MANAGING INFORMATION IN A MULTI-HUB SYSTEM FOR COLLABORATIVE PLANNING AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

A method and system for managing information in a multi-hub system for supply chain management and collaborative planning. A technique is presented from managing communications in a multi-hub model. First, consistency of data throughout the system is maintained by limiting which entities in the supply chain have the authority to write to the data. Various techniques for determining which entity has such authority are presented. Second, the relative complexity of transactions is determined by identifying how much computer processing is required. Transactions that require little processing are handled by lightweight servers; transactions that required moderate to extensive processing are sent to heavyweight servers. The end user receives information about the transaction more rapidly because the transactions are processed more efficiently.