Visualization and Management of the Supply Chain

Abstract

The present system and technique enable the visualization of the supply chain. When a product moves through the supply chain, data regarding the product can be obtained, and the data includes event data that identifies a specific product at a specific location in the supply chain at a specific time among the products. The data can be analyzed to generate information while at least a portion of the product moves through the supply chain. The information can be visualized, and this visualization can be used to identify one or more changes to be made in at least a portion of the supply chain to improve at least a portion of the supply chain.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications This patent application claims the priority and benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 355,538, filed on June 24, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Background Art

[0002] Goods move through various points in the supply chain between the producer and the consumer of the product. For example, goods may be created at a factory in a first location and then shipped to a warehouse in a second location. The product may then be transported to a retail store in a third location and ultimately sold to the consumer.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] This specification describes a technique for visualizing a supply chain using data of goods when the goods move through the supply chain. This visualization can be used to identify changes to be made in the supply chain to improve the supply chain.

[0005] In general, one or more aspects of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in one or more ways (and also in one or more non-transitory computer-readable media tangibly encoding a computer program operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations), the method comprising: obtaining data regarding a product as the product moves through a supply chain, the data including event data identifying a particular product at a particular location in the supply chain at a particular time among the products; analyzing the data to generate information while at least a portion of the product moves through the supply chain; and providing a visualization of information that can be used to identify one or more changes to be made in at least a portion of the supply chain to improve at least a portion of the supply chain.

[0006] One or more aspects of the subject matter described in this specification can also be embodied in one or more systems including a data processing apparatus including at least one hardware processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium encoding instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations, the operations including: obtaining data regarding a product as the product moves through a supply chain, the data including event data identifying a particular product at a particular location in the supply chain at a particular time among the products; analyzing the data to generate information while at least a portion of the product moves through the supply chain; and providing a visualization of information that can be used to identify one or more changes to be made in at least a portion of the supply chain to improve at least a portion of the supply chain.

[0007] Certain embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented to realize one or more of the following advantages. This system and technique can make the supply chain visible and provide a wide range of actionable knowledge in real time using event data collected as products move through the supply chain. This system and technique can evaluate the performance of the supply chain using data generated by end-to-end serialization. In some implementations, this system and technique can utilize both real-time data and past data to provide information and alerts, pre-packaged reports, dashboards, strategic identification of trends and potential threats, and a test environment accessible to multiple users of the supply chain. Visualization of information can be used to identify changes to be made in the supply chain to improve its performance.

[0008] In some embodiments, this system and technique can provide insights and detailed information about the supply chain to save time when determining the root cause of production problems and sending notifications to users when production events that need to be addressed or resolved occur. In some implementations, this system and technique can provide visualization that can be used to increase the throughput of production lines, make faster and more accurate corrections, and minimize downtime or losses. In some implementations, the system and technique can implement anti-counterfeiting and product authentication. For example, the system can prevent product diversion at distributors, verify product authenticity at retailers, and enable consumer engagement to cultivate brand loyalty. In some implementations, this system and technique can use end-to-end item tracking data to generate information that helps manufacturers track and trace products through the supply chain.

[0009] In some implementations, this system and technique can capture data collected for the purpose of serialization regulation and use the collected regulatory data to determine the performance of the supply chain. In some implementations, this system and technique can use existing data collectors, cameras, scanners, and sensors in the supply chain and do not require the addition of special data collectors or special sensors. In some implementations, this system and technique can perform full-stack (L1-L4) serialization and can be quickly deployed at lines, sites, or enterprises in a region to meet the regulations in that region. This system and technique can be configured to meet the specific needs of any supply chain partner, is cost-effective, comprehensive, and does not rely on packaging equipment. This system and technique can achieve seamless and standardized communication among supply chain partners including manufacturers, packagers, distributors, retailers, wholesalers, and customers. Additional advantages can include providing users with advanced visualization and customizable dashboards according to various user roles, real-time global monitoring and visualization capabilities, comprehensive supervision capabilities regardless of geographical location, incorporating data-driven insights, promoting continuous improvement and information-based preventive responses to possible disruptions, integrated anti-counterfeiting measures, and real-time optimization of line performance.

[0010] The details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Improvements may be desired to one or more parts of the supply chain. For example, a factory operator may wish to increase the processing capacity of the production line. By addressing long downtimes, low performance, and low-quality information, production efficiency can be increased. When the changes to be made are known, improvements to the existing infrastructure or processes can be a preferred option. Many companies, of course, do not have the information necessary to determine the improvements to be implemented, nor do they have the information necessary to effectively track production losses. The main reason is that it is costly and difficult to obtain data in the supply chain and actionable insights from that data.

[0013] Figure 1 shows an example of a system that can be used to provide visualization of supply chain information. Figure 1 shows an environment 100 that includes a supply chain visualization and management system 102, a network 104, and a supply chain 106.

[0014] A supply chain is a series of processes involved in the production and distribution of goods, such as commodities or products. The supply chain can include multiple locations through which the goods move. For example, supply chain 106 includes a manufacturer 108, a distributor 112, a retailer 116, and a customer 118. A good 110, such as a product produced and packaged by manufacturer 108, moves through supply chain 106. During production, the good can move from various sites of manufacturer 108. After production, good 110 can be shipped by one or more distributors 112 to one or more retailers 116. Retailer 116 can sell good 110 to one or more consumers 118. In some implementations, the distributor can send the goods to a wholesaler, and the wholesaler can send the goods to a retailer.

[0015] Supply chain 106 can generate data 120 regarding product 110 as product 110 moves through supply chain 106. At each position within the supply chain, various events occur. Data 120 can include event data that identifies a particular product at a particular position within supply chain 106 at a particular time among products. For example, potential events that can occur at each of these positions within the supply chain (such as manufacturers, packagers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers) can include appearance, disposal, packaging, shipping, quality assurance (QA) sampling, receipt, unpacking, discard, and distribution.

[0016] In some implementations, data 120 can include lot-based events, machine-based events, or a combination of both. Lot-based events can include starting a lot, interrupting a lot, resuming a lot, and ending a lot. Machine (e.g., packaging site management server / computer)-based events can include the machine being available, the user being logged in, maintenance mode, the machine handling a lot (in operation), and being offline / powered off. Some events may be sent in batches (e.g., lot-based), and some single events (e.g., health and heartbeat messages, alerts, and alarms) may be sent when they occur. Events can include time interval data (e.g., health and heartbeat messages).

[0017] In some implementations, the data 120 regarding the products may include the count of products that have appeared and products that have been disposed of, at a snapshot in time and / or related to a segment in the supply chain. An appearance event describes that a product appears in the supply chain. For example, an appearance event occurs when a product is manufactured, when a product passes an inspection, when a product is determined to be good, or when a shipment is received at a wholesaler. A disposal event describes that a product is removed from the supply chain when the product fails an inspection or becomes non-conforming. For example, a disposal event occurs when a defective product is discarded or when a product is purchased by a customer at a retail store.

[0018] In some implementations, the count of products that have appeared and products that have been disposed of may be obtained from inspection data collected on the production line by sensors installed on the production line. For example, the events occurring at the manufacturer 108 may include the events occurring on the production line. FIG. 2 shows an example of a production line 200. The production line may include various devices for manufacturing and / or packaging products. For example, the production line 200 includes an unscrambler 202, a filler 204, a labeler 206, a case packer 208, a case labeler and a radio frequency identification (RFID) verification machine 210, and a palletizer 212. Many other variations of the production line 200 are possible. Further, various sensors such as one or more cameras 214, one or more printers 216 (e.g., one or more laser printers 222), one or more hand scanners 218, one or more RFID readers 220, etc. may be installed on the production line 200. The count of products that have appeared and products that have been disposed of may be obtained from inspection data collected on the production line 200 by a scanner or camera installed on the production line 200.

[0019] Returning to FIG. 1, in some implementations, the data 120 at each location can be generated by the server at that location. For example, data related to packing can be generated by a packing lot / base management server. The packing base management server can adjust the data and send the data to the system 102, for example, as a list of events. Events for the packing base management server can trigger the server to send further information to the system 102.

[0020] Data related to a packing lot can include lot identification information (e.g., lot number, expiration date, product, manufacturer, base, line), events (e.g., start, interruption, resumption, end; time; in progress, interrupted, elapsed), containers (packing level, name), counts (occurrences, dispositions, packed, unpacked, items per interval), disposition details (container level, reason, location), lot management variables, serial number assignments (assigned, in use, returned), etc. In some examples, data related to a packing base can include geographical location, manufacturer, product, line, and serial number pool status.

[0021] In some embodiments, data 120 regarding a product may be collected by an Item Process Stream (IPS). The IPS may be implemented using one or more details from U.S. Patent No. 8,190,279, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In some implementations, data 120 may include data and timestamps for each product inspected on a packing line. Each time a product is inspected as being either acceptable or unacceptable (e.g., present / disposed), this obtains a timestamp. The data may include packing lots, where each lot describes one schematic at a time. The data may include the packing level, such as whether it is a carton case, a bundle, or a pallet. The data may include information regarding grouping products together and the average number of products per minute. The data may include information regarding how many products are moving on the packing line at any given time during production. In some implementations, the data may be stored in a database.

[0022] The supply chain visualization and management system 102 may be a real-time supply chain monitoring and management system that monitors and manages the supply chain. The supply chain visualization and management system 102 obtains data 120 regarding products through a network 104. The network 104 may be a private network, a public network, a virtual private network, a wired or wireless network, etc. In some implementations, the network 104 may be a global communication network, and the system 102 may be able to obtain data 120 regarding products through the global communication network as the products move across a wide range of regions and areas.

[0023] While product 110 is moving through supply chain 106, system 102 processes data 120 regarding the product and generates information 128 of supply chain 106. System 102 can process data 120 using data analysis, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence. Information 128 may include analysis of at least a portion of the supply chain and / or one or more of metrics 130. For example, information 128 may include disposition information, serial number pool information, packing line performance information, and packing lot information. In some examples, information 128 may include lot disposition profiles, packing lot alarms, packing lot events, power outages, and audit logs. In some implementations, system 102 may include predictive analytics capabilities. Utilizing machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence capabilities, the system can not only process past data but also predict future trends based on this data. It can anticipate possible disruptions in the supply chain and enable preventive measures to be taken to maintain smooth operations. These predictions may be part of the information 128 generated by the system.

[0024] System 102 can provide visualization of information. In some implementations, System 102 can generate at least one dashboard 132 that organizes and displays supply chain information 128. For example, dashboard 132 can provide a view of the packaging site hierarchy, serialization and lot data, and line details in a single source (e.g., a data visualization system). In some implementations, System 102 can manage supply chain data, including serialization of products using standard codes, non-standard codes, or a combination of both, for supply chain operations. Dashboard 132 can include information regarding production (by site, product, manufacturer), disposal details (by site, product, manufacturer), lot summary (e.g., line manager's lot summary report), serial number assignment per lot, packaging site management server serial number pool status, packaging line performance (appearance, disposal, parts per minute across multiple lots), and lot runtime profile performance from start to finish. Further examples of dashboards are described below with respect to FIGS. 6-10. In some implementations, the visualization of information can include multiple views, such as a production view with work instructions, a notification / explorer view, and a node view. In some implementations, the multiple views can be displayed on multiple dashboards.

[0025] In some implementations, the main component of dashboard 132 can be a real-time alert system. In some implementations, system 102 can generate alerts based on predictive analytics, which can highlight possible disruptions or anomalies in the supply chain. System 102 can provide a preventive approach to supply chain management, warning the relevant stakeholders about possible issues before they turn into critical defects. In addition to predicting possible disruptions, system 102 with predictive analytics capabilities can also predict future resource requirements. System 102 with this predictive resource management function can use a trained machine learning model to estimate the demand for raw materials, labor, and processing capacity at each stage of the supply chain based on past and real-time data. This preventive approach enables supply chain managers to optimize resource allocation, prevent bottlenecks, and reduce waste, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency and sustainability of supply chain operations.

[0026] The users of the system can use information visualization to identify one or more changes to be made in the supply chain to improve it. For example, a high level of disposal can be identified using counts and analyzed using the reasons for disposal, which may depend on the role within the company. Provisioning is obtaining serial numbers from the master source. For example, the amount of available serial numbers can be visualized, and during the provisioning of serial numbers, the user can prevent duplicates based on the visualization. The packing site management server can obtain the master set and disposal set managed by system 102. The production staff in the factory can use the dashboard for disposal. For example, when a product is discarded, the production staff in the factory can analyze why it was discarded based on the dashboard. In some implementations, system 102 can integrate blockchain technology for secure data sharing across the supply chain.

[0027] As another example, information technology (IT) personnel and serialization administrators can use a serial number pool and allocation dashboard. It can be difficult to know when the serial numbers are depleted. The system may provide an email notification to the relevant users, but the person who receives the email may not respond or may be on vacation. The present system and technique can ensure that sufficient serial numbers are available for production. For example, in China, serial numbers are purchased from the government. A user managing serialization or a production line manager may notice that a particular production line with a pool of 100 serial numbers is depleted, but multiple product and packaging levels are configured to start production. If a user attempts to produce any of those products, the lot cannot be started because the serial numbers are depleted. The present system and technique can ensure that anyone can see at any time that the serial numbers are low or depleted and can notify someone before it affects production.

[0028] The real-time supply chain visualization and management system 102 provides supply chain visualization and gives a wide range of actionable knowledge in real time. When a product 110 moves through the supply chain 106, event data 120 is generated. The event data 120 includes, but is not limited to, collecting important data and storing it with a timestamp. End-to-end serialization generates data 120 that can be used to evaluate the performance of the supply chain. Thus, the system 102 can provide practical insights and connectivity from the early stages of deployment. In some implementations, the system 102 can process both real-time data and past data and generate information and alerts, pre-packaged reports and dashboards, strategic identification of trends and potential threats, and a test environment accessible to multiple users.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of process 300 for providing visualization of supply chain information. For example, system 102 of FIG. 1 can implement process 300. As an item moves through the supply chain, data about the item is obtained (302). In some implementations, the data can include event data that identifies a particular item at a particular location in the supply chain at a particular time of the item. For example, system 102 can obtain, via network 104, event data that identifies a box of toys that is unpacked at distributor 112 at a first time of a particular day and repacked and shipped to a retailer at a later time of that day.

[0030] In some implementations, system 102 can process unstructured data that can be derived from various sources such as feedback comments, emails, machine logs, engineer reports, customer inquiries, and internal communications. System 102 processes this unstructured data using advanced natural language processing (NLP) techniques to extract important information about supply chain performance. Subsequently, the extracted information can be converted into a structured format and incorporated into the overall supply chain data 120. In this way, system 102 can provide a more comprehensive and inclusive view of supply chain performance, which includes not only quantitative data but also qualitative insights derived from unstructured data.

[0031] In some implementations, instead of installing separate data collection devices and data historian servers, the system can obtain data on products collected from existing packing site servers and packing line management systems. This can reduce the cost of implementing the supply chain visualization and management system 102 and improve efficiency. Additionally, the system can further optimize the data collection process by incorporating edge computing devices deployed within the packing site servers and packing line management systems. These edge computing devices can directly acquire and process data at the source, eliminating the need for separate data collection devices. The acquired data can be securely transmitted to the system 102, ensuring real-time access to accurate up-to-date information regarding the performance of the supply chain.

[0032] In some implementations, data about products can include counts of products that have appeared and products that have been disposed of, at a snapshot in time and / or related to a segment in the supply chain. In some implementations, data about products can include counts of products that have appeared and products that have been disposed of, during packing and / or from a particular location. In some implementations, the counts can be obtained from inspection data collected on the production line by sensors installed on the production line. For example, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, system 102 can obtain counts of products that have appeared and products that have been disposed of over a period of time, in one or more segments of production line 200, such as unscrambler 202, filler 204, labeler 206, etc. These counts can be obtained from camera 214 installed on production line 200 and / or label scanners 218 and 220. Additionally, system 102 can implement advanced computer vision algorithms to analyze the collected visual data and accurately identify and count products that have appeared and products that have been disposed of. These computer vision algorithms can utilize deep learning techniques to accurately recognize and track products as they move through the production line. By incorporating computer vision capabilities, system 102 enhances its ability to provide real-time, reliable information regarding supply chain performance.

[0033] In some implementations, the system can receive serialization data about a product from a computer located in a production facility, a packaging facility, a distribution facility, or a combination thereof. The computer can be a dedicated computer system or a smartphone. Serialization is the process of identifying and tracking a product from the point of manufacture to the point of sale. Using advanced decoding algorithms, these unique identifiers enable the efficient and accurate location identification and status tracking of individual products as they move through the supply chain. It may also be the process of assigning a unique identifier to each product, which is used to identify and track the product throughout the supply chain. For example, a manufacturer can attach a mark 140, such as a barcode, a QR (quick response) code, or any other suitable symbol, to the packaging of the product. System 102 can use the mark 140 to identify and track products moving through the supply chain 106 by generating serialization data. The serialization data can include a globally unique serial number assigned to the product 110 moving through the supply chain. For example, serialization data for drugs in the global supply chain can help prevent drug counterfeiting, achieve regulatory compliance simplification, and protect patients. In some implementations, the serialization data can include data about components, parts, components, products, packages, seals, or anything related to the packaging line.

[0034] In some implementations, serialization data can be generated at various levels. Using Internet of Things (IoT) technology, sensor data and metadata from various points in the supply chain can be collected at high-frequency intervals. Subsequently, the timestamped data collected and stored in the cloud becomes available for real-time analysis and long-term historical analysis, assisting both immediate decision-making and long-term strategic planning. In some implementations, serialization data can be generated by a serialization module. In some implementations, the serialization module may be included in system 102, which can perform serialization and generate serialization data. In some implementations, serialization data can be generated by one or more computers located at one or more positions within the supply chain. For example, the serialization data of product 110 can be obtained at manufacturer 108, distributor 112, retailer 116, or a combination thereof. Additionally, system 102 can utilize advanced data aggregation techniques to integrate serialization data from various sources, ensuring a unified comprehensive view of the serialization status of products throughout the supply chain. By integrating data from multiple locations, system 102 provides a more accurate and reliable representation of the supply chain's serialization performance.

[0035] In some implementations, the serialization data of a product can be associated with the levels shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows an example of the level of serialization. In some implementations, the system utilizes a modular design architecture to enable functions tailored to each user group while maintaining the coupling and seamless communication among all components. Sophisticated access control and data segmentation techniques are used to ensure that each stakeholder, such as a manufacturer, packager, distributor, retailer, or end consumer, receives only the relevant role-specific data necessary to effectively and efficiently implement their functions. This enhances transparency when necessary and maintains confidentiality when required. The levels of serialization include Level 1 (device), Level 2 (line), Level 3 (site), and Level 4 (enterprise). Other implementations may include more or fewer levels than the example in FIG. 4. At Level 1, the serialization data of a product can be obtained from manufacturing equipment by interacting with the interface of existing or new packaging equipment. At Level 2, the serialization data of a product may be obtained from line equipment, and System 102 can track the integrity of the serialization data throughout a packaging lot or batch. At Level 3, the serialization data of a product can include event data, site-level master data, serial number management data, event reporting data, and data for offline serialization packaging operations. At Level 4, the serialization data of a product can include connectivity data that can be used to comprehensively locate and track the product and ensure compliance integration. Additionally, System 102 can implement a data synchronization mechanism between different levels of serialization to maintain data consistency and provide an accurate representation of the serialization status of the supply chain.

[0036] In some implementations, the serialization level may include unit level, bundle level, case level, pallet level, or combinations thereof. In some implementations, the system can support multiple serialization workflows that meet a wide range of packaging scenarios and serialization requirements at the unit level, bundle level, case level, and pallet level. For example, at the unit level, the serialization data may include data for one or more of carton printing and verification operations, bottle labeling operations, manual printing and scanning operations, association of bottom / top codes on bottles, third-party camera interfaces, etc. At the bundle level, the serialization data may include data for one or more of labeled bundles, virtual bundles, bundle group reads, bundle infeed reads, integrated bundle level printers, remote bundle label printers, etc. At the case level, the serialization data may include data for one or more of automatic case packers, manual case packing operations, semi-automatic case packers, manual printing and scanning (without aggregation), layer-by-layer packaging, case infeed reads, etc. At the pallet level, the serialization data may include data for one or more of manual palletizing, automatic palletizing, end-of-line information, center information, etc.

[0037] Thus, instead of relying on multiple vendors for multiple levels of serialization, full-stack serialization for all levels can be performed by serialization modules from the same vendor. The serialization module may include a configurable solution library, may be independent of packaging equipment, e.g., may be retrofittable, and / or may include reusable validation packages, e.g., templates, assessments, traceability. The serialization module can provide transparency in pricing, e.g., by providing pricing for the full project scope rather than for partial project scopes.

[0038] In some implementations, the system can receive product authentication data and end-to-end product tracking data from computers throughout the supply chain via a global communication network. Further, system 102 can integrate blockchain technology to ensure integrity, security, and product traceability in the supply chain. Each product can be assigned a unique, immutable identifier that is recorded in a decentralized, secure blockchain ledger. This guarantees that information about each product is immutable, provides a reliable and verifiable record of the movement of each product in the supply chain, thereby enhancing trust among stakeholders and substantially eliminating forgery and unauthorized changes. The computer can be a dedicated computer system or a smartphone. The product authentication data can be used to confirm the validity of the identification information of products moving through the supply chain. End-to-end tracking data can be used to identify the location of a product at a particular time as the product moves through the supply chain. In some implementations, one or both of the product authentication data and the end-to-end product tracking data can be an electronic fingerprint 124. The computer at each location in the supply chain can authenticate the product and generate corresponding product authentication data for that location. The computer at each location in the supply chain can track the product and generate product tracking data. End-to-end product tracking data can be generated by combining the product tracking data generated at the locations in the supply chain. The supply chain can involve locations in different regions around the world. Network 104 can be a global communication network, and computers throughout the supply chain can transmit product authentication data and end-to-end product tracking data via the global communication network.

[0039] In some implementations, system 102 may include a production line management system, and system 102 can obtain end-to-end product tracking data from the production line management system. The production line management system may be implemented using one or more details from U.S. Patent No. 8,190,279, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The production line management system may be utilized to uniquely identify products and enable tracking of those products as they move through the supply chain, thereby assisting visual inspections and I / O operations while minimizing cross-flow and counterfeiting, which further supports the packaging of both serialized and non-serialized products. The system can provide accurate real-time inspection results using, for example, optical character verification (OCV), optical character recognition (OCR), barcodes, printing and general quality inspection, as well as combinations of other techniques apparent to those skilled in the relevant art in light of the present disclosure.

[0040] In some implementations, the system can identify products by electronic fingerprints generated from acquired images of marks on the products using computer image processing. For example, system 102 can obtain electronic fingerprints 124 from the supply chain. The electronic fingerprints may include marks, lot numbers, expiration dates, product identification information, or combinations thereof. In some implementations, the electronic fingerprints can be a digital representation of the distinct mark printing differences that distinguish products. For example, mark 140 on product 110 may have unique differences resulting from the formation of symbols on the product, for example as a result of using a specific printer. The present system and techniques may be implemented using one or more details from U.S. Patent No. 10,061,958, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. System 102 can utilize advanced image recognition algorithms and machine learning models to accurately analyze the electronic fingerprints and match them against reference data, facilitating efficient identification and verification of products in the supply chain.

[0041] System 102 can identify product 110 using authentication processing based on an electronic fingerprint. For example, manufacturer 108 can create an electronic fingerprint 124 that includes a unique product signature. Since each product 110 can have a unique electronic fingerprint 124, each product can have unique identification information that is not additional and cannot be forged. For example, the electronic fingerprint 124 can be associated with pallets and shippers during the packaging and shipping processes. Manufacturer 108 can send the electronic fingerprint 124 to system 102 via network 104 to a secure cloud server. System 102 can store the electronic fingerprint 124 on a secure cloud server that can be connected to system 102. When another location in the supply chain receives a product, a device at that location can perform authentication on the received product. For example, a distributor, retailer, or customer can use a smartphone, computer, or another device to perform authentication in substantially an instant. The device can capture an image of the received product and send that image to a secure cloud server. The secure cloud server can perform authentication using the stored electronic fingerprint 124, for example, by comparing the stored electronic fingerprint with fingerprint information obtained from the image. Using the above authentication process, the system can perform anti-counterfeiting and product authentication. For example, the system can prevent product diversion at the distributor, confirm product authenticity at the retailer, and enable engagement on the customer side to cultivate brand loyalty.

[0042] Data is analyzed (304) to generate information as at least a portion of a product moves through a supply chain. For example, system 102 can process data 120 regarding product 110 and generate supply chain information 128. As at least a portion of product 110 moves through supply chain 106, system 102 can analyze event data for events occurring at different positions in the supply chain and generate information 128 for the corresponding positions in the supply chain. In some implementations, as product 110 moves through the supply chain, system 102 can continuously receive additional data regarding the product and generate updated information using the additional data.

[0043] For example, system 102 can use end-to-end product tracking data to generate information that helps a manufacturer locate and track products through the supply chain. Information 128 generated using end-to-end product tracking data can include serial number usage, disposal event information (count of disposal per lot and product / material), serial number pool status, serial number assignment, European Medicines Verification System (EMVS) status, Verification Router Service (VRS) activity, material / product composition, job queue performance, and distribution leaderboard.

[0044] In some implementations, the system can analyze data about at least a portion of the goods moving through the supply chain, and can analyze past data about another portion of the goods that either made it all the way through the supply chain, were discarded before making it all the way through the supply chain, or both. For example, a manufacturer can send three pallets of goods 110 through supply chain 106. The first pallet made it all the way through the supply chain and was sold to consumer 118. The second pallet was discarded at retailer 116 and did not make it all the way through the supply chain. System 102 can store past data 126 about the first and second pallets in a database installed, for example, on a computer. System 102 can receive data about the third pallet while the third pallet is moving through the supply chain. System 102 can analyze data about the third pallet moving through the supply chain and can analyze past data 126 about the first pallet, the second pallet, or both.

[0045] In some implementations, the information generated can include disposal information, serial number pool information, packing line performance information, and packing lot information. FIG. 5 shows an example of supply chain information including disposal information 502, serial number pool information 504, packing line performance information 506, and packing lot information 510.

[0046] Visualization of information is provided (306), and the information can be used to identify one or more changes to be made in at least a portion of the supply chain to improve at least a portion of the supply chain. The visualization can include reports, charts, thresholds, metrics, tables, trends, and the like. In some implementations, the visualization can include one or more dashboards 132 that display the information. For example, referring to FIG. 5, the plots and charts under various information (e.g., disposition information 502, serial number pool information 504, packing line performance information 506, and packing lot information 510) can be visualizations of the information.

[0047] The information can be used to identify one or more changes to be made in at least a portion of the supply chain to improve at least a portion of the supply chain. A portion of the supply chain can be, for example, a single location or a set of two or more locations. For example, changes to the supply chain can be improvements in the processing capacity and / or efficiency of the production line, such as by calculating and tracking production losses, reducing downtimes, enhancing equipment performance, improving product quality, etc. For example, changes to the lot configuration at a manufacturer can reduce the number of disposal events occurring at the manufacturer. In some implementations, the system can provide visualization of analysis results, such as packing lot statistics, across multiple sites, lines, production, and packaging levels. The visualization can show patterns that are not obvious just by looking at individual Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) or regulatory reports. For example, patterns such as how the line speed affects the occurrence of defective products, or the decrease in line efficiency at similar times of day, become apparent only when comparing data corresponding to weeks and months in the same view. In some implementations, system 102 can also use machine learning algorithms based on past and real-time data to predict future events in the supply chain, such as potential bottlenecks, inefficiencies, or malfunctions. This prediction function can propose preventive measures to avoid the predicted supply chain problems, achieving a more stable and trouble-free supply chain. Additionally, in some implementations, the system can estimate the optimal production speed for various lines based on the past performance, current status, and future trends of the supply chain. This can provide valuable insights for optimizing efficiency and processing capacity while minimizing possible problems.

[0048] For example, FIG. 7A visualizes information about parts per minute (PPM). The parts can be cartons, labels, cases, or other packaging-related items. The average PPM provides the overall average of all that is produced. The packaging line is designed to move at a specific speed. The dashboard in FIG. 7A displays the average PPM being processed for the lot that was moving on the packaging line. If the PPM is low, the line speed is slow, which is a problem. In some cases, there are many problems on the line that can cause a low PPM. When the PPM is low, this indicates that the line and lot require further investigation, especially if the low average PPM occurs continuously or repeatedly. When the PPM is high and the disposal count is high, the line speed is too fast and too many items are being disposed of. This indicates that the line needs to be redesigned. Thus, the three data points per lot (PPM, occurrence, disposal) on the packaging dashboard provide further insight into anomalies in an area when compared to other areas.

[0049] Based on the analysis of the average PPM and the disposal count, the user can identify whether the speed of the packing line is too fast or too slow. For example, through the interface, the user can take corrective actions by adjusting the production speed to optimize efficiency and minimize the products to be disposed of. Moreover, the system can utilize the prediction function to anticipate whether the speed of the packing line will be too fast or too slow in future cases. The system can do this by processing past data and real-time data through machine learning algorithms. Then, the predictive analysis can guide the user about preventive adjustments that can be made in advance to optimize the line speed, thereby proactively addressing efficiency and product disposal issues. As another example, the user can investigate the root causes such as malfunctioning equipment or faulty parts. Through the interface, the user can create maintenance requests, schedule equipment repairs, or order replacement parts to solve the problems and ensure smooth operation.

[0050] In some implementations, a user of system 102 can determine changes to be made in at least a portion of the supply chain to improve at least a portion of the supply chain. Additionally, system 102 can proactively predict changes that may be needed in the supply chain to improve its efficiency and processing capabilities. This prediction can be derived from past and real-time data analysis using machine learning algorithms. Thus, the system helps the user to make information-based proactive changes and reduce the occurrence of supply chain disruptions. In some implementations, system 102 can display recommended changes to at least a portion of the supply chain that is likely to be improved. FIG. 10B is an exemplary dashboard for displaying a notification summary. The notification summary can be used to improve the supply chain. For example, a user can review failure notifications to take corrective actions. As another example, the system can recommend one or more corrective actions to improve a portion of the supply chain.

[0051] In some implementations, the system can send a separate dashboard for displaying (i) disposal events for sites, products, and packing lines, (ii) serial number pool status and serial number allocation, (iii) packing line utilization and performance, and (iv) details of packing lots / batches including settings, uptime, events, counts, and disposal reasons. In some implementations, the system can send a separate dashboard for displaying details of production including cleaning, maintenance, preparation, material loading, and material delays.

[0052] Figures 6A-6B show examples of dashboards for displaying disposal events. The disposal dashboard visualizes disposal events for sites, products, and production lines. Figure 6A is an exemplary dashboard for displaying a disposal summary for a period, for example, from 01 / 01 / 2018 to 12 / 31 / 2022. For the disposal summary, the top sites based on the count of disposal events, the top products based on the count of disposal events, the top lines based on the count of disposal events, and the count of disposal events for each month of each designated year are displayed. Figure 6A displays the top 10 sites, the top 10 products, and the top 10 lines for each disposal event. Figure 6A also displays a bar graph showing the annual disposal events for each year and month. The bars can provide interactive input to the dashboard. When a bar is selected, the data in the top three boxes can be filtered based on the selected month.

[0053] Figure 6B is an exemplary dashboard for disposal events at the line and package levels that shows the reasons for the disposal events, as well as their corresponding products, lines, packages, locations, and counts. For disposal events at the line and package levels, the reasons for disposal for each line, product, and package level and the top lines based on the count of disposal events can be displayed. In some implementations, the dashboard for disposal can include annual disposals and trends in disposal events. For annual disposals, the reasons for disposal for each line, product, and package level and the count of disposal events for each month of each designated year can be displayed. For trends in disposal events, the count of reasons for disposal, the reasons for disposal over time, and the reasons for disposal per minute can be displayed.

[0054] Figures 7A - 7B show examples of dashboards for the utilization and performance of the packing line. The packing line is a physical structure that includes a physical conveyor belt, packing machines, printers, cameras, and / or computers. The packing line performance dashboard visualizes the utilization and performance of the packing line. Figure 7A is an exemplary dashboard for displaying packing line performance, including the parts per minute (PPM) processed on average per lot, the count of items appearing per lot, and the count of items processed per lot. Thus, the dashboard of Figure 7A can provide drill - down point - and - click visibility into the PPM processing capacity for a lot, enabling the normalization of performance using data spanning this type of lot. The dashboard shown in Figure 7A is useful for users responsible for the automation engineering and production planning of the packing line, the packing line, the overall introduction of the packing line, the architecture within the site, equipment changes, implementation of updates, and scheduling of software - hardware updates. Users can look at how well the line is operating, find low - performing lots / lines that are not operating at optimal performance and need updates or improvement, and conduct research to make the line / lot more productive.

[0055] Figure 7B is an exemplary dashboard for displaying the utilization of the packing line based on months and years and the timeline of lot activities on selected lines. In some implementations, through data across connected and integrated lines, the dashboard can include information on multiple lines and production data of lines that provide actionable insights for multiple lines. In some implementations, the dashboard for the packing line can include lot performance profile appearance and lot performance profile disposition. Regarding lot performance profile appearance, the date / time - based appearance trend of items per packing level for a selected lot can be displayed. Regarding lot performance profile disposition, the date / time - based disposition trend of items per packing level for a selected lot can be displayed.

[0056] Figures 8A - 8C show examples of dashboards for serial number pool status and serial number allocation. The serial number pool dashboard visualizes the serial number pool status and serial number allocation. Figures 8A and 8B are examples of dashboards for displaying details of the serial number pool status, and they can be updated on a period - by - period basis, for example, every 24 hours. The details of the serial number pool displayed include the threshold serial number, available serial numbers, used serial numbers, and allocated serial numbers, which are displayed by site, manufacturer, product packaging level, and format. The user can filter by site, manufacturer, product, and allocation status. Figure 8C is an exemplary dashboard for displaying serial number allocation information, including bars for site, lot, start date, product, packaging, format, allocated serial number and used serial number, as well as utilization rate. The allocated serial numbers, used serial numbers, and returned serial numbers are displayed for each site, lot, lot start date, product, packaging level, and format. The user can filter by processed date, site, product, line, and lot. In some implementations, the allocated serial numbers and used serial numbers are shown for each site, lot, lot start date, product, packaging level, and format and can be displayed graphically. The user can filter by processed date, site, product, line, and lot.

[0057] Figures 9A - 9B show an example of a dashboard for the details of a packing lot / batch. A packing lot is a batch of products. For example, whenever a product is obtained from a pharmacy and that product has a lot with an expiration date, the lot number is the packing lot for all of the products packed for that particular production lot / batch. The packing lot information dashboard visualizes the details of the packing lot / batch, including settings, operating time, events, counts, and disposal reasons. Figure 9A is an exemplary page 1 of a lot summary report for a specific lot. The report includes summarized information about the selected processed lot. The user can filter by the processed date, site, and start date of the selected lot. Figure 9A shows lot summary details such as the occurrence count and disposal count for different container types (e.g., cases and bottles), the aggregate count, and the disposal events for each container type. For example, regarding the lot summary details, for the selected lot, the site, line, manufacturer, product, when the lot started, interrupted, and ended, the lot operating time, the lot interruption time, the number of items that appeared, were processed, aggregated, and fingerprinted at each packing level, and the number of disposal events and disposal reasons at each packing level can be displayed.

[0058] Figure 9B is an exemplary page 2 of a lot summary report for a specific lot and displays a list of lot control variables (LCVs). Regarding the lot summary of the lot control variables, for the lot selected in the lot summary details section, lot control variables with values and lot control variables that are not applicable can be displayed.

[0059] In some implementations, the system can send a separate dashboard for displaying bolts for the main files. There can be a number of files associated with preparing and operating the supply chain line. This system can determine a place to store and organize archives, project documents, printer templates, programmable logic controller (PLC) programs, device configurations, or any type of file, and this place can be a single secure location. For example, the system can store archive and project-related documents in a single location. Files can be tagged with a change management number or user-defined label for faster searching through the dashboard user interface. For example, the dashboard can include personalized filters to show the desired information. Custom labels may be created for individual documents, and the release status may be updated for individual documents. The user can view the details of the file and create links to external reference documents.

[0060] In some implementations, this system can acquire and unify data for multiple lines and sites. This system can provide actionable reports on line operations across manufacturing and packaging facilities. The real-time supply chain visualization and management system can provide pre-configured reports and / or the ability to develop custom reports.

[0061] In some implementations, the system can identify trends and potential threats based on predetermined thresholds for at least one of disposal information, serial number pool information, packing line performance information, and packing lot information (308). For example, referring to FIG. 8A, the system can obtain a predetermined threshold for the serialization number count for each type of product and each type of packing (e.g., carton or case). The system can compare the available serialization numbers with the threshold to determine a potential threat that the available serialization numbers are insufficient.

[0062] In some implementations, the system can generate an interactive graphical view for visualizing data related to the serialization number pool. For example, this graphical view can be on a geographical representation such as a world map. The serialization number pool can represent a list of serialization numbers, which can be obtained from government agencies or customers. For example, the system can obtain packing data with an eye to meeting GMP and regulatory packing requirements. To meet these requirements that enable the continuous operation of packing sites and lines, validation efforts may focus on the accuracy of this data. Some validation efforts can be costly and time-consuming. With the systems and techniques described herein, the site server and the packing line system can be modified to maintain compliance with regulations, and the packing operation can generate and collect data for GMP and regulatory requirements. Therefore, the present system and techniques can incorporate data collected for serialization regulation purposes and use the collected regulatory data to determine the performance of the packing line.

[0063] In some implementations, the visualization may include visualization of a serialization number pool that includes count data based on sites, manufacturers, products, and packages for a allocated serialization number, a used serialization number, an available serialization number, a disposed serialization number, a serialization format, a serialization number count threshold, and a visual indicator indicating whether the available serialization number is greater than or less than the serialization number count threshold. FIG. 8A is an exemplary dashboard that includes an interactive graphical view for visualizing data related to a serialization number pool. The exemplary dashboard includes sites 801, manufacturers 802, products 804 and packages 806, an allocated serialization number 816, a used serialization number 814, an available serialization number 812, a disposed serialization number, a serialization format 808, a serialization number count threshold 810, and count data based on a visual indicator 818 indicating whether the available serialization number is greater than or less than the serialization number count threshold. In some implementations, the serialization number count threshold may be a predetermined value set by a customer. For example, the serialization number count threshold 810 may be a predetermined value set by a customer.

[0064] In some implementations, the system may include a predictive analytics module that can utilize past data to predict trends, potential obstacles, and successes in various aspects of the operation. The predictive analytics module can utilize machine learning algorithms and statistical models to provide predictive insights based on data from disposal events, packing line utilization, serial number pool status, and packing lot / batch details. This prediction module can provide, for example, a perspective on potential disposal events, expected serial number assignments, expected line performance, and expected packing lot / batch details. By enabling such perspectives, the system allows users to adopt preventive measures to mitigate potential problems or take advantage of favorable trends, thus enhancing operational efficiency, productivity, and cost-effectiveness.

[0065] For example, the allocated column 816 in FIG. 8A indicates the number of serial numbers that are secured but not yet used and should not exceed "available" for use. The triangles in FIG. 8A are indicators for when "available" is greater than or less than the value of the "threshold". When the indicator is a downward triangle, the customer can obtain more serial numbers. When the indicator is an upward triangle, the customer does not need to obtain more serial numbers. Especially when serial numbers are provided by a regulatory or government agency, obtaining serial numbers can be time-consuming. Therefore, this system and technique can visualize the need for acquisition in advance and ensure the efficiency and smoothness of the supply chain. In some implementations, the system may include an alert mechanism capable of issuing warnings in response to detected anomalies or potential problems in the operation. The alert mechanism analyzes data collected from disposal events, packing line utilization, serial number pool status, and packing lot / batch details, and can issue warnings to relevant personnel in real time when it identifies a significant deviation from the expected pattern or threshold. For example, a sudden increase in disposal events, a sudden decrease in packing line performance, or a large decrease in available serial numbers in the pool can trigger an alert. These alerts prompt rapid intervention and adjustment, thus reducing disruption to the operation and maintaining productivity and efficiency.

[0066] In some implementations, the system can send separate sets of information about a particular product to two or more of a manufacturer, a packer, a distributor, a retailer, and a final consumer. Referring to FIG. 1, system 102 can send product information 122 to two or more of manufacturer 108, a packer, distributor 112, retailer 116, and final consumer 118. For example, system 102 can send disposal information for a pallet of products to manufacturer 108 and distributor 112. As another example, the system can send a dashboard of packing information to the distributor, and the distributor can visualize the efficiency and utilization of its own packing operations.

[0067] In some implementations, the system can generate an interactive graphical view of an organization's sites, environments, data sources, machines, and site servers and packaging line systems. FIG. 10A shows an exemplary dashboard that includes an interactive graphical view of an organization's sites, environments, data sources, machines, and site servers and packaging line systems. For example, lines and devices can be integrated and viewed in one management view as shown in FIG. 10A. The graphical scene can help visualize an organization (e.g., a company), as well as on-site assets of the organization such as machines and site servers for development (including engineering and QA testing) and product management. The right side of the dashboard in FIG. 10A displays one or more inspector controls. The inspector controls can provide commands (e.g., diagnostic commands) and health and heartbeat information. Through the dashboard, this system can issue commands to nodes, components, or modules of the packaging line system. For example, a diagnostic command can be sent to a node to run a diagnostic program and return the results to the system. As another example, an archive command can be sent to a node to create a backup of the configuration and return the backup file to the system.

[0068] FIG. 10B shows another exemplary dashboard that includes an interactive graphical view. FIG. 10B shows a corporate notification dashboard that can visualize activities on a supply chain managed by an organization, including lines. For example, notifications can be sent quickly to an operator via text messages. This dashboard includes personalized filters for viewing success or failure notifications. Viewers of the dashboard can focus on failure notifications and take corrective actions. The dashboard includes inspector controls on the right side. The inspector controls can provide details of status changes in an attention tab to assist in troubleshooting.

[0069] In some implementations, an interactive graphical view may include representations of devices installed on an organization's production line. Devices displayed in the user scene of the graphical user interface may include cameras, printers, barcode scanners, and sensors installed on the production line. For example, the interactive graphical view may include representations of cameras, printers, barcode scanners, and sensors installed on an organization's production line. FIG. 2 shows an example of a production line 200. Different types of devices such as camera 214, printer 216 (e.g., laser printer 222), scanner (e.g., hand scanner 218 and RFID encoder / reader 220), and sensors (e.g., camera 214, temperature sensor, light sensor, or motion sensor) may be installed on production line 200. System 102 can display the visualization of the representations of the devices in the production line in the interactive graphical view. FIG. 10A shows an exemplary dashboard including an interactive graphical view of the organization's on-site assets. The devices installed on production line 200 may be the "on-site assets" represented in FIG. 10A.

[0070] This system and technique provide end-to-end serialization and, in the process, generate data that can be used to analyze Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). In an example, OEE is a best practice metric that indicates how much of a manufacturing operation is utilized compared to its full potential. To achieve this, major performance degradations and bottlenecks are identified to calculate and improve OEE. The OEE methodology measures line productivity based on three important performance evaluation metrics: 100% availability (no downtime), 100% performance (as fast as possible), and 100% quality (no defective output). OEE is a standard method for measuring manufacturing productivity consisting of three important performance evaluation metrics (KPIs): availability, performance, and quality. Availability evaluates the actual production time against the planned production time. Performance takes into account the actual line speed against the theoretical maximum line speed. Quality refers to the ratio of good products to all products produced. The systems and techniques described herein can further monitor in real-time the line key performance indicators (KPIs) for the packaging operation. This enables continuous tracking and analysis of KPIs such as production speed, equipment downtime, and product quality, providing immediate insights for performance improvement.

[0071] Top-class manufacturing plants can achieve an OEE rate of 85%. Many companies, of course, do not have the information that needs to be calculated, nor do they have the information that needs to be effectively tracked. The main reasons are the cost and difficulty of data acquisition and the time it takes to make a difference. Improvements to increase productivity can only be made when the data is visible and easily accessible.

[0072] The OEE tool can provide accurate data on the main production losses at the site. By identifying what contributes to downtime, low performance, and low quality, corrective actions can be prioritized. Before implementing a continuous improvement program, OEE is typically between 50% and 60%. Through tools that enable fact-based incremental changes over time, manufacturers can achieve an OEE level of 85%. Manual OEE solutions, such as having operators enter data into worksheets, are inexpensive and can be implemented quickly, but the data is often unreliable and very difficult to integrate. At the opposite extreme, sophisticated OEE solutions from factory automation providers can take months or years to design and implement and may require significant investment and long periods of production downtime.

[0073] However, the main drawbacks of relying solely on OEE are that the metrics provided by OEE standards lack granularity and that they focus on specific equipment rather than the entire production line. Additionally, the OEE calculation formula often relies on the assumption that the production line or machine is operating continuously without packing operations. That is, the OEE calculation assumes a continuous and constant equipment utilization rate. Therefore, the OEE calculation needs to be improved and adapted for packing operations that, for example, can run the packing line two days a week. A typical OEE calculation applied to such a packing line may falsely indicate equipment inefficiency because the equipment is idle five days out of seven. In this case, the OEE results are obscured by the normal practice in packing lines where the equipment is not constantly utilized.

[0074] For example, a standard OEE software solution may be useful to management personnel who can track whether overall production has dropped from 85% to 82%, but its metrics or scores are too ambiguous to provide insights or context about why the scores changed. Such problems can be reduced or eliminated by the systems and techniques described herein by providing insights and granularity to save time in determining the root cause of production problems, to address events when they occur, and to notify users when production events that need to be addressed or resolved are occurring, which improves the ability to improve production volume and make more accurate and timely corrections to minimize downtime or losses. The systems and techniques described herein provide an interactive graphical view for easy visualization and data interpretation. This enables users to visually and intuitively search for and analyze OEE metrics, provides context information, and facilitates the identification of the root cause of production problems. The ability to collect and store detailed real-time data, including timestamps of products being inspected on a packing line, enables accurate tracking and analysis of events, enabling proactive decision-making and timely corrective actions.

[0075] Compliance with serialization regulations is more complex than simply putting a serial number on a package. At the line level, there is complexity regarding manual lines versus automated lines, existing lines versus new lines, and the diverse nature of packaging equipment using various Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) solutions in the industry. At the site and enterprise levels, the data of electronically serialized products not only needs to match the physical data but also be tracked across multiple channels in the supply chain to handle supply chain events such as returns, damages, recalls, etc. Serialization is now a four-level software stack. It can be difficult to find a vendor that can widely provide bottom-up device and line-level software, as well as integrated top-down enterprise and site-level software. The systems and techniques described herein facilitate a single-vendor approach to addressing these levels, ensure tight integration of the solution, ease data communication, and reduce the overall project risk.

[0076] The product serialization and supply chain management software / system described herein can reduce risks and enable rapid deployment through standardization of the solution. This system and technique enable a serialization solution that can meet short-term and long-term needs. This product serialization and supply chain management software / system is extensible as the business grows, as regulations change, and as the company enters new markets. This product serialization and supply chain management software / system can provide off-the-shelf configurable products that do not rely on customized or made-to-order components. This system and technique enable a modular approach that is productized, configurable, and extensible. It is considered to be GAMP, compliant with good automated manufacturing practice (GAMP)(registered trademark) 5: A Risk-Based Approach to Compliant GxP Computerized Systems, published by the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers in 2008. In an example, this product serialization and supply chain management software / system is a Category 4 Configured Product. Its configurable serialization software is designed using elements that can be assembled and reconfigured to quickly respond to changing demands. In contrast, customized solutions are rigid and make modifications difficult and costly. When requirements change, it may be necessary to arrange for the vendor again and bear the cost of expensive rewrites, revalidations, and retraining, but this is not the case when using a product serialization and supply chain management software / system as described here. This product serialization and supply chain management software / system may include a solution library.The solution library is a library of pre-packaged modules to meet diverse packaging scenarios and serialization specifications, and supports multiple serialization workflows.

[0077] In particular, the success of serializing mass-produced products requires the integration of multiple systems, including enterprise software, printers or tagging technology, reader systems, and production machinery, to apply and verify unique serial numbers. Serialization enables product identification. For many consumer-packaged goods, especially those with a long shelf life, individual units are essentially interchangeable. In this case, product type identification is sufficient to identify product instances, provided there are no other supply chain considerations. Higher levels of differentiation are recognized for other products, including perishable items and those subject to regulations such as pharmaceuticals, through the assignment of lot or batch numbers. Lot numbers separate groups of products containing up to thousands of units and distinguish them from units in other batches.

[0078] The use of lot numbers enables some additional management. Other attributes, such as expiration dates, can be associated with lots. In some cases, assuming that lot numbers are acquired and reported at intermediate points in the supply chain, products within a lot can be tracked as they move through the distribution system. Lot designation can also facilitate some management within the supply chain, including reverse logistics attempts such as recalls.

[0079] In an example, the present system and technique enable the identification of individual units. To further distinguish product examples, each item can be assigned a unique serial number. In the past, such attempts were only economical for expensive goods such as household appliances, consumer electronics, or automobiles. However, as the related manufacturing technologies have evolved, it has become possible to assign numbers to less expensive goods. In parallel with this development, some industries, particularly the pharmaceutical industry, have come under regulations to use unit serialization. Technologies for storing, communicating, and sharing serial numbers have also been developed to complement the application of the numbers.

[0080] The inherent serial number is the same as the lot number but of course allows for more granular measures. An expiration date can be assigned to serialized objects, each individual object can be tracked in the supply chain, and a recall can be identified by individual serial numbers. The value of serialization increases when any entity in the supply chain, from the manufacturer to the distributor, retailer, and end consumer, can read the serial number and identify the object to be supported by this system and technique. Modern serialization attempts usually apply standardized methods to the attachment of serial numbers (through barcodes, two-dimensional symbols, or radio frequency identification (RFID)) and the formatting of the numbers themselves. Such standards pave the way for concise reporting, location confirmation and tracking, and other improvements to product distribution and sales. The systems and techniques described herein facilitate the collection and storage of detailed real-time data, including time stamps, to ensure accurate location confirmation and tracking of products using serial and lot numbers. A real-time cloud-based system collects and analyzes critical data for smooth operations and visualization, enabling seamless reporting, location confirmation and tracking capabilities, and improved supply chain management. The interactive graphical view provided by this system enables easy visualization and interpretation of the collected data, giving users the power to gain actionable insights and make informed decisions based on the information.

[0081] Packaging line data may not be connected. In an example, an organization that provides supply chain security and brand protection may have insights into various aspects of the supply chain. Using that organization as an example, a network connection from the enterprise system to the level 3 packaging site management server may be seen, but network connections to the level 2 line manager and the level 1 machine interface and vision system are rarely seen. Basically, each line is an independent island. Such problems can be reduced or eliminated by the systems and techniques described herein.

[0082] In an example, the system and technique implement serialization in the pharmaceutical industry to comply with various worldwide regulatory obligations that have been introduced over the past few years. In an example, the real-time supply chain insight system enables real-time, extensive, actionable knowledge to maximize the superiority of the work. The real-time supply chain insight system collects and stores important data with minimal effort and makes it available whenever it is needed, regardless of how it is needed. This enables smoother operation on the packaging line. It is also a cloud-based environment that is easy to implement and maintain.

[0083] The present system and technique can provide real-time production visualization showing where production occurs, including showing the operating line and the lots moving on specific products. FIG. 10A shows an exemplary dashboard including an interactive graphical view of the on-site assets of the organization, such as sites, environments, data sources, machines, and site servers and packaging line systems. As parts, such as cartons, are created, the production visualization in FIG. 10A shows the progress in real time. For example, 10,000 cartons have been created and the view is updated in real time to reflect them as additional cartons are created, and also how many parts have become defective, for example 1,000 defective cartons, are also updated live. This visualization automatically updates the count from the line system in real time or near real time, for example every minute. This visualization can show that the count is transmitted as it is generated during inspection on the production line. This type of real-time visualization may be streamed on a large TV screen or in a store, and can automatically update and scroll across the entire line so that all users at the site can see a live view of the product. The systems and techniques described herein provide the collection and storage of detailed real-time data, including time stamps, to enable visualization of the progress and quality metrics of raw production. The interactive graphical view provides an easily interpretable representation of the organization's packaging line system, enabling real-time monitoring of production activities. Users can track the creation of parts such as cartons and monitor the defective count in real time, giving users the ability to identify production problems and take prompt corrective action. Real-time production visualization increases transparency and enables effective decision-making for optimized operations.

[0084] Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) factories, such as food manufacturers, with five lines producing 10 to 300 products per minute with low or medium profit margins, can benefit from standard OEE software solutions. However, these software solutions can be time-consuming and expensive to implement and may take a long time to accumulate sufficient data to gain actionable insights. Additionally, when OEE tools are implemented, operator training is essential. Without operator buy-in for entering reasons for downtime, for example, managers can only obtain OEE statistics without the insights necessary to make the most important changes. Such problems can be reduced or eliminated by the systems and techniques described herein. Data can be collected for a week and then reviewed with the OEE supplier to evaluate whether the configuration requires fine-tuning. If the settings appear correct, the tool can be run for at least a month, allowing the true picture to emerge as OEE can vary by day, employee, and shift. Using the systems and techniques described herein, charts showing production loss areas can help prioritize solutions based on impact, cost, and ease of implementation. When done properly, the value of this system and technique can become visible in 3 to 6 months.

[0085] The present system and technique can provide production line management and can further support manual case labeling, centralized palletizing, and parent-child association. Line management can include, for example, product presence and disposal, support for printers, barcode scanners, and RFID readers operating in serialization mode, real-time management of user-defined business, real-time process and product quality verification, generation of production and serialization reports, and the ability to flow both serialized and non-serialized products on the same packing line. Typically, the performance of packing lines and similar lines is managed based on the goal of overall consistency across the results of the line. For example, a programmable logic controller (PLC) can be programmed to ensure consistent results at a location for all merchandise passing through that location on the line.

[0086] However, such management and design hierarchies that aim only for overall consistency do not enable process updates and / or rapid deployment of new facilities, and make line modifications more expensive and time-consuming. Further, in accordance with this goal of overall consistency, the steps in a typical process for consumer packaging have not been integrated heretofore, i.e., these steps have no relation to the management and design perspective except that each step contributes to the goal of overall consistency in the line's results. This lack of integration has heretofore yielded satisfactory results for many lines and can continue to yield satisfactory results as long as the sole goal of the line is to produce all products to be identical. However, where the product needs to be stable but at the same time unique, i.e., uniquely located, identified, and / or given a set of unique attributes for purposes such as serialization of the line's products, conventional non-integrated line management and design tools cannot continue to produce acceptable or cost-effective results. In the example, serialization refers to a unique identifier used in a salable packaging unit or handling unit. A serial number may be stand-alone or associated with product information such as a lot, product ID, expiration date, or manufacturing date. Such problems can be reduced or eliminated by the systems and techniques described herein.

[0087] The present systems and techniques provide an integrated line management and design system and method. The system and method are integrated in that they enable, at a minimum, a unique and highly specific correlation between the detailed hierarchical aspects of the system and method, and more specifically, between the detailed aspects discussed hereinbelow as articles, processes, and streams.

[0088] This system and technique can visualize the supply chain and provide a wide range of actionable knowledge in real time that can be used to maximize the superiority of work throughout the supply chain. As products move through the supply chain, they generate event data that can create a wealth of process improvement opportunities. This real-time supply chain insight system is an innovative solution that provides practical insights and connectivity from the initial stages of deployment. In an example, this real-time supply chain insight system provides both real-time product data and past product data. In an example, this real-time supply chain insight system provides enterprises with management and visibility for packaging, serialization, anti-counterfeiting, and compliance deployment. This real-time supply chain insight system visualizes actionable knowledge for the entire production environment across lines, sites, and geographical locations at any given time using the latest graphical view of the environment, and is available and accurate. The interactive graphical explorer enables the selection of nodes and the ability to view the sound information of the nodes, including all child nodes and their availability. This real-time supply chain insight system enables end-to-end visibility to identify the key metrics that can be used to build, measure, and improve performance from manufacturing to market. This real-time supply chain insight system provides a data-driven real-time supply chain insight system.

[0089] In some implementations, the system and technique can include a single - view system / platform that is a single point of view (e.g., a packing - site management server, a fingerprint system, an anti - counterfeiting and product - authentication system, and any supported third - party solutions) for monitoring and managing the environment. The single - view system / platform reveals previously unavailable data in its current state to provide visibility and intelligence about the system and operations. The system and technique generate overviews of sites and lines, and show cloud environments and packing - site management servers, line managers, and machine interfaces and vision systems deployed in real time. In addition, the system and technique generate reports that compare the production and duration of lines or lots in real time.

[0090] FIG. 11 shows an example of a single - view system / platform 1100. FIG. 11 shows an example of system - architecture components including product serialization and supply - chain management software / system, a packing - site management server 1102, a product - serialization and supply - chain management software / system line manager 1104, a machine interface and vision system 1106 of the product - serialization and supply - chain management software / system, and industrial coding traceability software.

[0091] The packing - site management server 1102 provides lot / batch operations, packing - job - order management, serialization management, and notifications to a level - 4 system. The line manager 1104 provides a packing - line operator interface, line setup, and data collection for both serialized and non - serialized packing operations. The machine interface and vision system 1106 provides packing - line image inspection, device communication, and defect tracking on the packing line.

[0092] In the example of FIG. 11, the component can perform the following functions: (1) Nodes (packaging site management server, line manager, machine interface and vision system, industrial coding traceability software). (2) Real-time product serialization and lot / batch production tracking of supply chain management software / system. (3) Health and heartbeat provide details of the node status. (4) Software management provides access to correct version information and recommended update / upgrade paths and release notes. (5) Diagnostic commands execute node-specific diagnostic utilities and return the results to a single-point system / platform. (6) Bolt archive commands create a configuration archive and directly upload files to a centralized storage system. (7) A user-defined enterprise and site graphical scene for visualizing deployment, including Production Explorer. (8) The packing work order status of the packing site management server for tracking new work orders, invalidated work orders, in-progress work orders, and completed work orders. (9) Packing lot / batch status for tracking in-progress, interrupted, and completed lots / batches, available occurrences and disposition counts for completed lots / batches, including notification management of the packing site management server. (10) Verify the completed lot / batch count and manually trigger packing site management server notifications. (11) An automated workflow migrates from one notification rule to the next when a level 4 positive response is received. (12) ACK / NACK of the fingerprint system for Notifications 2.0 for each notification file in the rule set. (13) Quickly identify one pallet that has failed processing from among many pallets.(14) The Notification Summary Explorer, including Administrator Controls, enables the user to quickly find failure notifications (which the packing site management server was unable to send) or Not Acknowledged notifications (which the packing site management server sent but Level 4 failed to process). (15) Privileges specific to the real-time supply chain visibility system for restricting user access to the explorer and commands. (16) A Scope Policy for restricting access to specific sites (also known as packing site management servers). (17) Global settings for enabling data collection from a qualified product serialization and supply chain management software / system 9.0+ packing site management server. (18) CFR Part 11 Audit logs for regulatory compliance, including Information On Demand. (19) Enable / disable data collection on individual packing site management server sites. (20) Remote procedure call data transfer for faster data transfer with minimal impact on the packing site management server (e.g., in minutes rather than hours). (21) Five groups of product serialization and supply chain management software / system dashboards published in the online data visualization system. And (22) The data visualization system user accounts are managed in the online data visualization system. In some examples, the dashboards and data visualization system user accounts published in the online data visualization system are managed in the online data visualization system, such as realized using the built-in dashboards. Examples of dashboards are shown above in relation to FIGS. 5-10.

[0093] In some examples, the system can start with a single - point - of - view system / platform agent. The single - point - of - view system / platform agent can send information from the connected nodes. The single - point - of - view system / platform 1100 is designed to use the same network communication path that already exists between the packing - site management server 1102, the line manager 1104, and the machine interface and vision system 1106. To enable communication upstream or downstream of the platform for the operations, agents are installed at each node in the network. The agents are passive, low - priority services that do not interfere with the main software or communication of the packing - site management server, the line manager, and the machine interface and vision system.

[0094] In some implementations, this system and technique may include one or more agents 1108, 1110, and / or 1112 on the line manager 1104 as well as the machine interface and vision system. A centralized agent may be installed at each line manager as well as the machine interface and vision system. The line manager and the machine interface and vision system are not designed to have access rights to a centralized storage cloud, but a connection to the packing - site management server is desirable.

[0095] In some implementations, agents 1108, 1110, and / or 1112 installed in the line manager as well as the machine interface and vision system use port 9999 by default for communication. The port number can be changed when the agent is first installed. In some implementations, agents on the packing site management server system can be installed on each packing site management server system. Agents on the packing site management server respond to time-limited intervals (e.g., heartbeats), system alerts or escalations (e.g., health), command results (e.g., execution of diagnostics, sending of notifications), or messages from underlying agents (e.g., line manager or machine interface and vision system) by posting HTTPS messages to the single-point-of-view system / platform.

[0096] In some implementations, this system and technique may include a single-point-of-view system / platform server certificate (SSL). The single-point-of-view system / platform provides a server certificate for deployment. The server-side certificate is used by agents installed on the packing site management server to authenticate the web server.

[0097] In an example, the single-point-of-view system / platform is configured to obtain real-time health and status information based on the logical grouping of organizations, sites, environments, cloud resources, and data sources. A user assuming the role of designer can implement the configuration and expose defined logical groupings called Scenes. A user assuming the role of operator can approve and manage those scenes.

[0098] A data source can be a representation of a system that is not directly registered with a single - view system / platform. To enhance the visibility of system interactions, data sources are added to the topology. Examples: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Manufacturing Execution System (MES), Warehouse Management Solution (WMS). A site server can be a single - view system / platform resource registered in a specific instance of a single - view system / platform. For example, a packing site management server can be a single - view system / platform resource.

[0099] The cloud can represent cloud resources registered in a specific instance of a single - view system / platform. For example, a fingerprint system or an anti - counterfeiting and product authentication system can be registered cloud resources represented by appropriate cloud icons for system visualization. The environment can facilitate the logical separation of test, staging, or production environments. By creating more than one environment, testing and improvement before moving to the production environment become possible. An environment can consist of various assets such as clouds, site servers, and data sources. Defined Environments are used to create sites.

[0100] A site can represent the physical location where a product is manufactured, or a larger physical location that is broken down into smaller, more manageable components. Examples: Princeton, New Jersey, New York East End, New York West End. Defined Sites are required to create Organizations. An Organization can represent a business unit of a larger company. A proposed Organization for creating a scene. A scene can enable real - time health and status information to be displayed for each logical grouping of Organizations, Sites, Environments, Cloud Resources, and Data Resources. A scene can become available after they are constructed, published, and approved.

[0101] The single - view system / platform can include security and other administrative functions. This will elaborate on the logical security functions of the single - view system / platform. In an example, system access can be restricted by group / permission / user control. Access to the single - view system / platform can be controlled by a system of groups, permissions, and user configurations. There are three predefined roles within the single - view system / platform: administrator, designer, and operator. The role of the administrator is to manage and maintain system security. The designer defines and configures the nodes and assets that can be monitored and managed. The operator can manage, monitor, and process functions such as production explorer, bolts, scene management and views, as well as corporate notifications.

[0102] Groups can have combinations of roles, and individual roles have a list of permissions that can be enabled / disabled to allow strict access control. Individual users are assigned to defined groups. The creation, deletion, and modification of groups and users are managed by users assuming the role of administrator.

[0103] In an example, system access can be restricted by scope. The single - view system / platform can be further controlled by the creation of scope policies. Users assuming the role of administrator can define the nodes that can be browsed and managed for each group. For example, if a company has two sites, one group of users can be set to have access only to one site, and a different group can be set to have access only to the other site.

[0104] The Audit Explorer enables users with an administrator role to view system access and administrative changes to the system, including logon / logoff, user creation / deletion, and security policy updates. Entries include, where applicable, a timestamp, change, change indicator, and old / new values. Users can filter, sort, and export entries to a csv file.

[0105] In the example, the file storage utilization section enables users with an administrator role to monitor the allocation and use of storage for a single - view system / platform per category and owner. Users can filter the detailed display of stored documents for multiple parameters such as file format, location, date added, and owner. When displayed, records can be searched and sorted.

[0106] The single - view system / platform's enterprise notification function provides user access to the notification rule explorer and the notification summary explorer. These two explorers enable users to view and manage package - site management server notifications without having to log in to the package - site management server.

[0107] The notification rule explorer may enable users with an operator role to search, view, and process pre - configured notification rules for a selected lot. Users can create filter and display notification rules based on multiple parameters such as date added, notification rule status, node, and product. Users can view all pre - configured notification rules for a selected lot. Only completed lots are displayed. Interrupted or in - progress lots may not be available.

[0108] When a packing lot is selected, the notification rules associated with that packing lot can be retrieved and displayed. Lot data such as product name, lot start time and end time, and manufacturer are displayed. In addition, the notification rules are displayed in the order in which they were configured. Each notification rule is displayed along with the rule name and status. The status indicates where in the notification life cycle that rule is. A notification rule can have the following statuses: 1) Ready to send, 2) Pending (the notification rule is waiting for the completion of the previous notification rule), 3) In progress (the packing site management server is delivering the message), 4) Sent (the packing site management server has successfully completed the processing of the notification rule), 5) Failed (there was an error during the transmission of the message from the packing site management server), and 6) Completed (a user-set status to indicate that the process for the current notification rule has ended).

[0109] Notifications can be submitted. In the example, the user can submit the notifications in the order in which they were configured. If multiple notification rules are configured for a lot to be processed, only the first notification rule is set to the "Ready" state. All other notification rules are set to the "Pending" state. In addition, a user with permission to execute the send command can select a notification rule in the "Ready" state and submit it by selecting the send command. The submitted notification rule goes to the "In progress" state and then, if successful, to the "Sent" state. If it is not successful, the "Failed" state can be displayed. When the first notification rule configured for that lot is processed, if a second notification rule is configured for that lot, the status of the second notification rule changes to "Ready".

[0110] Users can manually update the status of notification rules. Users with permissions to execute status update commands can manually update some of the statuses of notification rules. For example, for resubmission, "In Progress", "Completed", and "Failed" can be reverted to "Ready". For all notification status changes, a log entry is created. The log entry includes what the user changed, the date / time when the change occurred, and the old value / new value.

[0111] Users can download the notification files generated by each notification rule. The notification summary explorer enables users in the operator role to search for and view the submitted notification rules. Users in the operator role can also manually update the status of the submitted notification rules and download the notification files generated by each of the submitted notification rules. In some implementations, the integrated anomaly detection and resolution system provides real-time monitoring of system behavior. The anomaly system utilizes artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to identify and flag deviations from normal system behavior as anomalies. When an anomaly is detected, the system initiates an internal investigation process and takes preliminary corrective measures if deemed appropriate. The anomaly system also generates a detailed report of the anomaly for further action by users in the administrator or designer role. This enables the platform to maintain high performance and security by quickly identifying and addressing potential problems.

[0112] The single-point-of-view system / platform can include scenes and custom views. A scene is a logical grouping of organizations, locations, environments, cloud resources, location servers, and data sources that displays real-time health and status information. When a user in the designer role publishes a scene, a user in the operator role can approve or reject the published scene.

[0113] The user who assumes the role of the operator can set or cancel the approved scene as the default. The approved scene set as the default can be displayed on the dashboard. The user who assumes the role of the operator can create a personalized view of the published scene that emphasizes the areas within the organizational topology that they are most interested in. Once a custom view is created and saved, it can be set as the default for display on the dashboard. The user who assumes the role of the operator can improve the published scene and the customized view for each node, escalation, status, software version, supported version, and Current on Updates.

[0114] The dashboard (e.g., dashboard 132 in FIG. 1) can display the published scene or the customized view set as the default. The user who assumes the role of the operator can view the following information on the dashboard, namely: 1) the packing line utilization rate for each base server with packing line details; 2) a graphical overview of the overall topology; 3) a list of all nodes with their status (online / offline); 4) the system state (normal, warning, critical), status (online / offline), system messages (e.g., alarms), and details about the space and CPU utilization for each node; and 5) the software version - the actual version versus the supported version and the latest version.

[0115] For troubleshooting purposes, the user can select diagnostic commands to generate detailed system-level utilization and health information in downloadable files. The Bolt Explorer for single-viewpoint systems / platforms provides centralized management of production artifacts (e.g., PDFs, drawings) that describe and / or support the manufacturing process. This enables the user to store and organize archive, project documents, printer templates, PLC programs, device configurations, and other installation files in a single secure location. The Bolt Explorer enables users with operator privileges to perform the following functions.

[0116] The user can upload files in any format. When uploading files, the user can associate them with descriptive identification information. Each file is also assigned a status (e.g., draft, validated, approved). The user can upload files with the same name and save them as different versions of the same file. Each version of the file has associated fields that can be updated. The user can create filters and display files based on multiple parameters such as the date added, file status, related topics, and file owner. The user can add any applicable notes for each file. The user can add any reference links to related files stored outside of Bolt.

[0117] The user can modify the fields associated with each file. Additionally, the user can view the list of uploaded documents along with their associated descriptive identification information, which includes 1) general information entered when the file was first uploaded, 2) each version of the file and the associated fields, 3) any applicable notes entered by the user for the file, and 4) any reference links to related files stored outside of Bolt. Individual file versions can also be downloaded. The user can delete the uploaded files. Individual file versions can also be deleted.

[0118] The production explorer enables a user acting in the role of an operator to monitor production activities by reviewing the status of packing lots and work orders across all sites. The user can create filters to indicate either a packing lot or a work order. The display information can be further filtered by a number of parameters such as the packing lot / work order node, product, date, and status.

[0119] When viewing work orders and packing lots, the displayed records can be sorted by name and status. The following statuses are available for packing lots. 1) In progress - the packing lot is in execution. 2) Interrupted - the packing lot has been interrupted. And 3) Completed - the packing lot has been finished or closed. The following statuses are available for work orders. 1) Ready - the work order is enabled and available on the packing site management server. 2) In progress - the work order is being used to start a packing lot and that lot is in execution. 3) Interrupted - the packing lot associated with this work order has been interrupted. 4) Completed - this work order is finished because the packing lot associated with this work order has been finished or closed. 5) Inactive - the work order is disabled on the packing site management server and not available for the line manager to start a lot. And 6) Cancelled - the work order has been deleted on the packing site management server. For completed packing lots, lot details information is available.

[0120] In some implementations, this system and technique may include the functions implemented by the components of FIG. 11. The process begins when an Operator Roll sends an archive command and a single-viewpoint system / platform receives it. All commands include a command and a node address. Upon receiving the archive command, the single-viewpoint system / platform implements a "Log Event Audit Log & Request Console". Responses are recorded in relation to users and status. If a payload is provided, files may also be recorded. Upon completion of the "Log Event", the single-viewpoint system / platform sends the command to the node agent (packaging site management server). The process of sending messages upstream and downstream of the stack may be similar. However, the commands (downstream) and payloads (upstream) may be different.

[0121] For a real-time supply chain insight system, nodes, production explorers, packing site management server notification management, administrator controls, and information on demand are provided. In an example, nodes (e.g., packing site management servers, line managers, machine interfaces and vision systems, industrial coding traceability software) include the following. Real-time product serialization and lot / batch production tracking of supply chain management software / systems; health and heartbeat providing details of node status; software management providing access to accurate version information and recommended updates / upgrades as well as release notes; diagnostic commands executing node-specific diagnostic utilities and returning results to a single-point system / platform. Bolt archive commands creating a configuration archive and uploading files directly to the bolts of a single-point system / platform. Graphical scenes of user-defined enterprises and sites are used to visualize deployments.

[0122] In an example, production explorers include packing site management server packing work order status for tracking new work orders, invalid work orders, in-progress work orders, and completed work orders; packing lot / batch status for tracking in-progress, interrupted, and completed lots / batches; and available occurrence counts and disposition counts for completed lots / batches.

[0123] In the example, the packing site management server notification management includes the following. Verifying the count of completed lots / batches and manually triggering the packing site management server notification; an automated workflow that moves from one notification rule to the next when a level 4 positive response is received; ACK / NACK of the fingerprint system for Notifications 2.0 for each notification file in the rule set; quickly identifying one failed pallet out of many pallets during processing; a notification summary explorer that enables the user to quickly identify failed notifications (which the packing site management server was unable to send) or no positive response notifications (which the packing site management server sent but level 4 failed to process).

[0124] In the example, the administrator control includes the following. Privileges specific to the real-time supply chain visibility system for restricting user access to explorers and commands; a scope policy for restricting access to specific sites (also known as packing site management servers); global settings for enabling data collection from qualified product serialization and supply chain management software / system 9.0+ packing site management servers; and CFR Part 11 Audit logs for regulatory compliance.

[0125] In an example, information on demand (IOD) includes the following. Enabling / disabling data collection on individual packing site management server sites; Remote procedure call data transfer for faster data transfer with minimal impact on the packing site management server (e.g., minutes instead of hours); Five groups of product serialization and supply chain management software / system dashboards published online in a data visualization system, and the data visualization system user accounts are managed by the online data visualization system. In some examples, the dashboard is an embedded dashboard. In an example, a dashboard embedded in a web user interface page of a single-point system / platform. In an example, a dashboard externally hosted and accessed from a third-party website, such as a data visualization system.

[0126] In an example, the dashboard is an IOD dashboard. The IOD dashboard utilizes pre-constructed reports on data across products to gain insights into production. The IOD dashboard can be viewed through the data visualization system analysis platform. The dashboard may be pre-configured and can include profiles of global production, packing lot details, serial number assignment, serial number pool status, and packing line performance. The pre-configured dashboard is published and easily accessible from a browser on any workstation or mobile device.

[0127] In some implementations, visualization may include a production dashboard. For example, the system can provide production reports. This report may include the count of processed lots and the count of goods that have appeared / been disposed of, for each site, line, product, and packaging level. The user can filter by processed date, site, product, and line. The report can be divided into five sections: site production summary, product production summary, production line summary, annual production summary, and production details. For the site production summary, the top sites based on the count of processed lots, the top sites based on the count of goods that have appeared, and the top sites based on the count of goods that have been disposed of are displayed. For the product production summary, the top products based on the count of processed lots, the top products based on the count of goods that have appeared, and the top products based on the count of goods that have been disposed of are displayed. For the production line summary, the top lines based on the count of processed lots, the top lines based on the count of goods that have appeared, and the top lines based on the count of goods that have been disposed of are displayed. For the annual production summary, the count of processed lots for each month of each specified year, the count of goods that have appeared for each month of each specified year, and the count of goods that have been disposed of for each month of each specified year are displayed. For the production details, the count of products for each site, line, packaging level, and status is displayed.

[0128] The document repository of the single - perspective system / platform includes information about software, hardware, and reference materials. The repository consists of an information center, a support center, and a training center. The repository is accessible to users of all roles. In addition, there is a facility for users to upload applicable files and use a folder structure to manage those files.

[0129] The information center includes a technical document library that contains general information, product information, and GAMP information. General information includes a release compatibility matrix (which allows users to determine the software version compatibility between components such as the line manager / machine interface and vision system as well as the packing site management server), a blog (which allows users to access supply chain-related blogs), regulations (which allows users to obtain industry-related regulatory information), webinars (which allows users to access supply chain-related webinars), and white papers (which allows users to access industry-related white papers).

[0130] Product information includes device drivers (which allows users to obtain detailed technical guides for configuring IPS printer drivers), hardware (which allows users to obtain hardware specifications, certificates, and drawings), operation manuals (which allows users to obtain operation manuals for non-technical users), release notes (which allows users to obtain details about the latest software updates and patches), setup manuals (which allows users to obtain setup manuals for software and device configuration), solution summaries (which allows users to access a library of packaged integration modules (PIMs) with easy-to-follow workflows), technical guides (which allows users to obtain detailed technical guides for configuring IPS blocks to understand the product), and vision (which allows users to obtain detailed technical guides for configuring vision tools).

[0131] GAMP information includes a requirements traceability matrix (RTM) / user requirements specification (URS) (which allows users to obtain user requirements specifications and traceability matrices), and validation qualification (VQ) (which allows users to obtain installation and operational qualification documents).

[0132] In an example, the support center includes information regarding system maintenance, including case history, update information, software, and customer support. The case history enables a user to view ongoing and resolved customer support cases, as well as case metrics for the current and past years. The update information enables a user to track license update information. The software enables a user to view details about new software releases and patches, and the user can also download the latest version. The customer support enables a user to send requests for customer care and technical support.

[0133] In an example, the training center includes information regarding training courses, as well as videos including a training schedule, unlimited videos, and subscription videos. The training schedule enables a user to view available training schedules and detailed information. The unlimited videos enable a user to view training videos included in their maintenance contract. The subscription videos enable a user to view special online training when they subscribe. A single-viewpoint system / platform can incorporate an artificial intelligence-powered content discovery and recommendation engine. This feature enhances the capabilities of the system / platform for a personalized user experience. Using machine learning and natural language processing algorithms, this engine can analyze a user's activity patterns within the platform, including the types of files the user accesses, the nature of the support cases the user raises, or the training content the user engages with. The engine can then use these patterns to recommend to each user the most relevant and useful content, including but not limited to technical documents, tutorials, webinars, whitepapers, or previously resolved support cases. The recommendation engine can continuously learn recommendations and improve them over time as it accumulates more user activity data, thereby increasing the accuracy and personalization of a user's content discovery.

[0134] Some manual solutions, such as having an operator enter data into a worksheet, are inexpensive and can be implemented immediately, but the data is often unreliable and very difficult to integrate. At the opposite extreme, sophisticated solutions from factory automation providers can take months or years to design and implement, require significant investment and potentially long production stoppages. And once the solution is ready, it needs to run for months to collect sufficient data. There are other commercially available toolkits that provide similar capabilities, but end consumers need to design, configure, test, and debug them before applying them to production. Such problems can be reduced or eliminated by the systems and techniques described herein. The present systems and techniques provide a package with components that can be integrated together to meet specific needs. The real-time supply chain insights system discussed herein does not rely on custom integration as it supports use with other products.

[0135] Some exemplary functions of a single - view system / platform are as follows. For example, a single - view system / platform includes an organizational topology. The organizational topology can be a graphical view of organizations, sites, environments, data sources, as well as site servers and packaging line systems. A single - view system / platform includes real - time system status. The real - time status enables on - demand status and health information of connected systems (nodes). The real - time status enables the determination of whether the system status is available (e.g., no lot or idle), running (e.g., there is a running lot), or offline. The real - time status enables viewing of related messages such as system state (maintenance, warning, or danger) and the number of active packaging alarms or system error conditions. A single - view system / platform includes user - defined views. In user - defined views, the user can create personalized views based on the organizational topology and interact with nodes for real - time status updates or to perform actions. A single - view system / platform includes online technical documentation. Access can be made to a technical document library that includes technical guides, setup manuals, and operation manuals organized by solution and topic. A single - view system / platform includes online regulatory updates. The online regulatory updates include the enacted regulations and how they affect the solution. A single - view system / platform includes GAMP document templates such as VQ, URS, and traceability matrix templates for use during solution deployment. A single - view system / platform includes the history of customer support cases. In the example, the history of customer support cases is online. This enables viewing the status of open cases and reviewing closed cases for a particular site or across all sites. A single - view system / platform includes account update information.The update information includes the date and information of the update for support maintenance and / or the annual fee of SAAS (software as a service). The single-point system / platform includes the training schedule and videos. For example, the description of the next training class and the review course can be found. Unrestricted training videos can be viewed. Users can opt in for full access to all training videos.

[0136] Some additional exemplary features of a single - point system / platform are as follows. For example, a single - point system / platform includes software downloads. In an example, complete installation packages and patch installation packages can be downloaded from a secure location. A single - point system / platform includes secure file storage and sharing. In an example, files are stored in a secure location and can be accessed only by pre - determined individuals. For example, files can be shared with customer support or a project team instead of via email. A single - point system / platform includes on - demand diagnostics. For example, diagnostics are initiated on a remote system and the results can be viewed from different locations. Diagnostic results can be sent to customer support for faster assistance. A single - point system / platform includes range policies. Range policies are created and assigned to restrict a user's access to specific sites. A user can only view data from the permitted sites even when viewing enterprise - level scenarios. A single - point system / platform includes the status of embedded operating system (OS) security updates (KB). A list of applied security updates for line - level systems can be viewed. The list is based on the published KB updates for the provided embedded OS system. A single - point system / platform includes Vault. Vault enables the storage and organization of archives, project documents, printer templates, PLC programs, device configurations, or any type of file to a single secure location. Files can be tagged with change control numbers or user - defined labels for faster searching. Reference links can be added to related files stored outside of Vault. A single - point system / platform includes packing lot and work order status. Production based on a lot or work order is monitored. Filter by status such as ready, in - progress, interrupted, completed, invalid, or cancelled. Alerts provide details about changes in production status. View production counts (appearances, dispositions, etc.) for completed lots and work orders.The single - view system / platform includes enterprise notification management. In an example, the packing site management server notifications are manually initiated without the need to log in to the packing site management server. The notification summary explorer enables fast search of failed notifications. Approval by a third party of processed notifications can be verified. The single - view system / platform includes IOD. History is used to improve the future by leveraging cross - product data to gain insights into production. The dashboard includes profiles of global production, packing lot details, serial number assignment, serial number pool status, and packing line performance. The single - view system / platform includes a customer data pool. The customer data pool enables direct access to a centralized repository of data external to the live resolution database. The single - view system / platform includes support for serialized and non - serialized systems. In an example, operational intelligence is not limited to a serialization system.

[0137] Some additional exemplary features of a single - point - of - view system / platform are as follows. For example, a single - point - of - view system / platform includes roadmap items. In an example, the single - point - of - view system / platform includes event subscriptions, which enable subscribing to predefined system events for receiving notifications when a warning is issued. The single - point - of - view system / platform includes user - defined alert policies. Custom alert triggers, such as "generate an alert if the line has stopped for 15 minutes", are created for use in event subscriptions. The single - point - of - view system / platform includes alert categories and priorities. Line - level alerts are grouped into categories and priorities for each group. User roles that can respond to each group are specified. Alert triggers are generated based on alert priorities. The single - point - of - view system / platform includes monitoring of the serial number pool. The serial number pool is monitored across the organization. Available serial numbers are verified for the packing site management server or the fingerprint system. The single - point - of - view system / platform includes devices added to the user scene. Line devices such as cameras, printers, PLCs, etc. are added to the primary scene, providing more detailed information at a glance. The single - point - of - view system / platform includes events and statuses of line devices. Line device information is added to the available status information. The single - point - of - view system / platform includes packing line daily reports. The line manager daily report enables line operators to input information during packing lots / batches. Supervisors, maintenance, and quality - related personnel can review and comment on the daily reports from their desks. The single - point - of - view system / platform includes file and data retention policies. The platform enables manufacturers to fully serialize their lines and site operations, enables compliance with all existing and future regulations across multiple global sites, and can follow the set company retention policies.

[0138] Some exemplary functions of a single - point - of - view system / platform are as follows. For example, a single - point - of - view system / platform includes the integration of batch record history. Serialization and batch history data are integrated into a centralized data storage location. It can eliminate the storage and disposal of data in a manual local system. A single - point - of - view system / platform includes audio trail integration. 21 CFR Part 11 is integrated into a centralized data storage for the organization. It can eliminate the storage and disposal of data in a manual local system. A single - point - of - view system / platform includes an integrated utility for a packing site management server. Past data from older systems is integrated. A manual utility is used to migrate past data from the packing site management server execution software. A single - point - of - view system / platform includes configuration versioning. Automated version control for the configuration archive is realized. Software versions are recorded along with the configuration archive to achieve improved management. A single - point - of - view system / platform includes automated change detection. Line operators are notified about unapproved changes before batch start. Policies are configured to approve or reject batch start for each role. A notification is generated when there is an unapproved configuration in production. A single - point - of - view system / platform includes configuration archive management. The configuration archive is stored in a central repository. Access to the archive is controlled to prevent the restoration of old or unapproved configurations. The archive is created on - demand directly to the archive repository. A single - point - of - view system / platform includes software update scheduling. Software updates to be executed can be scheduled by authorized users on the local system without email, download, or USB stick. Stakeholders can be notified about outstanding software updates. A single - point - of - view system / platform includes import / export device configuration settings.The settings, firmware, and templates of a device (e.g., printer, scanner, etc.) are saved as part of the configuration archive. The scope depends on the capabilities supported by the device. The single - view system / platform incorporates third - party data for analysis. In an example, data from other sources is incorporated to obtain an overview. In an example, the overview identifies patterns that create delays or bottlenecks within the organization. The single - view system / platform includes automated configuration backups. Configuration backups are created at predetermined intervals such as at the end of each lot or at a scheduled date / time. This ensures the most recent backup for accelerating disaster recovery. Unlike the configuration archive, backups are stored differently and have one retention policy. The single - view system / platform includes site database backups. Site database backups are scheduled for disaster recovery. The single - view system / platform includes a catalog and list of spare parts. This enables knowing which spare parts are available and where they are located. Part numbers are quickly identified to order replacement parts. The catalog of spare parts can be updated. The single - view system / platform includes disk imaging. In an example, a complete disk image is created for faster disaster recovery. Automated imaging is scheduled or the disk image is generated on demand. The single - view system / platform includes virus scan reports. In an example, a virus scan is performed, and the virus scan report is reviewed and saved. The results are saved along with the configuration archive. The single - view system / platform includes step - by - step recovery procedures. The step - by - step recovery procedures may include documentation and video support for recovering various system types. The single - view system / platform includes device - level backups. Device - level backups may include backup settings, firmware, and templates from printers, scanners, PLCs, and other line devices.Device backup can be used to restore a replacement device to the same settings as the original. A single - view system / platform includes centralized packaging master data management. The packaging master data is unified for distribution to sites. To obtain a complete definition, partial master data information is imported from multiple sources. A single - view system / platform includes centralized packaging work order management. Packaging work orders can be imported, created, scheduled, and released for execution. The status of work orders can be controlled to prevent the execution of incomplete work orders. A stop or hold request for a work - in - progress work order can be issued remotely. The line operator is notified on the local system. Additional features of the single - view system / platform include improved data integrity verification. This system can utilize a combination of checksum and cryptographic hash algorithms to verify the integrity of serialization and batch history data. This ensures that data integrated into a centralized data storage location has not been tampered with during storage, transmission, or processing. This greatly contributes to securing the integration of the audio audit trail and eliminates the need for manual storage and disposal.

[0139] The present system and techniques include serialization that can easily adapt to new requirements while protecting line throughput, data integrity, and system security. Serialization architectures, as well as important considerations and criteria for evaluating potential serialization solutions, are provided. When implementing serialization, there are three main objectives: (1) ensuring data integrity when data moves between enterprise, factory, line, and machine levels; (2) maintaining the throughput of the packaging line without interruption, which is costly and time - consuming; and (3) maintaining a secure information technology system.

[0140] Bidirectional communication is provided. The addition of serialization technology requires a new packaging process at each individual site to be addressed by the enterprise's information technology (IT) infrastructure. Serialization solutions can enable effective communication between the packaging environment and the IT environment. Enabling this bidirectional communication results in a new layer of the control system. This new layer acts as a gateway through which data flows. Data management between the enterprise and the packaging line is important for all serialization efforts as it protects data integrity at the enterprise level while ensuring the processing capacity of the packaging line.

[0141] Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) includes the cost of software, hardware, system integration, validation, and line efficiency, as well as the cost of supporting the introduction of global serialization. When formulating a serialization strategy to manage TCO, a company can consider the following technical criteria. A productized serialization solution enables a more efficient and faster line setup as it is ready for deployment as soon as it is purchased; a scalable serialization solution grows easily; configurable software is designed using elements that can be assembled and rearranged to quickly adapt to changing requirements without the need to rewrite code; a turnkey software solution that effectively handles change control management; a communication link between critical levels that manages backward compatibility between software versions; open communication between external systems and devices using proven standard interfaces; reducing deployment time by leveraging previous experience and established use cases rather than "learning by doing".

[0142] Level-specific considerations are as follows. EPR / MES considerations at the enterprise level are as follows. How is the conversion of number formats between the factory and the enterprise managed? How are network failures minimized to ensure packaging processing capabilities? Does a third party provide the tools necessary to maintain data integrity? If so, what other roles, if any, do they perform? How are offline operations and post-lot operations supported? Factory-level (MES) considerations are as follows. How are new country regulations managed? How are ongoing changes to existing laws managed? Does a third party handle code changes? How easy is it to add / change products in an existing serialization solution? Line-level (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) considerations are as follows. Is the packaging line isolated or separated from factory-level and enterprise-level changes? How does the serialization solution affect line efficiency? Does the serialization solution manage the line or only the serialization devices? Machine-level (PLC and device) considerations are as follows. What is the impact of changes to the device on the line management system? How many dedicated Human Machine Interface (HMI) displays does the serialization solution have? Does the serialization solution actively track the status of products throughout the line process?

[0143] Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) is a system of hardware components and software components used to manage and control industrial processes, infrastructure, and facilities. The SCADA system collects real-time data from various sensors and devices, provides control commands to remote facilities, and displays the collected data to operators for monitoring and decision-making purposes. HMI refers to a user interface or graphical interface that enables a person to interact with a machine, device, or software system. The HMI provides a visual representation of the system's status, data, and controls, enabling the operator to effectively monitor and control the system. The HMI may include touchscreens, buttons, indicators, and other interactive elements to facilitate user interaction.

[0144] The main considerations between the factory level and the line level are as follows. Which team is responsible for maintaining communication between each level? This can be established using two-way communication as described above. Considerations for offline work and post-rot work are as follows. How are offline, post-rot, rework, QA, and intensive paretozing managed and supported? In an example, the packing site management server operates at the factory level along with the tracking of serialized products. In an example, the line manager operates at the line level along with the tracking of serialized products. In an example, the machine interface and vision system operate at the machine level. In an example, the packing execution system integrates all packing line information systems including image inspection, line management, performance metrics, and serialization. In some implementations, the system and techniques can be integrated with Internet of Things (IoT) devices and sensors deployed throughout the supply chain to collect real-time data on various parameters such as temperature, humidity, vibration, or position. This system can use this highly granular real-time data to monitor the status of goods in the supply chain, enabling the preventive identification and resolution of potential problems that can affect product quality or safety.

[0145] In some implementations, this system and technique may include tracking serialized products. Serialization may be performed by machines, on-line, off-line, in factories, or combinations thereof. For example, serialization on a machine may include device communication (setup, alarm, counter), fixed and variable text formatting, real-time printer template and data download, print verification (lot, expiration date), product inspection (strain, placement, documents, contents), component verification and item code, real-time product inspection and result posting. Serialization on-line may include supervision of procedure management, real-time number management in a packing line, support for multiple devices in multiple configurations, including lot number and expiration date together with Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) and serial number, support for multiple data carriers with verification and reconciliation, management of aggregation processes, support for use cases of manual packing and automated packing. Serialization off-line may include ensuring the completeness of aggregation for all "off-line" use cases, managing rework for damaged products, quality assurance (QA) sampling and QA inspection, centralized paretozing, pallet reconfiguration, and management of quality assurance operations, tracking and recording serialized products up to the point of notification, managing label printing for replacing damaged labels. Serialization in a factory may include unmanned operation, automatic provisioning for unmanned operation, automatic number conversion for provisioning and notification, minimizing the validation of packing lines when updating IT systems, preventing disruption of packing lines due to network loss, providing a single IT interface to all packing lines, including various notification trigger methods for supporting communication with packing lines in near real-time.

[0146] In some implementations, the machine interface and vision system can include a complete suite of high-speed image processing and vision tools for pharmaceutical packaging, with dynamic grayscale processing or normalized correlation; a user-friendly statistical training process; print verification, label distortion, placement, documents, contents, component verification, item codes; and tight productized compatibility with the line manager. Tight productized compatibility with the line manager enables reduced risk integration between different vendors, control of vision functions and user access to vision, execution of mode status displays from a single user interface, viewing of multiple image inspections from a single interface, a single point for user access control and security integrated with Active Directory, and a single point setup for all image inspections from the line manager at the beginning of a lot.

[0147] In some implementations, this system and technique can provide benefits and advantages, including making correct decisions regarding number management, ensuring that the data flow for packaging is productized, ensuring that data to the supply chain is correct, use cases designed through configuration (rather than code development), eliminating the cost exposure of integrating appropriate vision technology with line management software, and being extensible and maintainable without system integration. This entire solution is ready for worldwide deployment, provides consistency between sites, and can offer a consistent training approach for packaging and IT personnel.

[0148] In some implementations, the machine interface and vision system can provide a wide set of vision tools including optical character verification (OCV), optical character recognition (OCR), barcode verification (BCV), and print quality verification (PQV), which complement general quality inspection functions such as measurement, object presence, shape, defects, count, and color. The machine interface and vision system may include audit logs for ensuring procedure management, quality, and regulatory compliance. It also performs device setup, recipe-driven workflows, reject station management, and control of intelligent online devices (printers, barcode scanners, and weight sorters) for ensuring integrated quality control.

[0149] The machine interface and vision system may include features such as ease of deployment and use, providing higher accuracy and greater benefits by its “true” OCV capabilities, unrivaled image inspection speed, functioning with any combination of color and monochrome images, up-to-date performance for individual character recognition inspections, a one-time font-training library, and simplicity and uniformity of training across all packaging operations as the inspection is performed from a single, consistent, and intuitive user interface. The product specifications of the machine interface and vision system support an infinite combination of inspection types from a single camera frame, have an inspection speed of up to 3600 parts per minute, support up to 4 acquisitions in the basic system, and can be extended to control up to 12 camera ports supporting the most diverse cameras on the market.

[0150] The subject matter and embodiments of the functional operations described in this specification can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in a computer, software, firmware, or hardware that includes the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents, or one or more combinations thereof. Embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented using one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a computer-readable medium for execution by, or to control the operation of, a data processing apparatus. A computer-readable medium can be a manufactured product, such as a hard drive in a computer system, an optical disk sold through a retail channel, or an embedded system. A computer-readable medium can be separately obtained and later encoded with one or more modules of computer program instructions, such as through the distribution of one or more modules of computer program instructions via a wired or wireless network. A computer-readable medium can be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, or a combination of one or more of them.

[0151] The term "data processing apparatus" encompasses all apparatus, devices, and machines for processing data, including, by way of example, a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers. The apparatus can include, in addition to hardware, code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question, such as code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, a runtime environment, or a combination of one or more of them. In addition, the apparatus can utilize various different computing model infrastructures, such as web services, distributed computing, and grid computing infrastructures.

[0152] A computer program (known as a program, software, software application, script, or code) may be written in any suitable form of programming language, including a compiled or interpreted language, a declarative or procedural language, and may be deployed in any suitable form, as a stand-alone program or including modules, components, subroutines, or other units suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program does not necessarily correspond to a file in a file system. The program may be stored as part of a file that holds other programs or data (such as one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple cooperating files (such as files that store one or more modules, subprograms, or portions of code). A computer program may be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

[0153] The processes and logical flows described herein may be implemented by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. As dedicated logic circuitry, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), the processes and logical flows may also be implemented and the apparatus may be implemented.

[0154] Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, by way of example, dedicated microprocessors. In general, a processor receives instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. Essential elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. In general, a computer also includes, or is operatively coupled to receive data from, or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, such as magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks. However, a computer need not have such devices. Moreover, a computer may be incorporated in another device, such as, by way of example, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile audio or video player, a game console, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, or a portable storage device (such as, a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive). Devices suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include, by way of example, all forms of non-volatile memory, media, and memory devices, including semiconductor memory devices, such as erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and flash memory devices, magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks or removable disks, magneto-optical disks, and CD-ROM disks and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory may be supplemented or incorporated by dedicated logic circuitry.

[0155] To implement the interaction with the user, embodiments of the subject matter described herein may be implemented on a computer having a display device for displaying information to the user, such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) display device, an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display device, or another monitor, and a keyboard and a pointing device, such as a mouse or a trackball, by which the user can provide input to the computer. Other types of devices for implementing the interaction with the user may also be used. For example, the feedback provided to the user may be any suitable form of sensory feedback, such as visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback, and the input received from the user may be in any suitable form, including acoustic input, speech input, or tactile input.

[0156] A computing system can include a client and a server. The client and the server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network. The client-server relationship results from computer programs being executed on respective computers and having a client-server relationship with each other. Embodiments of the subject matter described herein can be implemented in a computing system that includes, for example, backend components as a data server, or includes middleware components, such as an application server, or includes frontend components, such as a client computer having a graphical user interface or a web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the subject matter described herein, or includes any combination of such backend components, middleware components, or frontend components. The components of the system can be interconnected by any suitable form or medium of digital data communication, such as a communication network. Examples of communication networks include local area networks (“LANs”) and wide area networks (“WANs”), the Internet network (e.g., the Internet), as well as peer-to-peer networks (e.g., an ad hoc peer-to-peer network).

[0157] This specification includes many implementation details, but these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of what is claimed or could be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. Some features described herein in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may be implemented separately, or in any suitable sub-combination, in multiple embodiments. Moreover, features may be described above as operating in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, but one or more features from a claimed combination may in some cases be excised from that combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a sub-combination or variation of a sub-combination. Accordingly, unless otherwise expressly stated or the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art clearly indicates otherwise, any of the features of the embodiments described above may be combined with any of the other features of the embodiments described above.

[0158] Similarly, operations are shown in the drawings in a particular order, but this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order or sequential order shown in order to achieve desirable results, or that all of the shown operations be performed. In some circumstances, multitasking and / or parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the program components and systems described may generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

[0159] Accordingly, particular embodiments of the system and technique have been described. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. For example, the operations recited in the claims may be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results.

[0160] This application is defined in the appended claims, but it should be understood that the invention may also be defined (additionally or alternatively) according to the following examples.

[0161] (Example) (Example 1) A step of obtaining data regarding a product as the product moves through a supply chain, the data comprising event data that identifies a particular product at a particular location in the supply chain at a particular time among the products, the step; A step of analyzing the data to generate information while at least a portion of the product moves through the supply chain; A step of providing visualization of information that can be used to identify one or more changes to be made in at least a portion of the supply chain to improve at least a portion of the supply chain A method comprising.

[0162] (Example 2) The method of Example 1, further comprising a step of identifying a product by an electronic fingerprint generated from a captured image of a mark on the product using computer image processing.

[0163] (Example 3) The method of Example 1 or Example 2, wherein the data regarding the product includes the count of products that have appeared and products that have been disposed of at a snapshot in time and / or related to a section in the supply chain, the count being obtained from inspection data collected on the production line by sensors installed on the production line.

[0164] (Example 4) The step of obtaining Receiving serialization data for the product from a computer located in a production facility, a packaging facility, a distribution facility, or a combination thereof; Receiving, via a global communication network, product authentication data and end-to-end product tracking data from a computer throughout a supply chain A method according to any one of the above embodiments, comprising:

[0165] (Embodiment 5) The analyzing step comprises: Analyzing data for at least a portion of the products moving through the supply chain; and Analyzing historical data for another portion of the products that either fully passed through the supply chain, were discarded before fully passing through the supply chain, or both A method according to any one of the above embodiments, comprising:

[0166] (Embodiment 6) The analyzing step comprises generating information including disposal information, serial number pool information, packing line performance information, and packing lot information, a method according to any one of the above embodiments.

[0167] (Embodiment 7) The providing step comprises transmitting a separate dashboard for displaying (i) disposal events for locations, products, and packing lines, (ii) serial number pool status and serial number allocation, (iii) packing line utilization and performance, and (iv) details of packing lots / batches including settings, uptime, events, counts, and reasons for disposal, a method according to any one of the above embodiments.

[0168] (Embodiment 8) A method according to any one of the above embodiments, further comprising identifying trends and potential threats based on a predetermined threshold for at least one of disposal information, serial number pool information, packing line performance information, and packing lot information.

[0169] (Embodiment 9) The providing step comprises generating an interactive graphical view for visualizing data regarding a serialization number pool, the serialization number pool representing a list of serialization numbers, the list of serialization numbers being obtained from a government agency or a trading partner, and the visualization including count data based on a site, a manufacturer, a product, and a package for the assigned serialization numbers, the used serialization numbers, the available serialization numbers, the disposed serialization numbers, the serialization format, the serialization number count threshold, and a visual indicator for indicating whether the available serialization numbers are greater than or less than the serialization number count threshold, the serialization number count threshold being a predetermined value set by a customer, the method according to any one of the above embodiments.

[0170] (Example 10) The providing step comprises transmitting separate sets of information about a particular product to two or more of a manufacturer, a packager, a distributor, a retailer, and a final consumer, the method according to any one of the above embodiments.

[0171] (Example 11) The providing step comprises generating an interactive graphical view of an organization's site, environment, data source, machine, and a site server and a packaging line system, the method according to any one of the above embodiments.

[0172] (Example 12) The interactive graphical view includes a representation of cameras, printers, barcode scanners, and sensors installed on an organization's production line, the method according to any one of the above embodiments.

[0173] The same operations and processes as those described in Examples 1 to 12 may be implemented in a system comprising at least one processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to perform the operations. Further, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to perform operations as described in any one of Examples 1 to 12 may also be implemented.

Explanation of Signs

[0174] 100 Environment 102 Supply Chain Visualization and Management System 104 Network 106 Supply Chain 108 Manufacturer 110 Product 112 Distributor 116 Retailer 118 Customer 120 Data Regarding Product 122 Product Information 124 Electronic Fingerprint 126 Past Data 128 Supply Chain Information 130 Analysis Result 132 Dashboard 140 Mark 200 Production Line 202 Unscrambler 204 Filler 206 Labeler 208 Case Packer 210 Case Labeler and RFID Verification Machine 212 Palletizer 214 Camera 216 Printer 218 Hand Scanner 220 RFID Encoder / Reader 222 Laser Printer 801 Site 802 Manufacturer 804 Product 806 Packaging 808 Serialization Format 810 Serialization Number Count Threshold 812 Available Serialization Numbers 814 Used Serialization Numbers 816 Assigned Serialization Numbers 818 Visual Indicator

Claims

1. Obtaining data regarding the product as the product moves through the supply chain, the data comprising event data identifying a particular product at a particular location in the supply chain at a particular time among the products; Analyzing the data to generate information while at least a portion of the product moves through the supply chain; Providing visualization of the information that can be used to identify one or more changes to be made in at least a portion of the supply chain to improve at least a portion of the supply chain; A method comprising the above steps.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising identifying the product by an electronic fingerprint generated from a captured image of a mark on the product using computer image processing.

3. The data regarding the product includes a count of products that have appeared and products that have been disposed of at a snapshot in time and / or related to a section in the supply chain, the count being obtained from inspection data collected on a production line by sensors installed on the production line. The method according to claim 2.

4. The step of obtaining comprises: Receiving serialization data for the product from a computer located at a production facility, a packaging facility, a distribution facility, or a combination thereof; Receiving product authentication data and end-to-end product tracking data from computers throughout the supply chain via a global communication network; The method according to claim 2.

5. The step of analyzing comprises: Analyzing data regarding at least a portion of the product moving through the supply chain; Analyzing past data regarding another portion of the product that has either completely passed through the supply chain, been discarded before completely passing through the supply chain, or both; The method according to claim 2.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of analyzing comprises the step of generating the information, the information comprising disposal information, serial number pool information, packaging line performance information, and packaging lot information.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of providing comprises the step of sending a separate dashboard for displaying (i) disposal events for a site, product, and packaging line, (ii) serial number pool status and serial number allocation, (iii) packaging line utilization and performance, and (iv) details of a packaging lot / batch including settings, uptime, events, counts, and reasons for disposal.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of identifying trends and potential threats based on a predetermined threshold for at least one of disposal information, serial number pool information, packaging line performance information, and packaging lot information.

9. The step of providing comprises the step of generating an interactive graphical view for visualizing data regarding a serialization number pool, the serialization number pool represents a list of serialization numbers, the list of serialization numbers is obtained from a government agency or a customer, and the visualization includes count data based on a site, manufacturer, product, and package for allocated serialization numbers, used serialization numbers, available serialization numbers, disposed serialization numbers, serialization format, serialization number count threshold, and a visual indicator for indicating whether the available serialization numbers are greater than or less than the serialization number count threshold, the serialization number count threshold being a predetermined value set by a customer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the step of providing comprises the step of sending a separate set of information about a particular product to two or more of a manufacturer, a packager, a distributor, a retailer, and a final consumer.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the step of providing comprises the step of generating an interactive graphical view of an organization's site, environment, data sources, machines, and site servers and packaging line systems.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the interactive graphical view includes representations of cameras, printers, barcode scanners, and sensors installed on the production line of the organization.

13. A data processing apparatus including at least one hardware processor, A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoding instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 A system comprising.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoding instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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