System and method for servicing construction equipment

• US 20040186797A1
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Equipro Inc.
• Original Assignee: Wacker Corporation
• Inventors: Liesch, Peter B., Bennett, Daniel W., Schwind, Werner, Barnard, Christopher, Christifulli, David J.
• Application Number:
  US10/685,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20040186797A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method of servicing construction equipment comprising forming an association of construction equipment manufacturers and providing a service agent of the association. The service agent refers a service need to a service dealer. The service agent is not an agent of the service dealer to whom the service need is referred.

Claims

1. A method of servicing construction equipment, comprising:

forming an association of construction equipment manufacturers; and

providing a service agent of the association, wherein the service agent refers a service need to a service dealer, wherein the service agent is not an agent of the service dealer to whom the service need is referred.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the service agent is provided at a commercial construction job site to service the need of a contractor at the construction job site.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the service dealer is a franchisee of the association.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising training the service agent to understand equipment manufactured by the construction equipment manufacturers in the association.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the service agent is not employed by or an independent contractor of the service dealer to whom the service need is referred.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the service agent is employed by or an independent contractor of the association of construction equipment manufacturers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the association comprises a plurality of light construction equipment manufacturers.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the light construction equipment manufacturers comprise a manufacturer which manufactures soil compaction equipment.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a first of the construction equipment manufacturers sells equipment in a first product group and a second of the equipment manufacturers sells equipment in a second product group, wherein the first and second product groups are in different product lines.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the service agent is employed by the association.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the association is formed by contractually binding a group of independent construction equipment manufacturing companies.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the service agent refers the service need to an independent service dealer.

13. A method of servicing construction equipment, comprising:

forming a consortium of construction equipment manufacturers; and

providing a service agent, wherein the service agent is an employee or independent contractor of the consortium and the service agent refers a service need to a service dealer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the service agent is not an employee or independent contractor of the service dealer to whom the service need is referred.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the service dealer is a franchisee of the consortium.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the service agent is provided to a customer'"'"'s facility, a job site, and to an equipment dealer'"'"'s facility.

17. A method of servicing construction equipment, comprising:

providing a service agent who is an agent of an association of construction equipment manufacturers; and

referring a service need with the service agent to a service dealer, wherein the service agent is not an agent of the service dealer to whom the service need is referred.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the service agent is employed by or an independent contractor of the association of construction equipment manufacturers.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the association is formed by contractually binding a group of independent construction equipment manufacturing companies.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the service agent refers the service need to the service dealer who is a franchisee of the association.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein a plurality of members of the association are light construction equipment manufacturers.

22. An organization for a service system for construction equipment, the organization comprising:

an association of construction equipment manufacturers;

a service agent for processing service needs, the service needs being for the construction equipment; and

a plurality of service dealers, wherein the service agent is hired by the association and selects one of the service dealers to provide for the service need.

23. The organization of claim 22, wherein the association is formed by contractually binding a group of independent construction equipment manufacturing companies.

24. The organization of claim 22, wherein the service agent is provided at a commercial construction job site.

25. The organization of claim 22, wherein the service agent refers the service need to a service dealer who is a franchisee of the association.

26. An association of construction equipment manufacturers comprising a computer system configured to facilitate purchase orders between a service dealer and a manufacturer and further comprising a service agent, which is an agent of the association, wherein the service agent refers service needs to the service dealer.

27. The association of claim 26, wherein the construction equipment manufacturers are bound contractually in the form of a consortium.

28. The association of claim 26, wherein the service agent is employed by the association.

29. The association of claim 26, wherein the service agent is not employed by or an independent contractor of the service dealer.

30. The association of claim 26, wherein the service agent refers the service needs to the service dealer who is a franchisee of the association.