Detailed Description
The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the embodiments and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit or scope of the embodiments. Thus, the embodiments are not limited to the embodiments shown, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an overview of an optimization claim cost recovery process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 1 shows a pool of claim parts, containing 300 failed parts.
First, for clarity of illustration in the present application, it is assumed that 300 faulty parts in FIG. 1 are all associated with the same supplier. The inventive solution is also applicable in the case where a plurality of faulty parts are associated with different suppliers, respectively.
In the prior art, all of the 300 faulty parts would be returned to the supplier, thus consuming logistical costs, for example, due to transporting 300 faulty parts. After the suppliers receive these faulty parts, verification of each faulty part is required, analysis agree to a compensation of of responsibility (e.g., determining whether it is user responsibility, dealer responsibility, supplier responsibility, etc.), agree to a compensation of of the portion that should be taken care of by the suppliers. In the figure, it is assumed that the agree to a compensation of rate of suppliers is 50% for the reimbursement responsibilities of the 300 faulty parts. The final vendor's reimbursement value is 50% of the total reimbursement value requested by the dealer.
For a faulty part that should be charged by the supplier for compensation, not only the material costs incurred for replacing the faulty part, but also the additional costs incurred due to manual replacement, warehousing, and logistics are required for compensation. Therefore, in the prior art, suppliers are required to pay relatively high reimbursement costs for the failed parts.
One aspect of the present application is that rather than returning all of the failed parts to the supplier, a proportion of the failed parts are returned to the supplier. As shown, for example, suppose that the faulty parts are returned in a proportion of 1/3, i.e., 100 faulty parts are returned in total, and the remaining 200 faulty parts are not returned to the supplier. Claims may be made from suppliers based on each faulty part actually returned. The amount of claim from the supplier based on each faulty part actually returned is not the cost of compensation for the faulty part alone, but the product of the cost of material for the faulty part and the historical compensation coefficient for the supplier.
Thus, the supplier need only verify the 100 faulty parts and make agree to a compensation of based on the claim terms associated with the 100 faulty parts. The result of agree to a compensation of can essentially represent the reimbursement costs for these 300 failed parts.
Another aspect of the application is also to calculate a claim differential for a predetermined period of time (e.g., one year, half year, month, etc.). This is because agree to a compensation of results achieved based on the 100 failed parts actually returned may be somewhat different from the total cost of the actual required reimbursement for the 300 failed parts. For example, a dealer may routinely return a faulty part in a preset proportion and make claims based on the returned faulty part. And calculating a claim difference for all claim projects once every quarter or year so that the resulting claim compensation amount is as close as possible to the amount of the actual claim required.
FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method 200 of optimizing a claim cost recovery process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 200 may be performed for each claim item related to a failed part.
As shown in fig. 2, the method 200 includes a step S201 in which, for each claim item related to a faulty part, a parameter set associated with the claim item and a faulty part return ratio associated with the claim item are determined based on a result of matching information of the claim item with the parameter set, wherein the parameter set is assigned a corresponding counter and a corresponding faulty part return ratio.
Aspects of the application relate only to claim items related to faulty parts.
Each claim term may contain one or more information such as the part number of the failed part concerned, the supplier code of the supplier providing the failed part, the failure code, the date of manufacture and time of repair of the failed part, the model of the automobile associated with the failed part, the engine model, mileage, dealer code, and so forth. The person skilled in the art can perform screening and extraction of corresponding data when generating claim items from claim single data as required.
In some embodiments, the method may include presetting one or more parameter sets. Each parameter set may include at least one of a vendor code, a fault code, a part number, a vehicle model, an engine model, an excluded part number, an excluded fault code, a production time of the vehicle, a maintenance time of the vehicle, a mileage, and a dealer code.
The method may also assign a corresponding failed part return ratio and a corresponding counter to each of the one or more parameter sets.
Fig. 3 is a table illustrating the relationship among the parameter set, the parameters included in the parameter set, the return ratio of the failed part, and the counter.
As shown in fig. 3, for example, three parameter sets A1, A2, and A3 are set. Each parameter set comprises different parameters, for example, parameter set A1 comprises parameters P11 and P12, parameter set A2 comprises parameters P21 and P22, and parameter set A3 comprises parameters P31, P32 and P33. These parameters may be selected from the group consisting of vendor code, trouble code, part number, vehicle model, engine model, part number excluded, trouble code excluded, time of manufacture of the vehicle, time of maintenance of the vehicle, mileage, and dealer code.
Each parameter set may be assigned a different proportion of failed part returns. The failed part return ratio indicates the ratio of the number of failed parts actually returned to the supplier to the total number of failed parts.
For example, the failed part return ratio of parameter set A1 is 1/3, i.e., one failed part is returned every three failed parts. The return proportion of the fault parts of the parameter set A2 is 1/2, namely, one fault part is returned every two fault parts. The return ratio of the fault parts of the parameter set A3 is 1/4, namely 1 fault part is returned every 4 fault parts.
In some embodiments, the method can include comparing information of the claim item with parameter sets to determine which parameter set(s) the claim item matches. In some cases, it may be determined that the claim term matches multiple parameter sets, and then one parameter set needs to be selected therefrom as the parameter set associated with the claim term. For example, one of the plurality of matched parameter sets that has the greatest return proportion of the failed part may be selected as the parameter set associated with the claim term. For another example, one of the plurality of matched parameter sets having the highest degree of match (e.g., the highest number of matched parameters) may be selected as the parameter set associated with the claim term. The return proportion of the failed part of the parameter set associated with the claim term is the return proportion of the failed part associated with the claim term. Thus, different faulty parts may have different faulty part return ratios. In some embodiments, different faulty parts may also have the same faulty part return ratio.
The method 200 further includes a step S202 of determining whether the faulty part associated with the claim item is to be returned based on the faulty part return ratio associated with the claim item and the counter value of the parameter set associated with the claim item.
As described above, the method may also set a corresponding counter for each parameter set. As shown in fig. 3, for example, counters N1, N2, and N3 are set for parameter sets A1, A2, and A3, respectively. After determining the parameter set associated with the claim item, the value of the counter of the parameter set associated with the claim item is determined by incrementing the value of the counter of the parameter set by 1.
Based on the value of the counter of the parameter set associated with the claim item and the return proportion of the failed part associated with the claim item, a determination can be made as to whether to return the failed part to which the claim item relates. For example, assuming that the return proportion of the faulty part associated with the claim item is 1/3, when the value of the counter is an integer multiple of 3, the faulty part to which the claim item relates is returned. For another example, when the value of the counter is divided by 3 and the remainder is 1, the faulty component related to the corresponding claim item may be returned. Various ways of determining the value based on the counter can be envisaged by a person skilled in the art.
The method 200 further includes a step S203 of, in response to determining that the faulty component to which the claim item relates is to be returned, claiming a claim from the provider based on the claim item, wherein the actual claim value claimed from the provider for the claim item is a product of a material cost of the faulty component to which the claim item relates and a historical compensation coefficient corresponding to the provider of the faulty component.
The method may also include assigning the provider a corresponding historical compensation coefficient. The historical compensation coefficient is automatically calculated and updated based on the historical data, for example, at predetermined time intervals. For example, historical data for the provider for a predetermined historical period of time may be automatically extracted every other year or every half year, and historical compensation factors for the provider calculated and updated.
The historical compensation coefficient is calculated by dividing the sum of the compensation costs of all of the failed parts associated with the supplier by the sum of the material costs of all of the returned failed parts associated with the supplier over a predetermined historical period, wherein the compensation costs of each failed part include the material costs and additional costs of the failed part.
The material cost of the faulty part for example represents the cost of the replacement of the faulty part. Additional costs for the faulty component are, for example, the cost of labor, the cost of auxiliary materials, and the costs associated with warehousing, shipping, etc., associated with replacing the faulty component. The reimbursement costs for the failed part are the sum of the material costs and the additional costs. If the provider deems that the reimbursement for the failed part should be discountable, then the reimbursement costs for the failed part should be reimbursed.
Fig. 4 is a table illustrating historical claim items, cost information related to the historical claim items, and the like.
As shown in fig. 4, assume that there are N claim items associated with a provider for a predetermined historical period (e.g., the last year). These claims have been developed. The units of material cost, additional cost, and reimbursement cost are, for example, elements. Then, based on the information in the table in fig. 4, the historical claim coefficients can be calculated as follows:
Calculate the reimbursement costs a=15+12+16+14+15+19 for all claim items.
Calculate the sum of the material costs of all returned claims items b=10+7+14.
Calculate historical claim coefficients
In some embodiments, a separate claim bill may be generated for each claim item and sent to the provider to claim the provider based on the claim item.
In other embodiments, a claim bill may also be generated for a plurality of claim items, the claim bill including an aggregate actual claim value to be claimed from the supplier for the plurality of claim items, and the claim bill sent to the supplier for bulk claim to the supplier based on the plurality of claim items.
According to the method, the return proportion of the fault parts and the historical compensation coefficient of the suppliers are introduced, so that the number of the fault parts returned to the suppliers is reduced, the logistics, storage and analysis costs required by the suppliers for processing the fault parts are reduced, reasonable claims can be accurately made for the fault parts, the existing cost recovery process is improved, resources are saved, and the efficiency is improved.
FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating another method 500 of optimizing a claim cost recovery process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
The method 500 may include step S501, where a agree to a compensation of rate corresponding to a provider is calculated, where the agree to a compensation of rate is a ratio of a number of claim items associated with the provider associated with the returned faulty part over a predetermined period of time (e.g., over the year) to a number of claim items associated with the provider associated with the returned faulty part and agree to a compensation of over the predetermined period of time.
For example, taking the case of FIG. 1 (assuming only one supplier is involved), assuming a total of 300 faulty parts in the current year, 100 faulty parts are returned, with the supplier agree to a compensation of having the claim terms for 50 faulty parts, then the agree to a compensation of rate is 50%.
The method 500 may also include a step S502 of calculating a sum of actual claim values for claim items associated with all returned and agree to a compensation of faulty parts associated with the supplier during the predetermined period of time as a total actual claim value associated with the supplier during the predetermined period of time.
Also taking the case of FIG. 1 as an example (assuming only one vendor is involved), for the claim terms associated with the 50 failed parts returned and agree to a compensation of, the total actual claim value is calculated in terms of the historical compensation coefficients for the vendor. That is, the total actual claim value is calculated based on the material costs and the historical compensation coefficients for the 50 failed parts agree to a compensation of.
The method 500 may further include step S503 of calculating a product of the total reimbursement cost of all claim items associated with the provider for the predetermined period of time and the agree to a compensation of rate as a total reimbursement value associated with the provider for the predetermined period of time.
Also taking the case of fig. 1 as an example (assuming only one vendor is involved), for all 300 claim items (involving 100 actual returned faulty parts and 200 unreturned faulty parts), the total claim values for the 300 claim items are calculated based on the total costs of reimbursement for the 300 claim items (including the total cost of materials and the additional total cost) and the agree to a compensation of frequency (e.g., 50%) calculated at step S501.
The method 500 may also include step S504 in which a difference between the total applied claim value and the total actual claim value is calculated as a compensation differential associated with the provider for the predetermined period of time.
Also taking the case of FIG. 1 as an example, for the 300 claims items, the reimbursement differential associated with the provider in the current year can be obtained by subtracting the total actual claim value from the total applied claim value.
By calculating the compensation differential for the provider and claiming the compensation differential based thereon, the dealer eventually obtains a compensation amount that approximates the amount that all the faulty parts should actually be compensated for.
As described above, for convenience of description, it is assumed that 300 faulty parts in fig. 1 are all associated with only one supplier. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that if the 300 failed parts involve different suppliers, then for the different suppliers, the respective agree to a compensation of rates corresponding to the respective suppliers are calculated separately using the number of failed parts returned for the different suppliers and the number of failed parts for agree to a compensation of.
The method of the application reduces the cost of suppliers for processing fault parts, improves the processing efficiency, and further ensures that the final claim amount of distributors is as close as possible to the claim amount which should be generated actually, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the claim.
Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a general hardware environment in which devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.
Referring now to FIG. 6, a schematic diagram of an example of a computing node 600 is shown. Computing node 600 is but one example of a suitable computing node and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of the embodiments described herein. Regardless, the computing node 600 is capable of implementing and/or performing any of the functions set forth above.
In computing node 600, there is a computer system/server 6012 that can operate in conjunction with a number of other general purpose or special purpose computing system environments or configurations. Examples of well known computing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may be suitable for use with computer system/server 6012 include, but are not limited to, personal computer systems, server computer systems, thin clients, thick clients, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers systems, mainframe computer systems, distributed cloud computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices, and the like.
Computer system/server 6012 may be described in the general context of computer-system-executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by a computer system. Generally, program modules may include routines, programs, objects, components, logic, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Computer system/server 6012 may be practiced in distributed cloud computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed cloud computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer system storage media including memory storage devices.
As shown in fig. 6, computer system/server 6012 in computing node 600 is shown in the form of a general purpose computing device. Components of computer system/server 6012 may include, but are not limited to, one or more processors or processing units 6016, a system memory 6028, and a bus 6018 that couples various system components including the system memory 6028 to the processing unit 6016.
Bus 6018 represents one or more of any of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, a processor, or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. By way of example, and not limitation, such architectures include, but are not limited to, industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, micro channel architecture (MAC) bus, enhanced ISA bus, video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe), and Advanced Microcontroller Bus Architecture (AMBA).
Computer system/server 6012 typically comprises a variety of computer system-readable media. Such media can be any available media that is accessed by computer system/server 6012 and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media.
The system memory 6028 may include computer system-readable media in the form of volatile memory, such as Random Access Memory (RAM) 30 and/or cache memory 6032. Computer system/server 6012 may also include other removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer system storage media. By way of example only, a storage system 6034 may be provided for reading from and writing to non-removable, non-volatile magnetic media (not shown, and commonly referred to as a "hard disk drive"). Although not shown, a magnetic disk drive may be provided for reading from and writing to a removable, nonvolatile magnetic disk (e.g., a "floppy disk"), and an optical disk drive may be provided for reading from and writing to a removable, nonvolatile optical disk such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or other optical media. In such cases, each may be coupled to bus 6018 by one or more data medium interfaces. As will be further depicted and described below, memory 6028 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g., at least one) of program modules configured to carry out the functions of embodiments of the disclosure.
By way of example, and not limitation, program/utility 6040 having a set (at least one) of program modules 6042 and an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data may be stored in memory 6028. An operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data, or some combination thereof, may each include an implementation of a network environment. Program modules 6042 generally perform the functions and/or methods in the embodiments as described herein.
Computer system/server 6012 may also communicate with one or more external devices 6014 such as a keyboard, pointing device, display 6024, etc., one or more devices that enable a user to interact with computer system/server 6012, and/or any device (e.g., network card, modem, etc.) that enables computer system/server 6012 to communicate with one or more other computing devices. Such communication may occur via an input/output (I/O) interface 22. Also, computer system/server 6012 may communicate with one or more networks such as a Local Area Network (LAN), a general Wide Area Network (WAN), and/or a public network (e.g., the internet) via network adapter 20. As depicted, network adapter 20 communicates with other components of computer system/server 6012 via bus 6018. It should be appreciated that although not shown, other hardware and/or software components can be utilized in conjunction with computer system/server 6012. Examples include, but are not limited to, microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data archive storage systems, among others.
The present disclosure may be embodied as systems, methods, and/or computer program products. The computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium(s) having computer-readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to perform aspects of the present disclosure.
A computer readable storage medium may be a tangible device that can hold and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of a computer-readable storage medium includes a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), a Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanical encoding device such as a punch card or an in-groove protrusion structure having instructions stored thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer-readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as a transitory signal itself, such as a radio wave or other freely propagating electromagnetic wave, an electromagnetic wave propagating through a waveguide or other transmission medium (e.g., a pulse of light through a fiber optic cable), or an electrical signal transmitted through an electrical wire.
The computer readable program instructions described herein may be downloaded from a computer readable storage medium to individual computing/processing devices or over a network (e.g., the internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and/or a wireless network) to an external computer or external storage device. The network may include copper transmission cables, fiber optic transmissions, wireless transmissions, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. The network adapter card or network interface in each computing/processing device receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards these computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium in the respective computing/processing device.
Computer readable program instructions for performing the operations of the present disclosure may be assembly instructions, instruction Set Architecture (ISA) instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as SMALLTALK, C ++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The computer readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the case of a remote computer, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any kind of network, including a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., through the internet using an internet service provider). In some embodiments, the custom electronic circuit, including, for example, a programmable logic circuit, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or a Programmable Logic Array (PLA), may be personalized by utilizing state information of computer readable program instructions that may be executed in order to perform aspects of the disclosure.
Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the disclosure. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.
These computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable medium having the instructions stored therein includes an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices implement the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems which perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the various operations illustrated in the order of execution in the embodiments of the disclosure are not necessarily performed in the order illustrated. The order of operations may be adjusted as desired by those skilled in the art. Those skilled in the art may add more operations or omit some of them as desired.
The description of the various embodiments of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application, or the technical improvement of the technology found in the marketplace, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.