System, methods, and medium for facilitating providing a quote

• US 20030154101A1
• Filed: 02/13/2002
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Dinmore, Gary Justin, Krebsbach, Thomas E., Archibald, Kevin Carl, DuKatz, Ronald Thomas
• Application Number:
  US09/683,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20030154101A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A network based method for facilitating providing a customer with a quote for at least one of a manufactured product and a service includes receiving data relating to at least one of a customer desired product and a customer desired service, providing the customer a budgetary quote based on the received data, receiving a customer response based on the budgetary quote, and providing the customer a contractual quote based on the received customer response.

Claims

1. A network based method for facilitating providing a customer with a quote for at least one of a manufactured product and a service, said method comprising:

receiving data relating to at least one of a customer desired product and a customer desired service;

providing the customer a budgetary quote based on the received data;

receiving a customer response based on the budgetary quote; and

providing the customer a contractual quote based on the received customer response.

2. A network based method in accordance with claim 1 wherein receiving data relating to at least one of a customer desired product and a customer desired service comprises receiving data relating to at least one of a customer desired medical product and a customer desired medical service.

3. A network based method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising prompting the customer to select a desired language from a plurality of languages.

4. A network based method in accordance with claim 1 wherein providing the customer a budgetary quote based on the received data comprises:

publishing the budgetary quote as an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document;

loading the XML budgetary quote in a quote repository; and

sending an email alert to the customer, wherein said email alert comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) indicating a location of the published budgetary quote.

5. A network based method in accordance with claim 4 wherein providing the customer a budgetary quote based on the received data further comprises:

providing the customer access to view the budgetary quote via the URL; and

receiving a customer response comprising at least one of a message to the manufacturer and a request for a contractual quote.

6. A network based method in accordance with claim 1 wherein providing the customer a contractual quote based on the received data comprises:

publishing the contractual quote as an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document;

loading the XML contractual quote in a quote repository; and

sending an email alert to the customer, wherein said email alert comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) indicating a location of the published contractual quote.

7. A network based method in accordance with claim 6 wherein providing the customer a contractual quote based on the received data further comprises:

providing the customer access to view the budgetary quote via the URL; and

receiving a customer response comprising at least one of a message to a manufacturer, an acceptance of the contractual quote, and a denial of the contractual quote.

8. A network based method for facilitating providing a customer with a quote for at least one of a medical product and a medical service, said method comprising:

receiving data relating to at least one of a customer desired medical product and a customer desired medical service;

publishing a budgetary quote as an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document;

loading the XML budgetary quote in a quote repository;

sending an email alert to the customer, wherein said email alert comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) indicating a location of the published budgetary quote;

providing the customer access to view the budgetary quote via the URL;

receiving a customer response based on the budgetary quote;

publishing a contractual quote as an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document;

loading the XML contractual quote in a quote repository;

sending an email alert to the customer, wherein said email alert comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) indicating a location of the published contractual quote;

providing the customer access to view the budgetary quote via the URL; and

receiving a customer response comprising at least one of a message to a manufacturer, an acceptance of the contractual quote, and a denial of the contractual quote.

9. A network based system for providing a customer with a quote for at least one of a manufactured product and a service, said system comprising:

at least one device; and

a server connected to said device and configured to;

receive data relating to at least one of a customer desired product and a customer desired service;

provide the customer a budgetary quote based on the received data;

receive a customer response based on the budgetary quote; and

provide the customer a contractual quote based on the received customer response.

10. A network based system in accordance with claim 9 wherein to receive data relating to at least one of a customer desired product and a customer desired service, said server further configured to receive data relating to at least one of a customer desired medical product and a customer desired medical service.

11. A network based system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said server further configured to prompt a customer to select a desired language from a plurality of languages.

12. A network based system in accordance with claim 9 wherein to provide the customer a budgetary quote based on the received data, said server further configured to:

publish the budgetary quote as an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document;

load the XML budgetary quote in a quote repository; and

send an email alert to the customer, wherein said email alert comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) indicating a location of the published budgetary quote.

13. A network based system in accordance with claim 12 wherein to provide the customer a budgetary quote based on the received data, said server further configured to:

providing the customer access to view the budgetary quote via the URL; and

receive a customer response comprising at least one of a message to the manufacturer and a request for a contractual quote.

14. A network based system in accordance with claim 9 wherein to provide the customer a contractual quote based on the received data, said server further configured to:

publish the contractual quote as an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document;

load the XML contractual quote in a quote repository; and

send an email alert to the customer, wherein said email alert comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) indicating a location of the published contractual quote.

15. A network based system in accordance with claim 14 wherein to provide the customer a contractual quote based on the received data, said server further configured to:

provide the customer access to view the budgetary quote via the URL; and

receive a customer response comprising at least one of a message to a manufacturer, an acceptance of the contractual quote, and a denial of the contractual quote.

16. A network based system for providing a customer with a quote for at least one of a manufactured product and a service, said system comprising:

at least one device; and

a server connected to said device and configured to;

receive data relating to at least one of a customer desired medical product and a customer desired medical service;

publish a budgetary quote as an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document;

load the XML budgetary quote in a quote repository;

send an email alert to the customer, wherein said email alert comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) indicating a location of the published budgetary quote;

provide the customer access to view the budgetary quote via the URL;

receive a customer response based on the budgetary quote;

publish a contractual quote as an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document;

load the XML contractual quote in a quote repository;

send an email alert to the customer, wherein said email alert comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) indicating a location of the published contractual quote;

provide the customer access to view the budgetary quote via the URL; and

receive a customer response comprising at least one of a message to a manufacturer, an acceptance of the contractual quote, and a denial of the contractual quote.

17. A computer readable medium encoded with a program executable by a computer for providing a customer with a quote for at least one of a manufactured product and a service, said program configured to instruct the computer to:

receive data relating to at least one of a customer desired product and a customer desired service;

provide the customer a budgetary quote based on the received data;

receive a customer response based on the budgetary quote; and

provide the customer a contractual quote based on the received customer response.

18. A computer readable medium in accordance with claim 17 wherein to receive data relating to at least one of a customer desired product and a customer desired service, said medium further configured to receive data relating to at least one of a customer desired medical product and a customer desired medical service.

19. A computer readable medium in accordance with claim 17 wherein said medium further configured to prompt a customer to select a desired language from a plurality of languages.

20. A computer readable medium in accordance with claim 17 wherein to provide the customer a budgetary quote based on the received data, said medium further configured to:

publish the budgetary quote as an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document;

load the XML budgetary quote in a quote repository; and

send an email alert to the customer, wherein said email alert comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) indicating a location of the published budgetary quote.

21. A computer readable medium in accordance with claim 17 wherein to provide the customer a budgetary quote based on the received data, said medium further configured to:

provide the customer access to view the budgetary quote via the URL; and

receive a customer response comprising at least one of a message to the manufacturer and a request for a contractual quote.

22. A computer readable medium in accordance with claim 17 wherein to provide the customer a contractual quote based on the received data, said medium further configured to:

publish the contractual quote as an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document;

load the XML contractual quote in a quote repository; and

send an email alert to the customer, wherein said email alert comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) indicating a location of the published contractual quote.

23. A computer readable medium in accordance with claim 22 wherein to provide the customer a contractual quote based on the received data, said medium further configured to:

provide the customer access to view the budgetary quote via the URL; and

receive a customer response comprising at least one of a message to a manufacturer, an acceptance of the contractual quote, and a denial of the contractual quote.

24. A computer readable medium encoded with a program executable by a computer for providing a customer with a quote for at least one of a manufactured product and a service, said program configured to instruct the computer to:

receive data relating to at least one of a customer desired medical product and a customer desired medical service;

publish a budgetary quote as an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document;

load the XML budgetary quote in a quote repository;

send an email alert to the customer, wherein said email alert comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) indicating a location of the published budgetary quote;

provide the customer access to view the budgetary quote via the URL; and

receive a customer response based on the budgetary quote;

publish a contractual quote as an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document;

load the XML contractual quote in a quote repository;

send an email alert to the customer, wherein said email alert comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) indicating a location of the published contractual quote;

provide the customer access to view the budgetary quote via the URL; and

receive a customer response comprising at least one of a message to a manufacturer, an acceptance of the contractual quote, and a denial of the contractual quote.