Inventory control system and methods

• US 20010051905A1
• Filed: 03/07/2001
• Published: 12/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unisone Strategic IP Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Unisone Strategic IP Incorporated
• Inventors: Lucas, Michael T.
• Granted Patent: US 6,996,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted

Abstract

A system and method which allows third-parties to monitor company inventory via the Internet and World Wide Web (“web”) and automatically order needed items. The present invention also provides a forum through which resellers and customers may directly interact to resell surplus and used equipment. The present invention may also allow a third party to act as a broker, thereby assuring that both the equipment purchased is actually delivered, and that the seller is properly compensated.

Claims

1. An inventory management system comprising:

one or more computers;

one or more databases residing on said computers, in which inventory and customer information is stored;

client software providing an interface to said database and performing administrative functions;

a user identification subsystem;

a subsystem through which new products can be added to said inventory database, and which enables proper accounting of restocked products within said inventory database; and

a subsystem which accounts for a product or products within said database as such products are removed from inventory.

2. The inventory management system of

claim 1

, in which one or more of said subsystems are comprised of an optical reader which can read specially coded information on an object or person.

3. The inventory management system of

claim 1

, in which one or more of said subsystems are comprised of an electronic device for scanning wirelessly accessible identifiers associated with objects or persons.

4. The inventory management system of

claim 1

, in which said user identification subsystem is comprised of a biometric identification device.

5. The inventory management system of

claim 1

, in which said client software permits registration and removal of individual users, and modification of user information.

6. The inventory management system of

claim 1

, in which said client software allows users to be classified into groups, and where permissions or roles are assigned to such groups.

7. The inventory management system of

claim 1

, in which said client software allows products to be grouped into classifications, allows restrictions to be placed on distribution of such products, permits recording of patient information when individual products or products belonging to a particular group or set of groups are dispensed, and allows printing of product specific or group specific labels or information to be included with each product removed from inventory.

8. The inventory management system of

claim 1

, in which said client software monitors inventory levels and reports anticipated shortages.

9. The inventory management system of

claim 1

, in which said client software monitors inventory levels and generates orders to cover anticipated shortages.

10. The inventory management system of

claim 1

, in which said client software allows users to order new products or to supplement inventory when desired.

11. The inventory management system of

claim 1

, in which said client software allows users to specify a price for goods for sale within an inventory.

12. A vendor managed inventory system, comprising:

one or more suppliers maintaining inventory utilizing an inventory management system;

one or more customers maintaining inventory utilizing an inventory management system;

a central server, which facilitates communications and inventory management between said customers and said suppliers; and

,

a redundant data connection between said suppliers, said customers, and said central server.

13. The vendor managed inventory management system of

claim 12

, in which said central server receives inventory information from customers and suppliers, anticipates inventory shortages, generates orders to cover such shortages, selects suppliers and products for such orders, places orders with selected suppliers, and monitors order status.

14. An inventory distribution system comprising:

a vending machine;

a computer connected to said vending machine;

software running on said computer;

a printer;

a user identification subsystem; and

a data entry subsystem.

15. The inventory distribution system of

claim 14

, in which said user identification subsystem is comprised of a biometric scanner, RFID reader, barcode scanner, keyboard, touch sensitive display, or combinations thereof, and through which users can positively identify themselves to said computer via said software.

16. The inventory distribution system of

claim 14

, in which said data entry subsystem is comprised of an active or passive user interface, and through which users can request dispensation of certain products.

17. The inventory distribution system of

claim 14

, in which said printer prints product information when requested and as necessary to satisfy applicable regulations.

18. The inventory distribution system of

claim 14

, further comprising a central server and a redundant data connection between said vending machine and said server.

19. The inventory distribution system of

claim 18

, in which said computer monitors distribution of products contained within said vending machine, transmits such distributions to said server via said redundant data connection, and through which said server can notify a vending machine service provider of any inventory shortages.

20. A automated method of inventory management involving the steps of:

accounting for received products in an inventory;

monitoring products as such products are removed from an inventory;

calculating trends based on the frequency with which products are used;

determining optimal product quantities for each order, such that shipping costs are reduced and price points for different quantities are taken into account while also reducing expenditures.

ordering additional stock as needed;

tracking said orders;

calculating order fulfillment trends based on delivery times from each supplier and for each product; and

,

determining preferred suppliers based on such order fulfillment trends.

21. The automated inventory management method of

claim 20

, in which the step of accounting for received products in an inventory involves electronically reading documentation supplied with each package and automatically updating inventory information to reflect package contents.

22. The automated inventory management method of

claim 20

, in which the step of monitoring products as such products are removed from an inventory involves electronically reading a product identifier associated with a product or group of products.

23. The automated inventory management method of

claim 20

, further including the step of identifying a user removing products from an inventory by electronically retrieving an identifier from said user.

24. An automated order fulfillment method, comprising the steps of:

receiving an availability and pricing request from a customer for one or more products;

determining acceptable alternatives for said products based on customer preferences;

determining quantities available, pricing, quantities necessary for a price break, and anticipated delivery times from one or more suppliers to meet said request, including any acceptable alternatives;

selecting products, product quantities, and suppliers that provide the most value while still meeting customer inventory needs;

generating product pick and pack slips for each supplier;

recording products as they are “

picked”

from a supplier inventory;

recording products as they are packed into shipping packages;

generating package packing slips and shipping labels;

correlating shipping and packing information;

shipping said packages; and

tracking said shipments.

25. The automated order fulfillment method of

claim 24

, in which picked products are recorded by electronically scanning identifiers associated with such products.

26. The automated order fulfillment method of

claim 25

, in which picked products are recorded by electronically scanning identifiers associated with such products using a handheld computing device, to which a barcode scanner is attached.

27. The automated order fulfillment method of

claim 24

, in which the step of recording products as they are packed further includes the step of scanning an identifier associated with a shipping package prior to scanning individual items packed into a shipping package.

28. The automated order fulfillment method of

claim 24

, in which the packing and shipping labels include a machine readable identifier.

29. A vendor managed inventory and group purchasing system, comprising:

one or more servers;

one or more databases running on said servers;

client software running on one or more computers at a customer site, which is capable of monitoring customer inventories and reporting such information to said server via a redundant data communications connection;

client software running on one or more computers at a supplier site, which is capable of monitoring product quantities on hand and supports multiple product prices depending on order quantities, and which is capable of transmitting such information to said server via a redundant data communications connection; and

software running on said server that consolidates customer orders such that customer costs may be decreased by leveraging the consolidated order quantities.