Storage medium for facilitating parts procurement and production planning across an extended supply chain

US7519550B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• E. Weston Seaman · Poughkeepsie, US
• Laurie Cohn · Poughkeepsie, US
• James Greene · Gurn Spring, US
• Eric Lambert · Wappingers Falls, US
• Benjamin J. Steele · Newburgh, US
• Debra J. White · Cold Spring, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 30, 2008
• Grant date: Apr 14, 2009
• Expiry date: Feb 24, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q30/08
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A storage medium for managing a supply chain is provided. The storage medium includes instructions for implementing a method. The method includes transmitting a bid request from a bill of material (BOM) file to a web site and receiving a response from a supplier, resulting in an award notice. The method also includes identifying component prices incurred by the supplier that manufactures products using the components, comparing the prices with those available to the manufacturer from a component supplier. For components in which the supplier incurs a price greater than that available to the manufacturer, the method includes requesting authorization for the supplier to purchase a quantity of the component from the component supplier at the purchase price available to the manufacturer. Upon approval, the method includes transmitting an authorization to the supplier to purchase the component directly from the component supplier. The authorization includes guidelines for the contract manufacturer to follow.