An improved supply chain management system and method is disclosed for assisting companies to improve the efficiency of supply chains. One embodiment includes a partial order planner to better handle the changes and uncertainties that inevitably occur in the real-world. One embodiment of the invention provides a supply chain management system that enables collaboration by exchanging business objectives and plans. An additional embodiment of the present invention includes an intent interpreter module that supports the implementation of intelligent decision support functionality in a graphical user interface.