System and method for managing retail and wholesale operations

• US 20020111877A1
• Filed: 02/06/2002
• Published: 08/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jack Nelson
• Original Assignee: Jack Nelson
• Inventors: Nelson, Jack
• Granted Patent: US 7,024,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• 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 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

A unified ordering, warehousing, accounting, inventory, sales, delivery and communications system and method. Although the system and method pertain to the furniture operations and sales, the system and method can also be used by different entities in other retail and wholesale operations. The system is accessed over the Internet by the sales representatives, dealers, manufacturers and consumers by mobile sales representatives'"'"' laptops, dealers'"'"' servers, manufacturers'"'"' servers and consumers'"'"' computers. The method utilizes the system for all aspects of the furniture industry including handling raw material, organizing inventory and coordinating communications between salespeople, customers and manufacturers.

Claims

1. A computerized ordering, warehousing, accounting, inventory, sales, delivery and communications system used by different entities, such as sales representatives, dealers, manufacturers and consumers in a retail and wholesale industry, comprised of:

a datacenter that is accessed over the Internet by the sales representatives, dealers, manufacturers and consumers by mobile sales representatives'"'"' laptops, dealers'"'"' servers, manufacturers'"'"' servers and consumers'"'"' computers.

2. The computerized system according to claim 1, wherein said datacenter is comprised of:

a plurality of Ethernet network systems;

a plurality of routers, said routers acting as a link between the Ethernet network systems;

a plurality of Web servers that receive information from the different entities using the Internet;

a plurality of virtual private network (VPN) servers that communicate among themselves using encryption channel technology so that the information coming in and out of the datacenter is safe from being intercepted and understood by unauthorized users;

a plurality of web site structured query language (SQL) servers;

a plurality of distribution SQL servers that distribute and transfer data between the different entities and the datacenter;

a plurality of primary SQL servers;

an electronic catalog database containing a product date primary database and a transfer data primary database that store accounting data, product data and transfer data, that are directly connected to the primary SQL servers, with a copy of the product data primary database attached to the Web Site SQL servers and a copy of the product data primary database and the transfer data primary database attached to the distribution SQL servers; and

a built-in time clock containing time clock data, employee data, manufacturer data and accounting data.

3. The computerized system, according to claim 2, wherein said primary product data database includes product data, search data, fabric data, order parameter data and pricing data.

4. The computerized system, according to claim 2, wherein said primary transfer data database includes sales data, accounting data, sales order data, purchase order data, inventory data, bill of lading data and customer data.

5. A computerized ordering, warehousing, inventory, sales, delivery and communications method utilizing the Internet used by different entities, such as sales representatives, dealers, manufacturers and consumers in the retail and wholesale industries for desired products, comprising the steps of:

searching for desired products by an item number, a SKU number and a provided search category;

displaying the desired products and product attributes found by the search, which includes a SKU number, a manufacturer, a JPEG image, a list price, a discount price, a sale price, assembling components, a fabric name, a fabric number, a fabric style, a color, a grade, a finish, a cleaning code and instructions, matching products, a bed size, item variants and inventory information selected;

selecting, deleting and updating desired products to a selection basket, including available quantities and prices of the desired products;

exchanging and updating inventory, raw material, purchase order, sales order and selection basket data with a datacenter that is accessed over the Internet;

starting a manufacturer'"'"'s production order;

editing the final product;

scanning the final product;

determining a customer'"'"'s credit worthiness for the amount of a sales order;

determining a delivery schedule;

establishing routing and loading procedures for the product;

establishing shipping and receiving procedures;

6. The computerized method according to claim 5, wherein starting a manufacturer'"'"'s production order further comprises the steps of:

processing said production order into a final product; and

confirming the final product.

7. The computerized method according to claim 5, wherein editing the final product further comprises the steps of;

reviewing a list of production orders;

selecting a production order for review;

getting new production job number, date and assigning any remaining quantities of any line items produced;

getting a location to print barcode labels; and

printing barcode labels for the final product.

8. The computerized method according to claim 5, wherein scanning the final product further comprises the steps of:

scanning the final product'"'"'s serial number, inventory location and slot; and

adjusting reserve inventory, General Ledger and raw inventory.

9. The computerized method according to claim 5, wherein determining a customer'"'"'s credit worthiness for the amount of a sales order further comprises the steps of:

determining if the sales order has been released;

determining if the customer'"'"'s credit worthiness is acceptable;

releasing the sales order for shipping; and

communicating to the customer acceptance or reasons for decline of credit worthiness.

10. The computerized method according to claim 5, wherein determining a delivery schedule further comprises the steps of:

displaying sales orders for delivery;

obtaining a date and a truck for delivery; and

updating sales order with the date and truck.

11. The computerized method according to claim 5, wherein establishing routing and loading procedures for the final product further comprises the steps of:

getting stop numbers, arrival and departure times;

selecting a list of dates and trucks with pending deliveries;

selecting sales orders and delivery stops;

selecting SKUs to load and scanning serial numbers and truck being loaded;

selecting a correct stop for unloading the SKUs and scanning the serial number of the unloaded product.

12. The computerized method according to claim 5, wherein establishing shipping and receiving procedures further comprising the steps of:

selecting a sales order with pending pickups;

selecting SKUs to ship;

scanning serial numbers of product being loaded and updating General Ledger items;

getting the location of the inventory;

selecting a bill of lading;

scanning the serial numbers and inventory slots of the products unloaded; and

updating applicable General Ledger entries.

13. The computerized method according to claim 5, wherein a built in time clock is used for;

displaying a list of categories and their jobs;

displaying a list of all employees;

presenting a generic weekly schedule for a chosen employee;

presenting exceptions regarding an employee;

determining the total hours worked within the constraints of an employee'"'"'s schedule and generating a manual payroll check;

determining the total hours worked within the constraints of an employee'"'"'s schedule and generating an automatic payroll check; and

determining an employee'"'"'s commissions within the constraints of the employee'"'"'s schedule and generating a commissions check.