Minimizing unmet demands due to short supply

Abstract

Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with minimizing (unfulfilled orders) due to short supply in an order fulfillment context are described. One embodiment includes: Identifying one or more distributions within a timeframe. For each of the distributions, identifying a set of maximal excess configurations of met and unmet demands from a set of all demands for the product during the distribution. Creating a current output set of configurations. Assigning supply units for at least one configuration of a final output set for a final distribution within the timeframe. Transmitting an instruction to fulfill demands in accordance with the assignments of supply units.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 identifying one or more runs of consecutive time units within a timeframe, wherein (i) supplies of a product are added to a stock of the product and demands for the product are fulfilled from the stock of the product during the timeframe, and (ii) a run begins with a time unit that includes an addition of supply to the stock and includes subsequent consecutive time units that do not include another addition of supply to the stock;   for each of the runs of consecutive time units, (i) identifying a set of maximal excess configurations of met and unmet demands from a set of demands for the product during the run, (ii) creating a current output set of configurations for the run based on the set of maximal excess configurations identified, (iii) removing from the current output set of configurations those configurations with an excess supply greater than an excess supply of a configuration with the smallest amount of excess supply that meets or exceeds a total supply deficit of remaining runs within the timeframe;   for at least one configuration selected from a final current output set for a final run within the timeframe, assigning supply units from a specific supply to satisfy a demand quantity of each met demand; and   transmitting an instruction to fulfill demands over the timeframe in accordance with the supply units assigned.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising, for each of the runs of consecutive time units, removing from the current output set of configurations all configurations except a configuration with the greatest amount of excess supply for each possible number of unmet demands during the run. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein creating the current output set of configurations includes combining the set of maximal excess configurations identified during a run with a previous output set of maximal excess configurations. 
     
     
         4 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying a graphical user interface that shows the supplies and demands associated with each time unit of the timeframe;   accepting an input through the graphical user interface that causes a specific supply or demand to be associated with a specific time unit of the timeframe; and   initiating (i) identifying the one or more runs, (ii) identifying the set of maximal excess configurations, (iii) creating the current output set of configurations, and (iv) assigning the supply units in response to the acceptance of the input.   
     
     
         5 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising, for each of the runs of consecutive time units:
 removing from the current output set of configurations of met and unmet demands any configuration that includes a particular demand in response to parsing an indication that the particular demand is required to be met; or 
 removing from the current output set of configurations of met and unmet demands any configuration that does not include the particular demand in response to parsing an indication that the particular demand is required to be unmet. 
 
     
     
         6 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 accepting an input that interrupts processing before creation of the current output set of configurations in one of the runs; and   assigning the previous output set to be the final current output set.   
     
     
         7 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the demands for the product are each associated with a fulfillment priority level, and wherein each of (i) identifying the set of maximal excess configurations, (ii) creating the current output set of configurations, and (iii) assigning the supply units are performed for all demands of a first fulfillment priority level before being performed again for all demands of a lower second priority level. 
     
     
         8 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the demands for the product are each associated with a fulfillment priority level, further comprising:
 displaying a graphical user interface that shows the demands associated with each priority level;   accepting an input through the graphical user interface that causes a demand to be associated with a specific priority level; and   initiating (i) identifying the one or more runs, (ii) identifying the set of maximal excess configurations, (iii) creating the current output set of configurations, and (iv) assigning the supply units in response to the acceptance of the input.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein assigning the supply units further comprises, for each run of consecutive time units in turn from a latest run through an earliest run, for each met demand in the run, assigning the met demand's demand quantity of the supply units from the latest-available unexhausted source of supply. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein creating the current output set of configurations for the run further comprises:
 (i) where there is a previous output set of maximal excess configurations for a previous run of consecutive time units, creating the current output set of configurations by combining the identified set of maximal excess configurations with the previous output set, and   (ii) where there is no previous output set of maximal excess configurations for a previous run of consecutive time units, creating the current output set of configurations by assigning the identified set of maximal excess configurations to be the current output set.   
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by at least a processor of a computer cause the computer to:
 identify, by at least the processor, one or more runs of consecutive time units within a timeframe, wherein (i) supplies of a product are added to a stock of the product and demands for the product are fulfilled from the stock of the product during the timeframe, and (ii) a run begins with a time unit that includes an addition of supply to the stock and includes subsequent consecutive time units that do not include another addition of supply to the stock;   for each of the runs of consecutive time units, (i) identify, by at least the processor, a set of maximal excess configurations of met and unmet demands from a set of all demands for the product during the run, (ii) create, by at least the processor, a current output set of configurations for the run based on the set of maximal excess configurations identified, (iii) remove from the current output set of configurations those configurations with an excess supply greater than an excess supply of a configuration with the smallest amount of excess supply that meets or exceeds a total supply deficit of remaining runs within the timeframe;   for at least one configuration selected from a final current output set for a final run within the timeframe, assign supply units from a specific supply to satisfy a demand quantity of each met demand; and   transmit, by at least the processor, an instruction to fulfill demands over the timeframe in accordance with the supply units assigned.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , further comprising instructions that when executed by at least the processor cause the computer to, for each of the runs of consecutive time units, remove selected configurations from the current output set of configurations. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , further comprising instructions that when executed by at least the processor cause the computer to:
 display a graphical user interface that shows the supplies and demands associated with each time unit of the timeframe; and   accept an input through the graphical user interface that causes a supply or demand to be associated with a specific time unit of the timeframe;   wherein (i) identifying the one or more runs, (ii) identifying the set of maximal excess configurations, (iii) creating the current output set of configurations, and (iv) assigning the supply units are performed in response to the acceptance of the input.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , further comprising instructions that when executed by at least the processor cause the computer to:
 accept an input that interrupts processing before creation of the current output set of configurations in one of the runs; and   assign the previous output set to be the final current output set.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the demands for the product are each associated with a fulfillment priority level, further comprising instructions that when executed by at least the processor cause the computer to:
 display a graphical user interface that shows the demands associated with each priority level; and   accept an input through the graphical user interface that causes a demand to be associated with a specific priority level;   wherein (i) identifying the one or more runs, (ii) identifying the set of maximal excess configurations, (iii) creating the current output set of configurations, and (iv) assigning the supply units are performed in response to the acceptance of the input; and   wherein (i) identifying the set of maximal excess configurations, (ii) creating the current output set of configurations, and (iii) assigning the supply units are performed for all demands of a first fulfillment priority level before being performed again for all demands of a lower second priority level.   
     
     
         16 . A computing system, comprising:
 a processor;   a memory operably connected to the processor;   a non-transitory computer-readable medium operably connected to the processor and memory and storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by at least a processor of a computer cause the computer to:
 identify one or more runs of consecutive time units within a timeframe, wherein (i) supplies of a product are added to a stock of the product and demands for the product are fulfilled from the stock of the product during the timeframe, and (ii) a run begins with a time unit that includes an addition of supply to the stock and includes one or more subsequent consecutive time units that do not include another addition of supply to the stock; 
 for each of the runs of consecutive time units, (i) identify a set of maximal excess configurations of met and unmet demands from a set of demands for the product during the run, (ii) create a current output set of configurations for the run based on the set of maximal excess configurations identified, (iii) removing from the current output set of configurations those configurations with an excess supply greater than an excess supply of a configuration with the smallest amount of excess supply that meets or exceeds a total supply deficit of remaining runs within the timeframe; 
 for at least one configuration selected from a final current output set for a final run within the timeframe, assign supply units from a specific supply to satisfy a demand quantity of each met demand; and 
 transmit an instruction to fulfill demands over the timeframe in accordance with the supply units assigned. 
   
     
     
         17 . The computing system of  claim 16 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises instructions that when executed by at least the processor cause the computing system to, for each of the runs of consecutive time units:
 remove from the current output set of configurations all configurations except the configuration with the greatest amount of excess supply for each possible number of unmet demands during the run.   
     
     
         18 . The computing system of  claim 16 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises instructions that when executed by at least the processor cause the computing system to:
 display a graphical user interface that shows the supplies and demands associated with each time unit of the timeframe; and   accept an input through the graphical user interface that causes a supply or demand to be associated with a specific time unit of the timeframe;   wherein (i) identifying the one or more runs, (ii) identifying the set of maximal excess configurations, (iii) creating the current output set of configurations, and (iv) assigning the supply units are performed in response to the acceptance of the input.   
     
     
         19 . The computing system of  claim 16 , wherein the demands for the product are each associated with a fulfillment priority level, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises instructions that when executed by at least the processor cause the computing system to:
 display a graphical user interface that shows the demands associated with each priority level; and   accept an input through the graphical user interface that causes a demand to be associated with a specific priority level;   wherein (i) identifying the one or more runs, (ii) identifying the set of maximal excess configurations, (iii) creating the current output set of configurations, and (iv) assigning the supply units are performed in response to the acceptance of the input; and   wherein (i) identifying the set of maximal excess configurations, (ii) creating the current output set of configurations, and (iii) assigning the supply units are performed for all demands of a first fulfillment priority level before being performed again for all demands of a lower second priority level.   
     
     
         20 . The computing system of  claim 16 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises instructions that when executed by at least the processor cause the computing system to:
 display a graphical user interface that shows the demands; and   accept an input through the graphical user interface that indicates that a particular demand is (i) required to be met, or (ii) required to be unmet; and
 (a) remove from the current output set of configurations of met and unmet demands any configuration that includes the particular demand in response to the indication that the particular demand is required to be met; or 
 (b) remove from the current output set of configurations of met and unmet demands any configuration that does not include the particular demand in response to the indication that the particular demand is required to be unmet; 
   wherein (i) identifying the one or more runs, (ii) identifying the set of maximal excess configurations, (iii) creating the current output set of configurations, and (iv) assigning the supply units are performed in response to the acceptance of the input.