Method And System For Monitoring A Supply-Chain

Abstract

A method of monitoring supply chain activity throughout supply chain sites includes extracting, at each site, supply-related data to be monitored. The data is in plural formats and translated to a common format. The data is uploaded to a data collection center (DCE). Upon request, a portion of the data is formatted dependent on rights granted. The DCS comprises a data collector where the uploaded data is stored, and a publisher for publishing data collector data. Each site maintains its supply-chain data, a DTE for transferring the data to the DCS, input means for allowing a data collector query, and a display for displaying published data responsive to a query. The inbound data is monitored at the DCS. If a problem condition is detected, such as a shortage/surplus, an alert is asserted, e.g. by highlighting an Alert indicator. Upon alert indicator selection, details of the problem condition are displayed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A data importation method comprising:
 receiving first product data in a first format;   comparing the first product data with second product data previously received;   reviewing results of the comparison to determine whether there is a problem with the first product data;   changing a format of the first product data to a standard format;   comparing the standard format first product data with third product data, the third product data corresponding to the second product data having format changed to the standard format;   placing the standard format first product data in a category based on the comparison of the standard format first product data with the third product data; and   generating statistics based on the comparison of the standard format first product data with the third product data.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein placing the standard format first product data in a category comprises placing the standard format first product data in an identical products file. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein placing the standard format first product data in a category comprises placing the standard format first product data in a new products file. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 retrieving original supplier data for an original supplier product;   normalizing at least one company in the retrieved supplier data;   looking up the original supplier product in a product database to determine whether data corresponding to the original supplier product has been provided by other suppliers;   locating a template for the original supplier product corresponding to the retrieved supplier data;   normalizing at least one attribute from the retrieved supplier data by using the template;   defining normalized product data as the supplier data having the normalized at least one company and the normalized at least one attribute; and   inserting the normalized product data into the product database.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the step of normalizing at least one company comprises normalizing vendors and manufacturers associated with the product. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the looking the product up step comprises determining whether the retrieved product data already exists in the product database. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 comparing the normalized at least one attribute with existing attributes;   selecting correct attribute values; and   updating the normalized product data in the product database with the correct attribute values.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising a step of updating attribution definitions before the step of inserting the normalized product data. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 identifying a category associated with the original supplier product;   retrieving original supplier data for other original supplier products; and   optionally assigning to the located template all products in the other supplier original products corresponding to the identified category.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein placing the standard format first product data in a category comprises placing the standard format first product data in a changed products file. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein placing the standard format first product data in a category comprises placing the standard format first product data in a deleted products file. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 retrieving product data from the delete products file;   looking up the retrieved product data in the product database;   deleting from the database the retrieved product data, which corresponds to a first supplier, when a product corresponding to the retrieved product data has not been deleted for all other suppliers.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein placing the standard format first product data in a category comprises placing the standard format first product data in a faulty products file.