Customer inventory enhancement system

• US 20070179869A1
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Four Seasons Limited (FINO Seniorco Limited)
• Original Assignee: Four Seasons Limited (FINO Seniorco Limited)
• Inventors: Cochrum, Gordon
• Application Number:
  US11/343,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20070179869A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

A system, apparatus and process are disclosed for enhancing the business of a customer. The system inputs the inventory of individual components held by the customer and compares the individual components to a table of kits listing the individual components used in each kit. The system provides the customer with information regarding the kits that are formed by the customer'"'"'s inventory of individual components and permits the customer to sell the individual components as kits or virtual kits without requiring the individual components to physically be inventoried in a single box or container.

Claims

1. An information processing method is provided which is used to correlate individual components in a customer inventory to a kit containing selected ones of the individual components comprising the steps of:

receiving inventory information from the customer containing the customer inventory of the individual components;

comparing the customer inventory of individual components to a table of kits listing the individual components used in the kits to determine the kits that are formed by the customer inventory of individual components to inform the customer what kits are in inventory.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of preparing a catalog of the kits in inventory for the customer.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of extracting individual components from the customer inventory of individual components that are not part of the kits in inventory.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the individual components are used in the repair of an automotive air conditioner.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein at least one individual component is an air conditioning compressor.

6. A virtual kit having a plurality of individual components formed by receiving inventory information from a customer containing the customer inventory of the individual components and comparing the customer inventory of individual components to a list of individual components necessary in the virtual kit to insure that all the individual components are in inventory to form the virtual kit.

7. The virtual kit of claim 6 wherein at least one of the individual components is an air conditioning compressor.

8. A system for correlating individual components in a customer inventory to a virtual kit containing selected ones of the individual components comprising:

inventory information from the customer containing the customer inventory of the individual components;

an apparatus to compare the customer inventory of individual components to a table of kits listing the individual components used in the kits to determine the kits that are formed by the customer inventory of individual components to create data informing the customer what kits are in inventory.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the individual components are components for the repair of automotive air conditioning systems.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the kits included components to repair an automotive air conditioning system.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the kits are ranked in the table by the number of automobiles in operation in which the kit can be used.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the kits are ranked in the table by the number of automobiles in operation in a state in which the kit can be used.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the kits are ranked in the table by the number of automobiles in operation in the area of business of the customer in which the kit can be used.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the kits are ranked in the table by the number of automobiles in operation of a specific type serviced by the customer in which the kit can be used.