Electronic procurement system and method for trading partners
First Claim
1. Electronic Commerce System for procuring goods/services by a plurality of users within a custom organization, comprising(a) a plurality of terminals;
- (b) a customer server connectable to each of said terminals and including log-on means for providing access to said customer server to a user by means of one of said terminals only if the user can be properly authenticated for a predetermined level of purchasing authorization;
(c) a supplier system including a supplier catalog server for storing data representing a supplier catalog of goods/services that are available for purchase by authorized users in the customer organization, and a supplier processor server for processing orders received by the authorized user within the customer organization, said supplier system being directly accessible to said customer server through an internet connection; and
(d) security means provided within said servers which limit transactions to customers and suppliers who have pre-arranged relationship for displaying selected supplier catalog information to a user within said organization, consistent with said predetermined level of authorization, for issuing a purchase order by the user to said supplier system, and issuing an invoice by said supplier system to the customer organization after goods/services have been delivered to the user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An Electronic Commerce system enables corporate purchasers and suppliers to electronically transact for the purchase and supply of goods/services. The system includes three major hardware and software components: buyer, supplier and bank/administration. To enable suppliers to supply goods and services online and process electronic orders, several software components are used for operating a supplier processor server and a supplier catalog server. To enable corporate purchasers to purchase products and services online, preferably over the Internet, from suppliers, software is used for operating a customer server to which multiple users may log-on and access the supplier server. An Automated Clearing House (ACH) server may be used to interface with a bank'"'"'s (ACH) systems. A service bureau that supplies the hardware and/or software components and assists to administer the system includes a transaction counter, which records transactions and charges the buyers and/or suppliers based on the number of purchase orders and/or invoices issued.
Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations, modifications and other uses will become apparent in those skilled in the art. It is preferred that the present intention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but by the scope of the appended claims.
1301 Citations
25 Claims
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1. Electronic Commerce System for procuring goods/services by a plurality of users within a custom organization, comprising
(a) a plurality of terminals; -
(b) a customer server connectable to each of said terminals and including log-on means for providing access to said customer server to a user by means of one of said terminals only if the user can be properly authenticated for a predetermined level of purchasing authorization; (c) a supplier system including a supplier catalog server for storing data representing a supplier catalog of goods/services that are available for purchase by authorized users in the customer organization, and a supplier processor server for processing orders received by the authorized user within the customer organization, said supplier system being directly accessible to said customer server through an internet connection; and (d) security means provided within said servers which limit transactions to customers and suppliers who have pre-arranged relationship for displaying selected supplier catalog information to a user within said organization, consistent with said predetermined level of authorization, for issuing a purchase order by the user to said supplier system, and issuing an invoice by said supplier system to the customer organization after goods/services have been delivered to the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. Electronic Commerce System for procuring goods/services by a plurality of users within an organization, comprising user hierarchy-based communication system for
(a) a supplier computer system including a supplier catalog and an order processor, said supplier catalog containing information regarding all of said supplier'"'"'s goods/services and a specific profile for the purchasing organization; -
(b) a procurement computer system including a plurality of terminals for use by a plurality of users within a purchasing organization each assigned an organization user profile which specifies a level of authorization for approval of the acquisition of goods and/or services from at least one predetermined supplier of goods, said procurement computer including means for displaying pre-selected goods/services on a terminal available for acquisition from said at least one supplier consistent with the user'"'"'s level of authorization for the acquisition of goods/services from said supplier; (c) a communication link for selectively accessing, for downloading by a user, selected information from said supplier catalog to the user'"'"'s terminal to said procurement computer and the supplier system being programmed to establish a cryptographically secure session for ordering and filling an order of goods/services, by means of said order processor, from said supplier, only when an authorized user seeks to acquire one or more products/services which the user is authorized to purchase.
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16. Method of procuring goods/services by any one of a plurality of users within a customer organization from a supplier, comprising the steps of:
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(a) logging on by a user on a terminal to a customer server at the customer organization; (b) authenticating the user as a valid user; (c) connecting the user to a supplier catalog over the Internet and displaying selected goods/services on the user terminal consistent with the user'"'"'s authorization profile established by the customer authorization; (d) completing a requisition request by the user selecting the products/services the user wants to purchase; (e) sending the requisition requests to the customer server and checking the request against the user'"'"'s purchasing authorization limits; and (f) creating a purchase order for the supplies only if the user'"'"'s purchasing authorization limits are not exceeded. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification