Grace S Lin

US Patent:

6970841, Nov 29, 2005

Filed:

Apr 17, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/551118

Inventors:

Feng Cheng - Chappaqua NY, US
Markus Ettl - Yorktown Heights NY, US
Grace Yuh-Jiun Lin - Chappaqua NY, US
David Da-Wel Yao - Yorktown Heights NY, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F017/60

US Classification:

705 28, 705 22

Abstract:

A manufacturing process is migrated from an existing operation to a configure-to-order (CTO) system. As the CTO operation will eliminate the “machine-type model” (MTM) inventory of the existing operation, the emphasis is shifted to the components, or “building blocks”, which will still follow the build-to-stock scheme, due to their long leadtimes, and hence still require inventory. The solution involves an inventory-service trade-off of the new CTO system, resulting in performance gains, in terms of reduced inventory cost and increased service level. Other benefits include better forecast accuracy through parts commonality and risk-pooling, and increased customer demand, as orders will no longer be confined within a restricted set of pre-configured MTMs.

US Patent:

7496530, Feb 24, 2009

Filed:

May 4, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/121094

Inventors:

Feng Cheng - Chappaqua NY, US
Markus Ettl - Yorktown Heights NY, US
Grace Yuh-Jiun Lin - Chappaqua NY, US
David Da-Wei Yao - Yorktown Heights NY, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06Q 10/00

US Classification:

705 28, 705 22, 705 29

Abstract:

A manufacturing process is migrated from an existing operation to a configure-to-order (CTO) system. As the CTO operation will eliminate the “machine-type model” (MTM) inventory of the existing operation, the emphasis is shifted to the components, or “building blocks”, which will still follow the build-to-stock scheme, due to their long leadtimes, and hence still require inventory. The solution involves an inventory-service trade-off of the new CTO system, resulting in performance gains, in terms of reduced inventory cost and increased service level. Other benefits of the method include better forecast accuracy through parts commonality and risk-pooling, and increased customer demand, as orders will no longer be confined within a restricted set of pre-configured MTMs.

US Patent:

8600841, Dec 3, 2013

Filed:

Apr 3, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/062187

Inventors:

Feng Cheng - Chappaqua NY, US
Markus Ettl - Yorktown Heights NY, US
Grace Yuh-Jiun Lin - Chappaqua NY, US
David Da-Wei Yao - Yorktown Heights NY, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06Q 10/00

US Classification:

705 28, 705 29, 705 22

Abstract:

A manufacturing process is migrated from an existing operation to a configure-to-order (CTO) system. As the CTO operation will eliminate the “machine-type model” (MTM) inventory of the existing operation, the emphasis is shifted to the components, or “building blocks”, which will still follow the build-to-stock scheme, due to their long leadtimes, and hence still require inventory. The solution involves an inventory-service trade-off of the new CTO system, resulting in performance gains, in terms of reduced inventory cost and increased service level. Other benefits include better forecast accuracy through parts commonality and risk-pooling, and increased customer demand, as orders will no longer be confined within a restricted set of pre-configured MTMs.

US Patent:

59466626, Aug 31, 1999

Filed:

Mar 29, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/625455

Inventors:

Markus Ettl - Ossining NY
Gerald Eugene Feigin - Scarborough NY
Grace Yuh-Jiun Lin - Chappaqua NY
David Da-Wei Yao - Yorktown Heights NY

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F15300

US Classification:

705 8

Abstract:

A method for providing inventory optimization for levels of products in a complex supply chain network for multiple internal supplier or manufacturer locations and external distributor or retailer locations. The invention constructs a representative supply chain network model to indicate the flow of products between internal and external locations, it determines inventory levels and fill rates to meet the service level requirements, calculates a total inventory cost for all products in the network, and optimizes the fill rates based on estimated gradient information of the total inventory cost.

US Patent:

6078900, Jun 20, 2000

Filed:

Oct 23, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/177766

Inventors:

Markus Ettl - Ossining NY
Grace Yuh-Jiun Lin - Chappaqua NY

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F153000

US Classification:

705 28

Abstract:

A method resolves the problem of projecting future stock levels for multiple stockholding locations in production-distribution networks, and minimizing the total dollar delinquency within given inventory budgets or within given allowable inventory holding costs. The invention communicates process control parameters and production-distribution network parameters, computes priorities for each product held at retail locations of the distribution network. It allocates available global and local budgets among products, sets starting stock levels for each product, computes and displays stock levels and the distribution network performance measures.