Modular Software Architecture for Customer Returns Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large and complex enterprise software systems require a scalable and cost-effective architecture for customer returns handling, with existing solutions failing to efficiently manage interactions between multiple components across different hardware platforms and geographical locations.
Innovation Solution
A software architecture design that structures customer returns handling as multiple process components interacting through service operations, including Accounting, Customer Return Processing, Sales Order Processing, and Payment Processing, allowing for scalable deployment across separate hardware platforms and interaction with external systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If enterprise software systems are structured as large and complex monolithic systems, then they can provide comprehensive functionality, but they become difficult to deploy, maintain, and scale across different hardware platforms and geographical locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the enterprise software system into multiple independent process components (e.g., Customer Return Processing, Sales Order Processing, Inventory Processing, Payment Processing) that can be deployed separately across different hardware platforms. Each process component is a self-contained unit with defined interfaces, enabling modular deployment and reduced system complexity while maintaining comprehensive functionality.
2Productivity
If software components are distributed across multiple hardware platforms and geographical locations, then scalability and fault tolerance improve, but interaction management between components becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal service interface framework that all process components adhere to, enabling standardized communication and interaction management across distributed components. This universal interface layer abstracts the complexity of inter-component communication, allowing components to be deployed across multiple platforms while maintaining consistent interaction patterns.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple process components are used to handle different aspects of customer returns, then functionality and reusability improve, but the number of interfaces and interactions between components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a service interface layer that acts as an intermediary between different process components. This mediator layer standardizes communication protocols and data formats, reducing the complexity of direct point-to-point interfaces between components. The service interfaces provide a unified mechanism for components to interact, reducing the overall number of unique interface definitions needed.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for implementing a software architecture design for a software application implementing customer returns handling. The application is structured as multiple process components interacting with each other through service interfaces, and multiple service operations, each being implemented for a respective process component. The process components include an Accounting process component, a Customer Return Processing process component, a Sales Order Processing process component, a Customer Invoice Processing process component, a Due Item Processing process component, a Balance of Foreign Payment Management process component, a Payment Processing process component, a Supply and Demand Matching process component, an Inventory Processing process component, a Site Logistics Processing process component, and an Inbound Delivery Processing process component.