Material procurement apparatus and material procurement method
First Claim
1. A material procurement apparatus, connected to material suppliers via a network, comprising:
- a quotation request generating unit which prepares a request for quotation and sends the quotation request to the material suppliers; and
an assessment unit which receives quotation data received from the material suppliers, said quotation request generating unit including;
a specifications preparing means for preparing required specifications of material;
specifications storage means, accessible from the material suppliers, for storing the required specifications;
format preparing means for preparing a format utilized when the material suppliers prepare quotation;
format storage means, accessible from the material suppliers, for storing the format; and
quotation requesting means which sends to the material suppliers a quotation request including an inquiry about a specification and a price of a product that can be supplied, and which requires the material suppliers to access said specifications storage means and said format storage means to download the required specifications and the format and to prepare replies to the quotation request along the format by referring to the required specifications, and said assessment unit including;
quotation result storage means which receives quotation results prepared along the format and stores the quotation results; and
a data synthesizing unit which synthesizes a plurality of quotation results received from a single or plurality of material supplier(s) and the format read out from said format storage means, and prepares a table for the plurality of quotation results.
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Abstract
A material procurement apparatus prepares specifications of materials to be procured and a format utilized at the time material suppliers prepare quotation, and stores the specifications and the format in a storage. Then, the apparatus sends a request for quotation to the material suppliers, and requests the material suppliers to access a specifications storage and a format storage and download requested specifications and format so as to prepare replies for the quotation request. Thereafter, results of the quotation received from maker terminals are stored in a quotation data storage. A data synthesizing unit in the material procurement apparatus synthesizes a plurality of quotation results and the format, and prepares a table for the quotation results. This table is presented to the material buyer so as to support the material buyer in determining a material supplier.
72 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A material procurement apparatus, connected to material suppliers via a network, comprising:
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a quotation request generating unit which prepares a request for quotation and sends the quotation request to the material suppliers; and
an assessment unit which receives quotation data received from the material suppliers, said quotation request generating unit including;
a specifications preparing means for preparing required specifications of material;
specifications storage means, accessible from the material suppliers, for storing the required specifications;
format preparing means for preparing a format utilized when the material suppliers prepare quotation;
format storage means, accessible from the material suppliers, for storing the format; and
quotation requesting means which sends to the material suppliers a quotation request including an inquiry about a specification and a price of a product that can be supplied, and which requires the material suppliers to access said specifications storage means and said format storage means to download the required specifications and the format and to prepare replies to the quotation request along the format by referring to the required specifications, and said assessment unit including;
quotation result storage means which receives quotation results prepared along the format and stores the quotation results; and
a data synthesizing unit which synthesizes a plurality of quotation results received from a single or plurality of material supplier(s) and the format read out from said format storage means, and prepares a table for the plurality of quotation results. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A material procurement system, including a material procurement apparatus and material suppliers connected to said material procurement apparatus via a network,
said material procurement apparatus comprising: -
a quotation request generating unit which prepares a request for quotation and sends the quotation request to the material suppliers; and
an assessment unit which receives quotation data received from the material suppliers, said quotation request generating unit including;
a specifications preparing means for preparing required specifications of material;
specifications storage means, accessible from the material suppliers, for storing the required specifications;
format preparing means for preparing a format utilized when the material suppliers prepare quotation;
format storage means, accessible from the material suppliers, for storing the format; and
quotation requesting means which sends to the material suppliers a quotation request including an inquiry about a specification and a price of a product that can be supplied, and which requires the material suppliers to access said specifications storage means and said format storage means to download the required specifications and the format and to prepare replies to the quotation request along the format by referring to the required specifications, and said assessment unit including;
quotation result storage means which receives quotation results prepared along the format and stores the quotation results; and
a data synthesizing unit which synthesizes a plurality of quotation results received from a single or plurality of material supplier(s) and the format read out from said format storage means, and prepares a table for the plurality of quotation results, wherein each of the material suppliers is equipped with;
a request receiving unit which receives a request for quotation from said material procurement apparatus; and
a quotation unit which downloads the required specifications and the format by accessing said specifications storage means and said format storage means when the quotation request is received, and which prepares a reply to the quotation request in compliance with the format by referring to the required specifications. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A material procurement method utilizing a material procurement apparatus, connected to material suppliers via a network, including storage means accessible from the material suppliers, the method comprising:
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preparing required specifications and a format utilized when the material suppliers prepare quotation;
storing the required specifications and the format in the storage means;
sending to the material suppliers a quotation request including an inquiry about a specification and a price of a product that can be supplied, and requiring the material suppliers to access the storage means to download the required specifications and the format and to prepare replies to the quotation request along the format by referring to the required specifications;
receiving quotation results prepared along the format, from the material suppliers; and
synthesizing a plurality of quotation results received from a single or plurality of material supplier(s) and the format read out from the storage means, and preparing a table for the plurality of quotation results. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification