Method for aligning financial and logistical flows with an internet exchange portal

• US 20020116305A1
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Raj Abhyanker
• Original Assignee: Raj Abhyanker
• Inventors: Abhyanker, Raj
• Application Number:
  US09/785,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20020116305A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A method for aligning financial and logistical flows within a business to business internet exchange portal is disclosed. The method of the present invention includes the steps of facilitating an auction on the portal between a buyer and a seller; collecting a set of shipping data for a contract entered into between the buyer and seller resulting from the auction; soliciting bids for shipping services required by the contract; receiving a set of shipping bids; and selecting a bid from the set of bids according to a predetermined set of bid evaluation criteria.

Claims

1. A method for aligning transactional flows within an internet exchange portal, comprising the steps of:

facilitating an auction on the portal between a buyer and a seller;

receiving an auction bid from the buyer;

soliciting financing from a financing company in response to the auction bid; and

soliciting shipping services from shippers in response to the auction bid.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the soliciting financing step includes the step of:

soliciting flooring from a flooring company in response to the auction bid.

3. The method of claim 2 further including the steps of:

soliciting financing from additional financing companies in response to the auction bid;

providing the buyer with a set of flooring credit lines from the financing companies; and

selecting a flooring credit line from the set in response to a signal from the buyer.

4. A method for aligning transactional flows within an internet exchange portal, comprising the steps of:

facilitating an auction on the portal between a buyer and a seller;

collecting a set of shipping data for a contract entered into between the buyer and seller resulting from the auction;

soliciting bids for shipping services required by the contract;

receiving a set of shipping bids; and

selecting a bid from the set of bids according to a predetermined set of bid evaluation criteria.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the facilitating step of includes the step of:

facilitating a business-to-business auction on the portal.

6. The method of claim 4:

wherein the collecting step includes the step of collecting a contract consummation event; and

further comprising the step of billing an auction services fee upon occurrence of the event.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the collecting step includes the step of collecting a bidding-period; and

the receiving step further comprising the step of receiving a set of shipping bids within the bidding-period.

8. The method of claim 4:

wherein the shipping data is organized into a set of shipping fields;

wherein the collecting step includes the step of collecting additional sets of shipping data corresponding to additional contracts;

further comprising the step of grouping together those contracts having equivalent shipping data within at least one of the shipping fields; and

wherein the soliciting step includes the step of soliciting bids for providing shipping services for the group of contracts.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the soliciting step of includes the step of:

soliciting bids for shipping services from a plurality of shippers and shipping brokers.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein the soliciting step of includes the step of:

displaying a predetermined set of shipping data on an internet exchange portal website accessible to shippers and shipping brokers.

11. The method of claim 4 wherein the facilitating step of includes the step of:

collecting the predetermined set of bid evaluation criteria from the seller.

12. The method of claim 4 wherein the selecting step of includes the steps of:

forwarding the bids onto the seller; and

receiving a bid selection from the seller.

13. The method of claim 4 wherein the selecting step of includes the steps of:

selecting a bid with a lowest shipping price.

14. The method of claim 4 wherein the selecting step of includes the steps of:

selecting a default shipper if none of the bids conform to the predetermined set of bid evaluation criteria.

17. The computer-usable medium of claim 16 wherein the facilitating step of includes the step of:

facilitating a business-to-business auction on the portal.

19. The computer-usable medium of claim 16 wherein:

the collecting step includes the step of collecting a bidding-period; and

the receiving step further comprising the step of receiving a set of shipping bids within the bidding-period.

21. The computer-usable medium of claim 16 wherein the soliciting step of includes the step of:

soliciting bids for shipping services from a plurality of shippers and shipping brokers.

22. The computer-usable medium of claim 16 wherein the soliciting step of includes the step of:

displaying a predetermined set of shipping data on an internet exchange portal website accessible to shippers and shipping brokers.

23. The computer-usable medium of claim 16 wherein the facilitating step of includes the step of:

collecting the predetermined set of bid evaluation criteria from the seller.

24. The computer-usable medium of claim 16 wherein the selecting step of includes the steps of:

forwarding the bids onto the seller; and

receiving a bid selection from the seller.

25. The computer-usable medium of claim 16 wherein the selecting step of includes the steps of:

selecting a bid with a lowest shipping price.

26. The computer-usable medium of claim 16 wherein the selecting step of includes the steps of:

selecting a default shipper if none of the bids conform to the predetermined set of bid evaluation criteria.

15. A method for transactional flows within an internet exchange portal, comprising the steps of:

soliciting unused capacity for providing shipping services to buyers and sellers who participate in auctions facilitated by the portal from shippers; and

receiving a set of bids from the buyers and sellers for the unused capacity.

16. A computer-usable medium embodying computer program code for causing a computer to align transactional flows within an internet exchange portal, comprising the steps of:

facilitating an auction on the portal between a buyer and a seller;

collecting a set of shipping data for a contract entered into between the buyer and seller resulting from the auction;

soliciting bids for shipping services required by the contract;

receiving a set of shipping bids; and

selecting a bid from the set of bids according to a predetermined set of bid evaluation criteria.

18. The computer-usable medium of claim 16:

wherein the collecting step includes the step of collecting a contract consummation event; and

further comprising the step of billing an auction services fee upon occurrence of the event.

20. The computer-usable medium of claim 16:

wherein the shipping data is organized into a set of shipping fields;

wherein the collecting step includes the step of collecting additional sets of shipping data corresponding to additional contracts;

further comprising the step of grouping together those contracts having equivalent shipping data within at least one of the shipping fields; and

wherein the soliciting step includes the step of soliciting bids for providing shipping services for the group of contracts.

27. A computer-usable medium embodying computer program code for causing a computer to align transactional flows within an internet exchange portal, comprising the steps of:

soliciting unused capacity for providing shipping services to buyers and sellers who participate in auctions facilitated by the portal from shippers; and

receiving a set of bids from the buyers and sellers for the unused capacity.