Network-based business process for improving performance of businesses

• US 20080059279A1
• Filed: 06/22/2001
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blake, Michael D., Goldschneider, James D.
• Application Number:
  US09/887,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20080059279A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The present invention relates to a network-based business process. The process allows a business owner through a logon procedure on his computer to access, preferably via a website, the process of the present invention loaded on a host computer. The customer then accesses a main menu having one or more business tools suitable for improving the performance of businesses and is then requested to choose one of the business tools. The customer then enters customer business data as per instructions provided on the web page of the selected business tool. The process of the present invention then processes the entered data and provides a business solution to the customer. The menu includes several important business tools, such as plant capacity planner, determining optimal sales potential of the business, run charts, plant layout, business evaluation, sales & production tracker, work-in-process, etc. The process of the present invention is suitable for any business, but it is especially suitable for small businesses that may not be able to afford expensive consultants or personnel to run sophisticated programs necessary to improve business efficiency and profit margins. Some of the suitable businesses include, an auto collision repair shops, machine shops, grocery stores, butcher shops, barber shops, and manufacturing plants.

Claims

1. A network-based business process comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving an Initial request from a customer computer linked with a host computer through a network;

(b) completing a log-on procedure to allow the customer computer to access said host computer having a main menu comprising business tools suitable for improving performance of a customer;

(c) requesting the customer computer to choose one of said business tools from said menu;

(d) requesting the customer computer to enter customer business data required for business performance analysis in said chosen business tool;

(e) processing said data through an algorithmic module of said chosen business tool to carry out a business analysis for said business tool; and

(f) providing a business solution based on said business analysis to said customer computer to identify process problems and poor financial performance of said customer.

2. The process of claim 1 further comprises the steps of:

requesting the customer computer to deposit a payment before said step (c); and

authenticating the receipt of said payment deposited by the customer computer.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein said log-on procedure in said step (b) comprises the steps of:

ascertaining identity of said customer computer to determine whether said customer computer is a new user computer or a current user computer,

requesting for said new user computer to enter new customer information into said host computer,

generating customer identification information,

sending a customer identity data to the new user computer for allowing access in future to said host computer, and

allowing said new user computer access to said main menu

4. The process of claim 1 wherein said log-on procedure in said step (b) comprises the steps of:

ascertaining Identity of said customer computer to determine whether said customer computer is a new user computer or a current user computer,

requesting for said current user computer to enter a customer identity data for matching against a current customer identity data stored on the host computer;

allowing said current user computer access to said main menu.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein one of said business tools in said main menu is PAINT DEPARTMENT OPTIMIZER.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein said step (c) further comprises providing instructions for using said chosen business tool.

7. The process of claim 6 further comprises providing said customer computer on-line help for using said chosen business tool.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein said stop (d) further comprises analyzing validity of said customer business data against a preprogrammed paradigm for said chosen business tool.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein said step (f) further comprises offering said customer computer on-line help to explain said business solution.

10. The process of any one of claims 1 through 9 wherein said network comprises internet.

34. The process of claim 5 wherein said step (e) for said business tool for said PAINT DEPARTMENT OPTIMIZER comprises the steps of:

tabulating monthly total sales, paint &

materials revenues, paint &

materials purchase cost, number of paint mixes made, average cost per paint mix, number of completed repair orders, average cost per said repair order, wherein the average total sales per number of repair orders is calculated by using the following formula;

35. The process of claim 34 wherein said business solution in said step (f) comprises tracking current performance of a paint department of said customer against a performance goal by:

comparing said percent gross profit on paint &

materials on a monthly and annual basis against a percent industry standard gross profit for paint &

materials for a comparable business accessed from a standardized performance database;

comparing said percent cost for paint &

materials as percentage of said total sales on a monthly and annual basis against said percent goal cost for paint &

materials as percentage of said total sales; and

comparing said number of paint mixes made, average cost per paint mix, number of completed repair orders and average cost per said repair order on a monthly and annual basis against industry standards of a comparable business accessed from a standardized performance database.

36. The process of claim 35 wherein said desired percent rate is 0.1% to 5%.

37. The process of claim 35 or 36 wherein said number of paint mixes made, average cost per paint mix, number of completed repair orders and average cost per said repair order are compared against upper 25^th percentile of comparable businesses accessed from said standardized performance database.

49. The process of claim 1 or 5 wherein said customer is a collision repair shop.

11-33. -33. (canceled)

38-48. -48. (canceled)

50-68. -68. (canceled)

59. A network-based business process comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving an initial request from a customer computer linked with a host computer through a network;

(b) completing a log-on procedure to allow the customer computer to access said host computer having a main menu comprising a business tool suitable for improving performance of a customer;

(c) requesting the customer computer to enter customer business data required for business performance analysis in said business tool;

(e) processing said data through an algorithmic module of said business tool to carry out a business analysis for said business tool; and

(f) providing a business solution based on said business analysis to said customer computer to identify process problems and poor financial performance of said customer.

6O. A network-based business process consisting of the steps of;

(a) receiving an initial request from a customer computer linked with a host computer through a network;

(b) completing a log-on procedure to allow the customer computer to access said host computer having a main menu comprising business tools suitable for improving performance of a customer;

(c) requesting the customer computer to choose one of said business tools from said menu;

(d) requesting the customer computer to enter customer business data required for business performance analysis in said chosen business tool;

(e) processing said data through an algorithmic module of said chosen business tool to carry out a business analysis for said business tool; and

(f) providing a business solution based on said business analysis to said customer computer to identify process problems and poor financial performance of said customer.