Method and System for Multi-Enterprise Optimization Using Flexible Trade Contracts
First Claim
1. A computer-readable medium having encoded theron software for supply chain activity optimization involving multiple enterprises at a seller computer system, the computer-readable medium comprising instructions to:
- receive, as part of an automatic collaborative negotiation, one or more proposed flexible trade contracts from a buyer computer system for automatic evaluation and possible acceptance, each proposed flexible trade contract reflecting a buyer'"'"'s forecasted demand for at least one item;
automatically and without user input subsequent to receiving a proposed flexible trade contract from the buyer computer system, as part of the automatic collaborative negotiation, evaluate the proposed flexible trade contract to determine whether the proposed flexible trade contract is acceptable;
automatically and without user input subsequent to evaluating the proposed flexible trade contract, as part of the automatic collaborative negotiation;
if the proposed flexible trade contract is acceptable, accept the proposed flexible trade contract; and
if the proposed flexible trade contract is not acceptable, generate at least one modification of the proposed flexible trade contract and communicate the modification to the buyer computer system for automatic evaluation and possible acceptance;
subsequent to execution of a flexible trade contract created based on the proposed flexible trade contract as a result of the automatic collaborative negotiation, take one or more actions to perform under the executed flexible trade contract; and
subsequent to execution of the flexible trade contract created based on the proposed flexible trade contract as a result of the automatic collaborative negotiation, take one or more actions to enforce the executed flexible trade contract.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of multi-enterprise optimization at a buyer computer includes accessing a forecasted demand for at least one item and generating one or more proposed flexible trade contracts using the forecasted demand for the item. The proposed flexible trade contract is communicated to a seller computer and subsequently executed after acceptance of the proposed flexible trade contract at the seller computer to create a flexible trade contract. Each proposed flexible trade contract may be a forward contract, an option contract, or a flexible forward contract.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer-readable medium having encoded theron software for supply chain activity optimization involving multiple enterprises at a seller computer system, the computer-readable medium comprising instructions to:
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receive, as part of an automatic collaborative negotiation, one or more proposed flexible trade contracts from a buyer computer system for automatic evaluation and possible acceptance, each proposed flexible trade contract reflecting a buyer'"'"'s forecasted demand for at least one item; automatically and without user input subsequent to receiving a proposed flexible trade contract from the buyer computer system, as part of the automatic collaborative negotiation, evaluate the proposed flexible trade contract to determine whether the proposed flexible trade contract is acceptable; automatically and without user input subsequent to evaluating the proposed flexible trade contract, as part of the automatic collaborative negotiation; if the proposed flexible trade contract is acceptable, accept the proposed flexible trade contract; and if the proposed flexible trade contract is not acceptable, generate at least one modification of the proposed flexible trade contract and communicate the modification to the buyer computer system for automatic evaluation and possible acceptance; subsequent to execution of a flexible trade contract created based on the proposed flexible trade contract as a result of the automatic collaborative negotiation, take one or more actions to perform under the executed flexible trade contract; and subsequent to execution of the flexible trade contract created based on the proposed flexible trade contract as a result of the automatic collaborative negotiation, take one or more actions to enforce the executed flexible trade contract. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for supply chain activity optimization involving multiple enterprises, comprising:
a computer system configured to; generate, at a buyer computer system, one or more proposed flexible trade contracts for at least one item using a forecasted demand received from a seller computer system and communicate the proposed flexible trade contract to the seller computer system to initiate an automatic collaborative negotiation; receive the proposed flexible trade contract at the seller computer system and evaluate the proposed flexible trade contract to determine whether the proposed flexible trade contract is acceptable; automatically subsequent to evaluating the proposed flexible trade contract at the seller computer system, as part of the automatic collaborative negotiation; if the proposed flexible trade contract is acceptable, accept the proposed flexible trade contract; and if the proposed flexible trade contract is not acceptable, generate at least one modification of the proposed flexible trade contract and communicate the at least one modification to the buyer computer system; receive the at least one modification of the proposed flexible trade contract at the buyer computer system and evaluate the at least one modification to determine whether the modification is acceptable; if the at least one modification of the proposed flexible trade contract is acceptable, accept the modified proposed flexible trade contract; and if the at least one modification of the proposed flexible trade contract is not acceptable, communicate with the seller computer system in a series of rounds in which the buyer computer system and the seller computer system successively propose one or more further counter-modifications of the proposed flexible trade contract for automatic evaluation and possible acceptance to create a flexible trade contract based on the proposed flexible trade contract; subsequent to execution of a flexible trade contract created based on the proposed flexible trade contract as a result of the automatic collaborative negotiation, taking one or more actions to perform under the executed flexible trade contract; and subsequent to execution of the flexible trade contract created based on the proposed flexible trade contract as a result of the automatic collaborative negotiation, taking one or more actions to enforce the executed flexible trade contract.
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20. A computer-implemented method of supply chain activity optimization involving multiple enterprises, comprising:
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generating one or more proposed flexible trade contracts for at least one item using a forecasted demand received from a seller computer system and communicating the proposed flexible trade contract to the seller computer system to initiate an automatic collaborative negotiation; receiving the proposed flexible trade contract at the seller computer system and evaluating the proposed flexible trade contract to determine whether the proposed flexible trade contract is acceptable; automatically subsequent to evaluating the proposed flexible trade contract at the seller computer system, as part of the automatic collaborative negotiation; accepting the proposed flexible trade contract, if the proposed flexible trade contract is acceptable; and generating at least one modification of the proposed flexible trade contract and communicating the at least one modification to the buyer computer system, if the proposed flexible trade contract is not acceptable; receiving the at least one modification of the proposed flexible trade contract at the buyer computer system and evaluating the at least one modification to determine whether the modification is acceptable; accepting the modified proposed flexible trade contract, if the at least one modification of the proposed flexible trade contract is acceptable; and communicating with the seller computer system in a series of rounds in which the buyer computer system and the seller computer system successively propose one or more further counter-modifications of the proposed flexible trade contract for automatic evaluation and possible acceptance to create a flexible trade contract based on the proposed flexible trade contract, if the at least one modification of the proposed flexible trade contract is not acceptable; subsequent to execution of a flexible trade contract created based on the proposed flexible trade contract as a result of the automatic collaborative negotiation, taking one or more actions to perform under the executed flexible trade contract; and subsequent to execution of the flexible trade contract created based on the proposed flexible trade contract as a result of the automatic collaborative negotiation, taking one or more actions to enforce the executed flexible trade contract.
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Specification