Facsimile-use automatic order and sales management system

• US 5,362,948 A
• Filed: 10/17/1991
• Issued: 11/08/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Morimoto, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Callahan, Timothy P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, TRONG Q
• Application Number:
  US07/778,278
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 235/376, 235/383, 235/385, 235/470, 235/494, 358/408, 358/400, 358/401, 283/67, 355/14 C
• US Class Current: 235/376
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A management system automatically manages order and sales operations by facsimile communication between an orderer and a supplier. The management method of this system comprises checking the steps of the kind and number of commodities written on an order sheet which is sent from the orderer by facsimile, checking the stock of such commodities, sending an order content check request sheet to the orderer by facsimile in order to have the orderer check the contents of the order, collecting the ordered commodities based on an order content confirmation sheet sent from the orderer by facsimile, managing the remaining stock of the commodities, and performing accounting operations for the ordered commodities.

Claims

1. A facsimile-use automatic order and sales management method, comprising the steps of:

providing an order sheet for receiving automatically recognizable markings to convey information;

receiving by a facsimile means a facsimile of said order sheet from an orderer;

recognizing by automatic means said information on said order sheet to determine a kind and number of commodities written on said order sheet;

checking a stock of said commodities;

generating by automatic means an order content check request sheet;

transmitting said order content check requires sheet to said orderer by a facsimile means in order to have said orderer check the order;

receiving by a facsimile means an order content confirmation sheet by said orderer;

recognizing by automatic means information on said order content confirmation sheet;

collecting said ordered commodities based on said order content confirmation sheet;

managing remaining stock of said ordered commodities; and

performing accounting operations for said ordered commodities.

2. A facsimile-use automatic order and sales management method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of controlling the delivery schedule so that said commodities can be delivered at a data nd time which said orderer desires.

3. A facsimile-use automatic order and sales management method according to claim 1, still further comprising the step of finding a substitute for a commodity out of stock among said ordered commodities.

4. A facsimile-use automatic order and sales management method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing automatically recognizable indicia on said order sheet, said indicia being capable of being marked by said orderer to select a payment method for the order.

5. A facsimile-use automatic order and sales management system according to claim 1, wherein at least some of said automatically recognizable markings comprise pre-printed forms for attachment to said order sheet.

6. A facsimile-use automatic order and sales management system, comprising:

means, including facsimile devices installed at an orderer and a supplier, for transmitting an order sheet sent from said orderer by facsimile, receiving said order sheet at said supplier, detecting positions of codes representing order contents of an order written on said order sheet, and automatically recognizing the order contents;

means for understanding the recognized order contents and automatically checking a stock of ordered commodities designated by said order contents;

means for generating an order content check request sheet and sending said order content check request sheet to said ordered by facsimile;

means for automatically collecting commodities indicated on an order content confirmation sheet sent from said orderer by fascimile;

means for automatically managing a remaining stock; and

means for automatically performing accounting operations for said order.

7. A facsimile-use automatic order and sales management system according to claim 6, wherein said codes comprise a bar code and a marking code.

8. A facsimile-use automatic order and sales management system according to claim 6, further comprising means for printing at least some of said codes for attachment to said order sheet.