hardware, computer software, or a combination of computer hardware and computer software.  
     
     
         30 . A signal-bearing medium having encoded machine-readable instructions for managing a product offering comprising: 
 a first set of instructions to define a product offering;    a second set of instructions to define one or more receivers of the product offering;    a third set of instructions to define one or more parameters of an identified product of the product offering;    a fourth set of instructions to define a forecast of the identified product projected to be allocated to the one or more receivers;    a fifth set of instructions to define one or more product offering commitments of the one or more receivers;    a sixth set of instructions to substantially optimize shipping of the identified product to the one or more receivers from one or more distributors based at least in part upon the forecast;    a seventh set of instructions to track sales of the identified product to generate sales or dispensation data;    an eighth set of instructions to identify one or more imbalances between the forecast and the sales or dispensation data; and    a ninth set of instructions to adjust subsequent shipments of the identified product based at least in part upon the one or more imbalances.    
     
     
         31 . A signal-bearing medium having encoded machine-readable instructions for managing a product offering of  claim 30 , further comprising: 
 a tenth set of instructions to adjust the forecast based at least in part upon the one or more product offering commitments of the one or more receivers;    an eleventh set of instructions to ship the identified product to the one or more receivers from the one or more distributors based at least in part upon the adjusted forecast; and    a twelfth set of instructions to identify the one or more imbalances between the adjusted forecast and the sales or dispensation data.