Method And System For Monitoring A Supply-Chain

Abstract

A method of monitoring supply chain activity throughout a plurality of supply chain sites includes extracting, at each supply chain site, supply-related data to be monitored. The data is maintained in plural formats at the supply chain sites, and translated the data to a common format. The extracted data is then uploaded to and collected, from each supply chain site, to a data collection center or site. Upon a user request, a portion of the collected data is formatted, at the data collection site, into one of a plurality of views, responsive to criteria selected by the user, for presentation to the user, the portion of formatted data being dependent on access rights granted to the user's supply chain site. Finally, the formatted data view is published to the user's supply chain site. The data collection center comprises a data collector in which the uploaded data is stored, and a publisher for publishing data from the data collector upon request. Each supply chain site has a data storage device for maintaining its own supply-chain data, a data transfer engine (DTE), for transferring the supply-chain data to the data collection center, input means for allowing a user to query the data collector, and a display for displaying data published by the publisher in response to a query. The inbound data received from the multiple supply chain sites is monitored at the data collection site. If a problem condition is detected, such as a forecasted or present shortage or surplus, an alert is asserted, for example, by highlighting an Alert indicator, such as an Alert tab, on a user screen. Upon selection of the highlighted Alert indicator by a user, details of the detected problem condition are displayed.

1 . A data integration and presentation system comprising:
 a first database at a data collection site comprising data in a first format;   a module configured to define user access rights to the first database;   an Internet accessible publisher configured to present data from the first database comprising:   a plurality of presentation views, where the views are associated the access rights; an alert conditioned on data in the first database; and   analysis filters that query the first database and provide data to the views;   an alert e-mailer module configured to e-mail alerts conditioned on data in the first database;   an extractor configured to communicate with the first database and a second database at a second site, the extractor comprising:   a translator configured to translate from a second format to an XML format;   a communication module configured to transfer data to the data collection site; and   an encryption module configured to encrypt data transferred by the communication module.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , where the first database comprises proprietary data of a first entity and the second database comprises proprietary data of a second entity. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1  where the analysis filters are configured to monitor supply and demand related data. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , where the analysis filters are configured to determine a shortage or excess in supply. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an update trigger, where the trigger causes the extractor to update data in the business information database. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , where the translator and encryption module is installed at the second site. 
   
   
       7 . An inventory collaboration system comprising:
 an Internet accessible publisher configured to present data from a business information database, where the business information database comprises proprietary supply-related data of a first entity and proprietary supply-related data of a second entity;   a user access rights module for defining access rights to the business information database;   the publisher further comprising:
 preconfigured analysis filters that query the business information database; and 
 an alert monitor conditioned on data in the business information database and configured to identify surplus or shortage of supply; and 
 an extractor configured to communicate with a proprietary information repository of the first entity and the business information database, the extractor comprising:
 a translator configured to translate from a second format to an XML format; 
 a communication module configured to transfer data to the data collection site; and 
 an encryption module configured to encrypt data transferred by the communication module. 
 
   
   
   
       8 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 7 , further comprising an e-mailer module configured to e-mail alerts conditioned on data in the business information database. 
   
   
       9 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 8 , where the analysis filters include at least one filter configured to identify a shortage or excess in supply. 
   
   
       10 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 8 , where the analysis filters include at least one filter configured to identify an imbalance in supply and demand. 
   
   
       11 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 8 , further comprising an update trigger, where the trigger causes the extractor to update data in the business information database with data in a proprietary information repository. 
   
   
       12 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 11 , where the trigger is either a predetermined period of time or a change in data at the proprietary information repository. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12  where the translator and encryption module is installed at a site of the first entity. 
   
   
       14 . An inventory collaboration system comprising:
 a publisher accessible over the Internet configured to present data from a business information database, where the business information database comprises proprietary supply-related data of a first entity, proprietary supply-related data of a second entity, and demand related data of a third entity;   a configurable access rights module for defining user access rights to the business information database;   the publisher further comprising:
 a plurality of presentation views, where the presentation views are associated with the access rights; and 
 an alert monitor configured to display alerts conditioned on data in the business information database and the access rights; 
 an extractor configured to communicate with a proprietary information repository of the first entity, a proprietary information repository of the second entity, and the business information database, where the extractor comprises an XML messenger configured to exchange information between (1) the first entity proprietary information source and the business information database and (2) the second entity proprietary information source and the business information database; and 
 business analytic applications configured to query data in the business information database and populate the views with the result data. 
   
   
   
       15 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 14 , where the extractor is configured to communicate with the proprietary information repository of the first entity and the proprietary information repository of the second entity over the Internet. 
   
   
       16 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 15 , further comprising an alert e-mailer module, configured to e-mail alerts populated by the business analytic applications. 
   
   
       17 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 16 , further comprising an encryption module configured to encrypt the extractors communications among the business information database and the proprietary information repositories. 
   
   
       18 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 17 , where the business analytic applications are configured to determine a shortage or excess in supply. 
   
   
       19 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 18 , where the business analytic applications are configured to determine an imbalance between supply-related data and demand related data. 
   
   
       20 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 18 , further comprising an update trigger, where the trigger causes the extractor to update data in the business information database with data in the proprietary information repositories. 
   
   
       21 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 20 , where the trigger is either a predetermined period of time or a change in data at one or more of the proprietary information repositories. 
   
   
       22 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 20 , where the extractor further comprises a translator configured to translate data between the format of the proprietary information repositories and the format of the business information database. 
   
   
       23 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 22 , where the translation is a data field mapping. 
   
   
       24 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 22 , further comprising a login screen. 
   
   
       25 . An inventory collaboration system comprising:
 a publisher configured to present data from a business information database, where the business information database comprises proprietary supply-related data of a first entity, proprietary supply-related data of a second entity, and demand related data of a third entity;   means for defining user access rights to the business information database;   the publisher further comprising a plurality of presentation views, where the presentation views are associated with the access rights;   means for extracting data configured to communicate with a proprietary information repository of the first entity, a proprietary information repository of the second entity, and the business information database, where the means for extracting further data comprises an XML messenger configured to exchange information between (1) the first entity proprietary information source and the business information database and (2) the second entity proprietary information source and the business information database; and   business analytic applications configured to query data in the business information database and populate the views with the result data.   
   
   
       26 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 25 , further comprising means for emailing alerts populated by the business analytic applications. 
   
   
       27 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 26 , further comprising means for encrypting the means for extracting communications between the business information warehouse and the second information source. 
   
   
       28 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 27 , further comprising means for causing the means for extracting to update data in the business information database with data in the proprietary information repositories. 
   
   
       29 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 27 , where the means for extracting further comprises means for translating data between the format of the proprietary information repositories and the format of the business information database. 
   
   
       30 . An inventory collaboration system comprising:
 an Internet accessible publisher configured to present data from a business information database;   a user access rights module for defining access rights to the business information database;   the publisher further comprising:
 preconfigured analysis filters that query the business information database; and 
 an alert monitor configured to identify surplus or shortage of supply; and 
 an extractor comprising:
 a translator configured to translate from a second format to an XML format; 
 a communication module configured to transfer data to a data collection site; and 
 an encryption module configured to encrypt data transferred by the communication module. 
 
   
   
   
       31 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 30 , further comprising an e-mailer module configured to e-mail alerts conditioned on data in the business information database. 
   
   
       32 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 30 , where the analysis filters include at least one filter configured to identify a shortage or excess in supply. 
   
   
       33 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 30 , where the analysis filters include at least one filter configured to identify an imbalance in supply and demand. 
   
   
       34 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 31 , further comprising an update trigger, where the trigger causes the extractor to update data in the business information database. 
   
   
       35 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 34 , where the trigger is either a predetermined period of time or a change in data at the proprietary information repository. 
   
   
       36 . A computer implemented inventory collaboration system comprising:
 a publisher accessible over the Internet configured to present data from a business information database;   a configurable access rights module for defining user access rights to the business information database;   the publisher further comprising a plurality of presentation views, where the presentation views are associated with the access rights;   an extractor configured to communicate with a proprietary information repository and the business information database, where the extractor comprises an XML messenger configured to exchange information between the proprietary information repository and the business information database; and   business analytic applications configured to query data in the business information database and populate the views with the result data.   
   
   
       37 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 36 , where the extractor is configured to communicate with the proprietary information repository and business information database over the Internet. 
   
   
       38 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 36 , further comprising an alert e-mailer module, configured to e-mail alerts populated by the business analytic applications. 
   
   
       39 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 38 , further comprising an encryption module configured to encrypt the extractors communications between the business information database and the proprietary information repository. 
   
   
       40 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 39 , where the business analytic applications are configured to determine a shortage or excess in supply. 
   
   
       41 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 40 , where the business analytic applications are configured to determine an imbalance between supply-related data and demand related data. 
   
   
       42 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 40 , further comprising an update trigger, where the trigger causes the extractor to update data in the business information database with data in the proprietary information repositories. 
   
   
       43 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 42 , where the trigger is either a predetermined period of time or a change in data at one or more of the proprietary information repositories. 
   
   
       44 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 42 , where the extractor further comprises a translator configured to translate data between the format of the proprietary information repository and the format of the business information database. 
   
   
       45 . The inventory collaboration system of  claim 44 , where the translation is a data field mapping. 
   
   
       46 . An article comprising a computer readable medium that stores executable instructions for causing a computer device to:
 store information describing operations of a manufacturer in a database;   store a plurality of analysis filters;   display information on a user interface about an alert type and a category of an alert type associated with that alert type, where the category of alert types is one of several classes of alert types;   receive a user request for information about an alert type stored in the database;   retrieve the requested information from the database, in response to the request; and   update the user interface to display the requested information.   
   
   
       47 . The article of  claim 46 , where the category of alert types include a category based on time dependency, a category based on shortage, or a category based on excess. 
   
   
       48 . The article of  claim 46 , where the instructions further cause the computer device to provide an alert on a user interface when a value for which an alert has been configured has been exceeded. 
   
   
       49 . The article of  claim 46 , where the instructions further cause the computer device to limit access to the information describing operations of the manufacturer to administrative users. 
   
   
       50 . The article of  claim 46 , where the instructions further cause the computer device to e-mail an alert upon when a class of an alert type is satisfied. 
   
   
       51 . The article of  claim 50 , where the instructions further cause the computer device to host an Internet accessible publisher configured to present data from the database based upon configurable user access rights. 
   
   
       52 . The article of  claim 50 , where the instructions further cause the computer device to extract information from a second database, translate the information from a first format into an XML format, and import the extracted information into the database.