SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING SUPPLY CHAIN OPERATIONS AS A SERVICE

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to a system for managing supply chain operations. More particularly, it concerns a system for providing supply chain operations as a service in a cloud computing environment across a plurality of tenants

BACKGROUND

Supply chains over the years are getting leaner and leaner due to cost-cutting exercises. This has left little room for meeting variations in demand or unexpected events. Therefore there is a need for a cost effective and efficient tool that counters these challenges and meets the requirements in the supply chain. On one hand, development of a "collaborative sourcing" approach, and on other, establishment of an infrastructure allowing the exchange of information across the supply chain ecosystem is required

As organizations evaluate different options, total cost of ownership (TCO) is often given most importance. The motive is to lower costs by eliminating upfront capital investments and ongoing associated maintenance costs. It is desired to incorporate more flexibility, innovation and responsiveness

Organizations need solutions that enable them to meet their business goals, and also help them to conserve capital and reduce ongoing costs. There is a requirement for added flexibility to scale as business demands require.

US2004/0153359 describes 'Integrated Supply Chain Management'. A centralized supply chain system is described that comprises a connectivity module that electronically communicates with enterprise data systems within one or more supply chains. The connectivity module receives part definitions and shipment data from the various data systems. A data alignment module generates a mapping between the part definitions of various enterprises and translates electronic data received from the enterprise in accordance with the mapping. A vendor managed inventory module generates electronic orders based on the shipment data to provide automated control over inventor levels within the supply chain. A market analysis module generates market penetration models for the enterprise. However this document is restricted to only electronic data transfer between vendors and customers.

US 2003/0233289 discloses a 'Multistage Supply Chain Management System with Dynamic Order Placement'. It relates to a global supply chain management system in an environment of multiple suppliers forming supply chains for one or more buyers connected over the internet. The system includes a global processor with logic that maps 'local' supply information for each buyer and each supplier. The system manages processes from an input of lots to an output through supplier stages where clients each use fragmented different local information. A correlation means uses base lot indicators, one for each of the lots in common for all of said stages and executes supply chain management functions for tracking lots through the supplier stages and for dynamic creation of sets of purchase orders among group of suppliers for processing the same through the supply chain. However this document is restricted to data transfers between buyers and local suppliers.

The present disclosure provides a technical advantage over these by providing web services over a cloud computing platform. It also includes assistance through the entire flow involved from client interaction and order creation to order management and other supply chain execution functionalities such as logistics, warehouse management and transportation management in addition to inventory visibility, order transfers and payment transfers offered by the cited document.
It also provides tracking and visibility.

It further provides additional benefits such as offering supply chain services on an on-demand, shared model based on a pay per use or outcome based pricing.

There is a need for a system that can easily be extended by integration with existing packages and applications such as BPO, KPO to offer additional services. Also required is a system which can optimize for the present scenario, and get on track to capitalize on new opportunities that emerge as the economy grows. It must make management simple yet efficient and also provide intelligence to move the business forward.

SUMMARY

In order to obviate the above drawbacks the instant invention provides a system for providing supply chain operations as a service in a cloud computing environment across a plurality of tenants.

Providing operations associated with supply chain management as services is broader than just a software unit. Based on cloud computing, this system essentially eliminates the need for customers to buy, deploy and maintain IT infrastructure or application software individually. This yields substantial economies of scale and skill and lowers the total cost of ownership

The present system provides an umbrella solution for dealing with all the challenges of inventory management that are thrown up by modern day markets. It also successfully adapts to a fluid business environment, and ensures compliance with regulatory requirements.

It is an aim of the present system to minimize cost and maximize profit. It minimizes cost by understanding demand patterns and customer segments, increasing revenue by 2% to 10%. This is beneficial in product-based industries such as retail and consumer products.

It is also an aim of the present system to provide cost effective supply chain solutions that help them to manage day-to-day operations and processes efficiently

It is also an aim of the present system to provide an analysis of the sourcing and supply process which yields reductions in total material acquisition costs. Inventories are also aimed to be reduced through efficient analysis and planning. Improved transportation analysis and planning yields cost reductions are also targeted

It is further an aim of the present system to provide process consulting, support and supply chain KPO by making available domain and technical consultants to support the enterprises whenever required.

To achieve the aforesaid and other objectives related to efficient networking, the instant invention provides a system for providing supply chain operations as a service in a cloud computing environment across a plurality of tenants comprising of an order management module configured to manage incoming orders and track their status, a billing module coupled to the order management module configured to carry out accounting and financial transactions, a customer ERP module coupled to the service billing module and order management module configured to manage and implement customer related activities, one or more service modules each coupled to the order management module configured to carry out supply chain management activities; and one or more interfaces configured to connect with one or more external entities;

The present system takes care of the following technical challenges:

1. System Up-Time: Uptime is a measure of the time a machine has been up without any
downtime. The system being a multi tenant solution is enabled to have and sustain
industry standards. Important challenges for system up time are :

a. Planning and scheduling downtime
b. Reliability Centered maintenance
c. Productivity maintenance

2. Lack of Technical Support and People Dependency: Organizations do not have sufficient product and technical knowledge, have high support needs and bear upgrade costs.

3. Cooing UP with System Upgrades: Whenever product's newer version enters the market and it is understood to suit the requirements the better, again huge cost and time is involved in product upgrade

4. Integrated Solution: If multiple applications are implemented as a solution, the integration between the same involves high service cost, integration difficulty, and technical requirements.

5. Agility, Scalability and Reliability: On-premise applications are not flexible enough to adapt effectively in the situations of expansion/contraction of business

6. Managing Uncertainty: On-premise applications are not flexible enough in terms of improving visibility and assisting in maximization of profits necessary to manage uncertainties.

7. Package Design: Solution is designed in the form of packages to enable companies to use part of the service as well. For example Warehouse Management, Billing Service, Transport Management, Vendor Collaboration, After market Service.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures.

FIGURE 1 depicts the primary embodiment of the system;

FIGURE 2 depicts the basic organization of the system; and

FIGURE 3 depicts a detailed level of the organization of the system arranged tenant-wise

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A system for providing supply chain operations as a service in a cloud computing environment across a plurality of tenants is described. The system is not intended to be restricted to any particular form or arrangement, or any specific embodiment, or any specific use, disclosed herein, since the same may be modified in various particulars or relations without departing from the spirit or scope of the claimed invention herein above shown and described of which the device or method shown is intended only for illustration and disclosure of an operative embodiment and not to show all of the various forms or modifications in which this invention might be embodied or operated.

The present invention is an extendible, scalable and reliable solution to the above mentioned problems. It can further be adapted or reused to function across various domains and industries for different problems and anomalies. Further, it is modular and object oriented since custom units can be plugged in to extend the functionality of the system. It also offers role based security and personalized views in a collaborative environment. Overall it offers a reliable and low cost solution to the above mentioned problems.

The present system is a key enabler on the basis of the following:

- Acquisition Time: With solution access provided much faster, the solutions are 'requirement - ready'

- Capital Investment: The economic model dramatically reduces upfront exposure and allows payment of a predictable, simplified monthly fee of pay-per-use fee

- Engagement Model: Users are provided with the flexibility of either engaging on a variable pricing model that provides a mechanism to manage variability in business or on a pure outcome - based pricing model that enables to pay for a well defined business outcome

- BPO/KPO Services: Additional plug - ins such as BPO/KPO modules further reduce the time to 'go - live' as there is ready access to trained manpower to perform necessary operations

In a preferred embodiment, the present system identifies alternate sources of revenue. It further optimizes recovery by raising the execution speed. It also improves asset turnaround time and residual value recovery from customer, vendor and repair factory. It focuses on customer-centric return policies, provides support for time critical service parts and eases seamless transactions

In another preferred embodiment, the system interfaces with a green transportation network, an e-waste management system and a carbon footprint manager

The tailor-made solutions provided by the system are scalable as per the needs of the business. The system supports customized user security and roles based access. It also ensures seamless integration with the user's IT ecosystem

The techniques described herein may be used in many different operating environments and systems. An exemplary environment that is suitable for practicing various implementations is discussed in the following section with respect to the accompanying figures.

Figure 1 depicts the primary embodiment of the system which comprises of an order management module configured to manage incoming orders and track their status. In another embodiment it is also configured to assign one or more sources for order completion. A billing module is coupled to the order management module and is configured to carry out accounting and financial transactions. The verticals are preferably one or more of retail, consumer goods, manufacturing or pharmaceuticals. The system also preferably services atleast two organizations belonging to different verticals

A customer ERP module is coupled to the service billing module and order management module and is configured to manage and implement customer related activities. One or more service modules are each coupled to the order management module and are configured to perform supply chain management activities. As examples, service modules can be warehouse management, transportation management, analytics and alert management, customs compliance, vendor management and contract management

One or more interfaces are configured to connect with one or more external entities. Preferably external entities are the store, service center, call center, mobile devices, websites, manufacturers, vendors, knowledge processing units and factories

As a premise of the system, each operation is implemented as a service provided on demand as a transaction. The user is preferably charged for utilization of each operation in the form of a pay-per-use model. As examples, these operations can be order fulfillment, stock transfer, quality inspection, customer identification, inventory management, product tracking, order enquiry and route planning.

Preferably, the system can be accessed from one or more geographically separate locations. Also, the services hosted by the system can be extended through one or more external applications. Further, each user of the system can have a customizable process to perform operations in an automated manner

Figure 2 depicts the basic organization of the system. As shown, the system comprises of 3 basic layers. Layer 1 is the hardware/infrastructure layer consisting of the servers and storage devices on which the application data would be set up and day to day transactions would be handled. Layer 2 is the software solution layer which has the front end application and the business logic at the back end used by the clients in order to perform their business activities. Layer 3 is the Security Layer set up to prevent any kind of unauthorized access into the database or the solution being used by the clients.

At the top are the clients which would be accessing this system with access through the security layer. They would accesses the applications performing their activities and would be using the database setup on the infrastructure being provided.

To begin with, a best-of-the-breed standalone solution is identified in each area to meet the complete end-to-end requirements in supply chain. Examples include e-commerce (order capture), customer order management, customer relationship management (CRM), warehouse management system (WMS) and transportation management system (TMS)

In a preferred embodiment, the system comprises of a common database shared between a multiplicity of clients or tenants working in the same or different verticals. The system is hosted on a common application server. As depicted in Figure 3, each tenant has its own application layer on a virtual machine. The database has configuration tables and transaction tables. The configuration tables are the same across all the tenants. However, the transaction table space is segregated among the various tenants. The virtual layers interact with the shared server and the database via a virtulization layer. These virtual layers allow seamless integration of the tenant's current IT setup with the system.

Virtualization is a key enabler of cloud computing but. Virtualization is a standalone concept in itself which abstracts the resource from the underlying physical hardware. It can be of different forms like server virtualization, network virtualization, desktop virtualization etc.

As an example, there are three tenants each of which has operations on various different verticals. The first tenant is a third party logistics service provider which services a wide variety of customers. These clients are can be manufacturing companies making consumer electronics, retailers selling consumer products, cold chain storage etc. The second tenant is a manufacturing company having a factory, a regional and local distribution center and a cross docking facility. Similarly there are tenants and retailers having an apparel division, FMCG division, consumer electronics division and pharmacy division.

In the system, each of these tenants have their application layer and own processes but have a common need to maintain and streamline their supply chains with a overall business requirement of reducing costs like TCO and maintaining flexibility, scalability to meet the variations in demand and supply. As shown in Figure 3, the first tenant has its own virtual layer called VM, the second tenant has VM2 while the nth tenant will have virtual layer VMn. Each of these tenants accesses the same database but their operations and data remains independent of each other as a result of the segregation of transaction table-space.

The system is also extendable such that it is implemented over a local network or the internet. However it preferably uses a single database to store information pertaining to multiple verticals and organizations

The embodiments described above and illustrated in the figures are presented by way of example only and are not intended as a limitation upon the concepts and principles of the present invention. As such, it will be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art that various changes in the elements and their configuration and arrangement are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

It will readily be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments shown herein. Thus variations may be made within the scope and spirit of the accompanying claims without sacrificing the principal advantages of the invention.

We claim:

1. A system for providing supply chain operations as a service in a cloud computing
environment across a plurality of tenants comprising of:

- an order management module configured to manage incoming orders and track their status;

- a billing module coupled to the order management module configured to carry out accounting and financial transactions;

- a customer ERP module coupled to the service billing module and order management module configured to manage and implement customer related activities;

- one or more service modules each coupled to the order management module configured to carry out supply chain management activities; and

- one or more interfaces configured to connect with one or more external entities;

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service modules are any of warehouse management, transportation management, analytics and alert management, customs compliance, vendor management and contract management

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the external entities are any of store, service center, call center, mobile devices, websites, manufacturers, vendors, knowledge processing units and factories

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the order management module is configured to assign one or more sources for order completion

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each operation is implemented as a service provided on demand as a transaction

6. A system as claimed in claim 5, the operation is one of order fulfillment, stock transfer, quality inspection, customer identification, inventory management, product tracking, order enquiry and route planning

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the verticals are one or more of retail, consumer goods, manufacturing or pharmaceuticals

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system can be accessed from one or more geographically separate locations

9. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the services hosted by the system can be extended through one or more external applications

10. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each user of the system can have a customizable process to perform operations in an automated manner

11. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system is hosted over the internet

12. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system is hosted over a local network

13. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user is charged for utilization of each operation

14. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system uses a single database to store information pertaining to multiple verticals and organizations

15. A system as claimed in claim, 14, wherein at least two organizations belong to different verticals