FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (See section 10, rule 13)
“AN AUTOMATED SUPPLY CHAIN/LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT PROCESS
AND SYSTEM THEREOF”
Name and address of the applicant:
a) Name: MASTEK LTD.
b) Nationality: Indian
c) Address: Mastek Millennium Center, A-7, Millennium Business Park, Off Thane Belapur Road, Mahape, Navi Mumbai - 400 710, India
PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure generally relates to the field of supply chain/ logistic management. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a method and a system for automated supply chain/logistics management.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
For an organization, time and money are the two assets that are crucial for its success. These assets become more important when it comes to those organizations dealing in supply chain management (or logistics management). For instance, delivery of consignments on time is one of the most critical requirements of supply chain management (or logistics management). Conventionally, for achieving timely delivery of consignments, the supply chain management (or logistics management) organizations usually maintain an ecosystem where they need to employ a combination of both man and machine proportionally as per the requirement. Although the combination of humans and machine have been working satisfactorily, there are challenges associated with employing person(s) with right skill set, expertise and experience (hereinafter "attributes") to handle the work efficiently. In such a scenario where a person does not have the required attributes, the productivity may get adversely affected and the overall reputation of the organization may get affected as well. Further, chances of a human committing error are more and even a slightest mistake can cost huge sum of money to organizations depending on the scale of error.
In recent years, organizations dealing in supply chain management (or logistics management) have attempted to reduce errors in one or more processes by replacing more human workers with machines in one more process. However, when it comes to delivery of consignments from logistics supplier to customers, human intervention become unavoidable which makes the overall supply chain prone to delays, errors and

worst-case forgery which may be committed by humans involved in the process which may tarnish the reputation of the logistics suppliers.
Therefore, there is a need of streamlining and optimizing the entire chain of processes/operations within and outside of the logistics supplier's premises i.e., starting from the sales, to loading, to dispatch and till handover of materials to the customers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure overcomes one or more shortcomings of the prior art and provides additional advantages. Embodiments and aspects of the disclosure described in detail herein are considered a part of the claimed disclosure.
In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, an automated supply chain/logistics management process is disclosed. The process comprises receiving a request from one or more customers for delivering goods to one or more customer locations. The process further comprises generating a unique code corresponding to the request. The process further comprises allotting a vehicle for delivering the goods, wherein the unique code is transmitted to the allotted vehicle. The process further comprises allowing the vehicle to enter a premise for loading the goods by automatic scanning of the unique code, wherein the vehicle is allotted a time slot for loading the goods. The process further comprises capturing weight of the vehicle at a pre-loaded condition. The process further comprises guiding the vehicle for parking at an allocated parking slot. In one aspect, guiding the vehicle for parking comprises guiding the vehicle to park at the allocated parking slot using at least one display unit and one or more sensing units.
In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the process further comprises automatically loading the goods into the vehicle via one or more loading means capturing weight of the vehicle post loading for confirming accurate loading of the goods. The process further comprises delivering and tracking the goods to the one or more customer locations. Further, the process comprises verifying the allotted vehicle prior to allowing the vehicle to enter the premises for loading the goods. The process further comprises verifying delivery of the goods at the one or more customer locations.

In another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, an automated supply chain system is disclosed. The system comprises an interface unit configured to communicate information relating to a request for goods delivery with one or more customers, one or more vehicles and one or more suppliers. The system further comprises a weighing scale configured to automatically capture weight of a vehicle in a pre- loaded condition and a post-loaded condition. The system further comprises a memory to store one or more information. The system further comprises one or more sensing unit for checking entry, parking, loading and exit of the vehicle. The system further comprises a loading unit is configured to automatically load the goods into the vehicle. The system further comprises a tracking unit is configured to continuously monitor movement of the vehicle from starting till the goods are delivered. In one aspect, the tracking unit comprises a satellite positioning system (SPS) for accurately tracking location of the vehicle.
] In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the system further comprises a control unit comprising one or more processors, the control unit is operatively coupled with the memory, the interface unit, the weighing scale, the memory, the one or more sensing unit, the loading unit and the tracking unit. The control unit is configured to generate a unique code for each of the request for goods delivery and share with the one or more customers and the vehicle through the interface unit. The control unit is further configured to monitor the weight of the vehicle through the weighing scale and share corresponding information with the one or more customers. The control unit is further configured to allocate the vehicle, parking slot and time for loading. The control unit is further configured to enable entry and exit of the vehicle by scanning the unique code available with the vehicle.
] In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit is further configured to facilitate loading of the goods based on the request for goods delivery received from the one or more customers. In one aspect, to facilitate the loading of the goods the control unit further configured to guide the vehicle to park at a designated slot using the one or more sensing units, one or more display units and one or more loading means. The control unit is further configured to verify, using the one or more sensing unit, the vehicle prior to allowing the entry of the vehicle in a premises

of the one or more suppliers. The control unit is further configured to verify the goods delivery at one or more locations of the one or more customers.
[0012] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The features, nature, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which like reference characters identify correspondingly throughout. Some embodiments of system and/or methods in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying figures., in which:
[0014] FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of an automated supply chain/logistics management, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0015] FIG. 2A-2B depicts a block diagram illustrating transitions involved in an automated supply chain/logistics management, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary flowchart of an automated supply chain/logistics management process, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0017] It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative systems embodying the principles of the present subject matter. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in a computer readable medium and executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] The foregoing has broadly outlined the features and technical advantages of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description of the disclosure that follows may be better understood. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure.
[0019] The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the disclosure, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure.
[0020] Nowadays, market has become very demanding given the ever-increasing competition in the domain of material sales and delivery (such as raw materials for construction sites, food processing plants, etc) i.e., supply chain management or logistics management. Companies working in the field of supply chain management or logistics management need maximum customer reach and such technologies that may significantly break the weak link between the database of customers and company. Further, these companies also need to be ahead of the competition by employing cutting edge technologies for better customer experience as well as maximum commercial benefit for themselves.
[0021] The present disclosure provides process optimization for streamlined sales, electronic parking of vehicles, process-optimized material loading, Internet of Things (IoT) sensing for loading adjustments, inventories and end customer’s material handover with tracking in real time. The present disclosure efficiently removes manual intervention and process barriers that usually involve while material loading and unloading on or off the logistics supplier’s premises. Further, the present disclosure provides reduced error which may be caused by manual interventions in the supply chain management or logistics management process. The present disclosure also provides better customer experience by enabling real time tracking of vehicles (transporting their consignments) and customer’s feedback mechanism. Moreover, the present disclosure, by using

advance Edge IoT computing, mobile application reach and continuous demand capture, the turnaround time for vehicles (involved in transporting the consignment or materials) improve considerably making them to do return trips faster which in turn results in improved customer engagements (and customer experience) and monetary/commercial benefits to the company including good return on investment (ROI).
[0022] For the sake of simplicity, not limiting to, the techniques of the present disclosure have been explained by way of an example of supply chain management or logistics management process. It may however be appreciated by a skilled person that the example is only for the sake of explaining and not to restrict the scope of invention and the techniques of the present disclosure may be applied for various different industries, use cases, applications or businesses that involves transportation of goods from one location to another.
[0023] Further, the terms like customer, consumer, end user are interchangeably used in the present disclosure representing a biological person or a corporate personality i.e., a company. Similarly, the terms like supply chain management (SCM) and logistics management are interchangeably used in the present disclosure representing management of consignment from sales to delivery. Similarly, the terms like goods, consignment, material are also used interchangeably used in the present disclosure representing the tangible item being sold, transported and delivered at the customer’s location. Similarly, the terms like, logistics supplier, manufacturer and seller are also used interchangeably in the present disclosure.
[0024] A detailed explanation of the proposed solution is provided in the forthcoming paragraphs with reference to FIGs. 1 to 3.
[0025] FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of an automated supply chain/logistics management, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG.1 depicts a customer 102, a logistics supplier 104, a vehicle 106 and a system 108. The system 108 comprises an interface unit 110, a control unit 112, a memory 114, a loading unit 116, a weighing scale, a tracking unit 120 and a sensing unit 122. The control unit 112 may further comprise one or more processors. According to embodiments of present disclosure, the above-mentioned components comprised in the system 108 may comprise hardware

components like processor, microprocessor, microcontrollers, application-specific integrated circuit for performing various operations of the system 108 or software modules or a combination of the hardware-software. Further, in one implementation, the one or more processors may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the one or more processors may be configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory 114.
[0026] In one aspect, the logistics supplier 104 may be a manufacturer or producer of goods themselves, in another aspect, the logistics supplier 104 may be a third-party seller or supplier of goods. Further, the vehicle 106 as depicted in FIG. 1 may be a single transport vehicle (such as a truck or the like) or multiple number of vehicles depending on the customer’s requirement. In an implementation, the vehicle 106 may require human driver(s) for operation. In another implementation, the vehicle 106 may a driverless vehicle controlled by a remotely located human or a processor and connected via wireless communication (for example, internet). In yet another implementation, the vehicle 106 may be an automated vehicle which may not require remote instructions and may auto drive based on a navigation system locally present in the vehicle 106.
[0027] In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the interface unit 110 may include a variety of software and hardware interfaces, for example, a web portal, a web interface, a graphical user interface, an application (that may be installed in any computing device such as a smartphone, tablet computer, laptop, etc) and the like. The interface unit 110 may communicate with the customer 102, the logistics supplier 104 and the vehicle 106. In an implementation, the interface unit 110 may be configured to receive one or more request from the customer 102 for delivery of goods at one or more locations specified by the customer 102. In response to receiving the one or more request from the customer 102 via the interface unit 110, the control unit 112 may be configured to store the one or more request in the memory 114 and process the one or more request to generate a unique code.

[0028] In another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the interface unit 110 may transmit the unique code to the logistics supplier 104 and the vehicle 106. Upon receiving the unique code, the vehicle 106 progresses towards the location of the logistics supplier 104. When the vehicle 106 reaches an entry check post of the logistics supplier 104, the unique code may be scanned by means of one or more IoT devices such as the sensing units 122. In one non-limiting implementation, the sensing units 122 may comprise a bar code scanner, QR code scanner, one or more camera sensors (i.e., imaging devices), etc. Upon scanning of the unique code, the control unit 112 may verify the information contained in the unique code such as the requested amount of goods, correct location of the logistics supplier, etc. The control unit 112 may further verify the identity of the vehicle 106 to check whether the correct vehicle has arrived for the pick-up of the goods.
[0029] In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit 112 may verify the identity of the driver of the vehicle 106 by means of the sensing units 122. Further, the control unit 112 may capture weight of the vehicle 106 in a pre-loaded condition by means of the weighing scale 118 located at the entry check post of the logistics supplier 104. In a non-limiting implementation, the weighing scale 118 may be an automated weighing scale and may not require any human intervention while capturing the weight of the vehicle 106. The weight of the vehicle 106 may be captured and the control unit 112 may store the weight of the vehicle 106 in the memory 114. Further, the control unit 112 may enable the entry of the vehicle 106 inside of premises at the location of the logistics supplier 106. In one non-limiting implementation, the control unit 112 may control one or more automated barricades or automated gates to enable the entry of the vehicle 106 inside of the premises at the location of the logistics supplier 106.
[0030] In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit 112 may guide the vehicle 106 inside of the premises at the location of the logistics supplier 106 to secure a parking slot. In one non-limiting example, the control unit 112 may allot the parking slot to the vehicle 106 in a “first-in-first-out” (FIFO) manner. However, it must be noted by a skilled person that any other technique for allotting the parking slot may be implemented as per the requirement. For example, a vehicle with high priority

or urgency may be allotted the parking slot in a manner that can cater to the urgent requirement.
[0031] In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit 112 may further allot a time for loading of the goods in the vehicle 106. The control unit 112 may guide the vehicle 106 towards a loading bay or area as per the time slot allotted to the vehicle 106. Once the vehicle 106 reaches the loading bay, the control unit 112 may guide the vehicle 106 to park at a designated place so that the loading of goods may be done automatically. To park the vehicle 106 at the designated place, the control unit 112 guides the vehicle 106 by means of the one or more sensing units 122 such as ultra sonic sensors or any type of sensors capable of guiding the vehicle 106, the one or more display units (not shown in figures) to guide the vehicle 106 by means of audio visual information.
[0032] Once the vehicle 106 is parked at the designated place, the control unit 112 may transmit an instruction to the loading unit 116 to initiate automated loading of the goods in the vehicle 106 in the quantity matching the request of goods from the one or more customers 102. In one non-limiting aspect, the loading unit 116 may comprise at least one or more conveyor belt, sprouts, tubes or the like automatically operable to load the goods in the vehicle 106. Said loading unit 116 may be based on the IoT technology to receive and send one or more signals via wireless communications (e.g., internet). Further, the control unit 112 may store the information related to the quantity/weight of the goods loaded in the vehicle, into the memory 114.
[0033] In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, once the loading of goods is complete, the control unit 112 may guide the vehicle 106 towards an exit check post of the logistics supplier 104. Once the vehicle 106 reaches the exit check post, the control unit 112 may verify the loaded goods in the vehicle 106 by means of the sensing units 122 (for example, imaging sensors, scanners, etc). Further, the control unit 112 may capture weight of the vehicle 106 in a post-loaded condition by means of the weighing scale 118 located at the exit check post of the logistics supplier 104. Further, the control unit 112 may store the weight of the vehicle 106 in the post-loaded condition into the memory 114. The control unit 112 may further process the weights of the vehicle 106 in the pre-loaded and post loaded condition to verify the correct loading of

the goods. Further, the control unit 112 may generate an electronic invoice (e-invoice) corresponding to the loaded goods to be delivered at the one or more locations specified by the customer 102. The interface unit 110 may transmit the e-invoice to the customer 102 and the logistics supplier 104. Further, the control unit 112 enables exit of the vehicle 106 from the location of the logistics supplier 104.
[0034] In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, upon exit of the vehicle 106 from the location of the logistics supplier 104, the control unit 112 continuously tracks the vehicle 106 by means of the tracking unit 120 until the vehicle 106 reaches the location of the customer 102. The tracking unit 120 may comprises a satellite positioning system (SPS) such as Global Positioning System (GPS) or Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) or the like, tracking systems for accurately tracking location of the vehicle. Said SPS system may be located locally in the vehicle 106 and may be an IoT device connected to the system 108 via wireless communication. While the vehicle is in the course of its journey to delivering the goods, the control unit 112 continuously updates an Expected Time of Arrival (ETA) of goods at the location of the customer 102 and the interface unit 110 may continuously communicate the ETA to the customer 102 and the logistics supplier 104 resulting in an improved customer experience.
[0035] In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, once the vehicle 106 arrives at the one or more locations specified by the customer 102, the customer 102 may communicate information regarding the expected quantity/weight/amount of the goods and the actual delivery of such goods, via the interface unit 110. In such a scenario where a mismatch between the expected quantity/weight/amount of the goods and the actual delivery of the goods is detected, the customer 102 may transmit an alert via the interface unit 110. The control unit 112 may process the alert to verify the expected quantity/weight/amount of the goods and the actual delivery of such goods and transmit corresponding information to the logistics supplier 104 to be addressed.
[0036] In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the interface unit 110 may enable the customer 102 to provide any feedback or review regarding the overall experience of the sales till the delivery of the goods. Now the present subject matter will be explained below in conjunction with FIGs. 1 and 2A-2B.

[0037] FIGs. 2A-2B depicts a block diagram illustrating transitions 200 involved in an automated supply chain/logistics management in accordance with the embodiment of the present disclosure. For ease of understanding and not limiting the scope of the present disclosure in any way, FIGs. 2A-2B have been explained by means of an example relating to supply chain management/ logistics management of cement used in real estate construction. Block 202 depicts a Customer Engagement Management where the system 108 may perform customer acquisition to gather details of customers who wish to order cement bags from a cement manufacturer or supplier i.e., logistics supplier 104. In exemplary aspect with no limitation to the scope, the type of relationship of the customer and the manufacturer/supplier of cement bags may be a Business-to-business (B2B) type or a Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) type or a Business-to-Consumer (B2C) or the like. The customer may be provided a platform for example a web portal, a web interface, an application (that may be installed in any computing device such as a smartphone, tablet computer, laptop, etc) and the like, via the interface unit 110. The customer may create an account or profile by providing one or more personal details such as name, phone number, address, etc. Upon completion of the customer onboarding, the one or more personal details of the customers may be stored securely in the memory 114.
[0038] In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, a state-of-the-art encryption technique (e.g., 128-bit, 256-bit encryption or the like) may be applied to secure the personal data of the customers. Moving on, when the customer wishes to order a certain amount of cement from the cement manufacturer/supplier, he/she may login to his/her account/profile via the web portal or mobile application and create an order i.e., customer order by providing one or more details such as required quantity of cement (e.g., number of cement bags, date and time of requirement, specification of cement, locations at which the customer expects the cement bags to be delivered, etc). The interface unit 110 may receive the customer order. In an alternate implementation, the customer may also place an order via a social media or chat based services such as whatsapp, chatbots, etc.
[0039] In response to receiving the customer order, a Pre-loading Management 204 may be initiated. In the Pre-loading Management 204 block, the interface unit 110 may notify

or share information related to the customer order to all the stakeholders such as cement manufacturer/supplier and one or more vehicles 106 which are allotted to pick the cement bags from the cement manufacturer/supplier’s location and deliver the same to customer’s location. In one implementation, the system 108, in the memory 114, may maintain a database of vehicles available for delivery at a particular time. Upon receiving the customer order, the system 108 may allot the vehicle 106 for the delivery. In an alternate implementation, the customer may be given a choice to choose a vehicle according to his/her requirements and share the details of the chosen vehicle with the system 108 via the interface unit 110. For example, a construction company may wish to use their own trucks for delivery of cement bags. Further, in the Pre-loading Management 204 block, the system 108 may perform loading slot identification to identify loading slot in terms of loading time, location, etc. Upon, the loading slot identification the vehicle 106 may proceed towards the assigned loading bay of cement manufacturer/supplier’s location.
[0040] In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, when the vehicle 106 reaches an entry check post of the cement manufacturer/supplier’s location, a unique code associated with the customer order may be scanned by means of one or more IoT devices such as the sensing units 122 to verify the information contained in the unique code such as the requested amount of goods, correct location of the cement manufacturer/supplier, etc. The system 108 may verify the identity of the driver of the vehicle 106 by means of the sensing units 122. Further, the system 108 may capture weight of the vehicle 106 in a pre-loaded condition by means of the weighing scale 118 located at the entry check post of the cement manufacturer/supplier’s location. Upon data validation, the stakeholders are acknowledged via a wireless communication (e-acknowledgement) at the entry check post of the cement manufacturer/supplier’s location, the vehicle is allowed inside of the entry check post of the cement manufacturer/supplier’s location. In such a scenario, where the there is a mismatch in the customer order or the unique code is not scanned successfully, or the vehicle identification could not be completed, the system 108 may perform exception handling to troubleshoot the problem. In a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the system 108 may further perform an exception handling for a scenario where local laws or policy of local government has set a limit or embargo on the amount or type or weight of the goods to be delivered. In a non-limiting example, the local government

has set a limit for delivery of a finished product or goods at 100 tons, and the customer has ordered for 105 tons of the finished product, the system 108 may handle this exception by pushing an alert/notification to the stakeholders (i.e., the customer and the finished product supplier) informing the stakeholders of the said local laws and embargo. Furthermore, the system 108 may provide one or more suggestions to handle this exception, for example, one or more ways to adhere to the said local laws and embargo.
[0041] Further, the system 108 may initiate a Parking Slot Management 206 upon successful entry of the vehicle inside of the cement manufacturer/supplier’s location. The system 108 may guide the vehicle 106 inside the premises of the cement manufacturer/supplier’s location to secure a parking slot in a “first-in-first-out” (FIFO) manner. However, it must be noted by a skilled person that any other technique for allotting the parking slot may be implemented as per the requirement. For example, a vehicle with high priority or urgency may be allotted the parking slot in a manner that can cater to the urgent requirement. Further, at the stakeholders notification block, the parking information of the vehicle may be transmitted to all the stakeholders.
[0042] In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, at block Loading Slot Management 208, the system 108 may guide the vehicle 106 towards a loading bay or area as per the time slot allotted to the vehicle 106. Once the vehicle 106 reaches the loading bay, the system 108 may guide the vehicle 106 to park at a designated place so that the loading of cement bags may be done automatically at Vehicle positioning Panel Support block. Further, the system 108, at Load Panel Support block, initiate automated loading of the goods in the vehicle 106 in the quantity matching the customer order. In one non-limiting aspect, the Load Panel Support process may be achieved via one or more conveyor belt, sprouts, tubes or the like automatically operable to load the goods in the vehicle 106. Said Load Panel Support may be based on the IoT technology to receive and send one or more signals via wireless communications (e.g., internet). Further, the system 108 may store the information related to the quantity/weight of the goods loaded in the vehicle, into the memory 114.
[0043] In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, at block Post Load and Exit Management 210, once the loading of goods is complete, the system 108 may

guide the vehicle 106 towards an exit check post of the cement manufacturer/supplier’s location. At Data Mapping and Validation block, once the vehicle 106 reaches the exit check post, the system 108 may verify the loaded cement bags in the vehicle 106. Further, the system 108 may capture weight of the vehicle 106 in a post-loaded condition. The system 108 may further process the weights of the vehicle 106 in the pre-loaded and post loaded condition to verify the correct loading of the goods. Further, the system 108 may generate an electronic invoice (e-invoice) corresponding to the loaded cement bags to be delivered at the one or more locations specified by the customer. The system 108 may transmit the e-invoice to the customer and the cement manufacturer/supplier.
[0044] At the Data Mapping and Validation block, the system 108 may be apply one or more business rules for smooth functioning of optimizing the overall sales process. The system 108 may maintain a database of each of the customers and their history of orders to decide future business strategies and business rules. Further, as system 108 may be updated from time to time to adapt to latest business rules decided by the administrator of the system 108. Further, at Inventory report Management block, the system 108 may maintain a report reflecting the remaining number of cement bags available for a next customer order and to replenish the inventory as and when required.
[0045] In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, at Material Tracking and Feedback Management 212 block, upon exit of the vehicle 106 from the location of the cement manufacturer/supplier’s location, the system 108 continuously tracks the vehicle 106 (e.g., GPS tracking) until the vehicle 106 reaches the location of the customer. At ETA Capture block, while the vehicle is in the course of its journey to delivering the goods, the system 108 continuously updates an Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) of cement bags at the location of the customer 102 and the system 108 may continuously communicate the ETA to the customer 102 and the cement manufacturer/supplier. Further, once the vehicle 106 arrives at the customer’s location, the customer 102 may communicate information regarding the expected quantity/weight/amount of the goods i.e., the cement bags and the actual delivery of such cement bags through the web portal or the mobile application. In such a scenario where a mismatch between the expected quantity/weight/amount of the goods and the actual delivery of the goods is detected, the customer 102 may transmit an alert via the

interface unit 110. The system 108 may process the alert/notification to verify the expected quantity/weight/amount of the goods and the actual delivery of such goods and transmit corresponding information to the cement supplier to be addressed. Further, the system 108 may enable the customer 102 to provide any feedback or review regarding the overall experience of the sales till the delivery of the cement bags.
[0046] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary flowchart 300 of an automated supply chain/logistics management process, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The order in which the method 300 is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order to implement the method 300 or alternate methods. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the method 300 without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the method can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof.
[0047] At step 302, the method 300 may include receiving a request from one or more customers for delivering goods to one or more customer locations. In another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the step 302 may be implemented by the control unit 112 in combination with the interface unit 110.
[0048] At step 304, the method 300 may include generating a unique code corresponding to the request. In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the step 304 may be implemented by the control unit 112.
[0049] At step 306, the method 300 may include allotting a vehicle for delivering the goods. In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the step 306 may be implemented by the control unit 112.
[0050] At step 308, the method 300 may include allowing the vehicle to enter a premise for loading the goods by automatic scanning of the unique code. In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the step 308 may be implemented by the control unit 112 in combination with the sensing unit 122.

[0051] At step 310, the method 300 may include capturing weight of the vehicle at a pre-loaded condition. In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the step 310 may be implemented by the control unit 112 in combination with the weighing scale 118.
[0052] At step 312, the method 300 may include guiding parking of the vehicle at an allocated parking slot. In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the step 312 may be implemented by the control unit 112.
[0053] At step 314, the method 300 may include automatically loading the goods into the vehicle via one or more loading means. In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the step 314 may be implemented by the control unit 112 in combination with the loading unit 116.
[0054] At step 316, the method 300 may include capturing weight of the vehicle post loading for confirming accurate loading of the goods. In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the step 316 may be implemented by the control unit 112 in combination with the weighing scale 118.
[0055] At step 318, the method 300 may include tracking and delivering the goods to the one or more customer locations. In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the step 318 may be implemented by the control unit 112 in combination with the tracking unit 120.
[0056] The illustrated steps are set out to explain the exemplary embodiments shown, and it should be anticipated that ongoing technological development will change the manner in which particular functions are performed. These examples are presented herein for purposes of illustration, and not limitation. Further, the boundaries of the functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description. Alternative boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed.
[0057] Alternatives (including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., of those described herein) will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. Such alternatives fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosed embodiments.

[0058] Furthermore, one or more computer-readable storage media may be utilized in implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. A computer-readable storage medium refers to any type of physical memory on which information or data readable by a processor may be stored. Thus, a computer-readable storage medium may store instructions for execution by one or more processors, including instructions for causing the processor(s) to perform steps or stages consistent with the embodiments described herein. The term “computer- readable medium” should be understood to include tangible items and exclude carrier waves and transient signals, i.e., are non-transitory. Examples include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), volatile memory, non-volatile memory, hard drives, CD ROMs, DVDs, flash drives, disks, and any other known physical storage media.
[0059] Suitable processors include, by way of example, a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a graphic processing unit (GPU), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) circuits, any other type of integrated circuit (IC), and/or a state machine.
Advantages of the embodiment of the present disclosure are illustrated herein
[0060] In an embodiment, the present disclosure provides process optimization for streamlined sales, electronic parking of vehicles, process-optimized material loading, Internet of Things (IoT) sensing for loading adjustments, inventories and end customer’s material handover with tracking in real time.
[0061] The present disclosure efficiently removes manual intervention and process barriers that usually involve while material loading and unloading on or off the logistics supplier’s premises. Further, the present disclosure provides reduced error which may be caused by manual interventions in the supply chain management or logistics management process. The present disclosure also provides better customer experience by enabling real time tracking of vehicles (transporting their consignments) and customer’s feedback mechanism.

[0062] The present disclosure, by using advance Edge IoT computing, mobile application reach and continuous demand capture, the turnaround time for vehicles (involved in transporting the consignment or materials) improve considerably making them to do return trips faster which in turn results in improved customer engagements (and customer experience) and monetary/commercial benefits to the company including good return on investment (ROI).

REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0063] Customer 102
[0064] Logistic supplier 104
[0065] Vehicle 106
[0066] System 108
[0067] Interface unit 110
[0068] Control unit 112
[0069] Memory 114
[0070] Loading unit 116
[0071] Weighing scale 118
[0072] Tracking unit 120
[0073] Sensing unit 122
[0074] Automated supply chain/logistics management transition 200
[0075] Customer Engagement Management 202
[0076] Pre-loading Management 204
[0077] Parking Slot Management 206
[0078] Loading Slot Management 208
[0079] Post Load and Exit Management 210
[0080] Material Tracking and Feedback Management 212
[0081] Method 300
[0082] Method steps 302-318

WE CLAIM:
1. An automated supply chain/logistics management process, comprising the steps of:
receiving a request from one or more customers for delivering goods to one or more customer locations;
generating a unique code corresponding to the request;
allotting a vehicle for delivering the goods, wherein the unique code is transmitted to the allotted vehicle;
allowing the vehicle to enter a premise for loading the goods by automatic scanning of the unique code, wherein the vehicle is allotted a time slot for loading the goods;
capturing weight of the vehicle at a pre-loaded condition;
guiding the vehicle for parking at an allocated parking slot;
automatically loading the goods into the vehicle via one or more loading means;
capturing weight of the vehicle post loading for confirming accurate loading of the goods; and
tracking and delivering the goods to the one or more customer locations.
2. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle is facilitated with a satellite positioning system (SPS) for accurately tracking location of the vehicle.
3. The process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
verifying the allotted vehicle prior to allowing the vehicle to enter the premises for loading the goods.
4. The process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
verifying delivery of the goods at the one or more customer locations.
5. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein guiding the vehicle for parking comprising:
guiding the vehicle to park at the allocated parking slot using at least one display unit and one or more sensing units.

6. An automated supply chain system comprising:
an interface unit configured to communicate information relating to a request for goods delivery with one or more customers, one or more vehicles and one or more suppliers;
a weighing scale configured to automatically capture weight of a vehicle in a pre- loaded condition and a post-loaded condition; a memory to store one or more information;
one or more sensing unit for checking entry, parking, loading and exit of the vehicle;
a loading unit is configured to automatically load the goods into the vehicle; a tracking unit is configured to continuously monitor movement of the vehicle from starting till the goods are delivered; and
a control unit comprising one or more processors, wherein the control unit is operatively coupled with the memory, the interface unit, the weighing scale, the memory, the one or more sensing unit, the loading unit and the tracking unit, the control unit is configured to:
generate a unique code for each of the request for goods delivery and share with the one or more customers and the vehicle through the interface unit; monitor the weight of the vehicle through the weighing scale and share corresponding information with the one or more customers; allocate the vehicle, parking slot and time for loading; enable entry and exit of the vehicle by scanning the unique code available with the vehicle; and
facilitate loading of the goods based on the request for goods delivery received from the one or more customers.
7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the tracking unit comprises a satellite positioning system (SPS) for accurately tracking location of the vehicle.
8. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control unit is further configured to:
verify, using the one or more sensing unit, the vehicle prior to allowing the entry of the vehicle in a premises of the one or more suppliers.

9. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control unit is further configured to:
verify the goods delivery at one or more locations of the one or more customers.
10. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein to facilitate the loading of the goods the
control unit further configured to:
guide the vehicle to park at a designated slot using the one or more sensing units, one or more display units and one or more loading means.