System, method and computer program product for utilizing market demand information for generating revenue
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system, method and computer program product are disclosed for risk management in a supply chain management framework. A supply chain manager is appointed for at least one buying supply chain participant. The supply chain manager is given authority to negotiate supply agreements for at least one good on behalf of the at least one buying supply chain participant. One or more supply agreements are entered into for the at least one good, wherein provisions of the supply agreement include: (i) pricing for each one good shall be based upon factors including an actual market price of at least one commodity when the supply chain manager has not established a commodity position price; and (ii) pricing for each one good shall be based upon factors including a commodity position price of at least one commodity when the supply chain manager has established a commodity position price. Periodically, a commodity position price is established through the supply chain manager.
-
Citations
86 Claims
-
1-20. -20. (Canceled)
-
21. A method for managing an independent supply chain, comprising:
-
in a supply chain comprising independent suppliers, independent distributors, independent stores, and an independent supply chain manager with an independent supply chain manager computer connected together by a network, the independent supply chain manager negotiating on behalf of the independent stores and/or the independent distributors supplier master contracts with the independent suppliers, wherein each different supplier master contract is to supply at least one item to a set of the independent distributors, and negotiating on behalf of the independent stores distributor master contracts with the independent distributors, wherein each of the distributor master contracts requires the distributor to receive items from at least one of the independent suppliers and to distribute the items to a set of the independent stores, wherein each of a plurality of the supplier contracts includes a term assigning a particular set of the independent distributors to the independent supplier to which to supply the at least one item, wherein each of a plurality of the distributor master contracts includes a term assigning a particular set of the independent to the independent distributor to which to distribute the at least one item, and further wherein each of a plurality of the supplier master contracts establishes a contract price for one of the items and an invoice price for that item and requires the independent supplier to bill the independent distributor at the invoice price, wherein the contract price for the item and the invoice price for the item are different, storing a plurality of terms of the master contracts in a supply chain electronic database accessible via the network;
registering each of a plurality of the independent suppliers, the independent distributors and the independent stores as one of at least three types comprising suppliers, distributors and stores, and maintaining a list of registered users in the independent supply chain manager computer;
receiving store sales data from a plurality of the independent stores utilizing the network, the store sales data comprising the sales of the goods by the independent stores, wherein the sales of the goods are made independently of the network;
receiving data from the independent suppliers and/or the independent distributors utilizing the network, the data relating to the sales of the items from the independent suppliers to the independent distributors and including the number of items;
for the sales of items electronically calculating an amount to be transferred from or to the independent supplier based on the number of items and the difference between the contract price and invoice price for the items;
generating a communication or providing electronic access via the network to data relating to the amount to be transferred;
automatically comparing at least one contract term in one of the master contracts for the items to received data relating to the sales of the items;
automatically generating a signal if there is a discrepancy between the at least one contract term and the received data;
providing an interface on the network to allow access by a registered user on the list to different data in the supply chain electronic database depending on the user type, wherein each of a plurality of the registered users that are independent suppliers or independent distributors has access to the sales data for the stores that they supply either directly or indirectly. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
-
-
42. The method as defined in claim 42, wherein the usage indicator includes an interface to input a growth amount, and calculates usage based in part on an independent store coverage factor and this growth amount.
-
43. A system for managing an independent supply chain, comprising independent suppliers, independent distributors, independent stores, and an independent supply chain manager with an independent supply chain manager computer connected together by a network, comprising:
-
a storage medium including a supply chain electronic database accessible via the network storing supplier master contracts between the independent supply chain manager and the independent suppliers, the supplier master contracts negotiated by the independent supply chain manager on behalf of the independent stores and/or the independent distributors, wherein each different supplier master contract is to supply at least one item to a set of the independent distributors, and storing distributor master contracts between the independent supply chain manager and the independent distributors, the distributor master contracts negotiated by the independent supply chain manager on behalf of the independent stores, wherein each of the distributor master contracts requires the distributor to receive items from at least one of the independent suppliers and to distribute the items to a set of the independent stores, wherein each of a plurality of the supplier contracts includes a term assigning a particular set of the independent distributors to the independent supplier to which to supply the at least one item, wherein each of a plurality of the distributor master contracts includes a term assigning a particular set of the independent stores to the independent distributor to which to distribute the at least one item, and further wherein each of a plurality of the supplier master contracts establishes a contract price for one of the items and an invoice price for that item and requires the independent supplier to bill the independent distributor at the invoice price, wherein the contract price for the item and the invoice price for the item are different; and
a set of processors for implementing the independent supply chain manager computer that use the storage medium and include among them the following logic elements logic for registering each of a plurality of the independent suppliers, the independent distributors and the independent stores as one of at least three types comprising suppliers, distributors and stores, and maintaining a list of registered users in the independent supply chain manager computer;
logic for receiving store sales data from a plurality of the independent stores utilizing the network, the store sales data comprising the sales of the goods by the independent stores, wherein the sales of the goods are made independently of the network;
logic for receiving data from the independent suppliers and/or the independent distributors utilizing the network, the data relating to the sales of the items from the independent suppliers to the independent distributors and including the number of items;
for the sales of items logic for electronically calculating an amount to be transferred from or to the independent supplier based on the number of items and the difference between the contract price and invoice price for the items;
logic for generating a communication or providing electronic access via the network to data relating to the amount to be transferred;
logic for automatically comparing at least one contract term in one of the master contracts for the items to received data relating to the sales of the items;
logic for automatically generating a signal if there is a discrepancy between the at least one contract term and the received data;
logic for providing an interface on the network to allow access by a registered user on the list to different data in the supply chain electronic database depending on the user type, wherein each of a plurality of the registered users that are independent suppliers or independent distributors has access to the sales data for the stores that they supply either directly or indirectly. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
-
-
65. A computer program product for managing an independent supply chain comprising independent suppliers, independent distributors, independent stores, and an independent supply chain manager with an independent supply chain manager computer connected together by a network, comprising:
-
a set of computer usable media having computer readable program code embodied among them to be executed by a computer, the computer readable program code comprising computer code for electronically accessing in a supply chain database via the network stored master contracts between the independent supply chain manager and the independent suppliers, the supplier master contracts negotiated by the independent supply chain manager on behalf of the independent stores and/or the independent distributors, wherein each different supplier master contract is to supply at least one item to a set of the independent distributors, and computer code for electronically accessing in the supply chain database via the network distributor master contracts between the independent supply chain manager and the independent distributors, the distributor master contracts negotiated by the independent supply chain manager on behalf of the independent stores, wherein each of the distributor master contracts requires the distributor to receive items from at least one of the independent suppliers and to distribute the items to a set of the independent stores, wherein each of a plurality of the supplier contracts includes a term assigning a particular set of the independent distributors to the independent supplier to which to supply the at least one item, wherein each of a plurality of the distributor master contracts includes a term assigning a particular set of the independent stores to the independent distributor to which to distribute the at least one item, and further wherein each of a plurality of the supplier master contracts establishes a contract price for one of the items and an invoice price for that item and requires the independent supplier to bill the independent distributor at the invoice price, wherein the contract price for the item and the invoice price for the item are different;
computer code for registering each of a plurality of the independent suppliers, the independent distributors and the independent stores as one of at least three types comprising suppliers, distributors and stores, and maintaining a list of registered users in the independent supply chain manager computer;
computer code for receiving store sales data from a plurality of the independent stores utilizing the network, the store sales data comprising the sale of the goods by the independent stores, wherein the sales of the goods are made independently of the network;
computer code for receiving data from the independent suppliers and/or the independent distributors utilizing the network, the data relating to the sale of the items from the independent suppliers to the independent distributors and including the number of items;
for the sales of items computer code for calculating an amount to be transferred from or to the independent supplier based on the number of items and the difference between the contract price and invoice price for the items;
computer code for generating a communication or providing access via the network to data relating to the amount to be transferred;
computer code for automatically comparing at least one contract term in one of the master contracts for the items to received data relating to the sales of the items;
computer code for automatically generating a signal if there is a discrepancy between the at least one contract term and the received data;
computer code for providing an interface on the network to allow access by a registered user on the list to different data in the supply chain database depending on the user type, wherein each of a plurality of the registered users that are independent suppliers or independent distributors has access to the sales data for the stores that they supply either directly or indirectly. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86)
-
Specification