Industrial it system for production of distribution power transformers

• US 20050256776A1
• Filed: 04/30/2003
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Bayoumi, Deia Salah-Eldin, Vick, William J.
• Application Number:
  US10/513,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20050256776A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

An order for a product from a customer by way of a website viewed on a display device of a customer computer is received and reviewed. An optimization across a plurality of manufacturing plants is requested, where each plant has a product manufacturing capacity, and the optimization takes place according to the capacity. The optimization is then received and a determination whether to confirm the order is made. If the order is confirmed, materials are ordered and a hold is placed on all or part of the capacity. Finally, an automated payment process is initiated with the customer.

Claims

1. A system for integrating customer participation in an ordering process, comprising:

a sales computer operatively connected to a customer computer, wherein the sales computer receives an order for a product from a customer by way of a website viewed on a display device of the customer computer,

a management computer operatively connected to the sales computer by way of a communications network, wherein the management computer receives order information from the sales computer,

a project processing server operatively connected to the sales computer, wherein the project processing server receives a request for an optimization across a plurality of manufacturing plants, each plant having a product manufacturing capacity, performs the optimization according to the capacity, and transmits the optimization to the sales computer; and

wherein the sales computer receives the optimization, determines whether to confirm the order and, if so, orders materials and places a hold on all or part of the capacity, and initiates an automated payment process with the customer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the product is an electrical power transformer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the order is an email transmitted by the customer computer to the sales computer by way of the communications network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the order is a form made available by the website and completed by the customer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications network is a first communications network, and the management computer is operatively connected to the sales computer by way of a second communications network.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first communications network and the second communications network are the same network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sales computer reviews the order, determines whether the order is valid and, if not, transmits an error message to the customer computer.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the management computer transmits input information to the sales computer, and wherein the sales computer determines whether to confirm the order according to the input information.

9. A method of integrating customer participation in an ordering process, comprising:

receiving an order for a product from a customer by way of a website viewed on a display device of a customer computer,

reviewing the order;

requesting an optimization across a plurality of manufacturing plants, each plant having a product manufacturing capacity, wherein the optimization takes place according to the capacity;

receiving the optimization;

determining whether to confirm the order and, if so, ordering materials and placing a hold on all or part of the capacity; and

initiating an automated payment process with the customer.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving the order as an email transmitted by the customer computer.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving the order as a completed form, wherein the form is provided by the website.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein reviewing the order comprises creating the form so as to enable the customer to select only predetermined criteria.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein reviewing the order is performed automatically by a sales computer, wherein the sales computer the sales computer is operatively connected to the customer computer by way of a communications network.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing order information to a management entity.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving input information from the management entity.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining whether to confirm the order takes place according to the input information received from the management entity.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining whether to confirm the order takes place according to the input information received from the management entity.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing order information to the customer.