System for providing business information
First Claim
1. A method of communicating outsourcing information between an outsourcing company and a plurality of contractors comprising:
- storing contractor information into a database;
searching the database to identify a first subset of contractors meeting specific criteria;
transmitting outsourcing information to the first subset of contractors from the database;
accepting bid information at the database from a second subset of contractors; and
transmitting processed bid information to the outsourcing company from the database.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus, method and data structure for communicating business information, including outsourcing information. Contractors provide information regarding their products and services into the system. Outsourcing companies search a database containing contractor information to determine which contractors meet a particular search criteria. Selected contractors receive project information and, optionally, a bid template. Bid information is supplied to the database operator. The operator prepares a table of bid information that is sent to the outsourcing companies for review. Evaluation information relating to contractors and outsourcing companies is obtained from both outsourcing companies and contractors and stored on a database. The evaluation information is provided to outsourcing companies and contractors as part of the bid and project information.
33 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of communicating outsourcing information between an outsourcing company and a plurality of contractors comprising:
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storing contractor information into a database;
searching the database to identify a first subset of contractors meeting specific criteria;
transmitting outsourcing information to the first subset of contractors from the database;
accepting bid information at the database from a second subset of contractors; and
transmitting processed bid information to the outsourcing company from the database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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12. An apparatus for communicating outsourcing information between an outsourcing company and a plurality of contractors comprising:
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a server computer having a storage area;
a plurality of contractor computers, each of said plurality of contractor computers communicating contractor information to said storage area of said server computer; and
an outsourcing computer, said outsourcing computer communicating specific criteria to said server computer;
wherein said server computer identifies and transmits outsourcing information to a first subset of said plurality of contractor computers, accepts bid information from a second subset of said plurality of contractor computers, and transmits processed bid information to said outsourcing computer.
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19. An apparatus for communicating outsourcing information between an outsourcing company and a plurality of contractors comprising:
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a database;
means for entering contractor information into said database;
means for searching said database to identify a first subset of said plurality of contractors;
means for transmitting outsourcing information to said first subset of said plurality of contractors;
means for accepting bid information from a second subset of said plurality of contractors; and
means for sending processed bid information to said outsourcing company.
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23. In a system for communicating outsourcing information between an outsourcing company and a plurality of contractors, a computer-readable memory for storing data for access by an application program comprising:
a data structure stored in said computer-readable memory, said data structure including information used by said application program and including;
a plurality of contractor information fields;
a plurality of criteria fields used to search said plurality of contractor information fields;
a plurality of first subset fields for identifying a first subset of said plurality of contractors;
a plurality of outsourcing information fields for sending said outsourcing information to said first subset of said plurality of contractors;
a plurality of bid fields for accepting bid information from a second subset of said plurality of contractors; and
a plurality of bid information table fields for placing bid information for review by said outsourcing company.
Specification