System and method for managing internet trading networks
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for operating a trading network, comprising the steps of:
- establishing supplier memberships of suppliers providing offerings to said trading network;
establishing customer memberships to obtain customer benefits, with customers providing volume commitments selectively receiving higher benefits;
consolidating all volume commitments for a particular commodity or service;
negotiating an offering with said supplier with respect to said commodity or service;
managing supplier and customer membership including benefit package development; and
thereafter managing accounts for trading network services rendered.
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Abstract
An Internet trading network is operated by establishing supplier memberships of suppliers providing offerings to the trading network; establishing customer memberships of customers providing volume commitments; consolidating all volume commitments for a particular commodity or service when negotiating an offering with the supplier; managing memberships and their accounts.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method for operating a trading network, comprising the steps of:
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establishing supplier memberships of suppliers providing offerings to said trading network;
establishing customer memberships to obtain customer benefits, with customers providing volume commitments selectively receiving higher benefits;
consolidating all volume commitments for a particular commodity or service;
negotiating an offering with said supplier with respect to said commodity or service;
managing supplier and customer membership including benefit package development; and
thereaftermanaging accounts for trading network services rendered. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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- 4. The method of claim if further comprising the step of customizing said benefit package for a set of said customers.
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19. A method for managing a supplier for participation in trading network, comprising the steps of:
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receiving from said trading network a volume commitment consolidating a plurality of trading network customer volume commitments for a particular commodity or service; and
thereafternegotiating an offering with said trading network to supply to customer members of said trading network said commodity or service.
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20. A method for managing a customer for participation in a trading network, comprising the steps of:
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providing to said trading network a volume commitment with respect to a particular commodity or service; and
thereafterreceiving said commodity or service as a benefit of said trading network according to terms negotiated by said trading network with a supplier of said commodity or service.
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21. A trading network system, comprising:
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a trading network supplier membership entity establishing supplier memberships of suppliers providing offerings to said trading network;
a trading network customer entity establishing customer memberships Of customers providing volume commitments;
a trading network level forecast entity consolidating all volume commitments for a particular commodity or service; and
an offering entity negotiated with said suppliers with respect to said commitments for enabling said customer entities to receive said commodity or service;
a trading network portfolio item entity for facilitating supplier offering assignment to a customer benefit package;
a set of management controls for ensuring underlying applications use of membership attributes match agreement terms; and
a flexible membership pricing structure for facilitating billing appropriate to a given customer agreement. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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- 31. The system of claim 283, each said portfolio item comprising one of a purchase offering, a technology offering or a procurement business offering.
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39. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for operating a trading network, said method steps comprising:
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establishing supplier memberships of suppliers providing offerings to said trading network;
establishing customer memberships to obtain customer benefits, with customers providing volume commitments selectively receiving higher benefits;
consolidating all volume commitments for a particular commodity or service;
thereafternegotiating an offering with said supplier with respect to said commodity or service;
managing membership (both supplier and customer) including benefit package development; and
thereaftermanaging accounts (billing, payments, etc) for Trading Network services rendered.
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40. A computer program product or computer program element for operating a trading network according to the steps of:
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establishing supplier memberships of suppliers providing offerings to said trading network;
establishing customer memberships to obtain membership benefits with customers providing volume commitments selectively receiving higher benefits;
consolidating all volume commitments for a particular commodity or service;
negotiating an offering with said supplier with respect to said commodity or service. managing supplier and customer membership including benefit package development; and
thereaftermanaging accounts for trading network services rendered.
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Specification