Value chain management
View Patent ↗A system ( 10 ) for managing a value chain includes a planning application ( 36 ) that receives planning data from a number of entities included in a value chain and automatically generates a plan according to the planning data. At least two of the entities do not directly communicate planning data to one another. The system ( 10 ) also includes a manager application ( 44 ) that receives the plan and automatically identifies one or more exceptions in the plan, communicates planning data relating to the exceptions to one or more of the entities, receives instructions from one or more of the entities regarding how the exceptions are to resolved, and automatically modifies the planning data in response to the instructions.
1. A system for managing a value chain, comprising:
a computer system, comprising:
a planning application tangibly embodied on a computer-readable medium and configured to receive planning data from a plurality of entities included in a value chain and to automatically generate a plan according to the planning data, at least two of the entities not directly communicating planning data to one another; and
a manager application tangibly embodied on a computer-readable medium and configured to:
receive the plan and automatically identify one or more exceptions in the plan;
communicate planning data relating to the exceptions to one or more of the entities;
receive instructions from one or more of the entities regarding how the exceptions are to be resolved; and
automatically modify the planning data in response to the instructions.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the planning application is further configured to automatically generate an updated plan according to the planning data modified by the manager application; and
the manager application is further configured to communicate the updated plan to the entities in the value chain.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the manager application is further configured to:
receive updated planning data from one or more of the entities; and
automatically identify potential exceptions that may be caused by the updated planning data without receiving an updated plan from the planning application.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the manager application is further configured to:
automatically communicate a notification regarding the existence of an exception to one or more of the entities;
receive a request for information about the exception from one or more of the entities in response to the notification;
automatically communicate planning data relating to the exception to one or more of the entities in response to receiving the request.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the manager application is further configured to control access to the planning information based on a permissibility framework.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the planning application comprises a supply chain planning engine, the plurality of entities comprise enterprises, and the plan comprises a supply chain plan for at least a portion of a supply chain including the enterprises.
7. A computer-implemented method of managing a value chain, comprising:
receiving, using a computer, planning data from a plurality of entities included in a value chain, at least two of the entities not directly communicating planning data to one another;
automatically generating, using the computer, a plan according to the planning data;
automatically identifying, using the computer, one or more exceptions in the plan;
communicating, using the computer, planning data relating to the exceptions to one or more of the entities;
receiving, using the computer, instructions from one or more of the entities regarding how the exceptions are to be resolved; and
automatically modifying, using the computer, the planning data in response to the instructions.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
automatically generating an updated plan according to the modified planning data; and
communicating the updated plan to the entities in the value chain.
9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving updated planning data from one or more of the entities; and
automatically identifying potential exceptions that may be caused by the updated planning data without updating the plan according to the updated planning data.
10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
automatically communicating a notification regarding the existence of an exception to one or more of the entities;
receiving a request for information about the exception from one or more of the entities in response to the notification;
automatically communicating planning data relating to the exception to one or more of the entities in response to receiving the request.
11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising controlling access to the planning information based on a permissibility framework.
12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving set-up information from one or more of the entities, the set-up information including characteristics of the value chain; and
automatically generating the plan according to the planning data and the set-up information.
13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodied with software for managing a value chain, the software when executed using one or more computers is configured to:
receive planning data from a plurality of entities included in a value chain, at least two of the entities not directly communicating planning data to one another;
automatically generate a plan according to the planning data;
automatically identify one or more exceptions in the plan;
communicate planning data relating to the exceptions to one or more of the entities;
receive instructions from one or more of the entities regarding how the exceptions are to be resolved; and
automatically modify the planning data in response to the instructions.
14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , further operable to:
automatically generate an updated plan according to the modified planning data; and
communicate the updated plan to the entities in the value chain.
15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , further operable to:
receive updated planning data from one or more of the entities; and
automatically identify potential exceptions that may be caused by the updated planning data without updating the plan according to the updated planning data.
16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , further operable to:
automatically communicate a notification regarding the existence of an exception to one or more of the entities;
receive a request for information about the exception from one or more of the entities in response to the notification;
automatically communicate planning data relating to the exception to one or more of the entities in response to receiving the request.
17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , further operable to control access to the planning information based on a permissibility framework.
18. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , further operable to:
receive set-up information from one or more of the entities, the set-up information including characteristics of the value chain; and
automatically generate the plan according to the planning data and the set-up information.
19. A computer-implemented method of managing a value chain, comprising:
receiving, using a computer, planning data from a plurality of entities included in a value chain, at least two of the entities not directly communicating planning data to one another;
receiving, using the computer, set-up information from one or more of the entities, the set-up information including characteristics of the value chain;
automatically generating, using the computer, a plan according to the planning data;
receiving, using the computer, the plan and automatically identifying one or more exceptions in the plan;
automatically communicating, using the computer, a notification regarding the existence of an exception to one or more of the entities;
receiving, using the computer, a request for information about the exception from one or more of the entities in response to the notification;
automatically communicating, using the computer, planning data relating to the exception to one or more of the entities in response to receiving the request, access to the planning information being based on a permissibility framework;
receiving, using the computer, instructions from one or more of the entities regarding how the exceptions are to resolved; and
automatically modifying, using the computer, the planning data in response to the instructions.
20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodied with software for managing a value chain, the software when executed using one or more computers is configured to:
receive planning data from a plurality of entities included in a value chain, at least two of the entities not directly communicating planning data to one another;
receive set-up information from one or more of the entities, the set-up information including characteristics of the value chain;
automatically generate a plan according to the planning data;
receive the plan and automatically identify one or more exceptions in the plan; automatically communicate a notification regarding the existence of an exception to one or more of the entities;
receive a request for information about the exception from one or more of the entities in response to the notification;
automatically communicate planning data relating to the exception to one or more of the entities in response to receiving the request, the manager application controlling access to the planning information based on a permissibility framework;
receive instructions from one or more of the entities regarding how the exceptions are to resolved; and
automatically modify the planning data in response to the instructions.