BUYER/SUPPLIER NETWORK COLLABORATION AND BIDS POLICY

• US 20130085884A1
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ariba Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Ariba Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Himatsingka, Bhaskar, O'Sullivan, Cathal, Nadaf, Anwar, Keshavamurthy, Raghavendra
• Application Number:
  US13/249,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20130085884A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

Embodiments of method, systems and apparatuses for dynamic collaboration of a buyer/supplier network are disclosed. One method includes providing a buyer with a catalog or non-catalog item. A collaboration request is submitted by the buyer, thereby initiating a negotiation with one or more suppliers. The collaboration request is provided to the one or more suppliers. A proposal is received from at least one of the suppliers, and the buyer provides an acceptance or a rejection to each received proposal. An embodiment further specifies that the buyer collaborate with at least N suppliers, wherein N is selected by the buyer.

Claims

1. A computer-method of dynamic collaboration of a buyer/supplier network, comprising:

providing a buyer with a catalog or non-catalog item;

receiving, by the buyer/supplier network, a collaboration request submitted by the buyer, thereby initiating a negotiation with one or more suppliers;

providing, by the buyer/supplier network, the collaboration request to the one or more suppliers;

receiving, by the buyer/supplier network, a proposal from at least one of the suppliers; and

receiving, by the buyer/supplier network, an acceptance or a rejection to each received proposal from the buyer.

2. The computer-method of claim 1, further comprising:

the buyer collaborating with at least N suppliers; and

the buyer receiving at least N proposals from the suppliers.

3. The computer-method of claim 2, further comprising collaborating, by the buyer, the purchase of a service.

4. The computer-method of claim 2, wherein if proposals are not received from at least N suppliers, the collaboration is halted.

5. The computer-method of claim 2, further comprising the buyer accepting or rejecting each of the at least N bids.

6. The computer-method of claim 2, wherein N is dependent on a requisition amount.

7. The computer-method of claim 2, wherein N is dependent on a purchasing unit.

8. The computer-method of claim 2, wherein the N is dependent on a company code.

9. The computer-method of claim 2, wherein N is dependent on a commodity code (common commodity code, a partitioned commodity code).

10. The computer-method of claim 2, wherein N is minimum number of proposals required for collaboration, and N is accessed from a policy look up table of the buyer.

11. The computer-method of claim 2, wherein a value of N is adaptively selected by the buyer.

12. The computer-method of claim 2, further comprising configuring attributes of a policy of a minimum number of bids based on a policy look up table.

13. The computer-method of claim 12, wherein the policy look up table comprises data related to fields of a buyer policy, terms of the buyer policy.

14. The computer-method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the suppliers is not registered with the buyer/supplier network.

15. The computer-method of claim 14, wherein the buyer has an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, and the at least one supplier not registered the buyer/supplier network comprises at least one approved vendors from the ERP system of the buyer.

16. The computer-method of claim 15, further comprising the buyer/supplier network activating the at least one supplier, establishing a connection on the buyer/supplier network between the buyer and the at least one supplier.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein once the at least one supplier has been activated, the at least one supplier can push information to the buyer.

18. A buyer/supplier network, comprising:

receiving, by the buyer/supplier network, a collaboration request submitted by a buyer, thereby initiating a negotiation with one or more suppliers;

providing, by the buyer/supplier network, the collaboration request to the at least N suppliers;

receiving, by the buyer/supplier network, a proposal from at least N of the suppliers, wherein if at least N proposals are not received, then halting the collaboration; and

receiving, by the buyer/supplier network, an acceptance or a rejection to each received proposal;

wherein

N is adaptively selected by the buyer.

19. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a computer-method of dynamic collaboration of a buyer/supplier network, comprising:

providing a buyer with a catalog or non-catalog item;

receiving, by the buyer/supplier network, a collaboration request submitted by the buyer, thereby initiating a negotiation with one or more suppliers;

providing, by the buyer/supplier network, the collaboration request to the one or more suppliers;

receiving, by the buyer/supplier network, a proposal from at least one of the suppliers; and

receiving, by the buyer/supplier network, an acceptance or a rejection to each received proposal.

20. A computer-method of dynamic collaboration of a buyer/supplier network, comprising:

receiving, by a buyer/supplier network server, a collaboration request submitted through network interface from a buyer of a buyer server, thereby initiating a negotiation with N or more suppliers;

providing, by the buyer/supplier network server, the collaboration request to the N or more suppliers through the network interface;

receiving, by the buyer/supplier network server, a proposal from at least N of the suppliers, wherein if at least N proposals are not received, then the collaboration is halted; and

receiving, by the buyer/supplier network, an acceptance or a rejection to each received proposal from the buyer of the buyer server;

wherein N is adaptively selected by the buyer.