Dynamic demand management

• US 6,990,460 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2001
• Issued: 01/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peapod LLC (Koninklijke Ahold N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Peapod LLC (Koninklijke Ahold N.V.)
• Inventors: Parkinson, Thomas L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alvarez, Raquel
• Application Number:
  US09/833,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20020049632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• Field of Search: 705/10, 705/14, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/7.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus for allocating demand for a number of time periods is presented herein. The business volume is monitored during each time period, and wherein the business volume is found to lag or exceed certain thresholds, incentives or surcharges are imposed, respectively. Wherein an incentive is offered during a time period, the business volume during the time period is monitored and wherein the business volume exceeds a certain threshold, the incentive is withdrawn. Wherein a surcharged is imposed during a time period, the business volume during the time period is monitored and wherein the business volume drops to a certain threshold, the surcharge is withdrawn.

Claims

1. A method for allocating demand for delivery services associated with computer network based customer orders, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a customer order over a computer network, the customer order including a time period selected from a plurality of time periods for delivery of the customer order;

monitoring demand for deliveries of customer orders in each time period of the plurality of time periods with a computer server;

determining at least one time period of the plurality of time periods having a lower level of demand than other time periods of the plurality of time periods;

offering an incentive to customers placing an order over the computer network and selecting the determined at least one time period of the plurality of time periods; and

withdrawing the offered incentive in response to receipt of a predetermined number of customer orders selecting the determined at least one time period exceeding a predetermined threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the incentive is a price discount.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining at least one second time period of the plurality of time periods having a higher level of demand than other time periods of the plurality of time periods;

imposing a surcharge to customers placing an order over the computer network and selecting the determined at least one second time period of the plurality of time periods; and

withdrawing the imposed surcharge in response to receipt of a predetermined number of customer orders selecting the determined at least second one time period being less than a second predetermined threshold.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the imposed surcharge is a price increase.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of monitoring demand for deliveries of customer orders includes calculating a number of customer orders for each time period of the plurality of time periods.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of determining a geographic customer area for a customer based on a delivery address associated with a customer order.

7. A method for allocating demand for delivery services associated with computer network based customer orders, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a customer order over a computer network, the customer order including a time period selected from a plurality of time periods for delivery of the customer order;

monitoring demand for deliveries of customer orders in each time period of the plurality of time periods with a computer server;

determining at least one time period of the plurality of time periods having a greater level of demand than other time periods of the plurality of time periods;

imposing a surcharge to customers placing an order over the computer network and selecting the determined at least one time period of the plurality of time periods; and

withdrawing the imposed surcharge in response to receipt of a predetermined number of customer orders selecting the determined at least one time period being less than a predetermined threshold.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the imposed surcharge is a price increase.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

determining at least one second time period of the plurality of time periods having a lower level of demand than other time periods of the plurality of time periods;

offering an incentive to customers placing an order over the computer network and selecting the determined at least one second time period of the plurality of time periods; and

withdrawing the offered incentive in response to receipt of a predetermined number of customer orders selecting the determined at least one time period exceeding a predetermined threshold.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the offered incentive is a price discount.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the stop of monitoring demand for deliveries of customer orders includes calculating a number of customer orders for each time period of the plurality of time periods.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of determining a geographic customer area for a customer based on a delivery address associated wit a customer order.

13. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium and executable by a microprocessor for allocating demand for delivery services associated with computer network based customer orders, said computer program product comprising a plurality of executable instructions for executing the steps of:

receiving a customer order over a computer network, the customer order including a time period selected from a plurality of time periods for delivery of the customer order;

monitoring demand for deliveries of customer orders in each time period of the plurality of time periods;

determining at least one time period of the plurality of time periods having a lower level of demand than other time periods of the plurality of time periods;

offering an incentive to customers placing an order over the computer network and selecting the determined at least one time period of the plurality of time periods; and

withdrawing the offered incentive in response to receipt of a predetermined number of customer orders selecting the determined at least one time period exceeding a predetermined threshold.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the incentive is a price discount.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising executable instructions for executing the steps of:

determining at least one second time period of the plurality of time periods having a higher level of demand than other time periods of the plurality of time periods;

imposing a surcharge to customers placing an order over the computer network and selecting the determined at least one second time period of the plurality of time periods; and

withdrawing the imposed surcharge in response to receipt of a predetermined number of customer orders selecting the determined at least second one time period being less than a second predetermined threshold.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the step of monitoring demand for deliveries of customer orders includes calculating a number of customer orders for each time period of the plurality of time periods.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising executable instructions for executing the step of determining a geographic customer area for a customer based on a delivery address associated with a customer order.

18. A system for allocating demand for delivery services associated with sales orders, said system comprising:

at least one client computer, the at least one client computer including a browser configured to display information on goods and operable to submit sales orders for goods from customers, the sales order including a time period selected from a plurality of time periods for delivery of the sales order;

a server computer connected to the at least one client computer by a computer network, the server computer being configured to receive sales orders from the at least one client computer, the server computer comprising;

a microprocessor;

computer instructions executable by the microprocessor for monitoring demand for deliveries of sales orders in each time period of the plurality of time periods;

computer instructions executable by the microprocessor for determining at least one time period of the plurality of time periods having a greater level of demand than other time periods of the plurality of time periods;

computer instructions executable by the microprocessor for displaying a surcharge on the browser and imposing the surcharge to customers placing an order selecting the determined at least one time period of the plurality of time periods; and

computer instructions executable by the microprocessor for removing the surcharge displayed by the browser and withdrawing the imposed surcharge in response to receipt of a predetermined number of sales orders selecting the determined at least one time period being less than a predetermined threshold.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the server computer further comprises:

computer instructions executable by the microprocessor for determining at least one second time period of the plurality of time periods having a lower level of demand than other time periods of the plurality of time periods;

computer instructions executable by the microprocessor for displaying an incentive on the browser and offering the incentive to customers placing an order over the computer network and selecting the determined at least one second time period of the plurality of time periods; and

computer instructions executable by the microprocessor for removing the incentive displayed by the browser and withdrawing the offered incentive in response to receipt of a predetermined number of sales orders selecting the determined at least one time period exceeding a predetermined threshold.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the computer instructions executable by the microprocessor for monitoring demand for deliveries of customer orders includes computer instructions executable by the microprocessor for calculating a number of sales orders for each time period of the plurality of time periods.