System and method for network-based purchasing

• US 20090043670A1
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boundless Network, Inc. (Zazzle, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Boundless Network, Inc. (Zazzle, Inc.)
• Inventors: Black, Jason, Johansson, Henrik
• Granted Patent: US 8,065,192 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Systems and methods for organizational purchasing are disclosed herein. More specifically, in certain embodiments a campaign corresponding to a product may be created and potential buyers informed of the campaign. These potential buyers may then themselves purchase the product in association with the campaign. In this manner not only are potential buyers informed that a product is being offered to one or more other buyers but the purchases of the individual buyers in association with the campaign may be aggregated to, for example, achieve a lower purchasing cost for each buyer relative to what the buyer would have paid if he had purchased only the quantity of product he desired.

Claims

1. A method for network based purchasing, comprising:

creating a campaign, where the campaign comprises a product, an expiration date and a default tiered pricing matrix including one or more ranges of product quantities and associated prices;

determining an initial set of potential buyers within a set of organizations;

distributing a notification regarding the campaign to each of the initial set of potential buyers;

providing a default location associated with the campaign, where potential buyers may purchase the product in association with the campaign at the default location; and

determining a first aggregate purchase quantity by aggregating a quantity of the product associated with a set of purchases made by the potential buyers before the occurrence of the campaign expiration date, where a first finalized price charged in association with each purchase is based on the first aggregate purchase quantity.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating an organization specific campaign associated with the campaign, where the organization specific campaign comprises an organization specific expiration date and an organization specific tiered pricing matrix including one or more ranges of product quantities and associated prices.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing an organization specific location corresponding to an organization in the set of organizations, wherein the organization specific location is associated with the campaign and potential buyers associated with the organization may purchase the product in association with the campaign at the organization specific location.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the default location is a campaign web page at a website.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the organization specific location is a second web page at the website.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining a first current aggregate purchase quantity during the campaign; and

updating the default location based upon the first current aggregate purchase quantity.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a second current aggregate purchase quantity associated with the organization during the campaign; and

updating the organization specific location based upon the second current aggregate purchase quantity.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first finalized price corresponds to an associated price in the default tiered pricing matrix which is associated with the range of product quantities into which the first aggregate purchase quantity corresponds.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a second aggregate purchase quantity by aggregating a quantity of the product associated with a set of purchases made by the potential buyers within the organization, wherein a second finalized price corresponds to an associated price in the organization specific tiered pricing matrix which is associated with the range of product quantities into which the second aggregate purchase quantity corresponds.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the communication is an email.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the email comprises a link to the default location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the email comprises a link to the organization specific location.

13. A system for network based purchasing, comprising:

an campaign administration application operable to provide a set of interfaces to allow a campaign to be created, where the creation of the campaign comprises a selection of a product, the specification of a campaign expiration date and a default tiered pricing matrix including one or more ranges of product quantities and associated price and distribution of a communication regarding the campaign to an initial set of potential buyers within a set of organizations;

a recipient filter application operable to allow a user to select the initial set of potential buyers;

a buyer application operable to provide a default location associated with the campaign, where potential buyers may purchase the product in association with the campaign at the default location; and

an order management application operable to determine a first aggregate purchase quantity by aggregating a quantity of the product associated with each purchase made by the potential buyers before the occurrence of the campaign expiration date, where a first finalized price charged in association with each purchase is based on the first aggregate purchase quantity.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the campaign administration application is further operable to create an organization specific campaign associated with the campaign, where the organization specific campaign comprises an organization specific expiration date and an organization specific tiered pricing matrix including one or more ranges of product quantities and associated prices.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the buyer application is further operable to an organization specific location corresponding to an organization in the set of organizations, wherein the organization specific location is associated with the campaign and potential buyers associated with the organization may purchase the product in association with the campaign at the organization specific location.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the default location is a campaign web page at a website.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the organization specific location is a second web page at the website.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the order management application is further operable to:

determine a first current aggregate purchase quantity during the campaign; and

update the default location based upon the first current aggregate purchase quantity.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the order management application is further operable to:

determine a second current aggregate purchase quantity associated with the organization during the campaign; and

update the organization specific location based upon the second current aggregate purchase quantity.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first finalized price corresponds to an associated price in the default tiered pricing matrix which is associated with the range of product quantities into which the aggregate purchase quantity corresponds.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the order management application is further operable to determine a second aggregate purchase quantity by aggregating a quantity of the product associated with a set of purchases made by the potential buyers within the organization, wherein a second finalized price corresponds to an associated price in the organization specific tiered pricing matrix which is associated with the range of product quantities into which the second aggregate purchase quantity corresponds.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the communication is an email.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the email comprises a link to the default location.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the email comprises a link to the organization specific location.