Material procurement system and a material procurement method

• US 7,020,627 B1
• Filed: 11/24/2000
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Akita, Hidenori, Takeuchi, Mitsuru, Nakamura, Kaoru, Iio, Norihiko, Masimo, Kazuhisa, Murano, Miho
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, F.
• Application Number:
  US09/718,384
• Time in Patent Office: 1,950 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28, 705/29, 705/26, 705/22, 705/34
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A plurality of orderers with their own code systems procures materials from companies (supply companies) with which the orderers have business relations. In this material procurement system, a name register master is provided for making correspondence between goods name codes provided by each of the supply companies and material codes of the orderers. When necessary materials are procured from the supply company, the orderer goods name codes are used for specifying the materials. Further, an order processor is provided. The order processor refers to the name register master, and combines orders of the materials with a same orderer goods name, if the same goods name of the supply company is in the name register master. The order processor also divides the orders and orders to another company by referring to the name register master, if the materials in a quantity beyond a predetermined number must be ordered.

Claims

1. A material procurement system, wherein a plurality of orderers having their own system of material codes procure materials from a supply company with business relations with the orderers, comprising:

a name register master for making correspondence between supply company goods name codes provided by the supply company and the material codes of the orderers;

an order processor for referring to the name register master, and ordering materials by combining a plurality of orders from at least one of a same orderer and different orderers, using the supply company goods name codes, wherein said material procurement system is separate from said supply company;

a name register reference data generator for generating name register reference data, if the supply company goods name codes provided by the supply company are unknown before ordering; and

a name register master register unit for receiving the supply company goods name codes provided by the supply company with business relations, and registering the codes in the name register master.

2. The material procurement system in claim 1, further comprising an order distribution processor for dividing the orders and ordering from another company, if the materials in a quantity beyond a predetermined number are to be ordered.

3. The material procurement system in claim 1, wherein the name register reference data are sent from a terminal to the supply company with business relations and the supply company goods name codes are received from the supply company as a response to the name register reference data for the name register master.

4. The material procurement system in claim 1, wherein no response request data are sent to the supply company, if one of a period of counting and a count number reaches a predetermined value.

5. The material procurement system in claim 1, wherein an update period of the name register master is determined, and a fact of reference to the name register master is recorded, and wherein corresponding data are deleted from the name register master, unless the fact of reference is recorded during the update period.

6. A material procurement method, wherein a plurality of orderers having their own system of material codes procure materials from supply companies with business relations with the orderers, comprising:

registering in a name register master to make correspondence between supply company goods name codes and material codes of the orderers;

referring to the name register master in case of procuring necessary materials from the supply company;

combining the procurement of the plurality of the orderers and procuring by using the supply company goods name codes, without action by the supply companies;

generating name register reference data, if the supply company goods name codes provided by the supply company are unknown before ordering; and

registering the supply company goods name codes provided by the companies with business relations in the name register master after receiving the codes.

7. The material procurement method in claim 6, further comprising dividing the orders and ordering to another supply company by referring to the name register master, if the materials in a quantity beyond a predetermined number are to be ordered.