Method for purchasing goods and services in business-to-business (B-2-B) transactions

• US 20040172333A1
• Filed: 02/28/2003
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Pavicic, Brent, DeClerck, Robert C., Keaton, Christopher C., Siviy, George E.
• Application Number:
  US10/376,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20040172333A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A method for purchasing goods and services in business-to-business transactions, the method includes the steps of providing a first database having attributes related to purchasable goods or services maintained and purchasable by a first party; and providing a second database having attributes related to at least a portion of the goods and services purchasable by the first party and primarily maintained by a second party and electrically connected to the first database; wherein changes implemented on either the first or second databases are synchronized to each other; generating a purchase order by the first party from the first material database based on the attributes in the first material database; and transmitting the purchase order to the second party.

Claims

1. A method for purchasing goods and services in business-to-business transactions, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a first database having attributes related to purchasable goods or services maintained and purchasable by a first party; and

(b) providing a second database having attributes related to at least a portion of the goods and services purchasable by the first party and primarily maintained by a second party and electrically connected to the first database;

wherein changes implemented on either the first or second databases are synchronized to each other;

(c) generating a purchase order by the first party from the first material database based on the attributes in the first material database; and

(d) transmitting the purchase order to the second party.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing a middleware program for synchronization of the first and second databases.

3. The method as in claim 1 further connecting the second database to the Internet so that changes can be implemented remotely by a person outside an enterprise of the first party.

4. The method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of providing the first and second databases with different data structures.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein either the first or second database is a portion of an electronic catalog system.

6. The method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of providing either individually or in any combination price, currency, minimum order, price per unit, part number as the attributes in the first and second databases.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the transmitting step includes electronically transmitting the purchase order.

8. A system for purchasing goods and services in business-to-business transactions, the system comprising:

(a) a first material database having attributes related to purchasable goods or services maintained and purchasable by a first party;

(b) a second material database having attributes related to at least a portion of the goods and services purchasable by the first party and primarily maintained by a second party and electrically connected to the first database;

wherein changes implemented on either the first or second databases are synchronized to each other; and

(c) a purchase order generated by the first party from the first material database based on the attributes in the first material database;

wherein the purchase order is transmitted to the second party.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising a middleware program for synchronization of the first and second databases.

10. The system as in claim 8 further the second database connected to the Internet so that changes can be implemented remotely by a person outside an enterprise of the first party.

11. The system as in claim 8, wherein the first and second databases have different data structures.

12. The system as in claim 8, wherein either the first or second database is a portion of an electronic catalog system.

13. The system as in claim 8, wherein the attributes in the first and second databases include either individually or in any combination price, currency, minimum order, price per unit, part number.

14. The system as in claim 8, wherein the purchase order is electronically transmitted.