IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,343,311

Granted Patent B2

US 7,343,311 · App. 10/090,342 · Granted Mar 11, 2008

Generating an optimized supplier allocation plan

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 7,343,311
App. No.: 10/090,342
Granted: Mar 11, 2008
Kind: B2

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Abstract

Generating an optimized supplier allocation plan includes identifying parts and suppliers associated with an allocation problem, where each supplier can supply at least one part. One or more objective functions are selected. Each objective function has part variables, and each part variable represents a quantity of a part to be procured from a supplier. At least one constraint constraining at least one part variable is received. The one or more objective functions are optimized with respect to the at least one constraint to yield a value for each part variable. A quantity of each part to be procured from at least one supplier is determined according to the values to generate the optimized supplier allocation plan.

Claims (107)

1. A method for generating an optimized supplier allocation plan, comprising:

identifying a plurality of parts associated with an allocation problem, the allocation problem having a demand requirement associated with the plurality of parts;

identifying a plurality of suppliers, each supplier operable to supply at least one part associated with the allocation problem;

selecting one or more objective functions, each objective function having a plurality of part variables, each part variable representing a quantity of a part to be procured from a supplier;

receiving at least one constraint constraining at least one part variable;

optimizing the one or more objective functions with respect to the at least one constraint to yield a value for each part variable by:

optimizing a first objective function to determine a first normalization factor;

optimizing a second objective function to determine a second normalization factor;

generating a combined objective function using the first objective function normalized by the first normalization factor and weighted by a first weighting factor and using the second objective function normalized by the second normalization factor and weighted by a second weighting factor; and

determining if the combined objective function can be optimized for all constraints;

responsive to a determination that the combined objective function cannot be optimized for all constraints, optimizing the combined objective function for a portion of the constraints;

responsive to a determination that the combined objective function can be optimized for all constraints, optimizing the combined objective function; and

determining a quantity of each part to be procured from at least one supplier according to the values to generate the optimized supplier allocation plan.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

each part variable represents a quantity of a part to be procured from a supplier for a site; and

determining a quantity of each part comprises determining a quantity of each part to be procured from at least one supplier for a site according to the values.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

each part variable represents a quantity of a part to be procured from a supplier at a time period; and

determining a quantity of each part comprises determining a quantity of each part to be procured from at least one supplier at a time period according to the values.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating an object model operable to visually represent the allocation problem on a computer display; and

generating a mathematical model from the object model, the mathematical model comprising the one or more objective functions.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein optimizing the one or more objective functions comprises minimizing a total cost.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

prioritizing the constraints; and

wherein the portion of constraints comprises at least one higher priority constraint.

7. A method for generating an optimized supplier allocation plan, comprising:

identifying a plurality of parts associated with an allocation problem, the allocation problem having a demand requirement associated with the plurality of parts;

identifying a plurality of suppliers of the allocation problem, each supplier operable to supply at least one part associated with the allocation problem;

generating an object model operable to visually represent the allocation problem on a computer display;

generating a mathematical model from the object model, the mathematical model comprising a plurality of objective functions, each objective function having a plurality of part variables, each part variable representing a quantity of a part to be procured from a supplier for a site at a time period;

receiving at least one constraint constraining at least one part variable;

optimizing the objective functions with respect to the at least one constraint to yield a value for each part variable by:

optimizing a first objective function to determine a first normalization factor;

optimizing a second objective function to determine a second normalization factor;

determining if the combined objective function can be optimized for all constraints;

responsive to a determination that the combined objective function cannot be optimized for all constraints, optimizing the combined objective function for a portion of the constraints;

responsive to a determination that the combined objective function can be optimized for all constraints, optimizing the combined objective function; and

determining a quantity of each part to be procured from at least one supplier for a site at a time period according to the values to generate the optimized supplier allocation plan.

8. A system for generating an optimized supplier allocation plan, comprising:

a database operable to store:

a list of a plurality of parts associated with an allocation problem, the allocation problem having a demand requirement associated with the plurality of parts; and

a list of a plurality of suppliers, each supplier operable to supply at least one part associated with the allocation problem; and

a server system coupled to the database and operable to:

select one or more objective functions, each objective function having a plurality of part variables, each part variable representing a quantity of a part to be procured from a supplier;

receive at least one constraint constraining at least one part variable;

optimize the one or more objective functions with respect to the at least one constraint to yield a value for each part variable by:

optimizing a first objective function to determine a first normalization factor;

optimizing a second objective function to determine a second normalization factor;

determine if the combined objective function can be optimized for all constraints;

responsive to a determination that the combined objective function cannot be optimized for all constraints, optimize the combined objective function for a portion of the constraints;

responsive to a determination that the combined objective function can be optimized for all constraints, optimize the combined objective function; and

determine a quantity of each part to be procured from at least one supplier according to the values to generate the optimized supplier allocation plan.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein:

each part variable represents a quantity of a part to be procured from a supplier for a site; and

the server system is operable to determine a quantity of each part by determining a quantity of each part to be procured from at least one supplier for a site according to the values.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein:

each part variable represents a quantity of a part to be procured from a supplier at a time period; and

the server system is operable to determine a quantity of each part by determining a quantity of each part to be procured from at least one supplier at a time period according to the values.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the server system comprises:

an object model module coupled to the database and operable to generate an object model operable to visually represent the allocation problem on a computer display; and

a mathematical model module coupled to the object model module and operable to generate a mathematical model from the object model, the mathematical model comprising the one or more objective functions.

12. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:

prioritizing the constraints; and

wherein the portion of constraints comprises at least one higher priority constraint.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the server system is operable to optimize the one or more objective functions by minimizing a total cost.

14. A system for generating an optimized supplier allocation plan, comprising:

means for identifying a plurality of parts associated with an allocation problem, the allocation problem having a demand requirement associated with the plurality of parts;

means for identifying a plurality of suppliers, each supplier operable to supply at least one part associated with the allocation problem;

means for selecting one or more objective functions, each objective function having a plurality of part variables, each part variable representing a quantity of a part to be procured from a supplier;

means for receiving at least one constraint constraining at least one part variable;

means for optimizing the one or more objective functions with respect to the at least one constraint to yield a value for each part variable by:

means for optimizing a first objective function to determine a first normalization factor;

means for optimizing a second objective function to determine a second normalization factor;

means for generating a combined objective function using the first objective function normalized by the first normalization factor and weighted by a first weighting factor and using the second objective function normalized by the second normalization factor and weighted by a second weighting factor; and

means for determining if the combined objective function can be optimized for all constraints;

responsive to a determination that the combined objective function cannot be optimized for all constraints, means for optimizing the combined objective function for a portion of the constraints;

responsive to a determination that the combined objective function can be optimized for all constraints, means for optimizing the combined objective function; and

means for determining a quantity of each part to be procured from at least one supplier according to the values to generate the optimized supplier allocation plan.

15. Software for generating an optimized supplier allocation plan, the software embodied in computer-readable media and when executed operable to:

identify a plurality of parts associated with an allocation problem, the allocation problem having a demand requirement associated with the plurality of parts;

identify a plurality of suppliers, each supplier operable to supply at least one part associated with the allocation problem;