Automated internet quoting and procurement system and process for commercial printing

• US 6,330,542 B1
• Filed: 11/24/1999
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: InnerWorkings Incorporated (HH Global Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Ecorporate Printers Inc.
• Inventors: Handler, Katharine Woods, Johansen, Jon, Sevcik, Jan Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US09/449,158
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 700/100, 700/101, 700/102, 705/8, 705/400
• US Class Current: 705/7.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Automated internet or other networked data processing system commercial printing software consists primarily of two components:

A Print Buyer Component (22) and

A Print Provider Component (24). The print buyer component (22) and the print provider component (24) are coupled together by an automated quoting and procurement system (26). The print buyer component (22) accesses the automated quoting and procurement system (26) through a series of modules (28) representing print product categories. The print provider component (24) accesses the automated quoting and procurement system through a series of modules (30) representing vendor functions to be furnished to a print buyer.

Claims

1. A networked on line printing job procurement system, which comprises a networked data processing system including:

(A) a print buyer software component module for defining print buyer job specifications;

(B) a print provider software component module for specifying print provider job information; and

(C) an automated printing job quoting software component linking said print buyer software component module and said print provider software component module to each other, said automated printing job quoting software component generating a first automated printing job quote based on said print buyer job specifications and said print provider job information, and thereafter suggesting a change to said print buyer job specifications to produce a second automated printing job quote lower than or equal to a maximum price set by a print buyer.

2. The networked on line printing job procurement system of claim 1 in which said automated printing job quoting software component additionally included program code for implementing printing procurement with said networked on line printing job procurement system.

3. The networked on line printing job procurement system of claim 1 in which the suggested change includes at least one of paper weight, paper quality, paper finish, a dimension change, omitting a paper coating, changing a paper coating or changing turnaround time.

4. The networked on line printing job procurement system of claim 1 in which said automated printing job quoting software component includes a database of print job information used by said automated printing job quoting software to provide automated print job quotes to said print buyer software component module.

5. The networked on line printing job procurement system of claim 4 in which said automated printing job quoting software includes program code for providing a plurality of menu screens organized by printing job type on a display of said networked data processing system, for receiving user responses to the plurality of menu screens, and for using the user responses to the plurality of menu screens to provide an automated print job quote on said display.

6. The networked on line printing job procurement system of claim 5 in which said automated printing job quoting software component additionally includes program code for implementing printing procurement with said networked on line printing job procurement system and said plurality of menu screens includes a user selection for beginning procurement of a printing job in response to the automated print job quote.

7. The networked on line printing job procurement system of claim 5 in which said plurality of menu screens includes at least one menu screen for specifying a custom print job.

8. An on line printing job procurement process, which comprises:

(A) inputting print provider job information into a networked data processing system to create a database of the print job information;

(B) inputting a print buyer job specification into the networked data processing system;

(C) generating a first automated printing job quote utilizing the database of the print provider job information in response to the print buyer job specification;

(D) outputting the first automated printing job quote to the print buyer; and

(E) suggesting a change to said print buyer job specifications to produce a second automated printing job quote lower than or equal to a maximum price set by a print buyer.

9. The networked on line printing job procurement process of claim 8 in which the suggested change includes at least one of paper weight, paper quality, paper finish, a dimension change, omitting a paper coating, changing a paper coating or changing turnaround time.

10. The on line printing job procurement process of claim 8 in which the print buyer job specification is inputted into the networked data processing system using a plurality of menu screens organized by printing job.

11. The on line printing job procurement process of claim 10 in which the plurality of menu screens includes at least one menu screen for specifying a custom print job.

12. The on line printing job procurement process of claim 8 additionally comprising the step of:

(E) inputting a user input to the networked data processing system for beginning procurement of a printing job in response to the automated print job quote.

13. The on line printing job procurement process of claim 12 additionally comprising the step of:

(F) administering procurement of the printing job through the networked data processing system.

14. The on line printing job procurement process of claim 8 in which the print buyer job specification is inputted into the networked data processing system using a plurality of menu screens organized by printing job, the process additionally comprising the step of:

(E) inputting a user input to the networked data processing system through one of the plurality of menu screens for beginning procurement of a printing job in response to the automated print job quote.

15. The on line printing job procurement process of claim 14 additionally comprising the step of:

(F) administering procurement of the printing job through the networked data processing system.

16. An article of manufacture comprising computer program code stored in a computer readable storage medium, which computer program code will, when executed in a networked computer system, implement an on line printing job procurement process in the networked data processing system, said computer program code comprising:

(A) a first code segment for inputting print provider job information into a networked data processing system to create a database of the print job information;

(B) a second code segment for inputting a print buyer job specification into the networked data processing system;

(C) a third code segment for generating a first automated printing job quote utilizing the database of the print provider job information in response to the print buyer job specification;

(D) a fourth code segment for outputting the first automated printing job quote to the print buyer; and

(E) a fifth code segment for suggesting a change to said print buyer job specifications to produce a second automated printing job quote lower than or equal to a maximum price set by a print buyer.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16 in which the suggested change includes at least one of paper weight, paper quality, paper finish, a dimension change, omitting a paper coating, changing a paper coating or changing turnaround time.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 16 in which the first code segment is configured to input the print buyer job specification into the networked data processing system using a plurality of menu screens organized by printing job.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18 in which the plurality of menu screens includes at least one menu screen for specifying a custom print job.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 16 additionally comprising:

(E) a fifth code segment for inputting a user input to the networked data processing system for beginning procurement of a printing job in response to the automated print job quote.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 20 additionally comprising:

(F) a sixth code segment for administering procurement of the printing job through the networked data processing system.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 16 in which the second code segment is configured to input the print buyer job specification into the networked data processing system using a plurality of menu screens organized by printing job, computer program additionally comprising:

(E) a fifth code segment for inputting a user input to the networked data processing system through one of the plurality of menu screens for beginning procurement of a printing job in response to the automated print job quote.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22 additionally comprising:

(F) a sixth code segment for administering procurement of the printing job through the networked data processing system.