FACILITATING MULTI-PHASE ELECTRONIC BID EVALUATION
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method facilitating a multi-phase evaluation for a bidding between a buyer and a plurality of suppliers, said method comprising:
- receiving a plurality of information packets in a digital processing system, wherein each information packet is received from a corresponding one of said plurality of suppliers as a bid, wherein each of said plurality of information packets contains information elements associated with corresponding one of a sequence of phases;
receiving in said digital processing system an indication indicating that a specific phase of said bidding is to be evaluated starting at a time instance;
allowing to said buyer access of information elements associated with said specific phase only after said time instance and access of information elements associated with a previous phase before said time instance, said allowing being performed in said digital processing system,wherein said previous phase and said specific phase are contained in said sequence of phases and said previous phase is prior to said specific phase in an order specified in said sequence of phases.
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Abstract
A computer implemented approach to facilitate multi-phase bid evaluation. In one embodiment, a digital processing system receives information packets (corresponding to bids) from different suppliers containing information elements associated with one of a sequence of phases. On receiving an indication (from a buyer) that a specific phase of the bidding is to be evaluated starting at a time instance, the system allows the buyer access of elements associated with the specific phase only after the time instance, while allowing access to elements associated with a previous phase (occurring prior to the specific phase in the sequence of phases) even before the time instance. In a scenario where the suppliers who have successfully qualified in the previous phase are received, the system allows access of elements associated with the specific phase corresponding only to the qualified suppliers in response to the indication.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method facilitating a multi-phase evaluation for a bidding between a buyer and a plurality of suppliers, said method comprising:
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receiving a plurality of information packets in a digital processing system, wherein each information packet is received from a corresponding one of said plurality of suppliers as a bid, wherein each of said plurality of information packets contains information elements associated with corresponding one of a sequence of phases; receiving in said digital processing system an indication indicating that a specific phase of said bidding is to be evaluated starting at a time instance; allowing to said buyer access of information elements associated with said specific phase only after said time instance and access of information elements associated with a previous phase before said time instance, said allowing being performed in said digital processing system, wherein said previous phase and said specific phase are contained in said sequence of phases and said previous phase is prior to said specific phase in an order specified in said sequence of phases. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A machine readable medium storing one or more sequences of instructions for causing a system to facilitate a multi-phase evaluation for a bidding between a buyer and a plurality of suppliers, wherein execution of said one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors contained in said system causes said system to perform the actions of:
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receiving a plurality of information packets, wherein each information packet is received from a corresponding one of said plurality of suppliers as a bid, wherein each of said plurality of information packets contains information elements associated with corresponding one of a sequence of phases; receiving a first indication indicating that a specific phase of said bidding is to be evaluated, wherein said specific phase is contained in said sequence of phases; allowing to said buyer access of information elements only associated with said specific phase in response to said first indication; receiving a second indication indicating that evaluation of said specific phase is complete and that the evaluation of a later phase is to be commenced, wherein said later phase is also contained in said sequence of phases and follows said specific phase in an order specified in said sequence of phases; and allowing to said buyer access of information elements associated with said later phase in response to said second indication. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computing system comprising:
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a buyer system enabling a buyer to send a request data specifying that the evaluation of a bidding is to be conducted in a sequence of phases; a plurality of suppliers systems enabling a plurality of suppliers to send a corresponding one of a plurality of information packets as a bid in response to said bidding, wherein each of said plurality of information packets contains specific information elements associated with corresponding one of said sequence of phases; a data store to maintain said plurality of information packets received from said plurality of suppliers; and a bidding manager to allow access to said buyer of information elements only associated with a specific phase in response to a first indication indicating that said specific phase is to be evaluated and to allow access of information elements associated with a later phase in response to a second indication indicating that evaluation of said specific phase is complete and that the evaluation of a later phase is to be commenced, wherein said specific phase and said later phase are contained in said sequence of phases and said later phase follows said specific phase in an order specified in said sequence of phases. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification