Method and System For Retail Store Supply Chain Sales Forecasting and Replenishment Shipment Determination

Abstract

A time-phased forecasting and replenishment system ( 20 ) for a retail supply chain for inventory management, financial management, capacity planning and transportation planning. A computer(s) ( 28 ) create time-phased plans for one or more retail facilities, such as various types of retail stores ( 23 ) and/or various types of suppliers ( 24 ). The system calculates projected sales for each product at each facility and calculates projected replenishment shipments between facilities and suppliers a specified number of weeks into the future. The calculated forecasts and replenishments are done in ways that account for the unique needs of retail organizations, and allow efficient processing and storage of the large data volumes typical in many retail organizations. In particular the system has specified logic for handling low-volume products, and has a transportation and capacity planning component that benefits retail stores. Also, the system is designed to operate on a continuous basis if desired.

1 ) A computer-implemented replenishment shipment and transportation planning system for a plurality of products that sell in a retail store supply chain, the system comprising:
 a) a replenishment shipment system that determines planned shipment dates for a plurality of products to a retail store in the supply chain based on sales forecasts for said products; and   b) a transportation planning system that generates transportation plans for said plurality of products using said planned shipment dates determined by said replenishment system, wherein said transportation plans are determined at substantially the same time as said planned shipment dates.   
     
     
         2 ) A system according to  claim 1 , wherein said planned shipment dates and said transportation plans are stored in a single database. 
     
     
         3 ) A system according to  claim 1 , wherein said transportation plans include weight of at least some of said plurality of products. 
     
     
         4 ) A system according to  claim 1 , wherein said transportation plans include cube for at least some of said plurality of products. 
     
     
         5 ) A system according to  claim 1 , wherein said planned shipment dates and said transportation plans are determined relative to a first plurality of products that is a subset of a second plurality of products that is larger than said first plurality of products in accordance with a first benchmark comprising determining (i) said planned shipment dates for one year in the future in a first time period and (ii) said transportation plans for one year in the future in a second time period, when said first plurality of products is 15,000 in number, said second plurality of products is 50,000 in number, the product sales history records are 715,000 in number, there is a net change for only said first plurality of products, and said projected sales and said first projected replenishment shipments are determined using a computer capable of executing, in either of said first time period and said second time period, no more than an equivalent number of instructions to what can be executed by a computer having two X86 instruction set microprocessors, one gigabit of transient memory and at no more than an average of 60% utilization of said two microprocessors, in either of said first time period and said second time period, wherein said first time period and second time period are each less than 20 minutes. 
     
     
         6 ) A system according to  claim 1 , further including a capacity planning system that generates capacity plans for said plurality of products using said planned shipment dates determined by said replenishment system. 
     
     
         7 ) A system according to  claim 1 , further including a forecasting system for determining said sales forecasts for said plurality of products. 
     
     
         8 ) A computer-implemented replenishment shipment and capacity planning system for a plurality of products that sell in a retail store supply chain, the system comprising:
 a) a replenishment shipment system that determines planned shipment dates for a plurality of products to a retail store in the supply chain based on sales forecasts for said products; and   b) a capacity planning system that generates capacity plans for said plurality of products using said planned shipment dates determined by said replenishment system, wherein said capacity plans are determined at substantially the same time as said planned shipment dates.   
     
     
         9 ) A system according to  claim 8 , wherein said planned shipment dates and said capacity plans are stored in a single database. 
     
     
         10 ) A system according to  claim 8 , wherein said capacity plans include picking hours for at least some of said plurality of products. 
     
     
         11 ) A system according to  claim 8 , wherein said capacity plans include receiving hours for at least some of said plurality of products. 
     
     
         12 ) A system according to  claim 8 , wherein said capacity plans include at least one of packaging, repackaging, cleaning and sorting requirements for at least some of said plurality of products. 
     
     
         13 ) A system according to  claim 8 , wherein said planned shipment dates and said capacity plans are determined relative to a first plurality of products that is a subset of a second plurality of products that is larger than said first plurality of products in accordance with a first benchmark comprising determining (i) said planned shipment dates for one year in the future in a first time period and (ii) said transportation plans for one year in the future in a second time period, when said first plurality of products is 15,000 in number, said second plurality of products is 50,000 in number, the product sales history records are 715,000 in number, there is a net change for only said first plurality of products, and said projected sales and said first projected replenishment shipments are determined using a computer capable of executing, in either of said first time period and said second time period, no more than an equivalent number of instructions to what can be executed by a computer having two X86 instruction set microprocessors, one gigabit of transient memory and at no more than an average of 60% utilization of said two microprocessors, in either of said first time period and said second time period, wherein said first time period and second time period are each less than 20 minutes. 
     
     
         14 ) A system according to  claim 8 , further including a forecasting system for determining said sales forecasts for said plurality of products. 
     
     
         15 ) A method of determining replenishment shipments and transportation plans for a plurality of products that sell in a retail store supply chain comprising the steps of:
 a) determining planned shipment dates for a plurality of products to a retail store in the supply chain based on sales forecasts for said products; and   b) generating transportation plans for said plurality of products using said planned shipment dates determined by said replenishment system, wherein said transportation plans are determined at substantially the same time as said planned shipment dates.