Electronic sourcing system and method
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. An electronic sourcing system comprising:
- at least two product catalogs containing data relating to items associated with the respective sources;
means for selecting the product catalogs to search;
means for searching for matching items among the selected product catalogs;
means for building a requisition using data relating to selected matching items and their associated source(s);
means for processing the requisition to generate one or more purchase orders for the selected matching items; and
means for determining whether a selected matching item is available in inventory.
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Abstract
An electronic sourcing system includes a computer that maintains a catalog database of data including product information (such as product identification and descriptive information) relating to catalog items available from vendor product catalogs, and a means for building (generating) a requisition including at least one requisitioned item. Information at least partially identifying an item desired to be requisitioned is entered by a user, and utilized by a means for searching the database for catalog items matching that information and for selecting at least one catalog item located as a result of the search. Text describing the catalog items, and images of the items, may be viewed. Data identifying selected catalog items are communicated to the requisition building means, which generates a requisition including entries for items corresponding to the selected catalog items. The system checks the availability in one or more inventory locations of the corresponding desired catalog items, and generates one or more purchase orders for desired items from inventory locations stocking the items.
436 Citations
45 Claims
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1. An electronic sourcing system comprising:
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at least two product catalogs containing data relating to items associated with the respective sources; means for selecting the product catalogs to search; means for searching for matching items among the selected product catalogs; means for building a requisition using data relating to selected matching items and their associated source(s); means for processing the requisition to generate one or more purchase orders for the selected matching items; and means for determining whether a selected matching item is available in inventory. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An electronic sourcing system comprising:
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at least two product catalogs containing data relating to items associated with the respective sources; means for selecting the product catalogs to search; means for searching for matching items among the selected product catalogs; means for building a requisition using data relating to selected matching items and their associated source(s); means for processing the requisition to generate one or more purchase orders for the selected matching items; and means for converting data relating to a selected matching item and an associated source to data relating to an item and a different source. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5)
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6. An electronic sourcing system comprising:
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a database containing data relating to items associated with at least two sources; means for searching for matching items in the database; means for building a requisition using data relating to selected matching items and their associated source(s); means for processing the requisition to generate one or more purchase orders for the selected matching items; and means for converting data relating to a selected matching item and an associated source to data relating to an item and a different source. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An electronic sourcing system comprising:
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at least two product catalogs containing data relating to items associated with the respective sources; means for searching for matching items among the product catalogs; means for building a requisition that includes a first matching item and a second matching item, each associated with a different source; means for processing the requisition to generate purchase orders for the first and the second matching items; and means for converting data relating to a selected matching item and an associated source to data relating to an item and a different source. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. An electronic sourcing system comprising:
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data relating to items associated with at least two sources maintained so that selected data may be searched separately; means for searching for matching items among the selected data; means for building a requisition using data relating to selected matching items and their associated source(s); means for processing the requisition to generate purchase orders using data relating to the selected matching items and their associated source(s); and means for coverting data relating to a selected matching item and an associated source to data relating to an item and a different source. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An electronic sourcing system comprising:
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a database containing data relating to items associated with at least two vendors maintained so that selected portions of the database may be searched separately; means for searching for matching items in the selected portions of the database; means for building a requisition that includes data relating to selected matching items; means for processing the requisition to generate purchase orders for selected matching items. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method comprising the steps of:
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maintaining at least two product catalogs on a database containing data relating to items associated with the respective sources; selecting the product catalogs to search; searching for matching items among the selected product catalogs; building a requisition using data relating to selected matching items and their associated source(s); processing the requisition to generate one or more purchase orders for the selected matching items; and determining whether a selected matching item is available in inventory. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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28. A method comprising the steps of:
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maintaining at least two product catalogs on a database containing data relating to items associated with the respective sources; selecting the product catalogs to search; searching for matching items among the selected product catalogs; building a requisition using data relating to selected matching items and their associated source(s); processing the requisition to generate one or more purchase orders for the selected matching items; and converting data relating to a selected matching item and an associated source to data relating to an item and a different source. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A method comprising the steps of:
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maintaining a database containing data relating to items associated with at least two sources; searching for matching items among the data relating to the items; building a requisition using data relating to selected matching items and their associated sources; processing the requisition to generate purchase orders using data relating to the selected matching items and their associated source(s); and converting data relating to a selected matching item and an associated source to data relating to an item and a different source. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method comprising the steps of:
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maintaining a database containing at least two product catalogs containing data relating to items associated with the respective sources; searching for matching items among the product catalogs; building a requisition that includes a first matching item and a second matching item, each from a different product catalog; processing the requisition to generate purchase orders for the first and the second matching items; and converting data relating to a selected matching item and an associated source to data relating to an item and a different source. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
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40. A method comprising the steps of:
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maintaining a database containing data relating to items associated with at least two sources whereby selected portions of the database may be searched separately; searching for matching items among the selected portions of the database; building a requisition using data relating to selected matching items and their associated source(s); processing the requisition to generate purchase orders using data relating to the selected matching items and their associated source(s); and determining whether a selected matching item is available in inventory.
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41. A method comprising the steps of:
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maintaining a database containing data relating to items associated with at least two sources whereby selected portions of the database may be searched separately; searching for matching items among the selected portions of the database; building a requisition using data relating to selected matching items and their associated source(s); processing the requisition to generate purchase orders using data relating to the selected matching items and their associated source(s); and converting data relating to a selected matching item and an associated source to data relating to an item and a different source. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44)
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45. A method comprising the steps of:
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maintaining a database containing data relating to items associated with at least two vendors whereby selected portions of the database may be searched separately; searching for matching items in the selected portions of the database; building a requisition that includes selected matching items; processing the requisition to generate purchase orders for selected matching items.
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Specification