Bid positioning system

• US 20030236739A1
• Filed: 03/10/2003
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Manhattan Associates Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Logistics.Com, Inc. (Manhattan Associates Incorporated), Manhattan Associates Incorporated, Quoteship Com
• Inventors: Wilson, Robert Gorden, Borgeson, Gregg
• Granted Patent: US 7,565,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

The invention relates to both a method and a computer system that are designed to provide a bid positioning system using a computerized bid proxy. The bid proxy takes instructions from the bidder and then bids based upon these instructions. Using a bid positioning system allows this bidder to place its bids in relation to a lead bid placed by another bidder in an auction based upon either a nominal or percentage distance from the lead bid. In a preferred embodiment, this computerized bid proxy is used in a shipment management system. This system allows a shipper to present at least one shipping requirement for a particular shipment to a centralized server. These shipping requirements could include the origin and destination of a shipment, the time or delivery date of a shipment, the number of articles being shipped, and the weight or volume of the shipment. The server next sends the at least one shipping requirement to a plurality of carriers some of whom are chosen by the shipper and some of whom are chosen by the system. These carriers next bid based upon the at least one shipping requirement. This system and method also allows these carriers to re-quote their bids based upon the bids presented by the other carriers. Once all of the bid deadline has been reached, the shipper picks the quote that best suits the shipper.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a bid proxy for a plurality of bidders in a computerized auction, over a computer network comprising the steps of:

a) receiving at least one bid from each of the plurality of bidders over the computer network;

b) receiving at least one bid limit from each of the plurality of bidders over the computer network;

c) receiving at least one bid position from each of the plurality of bidders over the computer network;

d) selecting a lead bid from said at least one bid placed by each of the plurality of bidders;

e) calculating a re-bid for each of said at least one bid placed by each of the plurality of bidders by positioning said re-bid based upon the bid position in relation to said lead bid; and

f) selectively replacing said at least one bid for each of the plurality of bidders with said re-bid.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of selecting said lead bid includes selecting a highest bid placed by the plurality of bidders.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of selecting said lead bid includes selecting a lowest bid placed by the plurality of bidders.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of receiving at least one bid position includes receiving a nominal monetary spread from said lead bid.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of receiving at least one bid position includes receiving a percentage relationship with said lead bid.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of calculating a re-bid includes increasing the bid of at least one of the plurality of bidders.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of calculating a re-bid includes decreasing the bid of at least one of the plurality of bidders.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of receiving at least one bid limit includes receiving a bid ceiling so that during the auction, the bid proxy sets said re-bid at said bid ceiling when said bid position calculates a bid higher than said bid ceiling.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of receiving at least one bid limit includes receiving a bid floor so that during the computerized auction, the bid proxy sets said re-bid at said bid floor when said bid position calculates a bid lower than said bid floor.

10. A method for providing a computerized shipment management system for at least one shipper over a computer network comprising the steps of:

a) receiving at least one shipping requirement from the at least one shipper for a shipment over a computer network;

b) communicating said at least one shipping requirement over the computer network to a plurality of carriers;

c) receiving at least one quote for shipping from said plurality of carriers for shipping said shipment over said computer network;

d) presenting said at least one quote from said plurality of carriers to the at least one shipper;

e) selecting one of said at least one quote sent from said plurality of carriers; and

f) automatically communicating said selection from the at least one shipper to said plurality of carriers.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of communicating at least one shipping requirement to a plurality of carriers includes communicating at least one shipping requirement to at least one solicited carrier and communicating at least one shipping requirement to at least one unsolicited carrier.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said at least one shipper communicates at least one shipping requirement to said at least one solicited carrier and said shipment management system communicates at least one shipping requirement to said at least one unsolicited carrier.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of automatically selecting at least one of said at least one unsolicited carrier to allow said selected at least one carrier to submit said at least one quote.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of receiving said at least one shipping requirement includes receiving a mode of transportation.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of automatically receiving tracking information from said plurality of carriers to track each shipment.

16. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of displaying on a computer screen said at least one quote for shipping from said plurality of carriers.

17. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of sending a request for a quote from said at least one shipper to said plurality of carriers over said computer network.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of automatically offering said request for quote to only a limited number of carriers via said computer network.

19. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of displaying quality information data about said plurality of carriers on a computer screen.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said step of displaying quality information data includes displaying the percentage of bookings missed.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein said step of displaying quality information data includes displaying the percentage of customer complaints.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein said step of displaying quality information data includes displaying a carrier profile, including information about the number of employees, and the number of locations, its delivery routes, and pricing information.

23. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of displaying for each of said at least one shipper a quality performance report concerning each past shipment for each carrier.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein said step of displaying for each of said at least one shipper a quality performance report includes displaying a percentage of missed booked flights or deliveries of said shipper'"'"'s shipments.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein said step of displaying for each of said at least one shipper a quality performance report including displaying a percentage of shipments without tracking data.

26. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of displaying a summary report comparing a cost savings for said shipper based upon quotes sent from said plurality of carriers.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein said step of displaying a summary report includes displaying the average cost paid for each shipment and displaying the average cost offered by said plurality of carriers.

28. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of re-quoting said quotes presented by said plurality of carriers.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein said step of re-quoting includes adjusting said quotes based upon a bid position set forth by each of said plurality of carriers based upon a lead bid presented by at least one of said plurality of carriers.

30. The method according to claim 28, further comprising the step of receiving at least one bid limit from at least one of said quoting carriers.

31. The method according to claim 30, further comprising the step of automatically adjusting said quotes with re-quotes within said bid limit received from each of said at least one quoting carriers.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein said step of automatically adjusting said quotes includes adjusting said quotes based upon a bid position set forth by each of said plurality of carriers based upon a lead bid.

33. A computerized system for managing shipping comprising:

a) a central server;

b) at least one information storage means connected to said server;

c) a processor connected to said server for processing information stored on said storage means;

d) at least one remote input device, said remote input device for inputting information into and receiving information from said server;

e) a communications means for communicating information from said at least one remote input device to said central server; and

f) a database for storing information about a plurality of carriers and a plurality of shippers on said storage means;

wherein said database is accessed by a plurality of carriers and a plurality of shippers through said at least one remote input device so that a plurality of requests for quotes are input into said database and a plurality of quotes are input based upon each of said plurality of request for quotes, and wherein at least one shipper selects at least one quote stored in said database so that a shipment order is purchased over said server.

34. An article of manufacture comprising:

a) a computer usable medium having machine readable program code means embodied therein for receiving at least one shipping requirement from at least one shipper for a particular shipment over a computer network;

b) machine readable program code means for communicating said at least one shipping requirement to a plurality of carriers over a computer network;

c) machine readable program code means for receiving at least one quote for shipping from said plurality of carriers over said computer network;

d) machine readable program code means for automatically selecting one of said plurality of carriers; and

e) machine readable program code means for electronically communicating said selection from said at least one shipper to said at least one carrier.

35. A computer program product for use with a machine over a computer network, said program product comprising:

a) a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for causing a computer to receive at least one bid from the at least one bidder over a computer network;

b) machine readable program code means for causing said computer to receive at least one bid position from the at least one bidder over said computer network based upon at least one lead bid;

c) machine readable program code means for causing said computer to receive a plurality of bids from a plurality of bidders over said computer network;

d) machine readable program code means for causing said computer to calculate a bid for said bidder having the bid proxy based upon said received lead bid and said received bid position; and

e) machine readable program code means for causing said computer to reset a bid placed by the at least one bidder having the bid proxy automatically, based upon said bid position in relation to said lead bid.