Central control and monitoring of a delivery of liquid product

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for the central control and monitoring of delivery of liquid product. The methods can be performed within a system that includes a centralized inventory management system. The method can include receiving at the centralized inventory management system a request from a carrier for instructions relating to delivery of liquid product. Based on data monitored by the centralized inventory management system, the centralized inventory management system can determine a type and volume of liquid product needed in one retail store facility selected from a plurality of retail store facilities and then post an order providing instructions to the carrier regarding liquid product needed in the selected retail store facility.

1 . In a system having a centralized management system, a method for centrally monitoring and controlling the delivery of liquid product to a plurality of retail facilities from a carrier that transports liquid product, the method comprising: 
 receiving at the centralized management system a request from the carrier for instructions relating to delivery of liquid product;    based on data monitored by the centralized management system, determining liquid product needed in a retail facility selected from the plurality of retail facilities; and    posting an order providing instructions to the carrier regarding liquid product needed in the selected retail facility.    
   
   
       2 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein determining liquid product needed comprises one of: (i) determining a type of liquid product needed, (ii) determining an amount of liquid product needed, and (iii) determining the type and the amount of liquid product needed.  
   
   
       3 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein determining liquid product needed comprises determining a type and a volume of liquid product needed.  
   
   
       4 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the request for instructions from the carrier comprises a request for instructions relating to at least one of a geographical location of a rack containing the liquid product, a current location of the carrier, a liquid product need of the retail facility, and a geographical location of the retail facility relative to the carrier and the rack.  
   
   
       5 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein posting the order can be based upon at least one of (i) the relative cost of delivered supply options, (ii) supply purchase fulfillment obligations, (iii) retail demand constraints, and (iv) the geographical location of the carrier relative to a rack where the liquid product can be loaded.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising rejecting the order by the carrier, the carrier rejecting the order by sending a reason code to the centralized management system.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising accepting the order by the carrier, updating a status of the order at the centralized management system, and forwarding the order to a loading terminal.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 accessing a transaction record received from a loading terminal that includes liquid product loading details;    validating that a supply and a volume of the liquid product match an inventory need of the retail facility;    authorizing a specific tank to receive the liquid product; and    monitoring all tanks at the selected retail facility to insure that the liquid product is delivered into said authorized tank.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said loading details include at least one of a liquid product temperature at said loading terminal, a type of liquid product, a gross volume of liquid product, a temperature corrected net volume of liquid product, and a density of liquid product.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising monitoring a water level in said authorized tank during delivery and suspending delivery if said water level exceeds a predefined value.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 posting transaction record data to the carrier for validation;    receiving validation from the carrier for said transaction record;    posting authorization to the carrier to deliver the liquid product into a selected storage tank at the retail facility;    receiving notification of delivery completion; and    updating a book balance of available liquid product as per the transaction record.    
   
   
       12 . In a monitoring and control system for tracking liquid product inventory, the system comprising at least one central computer connected to at least one retail computer, a method for controlling the movement of the liquid product from a delivery terminal to a designated storage tank of a retail facility, the method comprising: 
 sending an electronic request for a delivery of the liquid product to the at least one central computer using a portable computing device;    receiving a delivery of the liquid product in a delivery vehicle at the delivery terminal;    transporting the liquid product to the retail facility;    requesting authorization to deliver the liquid product to the designated storage tank;    receiving authorization to deliver the liquid product to the designated storage tank; and    delivering the liquid product into the designated storage tank.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said electronic request is a supply option for delivery to the retail facility.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 having the at least one central computer post an order with an order number to said portable computing device;    having a driver of said delivery vehicle accept said order; and    having the at least one central computer forward said order to a terminal computer at the delivery terminal.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein receiving authorization to deliver the liquid product further comprises transmitting an electronic transaction record from a terminal computer at the delivery terminal to the at least one central computer.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said electronic transaction record includes at least one of the following: a route start and end time, a freight bill number, a customer name, a customer identification number, a supplier name, a supplier identification number, a ship from name, a ship from identification number, a ship to name, a ship to identification number, a transaction date, a start and end time, a supplier product name, a product identification number, a gross volume, a net volume as a function of temperature, a specific gravity of the product, a volume unit of measure (UOM), a density UOM, a temperature and a temperature UOM, a retail product name and a retail product identification number.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein requesting authorization to deliver further comprises: 
 sending an authorization request from said portable computing device to the at least one retail computer, said authorization request including at product type and a product volume;    verifying that said at least one product type and said product volume match a requirement in the designated storage tank;    performing a book balance to a physical balance reconciliation process for the designated storage tank;    sending a loading transaction record from the at least one retail computer to said portable computing device; and    verifying said loading transaction record prior to delivering the liquid product.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein delivering the liquid product further comprises: 
 unloading all of the liquid product into the designated storage tank;    notifying the at least one retail computer that the liquid product has been unloaded;    updating a book balance of the designated storage tank to include a volume of liquid product contained in said delivery vehicle;    performing a book balance to a physical balance reconciliation process for the designated storage tank; and    verifying that the volume of liquid product contained in the delivery vehicle was delivered to the designated storage tank.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising monitoring all tanks at the retail facility to insure that the liquid product goes into the designated storage tank.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising monitoring a water level in the designated storage tank during delivery and suspending delivery if said water level exceeds a predefined value.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one central computer monitors and manages physical and reported book sales for the retail facility.  
   
   
       22 . A liquid product storage and delivery system, the system comprising: 
 a centralized management system that delivers orders to one or more carriers to deliver a liquid product to one or more retail facilities, the centralized management system monitors the liquid product inventory at the plurality of retail facilities; and    a designated retail facility of the one or more retail facilities, the designated retail facility including one or more storage tanks that receive the liquid product, the designated retail facility receives data indicative of a future delivery of the liquid product from both the centralized management system and a carrier of the one or more carriers that is to deliver the liquid product to the one or more storage tanks.    
   
   
       23 . The system as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the carrier delivers a request to delivery the liquid product to the centralized management system.  
   
   
       24 . The system as recited in  claim 23 , where the request comprises a request for instructions relating to at least one of a geographical location of a rack containing the liquid product, a current location of the carrier, a liquid product need of the retail facility, and a geographical location of the retail facility relative to the carrier and the rack.  
   
   
       25 . The system as recited in  claim 22 , further comprising a loading terminal remote from the centralized management system, the carrier receives the liquid product from the loading terminal.  
   
   
       26 . The system as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the carrier delivers an electronic delivery record to the retail facility before delivering the liquid product to the one or more storage tanks.  
   
   
       27 . The system as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the retail facility delivers data indicative of the completion of a delivery of the liquid product by the carrier to the centralized management system.