CUSTOMER-SPECIFIC MERCHANDISING PROGRAM

• US 20100036714A1
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mars Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mars Incorporated
• Inventors: Chow, Terry
• Granted Patent: US 8,036,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

The invention is directed to facilitating the planning and ordering of a merchandising unit and associated products. A merchandising unit planning screen is presented that displays a representation of a merchandising unit having holders for holding and displaying the products. A product menu is provided for each holder to allow selection of a product from a set of products for each respective holder. Available choices in the product menu of at least one holder are constraining to a subset of the set of products based on predetermined criteria. For each holder for which a product has been selected, a product quantity is determined based on a capacity of the respective holder. An order is generated based on the selected products.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating planning and ordering by a user of a merchandising unit and associated products, the method comprising steps of:

presenting to the user, on a computer screen, a merchandising unit planning screen that displays a representation of a merchandising unit having holders for holding and displaying the associated products;

providing, on the computer screen, a product menu for each holder to allow selection by the user of a product from a set of products for the holder;

constraining, by computer processing, available choices in the product menu of at least one holder to a subset of the set of products based on predetermined criteria;

determining, by computer processing, for each holder for which a product has been selected, a product quantity based on a capacity of the holder; and

generating, by computer processing, an order based on the selected products.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined criteria include an availability for shipment of each product within a selected time period for the product quantity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined criteria include a profitability of each product for the product quantity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined criteria include a marketing goal for each product.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined criteria are established on a customer-specific basis.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined criteria are based on geographic sales data.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a total product quantity for each selected product based on the product quantity for each holder.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an estimated shipping date for the merchandising unit.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an image of the merchandising unit having images of the selected products for each respective holder.

3. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

7-8. -8. (canceled)

12-15. -15. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

19-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A programmed computer system for facilitating planning and ordering of a merchandising unit and associated products, the system comprising a server that includes:

means for presenting a merchandising unit planning screen that displays a representation of a merchandising unit having holders for holding and displaying the associated products;

means for providing a product menu for each holder to allow selection of a product from a set of products for the holder;

means for constraining available choices in the product menu of at least one holder to a subset of the set of products based on predetermined criteria;

means for determining, for each holder for which a product has been selected, a product quantity based on a capacity of the holder; and

means for generating an order based on selected products.

28. The programmed computer system of claim 27, wherein the server further includes means for determining a total product quantity for each selected product based on the product quantity for each holder.

29. The programmed computer system of claim 27, wherein the server further includes means for displaying a list of the selected products with a corresponding total product quantity for each selected product.

30. The programmed computer system of claim 27, wherein the server further includes means for generating shipping size and weight information for the merchandising unit.

31. The programmed computer system of claim 27, wherein the server further includes means for generating a sell sheet providing a list of the selected products with a corresponding total product quantity for each selected product, shipping size and weight information for the merchandising unit, and a universal product code.

32. The programmed computer system of claim 31, wherein the server further includes means for exporting sell sheet data for automatic input into a customer database.

33. The programmed computer system of claim 27, wherein the server further includes means for determining an estimated shipping date for the merchandising unit.

34. The programmed computer system of claim 27, wherein the server further includes means for generating a schedule providing a representation of a sales period of the selected products.

35. The programmed computer system of claim 27, wherein the server further includes means for generating an image of the merchandising unit having images of the selected products for each holder.

36. The programmed computer system of claim 35, wherein the server further includes means for generating an image of a display unit showing the merchandising unit positioned in the display unit.

37-39. -39. (canceled)

40. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer code that, when executed by a computer, facilitates planning and ordering of a merchandising unit and associated products, wherein the computer code includes code for:

presenting a merchandising unit planning screen that displays a representation of a merchandising unit having holders for holding and displaying the associated products;

providing a product menu for each holder to allow selection of a product from a set of products for each holder;

constraining available choices in the product menu of at least one holder to a subset of the set of products based on predetermined criteria;

determining, for each holder for which a product has been selected, a product quantity based on a capacity of the holder; and

generating an order based on selected products.

41-60. -60. (canceled)