System, method and storage medium for back ordering out of stock products

• US 20020128918A1
• Filed: 03/07/2001
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: James, Thomas R., Chao, Li-Lung
• Application Number:
  US09/800,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20020128918A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

An exemplary embodiment is a system, method and storage medium for back ordering out of stock products. The system includes a host system for receiving an order for a product from a user, determining whether inventory for said product satisfies said order, notifying said user if said inventory for said product does not satisfy said order, receiving a back order request from said user to back order said product if said inventory for said product does not satisfy said order, determining an amount of said product for meeting said back order request, acquiring said amount and updating said inventory, notifying said user that said back order request has been satisfied and receiving a delivery request from said user to deliver said product. A network is coupled to the host system, and a database is coupled to the host system for storing data relating to the back ordering out of stock products.

Claims

1. A system for back ordering out of stock products, the system comprising:

a host system for receiving an order for a product from a user, determining whether inventory for said product satisfies said order, notifying said user if said inventory for said product does not satisfy said order, receiving a back order request from said user to back order said product if said inventory for said product does not satisfy said order, determining an amount of said product for meeting said back order request, acquiring said amount and updating said inventory, notifying said user that said back order request has been satisfied and receiving a delivery request from said user to deliver said product;

a network coupled to said host system; and

a database coupled to said host system for storing data relating to said back ordering out of stock products.

2. The system of claim 1, further including:

a user system coupled to said network; and

said user system accessing said host system via said network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said acquiring said amount and updating said inventory includes said host system:

requesting said amount form a supplier; and

receiving a request from said supplier to add said amount to said inventory.

4. The system of claim 1, further including said host system:

receiving a time period request from said user for setting a time that said back order request is to remain in effect;

determining whether said time period request has expired; and

deleting said back order request if said time period request has expired.

5. The system of claim 1, further including said host system:

notifying said user that said back order request will remain on hold for a predetermined time;

determining whether said predetermined time has expired; and

deleting said back order request if said predetermined time has expired.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said delivery request includes said host system:

sending a back order confirmation request to said user;

receiving a back order confirmation; and

reducing said inventory data to reflect said back order confirmation.

7. A system for back ordering out of stock products, the system comprising:

a host system for receiving an order for a product from a user, determining whether inventory for said product satisfies said order, notifying said user if said inventory for said product does not satisfy said order, receiving a back order request from said user to back order said product if said inventory for said product does not satisfy said order, sending a supplier request to a supplier for fulfilling said back order request, receiving an inventory update request from said supplier, wherein said inventory update request includes an amount of said product for fulfilling said back order request, notifying said user that said back order request has been satisfied and receiving a delivery request from said user to deliver said product;

a network coupled to said host system; and

a database coupled to said host system for storing data relating to said back ordering out of stock products.

8. The system of claim 7, further including said host system:

receiving a time period request from said user for setting a time that said back order request is to remain in effect;

determining whether said time period request has expired; and

deleting said back order request if said time period request has expired.

9. The system of claim 7, further including said host system:

notifying said user that said back order request will remain on hold for a predetermined time;

determining whether said predetermined time has expired; and

deleting said back order request if said predetermined time has expired.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein said delivery request includes said host system:

sending a back order confirmation request to said user;

receiving a back order confirmation; and

reducing said inventory data to reflect said back order confirmation.

11. A method for back ordering out of stock products, the method comprising:

receiving an order for a product from a user;

determining whether inventory for said product satisfies said order;

notifying said user if said inventory for said product does not satisfy said order;

receiving a back order request from said user to back order said product if said inventory for said product does not satisfy said order;

determining an amount of said product for meeting said back order request;

acquiring said amount and updating said inventory;

notifying said user that said back order request has been satisfied; and

receiving a delivery request from said user to deliver said product.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said acquiring said amount and updating said inventory includes:

requesting said amount form a supplier; and

receiving a request from said supplier to add said amount to said inventory.

13. The method of claim 11, further including:

receiving a time period request from said user for setting a time that said back order request is to remain in effect;

determining whether said time period request has expired; and

deleting said back order request if said time period request has expired.

14. The method of claim 11, further including:

notifying said user that said back order request will remain on hold for a predetermined time;

determining whether said predetermined time has expired; and

deleting said back order request if said predetermined time has expired.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said delivery request includes:

sending a back order confirmation request to said user;

receiving a back order confirmation; and

reducing said inventory data to reflect said back order confirmation.

17. The method of claim 16, further including:

receiving a time period request from said user for setting a time that said back order request is to remain in effect;

determining whether said time period request has expired; and

deleting said back order request if said time period request has expired.

18. The method of claim 16, further including:

notifying said user that said back order request will remain on hold for a predetermined time;

determining whether said predetermined time has expired; and

deleting said back order request if said predetermined time has expired.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said delivery request includes:

sending a back order confirmation request to said user;

receiving a back order confirmation; and

reducing said inventory data to reflect said back order confirmation.

16. A method for back ordering out of stock products, the method comprising:

receiving an order for a product from a user;

determining whether inventory for said product satisfies said order;

notifying said user if said inventory for said product does not satisfy said order;

receiving a back order request from said user to back order said product if said inventory for said product does not satisfy said order;

sending a supplier request to a supplier for fulfilling said back order request;

receiving an inventory update request from said supplier, wherein said inventory update request includes an amount of said product for fulfilling said back order request;

notifying said user that said back order request has been satisfied; and

receiving a delivery request from said user to deliver said product.

20. A storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer program code for back ordering out of stock products, the storage medium including instructions for causing a processor to implement a method comprising:

receiving an order for a product from a user;

determining whether inventory for said product satisfies said order;

notifying said user if said inventory for said product does not satisfy said order;

receiving a back order request from said user to back order said product if said inventory for said product does not satisfy said order;

determining an amount of said product for meeting said back order request;

acquiring said amount and updating said inventory;

notifying said user that said back order request has been satisfied; and

receiving a delivery request from said user to deliver said product.

21. A storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer program code for back ordering out of stock products, the storage medium including instructions for causing a processor to implement a method comprising:

receiving an order for a product from a user;

determining whether inventory for said product satisfies said order;

notifying said user if said inventory for said product does not satisfy said order;

receiving a back order request from said user to back order said product if said inventory for said product does not satisfy said order;

sending a supplier request to a supplier for fulfilling said back order request;

receiving an inventory update request from said supplier, wherein said inventory update request includes an amount of said product for fulfilling said back order request;

notifying said user that said back order request has been satisfied; and

receiving a delivery request from said user to deliver said product.