Flexible Ordering of Inventory From Material Sources According to Material Requirements for Manufacturing Operations

Abstract

A method, computer system, computer program product, and signal embodied on a carrier wave for scheduling delivery of material to a manufacturer with a plurality of manufacturing lines. Each manufacturing line may include at least one operation, and deliveries are made according to the material requirements for the operation. Parts and/or raw materials are requested and delivered to an operation of at least one operation on a manufacturing line in the factory from in-house and external inventory based upon the work scheduled for that operation. Deliveries are scheduled continuously to allow changes in truck arrival schedules from material sources and changes in material requirements. Requests for materials to be delivered are delayed until the last possible moment for making the request to allow for these changes and to ensure that inventory is stored at a manufacturing line and/or operation for minimum time prior to the time the material is needed.

1 . A method for scheduling delivery of material to a manufacturer with a plurality of manufacturing lines comprising: 
 determining a material requirement for an operation of at least one operation on a manufacturing line of the plurality of manufacturing lines, the material requirement being based upon customer orders, the determining being performed by a module executing on a computer system; and    scheduling delivery of material to meet the material requirement from an available inventory of material to the operation on the manufacturing line, the scheduling being performed by a module executing on a computer system, the scheduling delivery including delaying loading of material when a later opportunity to meet the material requirement before a material need-by time is present.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the material requirement includes identified material and the material need-by time; and    the scheduled delivery of the material includes scheduled delivery of the identified material prior to the material need-by time.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 sending a material request for the material to meet the material requirement to a material source having the material;    and wherein    the material source is scheduled to deliver the material to meet the material requirement from the available inventory of material to the operation.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein 
 the material request includes a plurality of materials to meet a plurality of material requirements to be delivered by the material source, with each material requirement of the plurality of material requirements to be delivered at a specified material delivery time.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein 
 the available inventory includes at least one of a group consisting of:    an external inventory; and    an in-house inventory.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein external inventory comprises at least one of a group consisting of the following: 
 a supplier inventory; and    a hub inventory.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein 
 the available inventory comprises an in-transit inventory.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein 
 at least one manufacturing line of the plurality of manufacturing lines is in each of at least two factories.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein 
 at least two manufacturing lines of the plurality of manufacturing lines are in one factory.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein 
 at least two operations are on one manufacturing line of the plurality of manufacturing lines.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein 
 the material requirement is for material for manufacturing a computer system; and    the available inventory includes material for manufacturing the computer system.    
   
   
       12 .- 16 . (canceled)  
   
   
       17 . A computer system comprising: 
 a processor; and    a memory, the memory storing instructions to be executed by the processor, the instructions comprising:    instructions for determining a material requirement for an operation of at least one operation on a manufacturing line of the plurality of manufacturing lines, the material requirement being based upon customer orders; and    instructions for scheduling delivery of material to meet the material requirement from an available inventory of material to the operation on the manufacturing line, the instructions for scheduling delivery comprising instructions for delaying loading of material when a later opportunity to meet the material requirement before a material need-by time is present.    
   
   
       18 . The computer system of  claim 17  wherein: 
 the instructions for determining a material requirement include instructions for determining identified material and a the material need-by time; and    the instructions for scheduling delivery of material include instructions for scheduling delivery of the identified material prior to the material need-by time.    
   
   
       19 . The computer system of  claim 17  further comprising: 
 instructions for sending a material request for the material to meet the material requirement to a material source having the material;    and wherein    the instructions for scheduling delivery of material include instructions for scheduling the material source to deliver the material to meet the material requirement from the available inventory of material to the operation.    
   
   
       20 . The computer system of  claim 19  wherein 
 the instructions for sending the material request include instructions for sending the material request for a plurality of materials to meet a plurality of material requirements to be delivered by the material source, with each material requirement of the plurality of material requirements to be delivered at a specified material delivery time.    
   
   
       21 . (canceled)  
   
   
       22 . A computer program product for causing a computer system to execute instructions comprising: 
 instructions for determining a material requirement for an operation of at least one operation on a manufacturing line of the plurality of manufacturing lines;    instructions for scheduling delivery of material to meet the material requirement from an available inventory of material to the operation on the manufacturing line, the instructions for scheduling delivery comprising instructions for delaying loading of material when a later opportunity to meet the material requirement before a material need-by time is present; and    a computer readable medium for storing the instructions for determining and the instructions for scheduling.    
   
   
       23 . The computer program product of  claim 22  wherein: 
 the instructions for determining a material requirement include instructions for determining identified material and the material need-by time; and    the instructions for scheduling delivery of material include instructions for scheduling delivery of the identified material prior to the material need-by time.    
   
   
       24 . The computer program product of  claim 22  further comprising: 
 instructions for sending a material request for the material to meet the material requirement to a material source having the material;    and wherein    the instructions for scheduling delivery of material include instructions for scheduling the material source to deliver the material to meet the material requirement from the available inventory of material to the operation.    
   
   
       25 . The computer program product of  claim 24  wherein 
 the instructions for sending the material request include instructions for sending the material request for a plurality of materials to meet a plurality of material requirements to be delivered by the material source, with each material requirement of the plurality of material requirements to be delivered at a specified material delivery time.    
   
   
       26 . (canceled)  
   
   
       27 . A signal embodied in a computer readable medium, the signal causing a computer system to execute instructions comprising: 
 instructions for determining the material requirement for an operation of at least one operation on a manufacturing line of the plurality of manufacturing lines; and    instructions for scheduling delivery of material to meet the material requirement from an available inventory of material to the operation on the manufacturing line, the instructions for scheduling delivery comprising instructions for delaying loading of material when a later opportunity to meet the material requirement before a material need-by time is present.    
   
   
       28 . The signal of  claim 27  wherein: 
 the instructions for determining a material requirement include instructions for determining identified material and the material need-by time; and    the instructions for scheduling delivery of material include instructions for scheduling delivery of the identified material prior to the material need-by time.    
   
   
       29 . The signal of  claim 27  further comprising: 
 instructions for sending a material request for the material to meet the material requirement to a material source having the material;    and wherein    the instructions for scheduling delivery of material include instructions for scheduling the material source to deliver the material to meet the material requirement from the available inventory of material to the operation.    
   
   
       30 . The signal of  claim 29  wherein 
 the instructions for sending the material request include instructions for sending the material request for a plurality of materials to meet a plurality of material requirements to be delivered by the material source, with each material requirement of the plurality of material requirements to be delivered at a specified material delivery time.    
   
   
       31 . (canceled)