Systems and methods to automatically activate distribution channels provided by business partners

• US 20070255604A1
• Filed: 05/01/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Seelig, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,754,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Systems and methods to automatically activate distribution channels to be provided by potential business partners are disclosed. An example method to enable activation of a distribution channel provided by a client company for a host company disclosed herein comprises obtaining information concerning the client company, automatically triggering at least some of a plurality of host company departments to process the information to evaluate at least one of the client company or the distribution channel, and automatically processing machine readable evaluation indicators provided by the at least some of the plurality of host company departments and representative of respective evaluation decisions associated with the at least some of the plurality of host company departments to determine an overall evaluation result.

Claims

1. A method to activate a distribution channel to be provided by a client company for a host company, the method comprising:

obtaining information concerning the client company;

automatically triggering at least some of a plurality of host company departments to process the information to evaluate at least one of the client company or the distribution channel; and

automatically processing machine readable evaluation indicators provided by the at least some of the plurality of host company departments and representative of respective evaluation decisions associated with the at least some of the plurality of host company departments to determine an overall evaluation result.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the information comprises at least one of characteristics of products to at least one of sell or purchase, characteristics of services to at least one of sell or purchase, client company distribution locations, pricing information, billing information, a non-disclosure agreement, partnership contract terms or distribution channel test information.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising at least one of acquiring a potential distribution channel provider, configuring parameters of the distribution channel, developing functionality of the distribution channel or verifying functionality of the distribution channel.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the plurality of host company departments comprises at least one of a sales department, a marketing department, an accounting department, a human resources department, an information technology department or a distribution department.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising storing the information in a central facility accessible by the plurality of host company departments.

6. A method as defined in claim 5 wherein storing the information in a central facility comprises processing the information with a partner relationship management application.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein automatically triggering the at least some of the plurality of host company departments to process the information comprises sending a message to the at least some of the plurality of host company departments over a communication network.

8. A method as defined in claim 7 wherein the message comprises at least one of an email message, an instant message, an automatic phone call or a voicemail message.

9. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein automatically processing the machine readable evaluation indicators provided by the at least some of the plurality of host company departments comprises receiving the machine readable evaluation indicators over a communication network.

10. A method as defined in claim 9 wherein the machine readable evaluation indicators comprise at least one of email messages, instant messages, automatic phone calls or voicemail messages.

11. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein automatically processing the machine readable evaluation indicators provided by the at least some of the plurality of host company departments comprises:

determining whether all required machine readable evaluation indicators have been received from the at least some of the plurality of host company departments; and

approving the at least one of the client company or the distribution channel when each required machine readable evaluation indicator received from each respective host company department indicates approval of the at least one of the client company or the distribution channel.

12. A method as defined in claim 11 further comprising sending a message to the client company to at least one of:

(1) indicate that the at least one of the client company or the distribution channel was approved, or (2) request additional information from the client company when the at least one of the client company or the distribution channel was not approved.

13. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising sending a message to the client company indicating that distribution channel activation is complete.

14. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising providing the client company with access to functionality associated with a partner relationship management application operating at the host company when the overall evaluation result indicates approval of the at least one of the client company or the distribution channel.

15-35. -35. (canceled)

36. A partner relationship management (PRM) system comprising:

an interface configured to obtain information concerning a client company in a distribution channel activation procedure to activate a distribution channel to be provided by the client company; and

a processing facility configured to;

(1) automatically trigger a first host company computer and a second host company computer to approve the information and (2) automatically process a first machine readable evaluation indicator provided by the first host company computer and a second machine readable evaluation indicator provided by the second host company computer to determine whether to activate the distribution channel.

37. A PRM system as defined in claim 36 wherein the interface is a first interface and further comprising a second interface to provide the client company with access to at least some features provided by the PRM system.

38. A PRM system as defined in claim 36 wherein the information comprises at least one of characteristics of products the client company proposes to at least one of sell or purchase, characteristics of services the client company proposes to at least one of sell or purchase, client company distribution locations, pricing information, billing information, a non-disclosure agreement or partnership contract terms.

39. A PRM system as defined in claim 36 wherein the first host company computer and the second host company computer are configured to approve the information based on difference criteria.

40. A PRM system as defined in claim 36 wherein the processing facility is configured to automatically trigger the first host company computer and the second host company computer by sending at least one of an email message or an instant message to the at least some of the plurality of host company departments.

41. A PRM system as defined in claim 36 wherein the machine readable evaluation indicators comprise at least one of email messages or instant messages.

42. A PRM system as defined in claim 36 wherein the processing facility is configured to automatically process the first machine readable evaluation indicator and the second machine readable evaluation indicator by:

determining whether the first machine readable evaluation indicator and the second machine readable evaluation indicator were received; and

permitting activation of the distribution channel when the first machine readable evaluation indicator and the second machine readable evaluation indicator indicate that the information was approved by the first host company computer and the second host company computer.

43. A PRM system as defined in claim 36 wherein the processing facility is further configured to provide the client company with access to functionality associated with the PRM system after activation of the distribution channel.

44. (canceled)

45. A distribution channel activator comprising:

a first interface configured to obtain information from a client company offering to provide a distribution channel for a host company;

a processor communicatively coupled with the first interface; and

a second interface communicatively coupled with the processor, wherein the processor is configured to;

(1) automatically send a trigger over the second interface to a host company department to initiate processing of the information and (2) automatically monitor for receipt of an indicator from the host company department over the second interface to indicate that processing of the information is complete.

46. A distribution channel activator as defined in claim 45 wherein the processor is at least one of implemented by a partner relationship management (PRM) application or configured to be communicatively coupled with a PRM application.

47. A distribution channel activator as defined in claim 46 wherein the PRM application is configured to be accessible by at least one of the host company department or the client company.

48. A distribution channel activator as defined in claim 45 wherein the processor is further configured to store the information in a location accessible by the host company department.

49. A distribution channel activator as defined in claim 48 wherein the information comprises machine readable information and the location comprises a database.

56. A distribution channel activator as defined in claim 45 wherein the first interface is configured to provide access to data entered into at least one of an electronic application or an electronic non-disclosure agreement.

57. A distribution channel activator as defined in claim 45 wherein the processor is further configured to prompt the client company to provide the information.

58. A distribution channel activator as defined in claim 45 wherein the processor is further configured to send a message to the client company after receipt of the indicator to at least one of:

(1) notify the client company of approval of the information or (2) request additional information from the client company.

59. A distribution channel activator as defined in claim 58 wherein the message comprises at least one of an email message, an instant message, and automated phone call or a voicemail message.

50-55. -55. (canceled)

60-62. -62. (canceled)

63. An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

obtain information corresponding to a potential distribution channel to be provided by a client company for a host company;

automatically trigger at least some of a plurality of host company departments to evaluate the information; and

automatically process machine readable evaluation indicators provided by the at least some of the plurality of host company departments and representative of respective evaluation decisions associated with the at least some of the plurality of host company departments to determine an overall evaluation result.

68. An article of manufacture defined in claim 63 wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to automatically process the machine readable evaluation indicators provided by the at least some of the plurality of host company departments by:

determining whether all required machine readable evaluation indicators have been received from the at least some of the plurality of host company departments; and

approving the information corresponding to the potential distribution channel when each required machine readable evaluation indicator received from each respective host company department indicates approval of the stored information.

69. An article of manufacture defined in claim 68 wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to send a message to the client company to at least one of:

(1) indicate that the information corresponding to the potential distribution channel was approved, or (2) request additional information from the client company when the information corresponding to the potential distribution channel was not approved.

64-67. -67. (canceled)