Product Data Module Class Association for Business Process Updates
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Resource planning systems face challenges in customizing data sharing between business units, leading to complex data structures that are difficult for end users to manage, and treat products as single entities, requiring users to understand multiple product details and their interactions.
Innovation Solution
A system with a product data module that associates product classes with product descriptions, allowing users to update multiple business process modules based on product classes, facilitating the propagation of product data across various business processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If resource planning systems treat products as single entities, then product information can be stored in detail, but users must understand multiple product details and their interactions, increasing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments product information into two levels: product classes (high-level categories like labor, parts, agreements) and individual products (detailed entities). This segmentation allows the system to store complete product information while presenting simplified class-level views to users, reducing the cognitive complexity of managing multiple product details.
Solution Approach 2:
Product classes serve as intermediaries between the detailed product information and users. Instead of users directly interacting with multiple individual product details, they interact with product classes that aggregate and represent groups of products, simplifying the user interface and data management while preserving complete product information in the background.
2Adaptability or versatility
If resource planning systems allow customization of data sharing between business units, then data can be tailored to specific needs, but the data structure becomes challenging for average end users to work with
Solution Approach 1:
Product classes provide a universal data structure that serves multiple business units and processes simultaneously. Instead of creating custom data structures for each business unit, the system uses a universal product class framework that can be adapted to different business needs through configuration rather than structural changes, maintaining ease of use while enabling customization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates simplified copies or representations of product information at the class level, which can be easily shared and customized across different business units. These class-level copies maintain the essential characteristics needed for various business processes while abstracting away the complexity of individual product details, making the system user-friendly while still supporting customized data sharing.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods of the present disclosure facilitate managing a business. In some embodiments, the system includes a product data module and a plurality of business process modules executing on at least one processor of a server. The product data module may be configured to store at least one product description. Responsive to a first user, the system may associate a product class with a first description. Responsive to a second user, the system may associate a first product description with a first of the business process modules. The system may be configured to select a second business process module based on the product class and update the second business process module with the first product description.