Automated supply management method for dynamically fulfilling a customer requested order

1. A method of using an automated supply chain management system to automatically fulfill a customer order on-time, the method comprising the steps of:

a) defining a quantity N needed to fulfill a customer order;

b) defining a customer requested due date;

c) providing an order fulfillment matrix having a plurality of allocated capacity cells, each of the plurality of allocated capacity cells having an associated allocated capacity quantity T, wherein T equals or exceeds zero, and wherein each of the plurality of allocated capacity cells has an associated calendar date of production;

d) searching each of the plurality of allocated capacity cells having an allocated capacity quantity T exceeding zero in accordance with an allocation search sequence, the allocation search sequence selected from the group of as soon as possible, customer request date, and customer request date having a shipping window;

e) summing each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells until a summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells equals or exceeds M; and

f) returning a calendar date of production associated with a last searched one of the plurality of allocated capacity cells having an allocated capacity quantity T greater than zero to an order management system as an available to promise date to fulfill a customer order when the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells equals or exceeds N;

g) defining each of a plurality of allocated capacity cells having an associated capacity quantity T equaling zero as a work in process cell, wherein each work in process cell is not available for searching in accordance with a selected allocation search sequence;

h) skipping searching each of the plurality of work in process cells in accordance with an allocation search sequence;

i) reserving each of a plurality of allocated capacity cells having an associated capacity quantity T exceeding zero as a work in process cell upon being searched in accordance with a selected allocation search sequence;

j) associating each of the plurality of allocated capacity cells having an allocated quantity T with a portion of the order fulfillment matrix, the portion of the matrix selected from the group of a customer family portion, an available capacity of known machines portion, and a remaining capacity portion;

k) performing a customer request date allocation search sequence to search the order fulfillment matrix, the customer request date allocation search sequence having the substeps of:

i) searching the customer family portion of the order fulfillment matrix within a month X in reverse chronological order between a customer requested due date and an earliest available date within the month X, wherein X is an integer equal to or greater than 1;

ii) searching the available capacity of known machines portion of the order fulfillment within month K in reverse chronological order between a customer requested due date and an earliest available date within the month K upon performing step i);

iii) searching the remaining capacity portion of the order fulfillment within month K in reverse chronological order between a customer requested due date and an earliest available date within the month K upon performing step ii;

iv) determining whether the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells equals or exceeds N upon completing step iii);

v) stopping the search sequence if the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells equals or exceeds M;

vi) decrementing X by 1 if the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells does not equal or exceed N, wherein X=X−1;

vii) determining whether X=1 upon completing step vi;

viii) repeating steps i-vi until X equals 1 if the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells does not equal or exceed N;

ix) searching the month X within the customer family portion of the order fulfillment matrix chronologically between the customer requested due date and the end of month X upon completing step vii);

x) searching the month X within the available capacity of known machines portion of the order fulfillment matrix chronologically between the due date and the end of month X upon completing step viii;

xi) searching the month X within the remaining capacity portion of the order fulfillment matrix chronologically between the customer requested due date and the end of month X upon completing step ix;

xii) incrementing X by 1, wherein X=X+1;

xiii) determining whether the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells equals or exceeds M upon completing step xii; and

xiiii) repeating steps ix-xiii until the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells equals or exceeds M.

2. A method of using an automated supply chain management system to automatically fulfill a customer order on-time, the method comprising the steps of:

a) defining a quantity M needed to fulfill a customer order;

b) defining a customer requested due date;

c) providing an order fulfillment matrix having a plurality of allocated capacity cells, each of the plurality of allocated capacity cells having an associated allocated capacity quantity T, wherein T equals or exceeds zero, and wherein each of the plurality of allocated capacity cells has an associated calendar date of production;

d) searching each of the plurality of allocated capacity cells having an allocated capacity quantity T exceeding zero in accordance with an allocation search sequence, the allocation search sequence selected from the group of as soon as possible, customer request date, and customer request date having a shipping window;

e) summing each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells until a summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells equals or exceeds M; and

f) returning a calendar date of production associated with a last searched one of the plurality of allocated capacity cells having an allocated capacity quantity T greater than zero to an order management system as an available to promise date to fulfill a customer order when the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells equals or exceeds M;

g) defining each of a plurality of allocated capacity cells having an associated capacity quantity T equaling zero as a work in process cell, wherein each work in process cell is not available for searching in accordance with a selected allocation search sequence;

h) skipping searching each of the plurality of work in process cells in accordance with an allocation search sequence;

i) reserving each of a plurality of allocated capacity cells having an associated capacity quantity T exceeding zero as a work in process cell upon being searched in accordance with a selected allocation search sequence.

j)associating each of the plurality of allocated capacity cells having an allocated quantity T with a portion of the order fulfillment matrix, the portion of the matrix selected from the group of a customer family portion, an available capacity of known machines portion, and a remaining capacity portion; and

k) performing a customer request date allocation search sequence having a shipping window to search the order fulfillment matrix, the customer request date allocation search sequence having a shipping window the substeps of:

i) searching the customer family portion of the order fulfillment matrix in reverse chronological order within shipping window between a customer requested due date and an earliest calendar date of production within the shipping window, wherein the earliest specified calendar date within the shipping window is disposed within month Y;

ii) searching the available capacity of known machines portion of the order fulfillment matrix in reverse chronological order within shipping window between a customer requested due date and an earliest calendar date of production within the shipping window upon completing step i);

iii) searching the remaining capacity portion of the order fulfillment matrix in reverse chronological order within shipping window between a customer requested due date and an earliest calendar date of production within the shipping window upon completing step ii;

iv) decrementing Y by 1, Y being an integer equal to or greater than 1, wherein Y=Y−1;

v) determining whether the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells equals or exceeds M upon completing step iv;

vi) determining whether Y=1 if the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells does not equal or exceed M upon completing step v;

vii) stopping the search sequence if the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells equals or exceeds M;

viii) repeating steps iii-vi using a last available calendar date of a previous chronological month, Y−1, until the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells equals or exceeds M;

ix) searching the customer family portion of the order fulfillment matrix chronologically within month Y beginning with the due date within month Y if the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells does not equal or exceed 14 upon completing step viii;

x) searching the available capacity of known machines portion chronologically within the month Y beginning with the due date within month Y if the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells does not equal or exceed M upon completing step ix;

xi) searching the remaining capacity portion chronologically between the due date within the month Y and a last available date of the month Y upon completing step x;

xii) incrementing Y by 1, wherein Y=Y+1; and

xiii) repeating steps ix-xii using a first available calendar date of a next chronological month until the summation of each allocated capacity quantity T associated with the searched plurality of allocated capacity cells equals or exceeds N.