Methods and Systems for Accessing Information Related to an Order of a Commodity

• US 20090254460A1
• Filed: 05/08/2009
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trace Produce LLC
• Original Assignee: Trace Produce LLC
• Inventors: Farmer, James G., Farmer, Joseph W., Farmer, Charles W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,407,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining

Abstract

A commodity inspection method, including gathering inspection information from a commodity lot; collecting grower, field, and packing information associated with the commodity lot; recording purchase orders associated with the commodity lot; assigning a trace code to each of the purchase orders; entering the inspection information, the grower, field, and packing information, the purchase orders, and the trace codes into a central database; updating a content of a web-based application with the inspection information, the grower, field, and packing information, the purchase orders, and the trace codes within the central database; and allowing the customer to access the inspection information, and the grower, field, and packing information, by entering one of the trace codes into the web-based application; wherein each of the purchase orders associated with the commodity lot is linked within the web-based application; and wherein the method incorporates Global Standards One (GS1) standards.

Claims

1. A commodity inspection method, comprising:

gathering inspection information from a commodity lot;

collecting grower, field, and packing information associated with said commodity lot;

recording purchase orders associated with said commodity lot;

assigning a trace code to each of said purchase orders;

entering said inspection information, said grower, field, and packing information, said purchase orders, and said trace codes into a central database;

updating a content of a web-based application with said inspection information, said grower, field, and packing information, said purchase orders, and said trace codes within said central database; and

allowing said customer to access said inspection information, and said grower, field, and packing information, by entering one of said trace codes into said web-based application;

wherein each of said purchase orders associated with said commodity lot is linked within said web-based application; and

wherein said method incorporates Global Standards One (GS1) standards.

2. The commodity inspection method of claim 1, wherein an account is created with said database in order to enter said inspection information, said grower, field, and packaging information, and said trace codes into said database, said account being associated with a facility identification code.

3. The commodity inspection method of claim 2, wherein said facility identification code is incorporated into a GS1-128 barcode.

4. The commodity inspection method of claim 2, wherein said facility identification code is incorporated into a Global Trade Identification Number.

5. The commodity inspection method of claim 4, wherein said Global Trade Identification Number comprises digits representing at least a Company Prefix and a reference number.

6. The commodity inspection method of claim 2, wherein said facility identification code is associated with a shipper account.

7. The community inspection method of claim 6, wherein suppliers not in said database are included in said facility identification code associated with said shipper account.

8. The commodity inspection method of claim 1, wherein entering said inspection information, said grower, field, and packaging information, and said trace codes into said database can be done first into a software program and later uploaded to a corresponding website account, according to internet availability.

9. The commodity inspection method of claim 1, wherein a lot code associated with a product is assigned to at least one lot record within said database, depending on a source location of contents of said product.

10. The commodity inspection method of claim 9, wherein said lot code is assigned to a plurality of lot records within said database when said contents of said product originate from different source locations.

11. The commodity inspection method of claim 9, wherein a plurality of lot records within said database are assigned to a new lot record when said contents of said product originate from different source locations, such that said lot code is assigned to said new lot record.

12. The commodity inspection method of claim 1, wherein when a first company packs a product with a label of a second company, said second company assigns a company number to said first company within internal systems of said second company.

13. The commodity inspection method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of videos are associated to an individual lot, such that all of said videos are accessible upon searching for a lot code of said individual lot.

14. The commodity inspection method of claim 1, further comprising printing a lot code associated with said commodity lot is on stickers and attaching said stickers to each individual item of said commodity lot.

15. The commodity inspection method of claim 14, wherein said stickers are attached to said individual items of said commodity lot as said individual items pass through a packing line sizer comprising labeling machines.

16. A commodity inspection method, comprising:

gathering inspection information from a commodity lot;

collecting grower, field, and packing information associated with said commodity lot;

recording purchase orders associated with said commodity lot;

assigning a trace code to each of said purchase orders;

entering said inspection information, said grower, field, and packing information, said purchase orders, and said trace codes into a central database;

updating a content of a web-based application with said inspection information, said grower, field, and packing information, said purchase orders, and said trace codes within said central database; and

allowing said customer to access said inspection information, and said grower, field, and packing information, by entering one of said trace codes into said web-based application;

wherein each of said purchase orders associated with said commodity lot is linked within said web-based application; and

wherein a shipper packing said purchase orders in a label of a separate brand owner labels said purchase orders with an identification code of said separate brand owner, and said separate brand owner assigns a company number to said shipper that represents said shipper in said separate brand owner'"'"'s records.

17. A system for allowing a customer to access information related to an order of a commodity selected from a source lot, said system comprising:

a server configured to store said information in a central database, said information including inspection information corresponding to the source lot of said order of said commodity including either an inspection photograph or an inspection multi-media recording of said source lot of said commodity and at least one or more of sales information, shipping information, pack out information, inventory information, and tracing information corresponding to said order of said commodity;

one or more terminals having one or more applications configured to enter said information into said central database; and

a web-based application configured to allow said customer to access said information within said central database;

wherein said system incorporates Global Standards One (GS1) standards.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said system comprises a facility identification code assigned to an account created through said web-based application, such that when said facility identification code is entered into said web-based application, data associated with said account is retrieved.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said GS1 standards use a Global Trade Identification Number (GTIN) on a GS1-128 barcode, said GTIN comprising at least a ‘

Company Prefix’

assigned to said source lot.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said GS1-128 barcode also comprises a company number assigned to a shipper by a brand owner, when said shipper packs and ships in a label of said brand owner different than a label of said shipper.