Abstract: A vacuum-cleaner nozzle has a housing formed with a downwardly open suction mouth on a lower face of the housing and having a front mouth edge and a rear mouth edge. A suction fitting on a rear end of the housing and opening into the housing serves for drawing air in through the mouth. A floor-engaging support rearward of the rear mouth edge is vertically displaceable relative to the housing between upper and lower positions. A spring biases the support into the lower position.

Abstract: A system and method include generating an indication regarding a need for a commodity from a manufacturing and resource planning system, estimating future prices of the commodity via a simulation tool as a function of current, historical, and simulated commodity prices, correlating the estimated future prices with a lead time to identify an optimal time to purchase the needed commodities, and generating a list of purchase orders via a computer system as a function of the correlation.

Abstract: A method, performed on a computer of supplier, is used in managing a supply chain with multiple customers. The method includes receiving a new delivery schedule from a customer, determining a deviation between the new delivery schedule and a confirmed delivery schedule from the customer, and determining if the new delivery schedule is eligible for further consideration based on the deviation. If the new delivery schedule is eligible for further consideration, the method also includes generating a schedule of production resources and inventory that satisfies at least some requirements of the new delivery schedule, and confirming to the customer that the supplier accepts the new delivery schedule.