Methods and systems for consolidating purchase orders

• US 20060036507A1
• Filed: 08/01/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Inventors: Pujar, Aparna, Rao, Chalapathi
• Granted Patent: US 7,979,310 B2
• 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 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0637 Approvals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A method is provided for electronically ordering items. The method includes receiving consolidation information at a server computer. The consolidation information includes at least one consolidation criterion for determining how to consolidate purchase requests. The method further includes receiving a plurality of requests to purchase one or more items at the server computer and evaluating the requests, using the consolidation criterion. A purchase order, containing the items meeting the consolidation criteria, is transmitted from the server computer to a supplier a purchase order containing the items meeting the consolidation criterion.

Claims

1-23. -23. (canceled)

29. A computer system for electronically ordering items, the computer system comprising a processor, a memory and a computer readable medium, wherein the computer readable medium contains instructions executable by the processor to:

transmit to a requester computer a form having data fields for entering consolidation information;

receive consolidation information, the consolidation information comprising at least one consolidation criterion for determining how to consolidate purchase requests;

receive a plurality of requests to purchase one or more items;

evaluate the requests using the consolidation criterion; and

generate one or more consolidated purchase orders containing the items satisfying the consolidation criterion.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the computer system comprises a server computer and an associated database.