Recalled product inventory notification, removal, and verification system

Abstract

A recall management system allows generating, tracking, and verifying product recalls. The system provides notifications of a product recall to affected and unaffected businesses in the supply chain, as well as notification of the public and government agencies that may be affected. Verification of received notifications and the quantity of product removed from supply in response to the recall allows for closure of recall activity. Recalls may be extended over time as additional products needing to be recalled from the particular supplier of the recalled product are identified. Product returns over time are added to the total product recovered and scorecards updated in real-time as the return information is tabulated. Affected businesses and government agencies have visibility to both recall message receipt and product recovered as a part of total product recalled.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A server for monitoring and managing product recalls, the server comprising:
 a recall database storing information on one or more recall events;   a processor;   a memory coupled to the processor and storing computer instructions therein, the processor being configured to execute the program instructions, the program instructions including:
 receiving from a recall initiator a recall event identifying at least one product to be recalled and product disposition instructions; 
 storing the recall event in the recall database; 
 generating one or more electronic recall notifications based on the received recall event; 
 identifying a plurality of customers; 
 transmitting the one or more electronic recall notifications to the identified customers; 
 monitoring progress of the recall event, wherein the monitoring includes periodically receiving from one or more of the identified customers, information on quantities of the product disposed according to the product disposition instructions; 
 updating by the recall server an aggregate disposition amount based on the received quantities; and 
 generating a report based on the monitored progress. 
   
     
     
         2 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein the computer instructions further include:
 retrieving customer type information stored in association with each of the identified customers; and   catering the recall notifications to the identified customer types.   
     
     
         3 . The server of  claim 2 , wherein the customer type information identifies a first one of the identified customers as being a purchaser of the product and a second one of the identified customers as not being a purchaser of the product, wherein a first type of product recall notification is transmitted to the first customer and a second type of the product recall notification is transmitted to the second customer. 
     
     
         4 . The server of  claim 3 , wherein the first type of product recall notification is an alert for prompting action according to the product disposition instructions, and the second type of product recall notification is a confirmation that the second one of the plurality of customers is not affected by the recall event. 
     
     
         5 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein the computer instructions further include:
 determining whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed without receiving acknowledgment of the recall notification by any one of the identified customers;   generating an exception report in response to the determination that the predetermined amount of time has elapsed without the acknowledgement, the exception report including information on the customer who is non-responsive; and   forwarding the exception report to the recall initiator.   
     
     
         6 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein the computer instructions further include:
 modifying the recall event in response to a user input;   storing the modified recall event in the recall database, wherein the modified recall event is stored as an updated version of the recall event; and   monitoring progress of the modified recall event separately from the recall event.   
     
     
         7 . The server of  claim 6 , wherein the computer instructions for modifying the recall event includes program instructions for storing information on a second product to be recalled. 
     
     
         8 . The server of  claim 6 , wherein the computer instructions for modifying the recall event includes adding a new customer to the identified customers. 
     
     
         9 . The server of  claim 8 , wherein the computer instructions further include:
 transmitting over the data communications network a second electronic recall notification to the new customer for the modified recall event;   periodically receiving information on second quantities of the product disposed according to the product disposition instructions;   computing the aggregate disposition amount based on the quantities of the product and the second quantities of the product; and   displaying the aggregate disposition amount.   
     
     
         10 . The server of  claim 6 , wherein the user input modifying the recall event is provided by one of the identified customers in response to receipt of the recall notification. 
     
     
         11 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein the computer instructions for monitoring the progress of the recall event includes:
 comparing the aggregate disposition amount against a quantity of the product distributed to the customers; and   displaying statistical information for the recall event based on the comparison.   
     
     
         12 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein the computer instructions further include:
 generating a progress report based on the monitored progress, the progress report being updated in real-time with the updating of the information on the quantities of the product disposed according to the product disposition instructions.   
     
     
         13 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein the computer instructions further include:
 identifying a template form for the recall event;   automatically filling the template form based on information on the recall event provided by the recall initiator; and   transmitting the filled template form to a recipient over a data communications network.   
     
     
         14 . The server of  claim 13 , wherein the template form is a form provided by a government agency. 
     
     
         15 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein the computer instructions further include:
 identifying a type of the customers receiving the recall notification;   selecting information on the recall event for display to the customers based on the identified type.   
     
     
         16 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein the computer instructions further include:
 updating status of the recall event based on the aggregate disposition amount.   
     
     
         17 . In a computer network including a recall server coupled to a recall database, a computer-implemented method for monitoring and managing product recalls, the method comprising:
 receiving from a recall initiator a recall event identifying at least one product to be recalled and product disposition instructions;   storing the recall event in the recall database;   generating by the recall server one or more electronic recall notifications based on the received recall event;   identifying by the recall server a plurality of customers;   transmitting by the recall server the one or more electronic recall notifications to the identified customers;   monitoring by the recall server progress of the recall event, wherein the monitoring includes periodically receiving from one or more of the identified customers, information on quantities of the product disposed according to the product disposition instructions;   updating by the recall server an aggregate disposition amount based on the received quantities; and   
       generating by the recall server a report based on the monitored progress.