System and method for managing and evaluating network commodities purchasing

• US 7,043,457 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2000
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Buymetrics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Probuild Company LLC (Builders Firstsource Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hansen, Valerie
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Subramanian, Narayanswamy
• Application Number:
  US09/607,502
• Time in Patent Office: 2,141 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705 35- 40, 705/80
• US Class Current: 705/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/08 Sorting, i.e. grouping record carriers in numerical or other ordered sequence according to the classification of at least some of the information they carry by merging two or more sets of carriers in ordered sequence G06F7/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/201 Price look-up processing, e.g. updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 : Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 : Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 : Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 : Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 : Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A method and system for managing and evaluating commodities purchasing over a network of distributed computing devices. In one embodiment, the method allows a plurality of buyers to generate one request for quote and, response to the request for quote, receive a quote from plurality of vendors. The system of the present invention provides a price normalization routine that allows buyers to evaluate and compare a normalized price for commodity products having different evaluation parameters. In an arrangement comprising a plurality of computers connected to a network said plurality of computers including at least one server, at least one buyer client computer and a plurality of seller client computers, the method for providing commodities exchange services first provides a web-based browsable display describing at least one commodities exchange service. The system then receives at least one request for quote from the buyer. The system then receives at least one quote from different sellers, wherein each quote may have a different price and quantity listed. The system then compares to one or more selected metrics and normalizes the prices received from the different quotes, thus, allowing the buyer to readily compare the prices of a number of commodity items having inherently different values. In one embodiment, the system of the present invention also provides a method for multi-value cross compilation of sales transactions, iterative quote information, and metric data for purposes of evaluation and strategy analysis.

Claims

1. In an arrangement comprising a plurality of agents connected to a network, said plurality of agents including at least one server, at least one buyer agent, and at least one seller agent, a method for calculating a comparison value, comprising:

receiving at least one request for quote from said buyer agent, wherein said request for quote includes a product specification data set comprising a plurality of quantity values for a number of items having different size parameters;

transmitting the product specification data set to at least one seller agent;

receiving a price data set from said at least one seller agent, wherein the price data set contains at least one quoted value, and wherein information in said price data set is responsive to the product specification data set;

generating at least one comparison value by;

retrieving a price total from said price data set;

for items having similar size parameters;

calculating a size total value based on a summation of said size parameters;

receiving metric data from at least one source, wherein the metric data represents price data that is indicative of one or more market prices and comprises a comparable price per unit for the items; and

multiplying said comparable price per unit by said size total value, thereby creating a market price total for the items;

calculating a summed market price total by summing one or more of the market price totals for the items;

comparing said summed market price total to said price total, thereby generating at least one comparison value; and

communicating the at least one comparison value to at least one output.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one comparison value is communicated to said buyer agent.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a browsable display describing at least one service and features for allowing a buyer agent to provide a request for quote.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the product specification data set includes a delivery date set at a future time.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a buy notice from said buyer agent; and

transmitting a purchase order to at least one said seller agent.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of product specification data sets from at least two buyer agents; and

combining said plurality of product specification data sets, thereby creating one request for quote.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said product specification data set includes information related to a buyer, a grade, a quantity, a tally, a method of shipment, and a ship date.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the product specification data set comprises a plurality of quantity values for a number of like commodity items having different size parameters, a description of at least one commodity item, and a description of a delivery method.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said price data set includes information to identify a seller, a quote price, shipment, and payment terms.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said price data set further includes an adjusted price and an adjusted quantity.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an additional price data set from the seller agent, wherein the additional price data set is a result from a renegotiated price.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing at least one comparison value in a database communicatively connected to the server.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein generating at least one comparison value includes the step of applying a metric transform to said price data set to generate at least one comparison value.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing said summed market price total to said price total includes determining a ratio by dividing said price total by said summed market price total, thereby generating the at least one comparison value.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said product specification data set comprises a plurality of quantity values for a number of items different size parameters and type parameters, and wherein the generation of at least one comparison value includes:

retrieving a price total from said price data set;

for items having similar size parameters and type parameters;

calculating a size total value based on a summation of said size parameters;

retrieving metric data from at least one source, wherein the metric data represents price data that is indicative of one or more market prices and comprises a comparable price per unit for the items; and

multiplying said comparable price per unit by said size total value, thereby creating a market price total for the items;

calculating a summed market price total by summing one or more of said market price totals; and

comparing said summed market price total to said price total, thereby generating at least one comparison value.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein comparing said summed market price total to said price total includes determining a ratio by dividing said price total by said summed market price total, thereby generating the at least one comparison value.

17. In an arrangement comprising a plurality of computers connected to a network, said plurality of computers including at least one server, at least one buyer client computer, and a plurality of seller client computers, a method for providing services, comprising:

providing a display describing at least one service and features for allowing a buyer associated with said buyer client computer to provide a request for quote;

receiving at least one request for quote from said buyer client computer, wherein said request for quote includes a product specification data set comprising a plurality of quantity values for a number of items having different size parameters;

transmitting said product specification data set to at least one of said plurality of seller client computers;

receiving a plurality of price data sets from said plurality of seller client computers, wherein the price data sets contain at least one quoted value, and wherein said plurality of price data sets are responsive to said product specification data set;

generating at least one comparison value by;

retrieving a price total from one of said price data sets;

for items having similar size parameters;

calculating a size total value based on a summation of said size parameters;

receiving metric data from at least one source, wherein the metric data represents price data that is indicative of one or more market prices and comprises a comparable price per unit for the items; and

multiplying said comparable price per unit by said size total value, thereby creating a market price total for the items;

calculating a summed market price total by summing one or more of the market price totals for the items;

comparing said summed market price total to said price total, thereby generating at least one comparison value; and

communicating the at least one comparison value to said buyer client computer.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a buy notice from said buyer client computer; and

transmitting a purchase order to one of said seller computers of said plurality of seller client computers.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of product specification data sets from said plurality of buyer client computers; and

combining said plurality of product specification data sets, thereby creating one request for quote.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said product specification data set includes information related to a buyer, said request for quote grade, quantity, tally, a method of shipment, and a ship date.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the product specification data set comprises a plurality of quantity values for a number of like commodity items having different size parameters, a description of at least one commodity item, and a description of a delivery method.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein said price data set includes information to identify a seller, a quote price, shipment, and payment terms.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said price data set further includes an adjusted price and an adjusted quantity.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving an additional price data set from one of said plurality of seller client computers, wherein the additional price data set is a result from a renegotiated price.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising storing at least one comparison value in a database communicatively connected to the server.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein the generation of at least one comparison value includes applying a metric transform to at least one of said price data sets to generate at least one comparison value.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein comparing said summed market price total to said price total includes determining a ratio by dividing said price total by said summed market price total, thereby generating the at least one comparison value.

28. The method of claim 17, wherein said product specification data set comprises a plurality of quantity values for a number of items, each having different size parameters and type parameters, wherein the generation of at least one comparison value includes:

retrieving a price total from one of said price data sets;

for items having similar size parameters and type parameters;

calculating a size total value based on a summation of said size parameters;

retrieving metric data from at least one source, wherein the metric data represents price data that is indicative of one or more market prices and comprises a comparable price per unit for the items; and

multiplying said comparable price per unit by said size total value, thereby creating a market price total for the items;

calculating a summed market price total by summing one or more of said market price totals; and

comparing said summed market price total to said price total, thereby generating at least one comparison value.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein comparing said summed market price total to said price total includes determining a ratio by dividing said price total by said summed market price total, thereby generating the at least one comparison value.

30. An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for providing services, which, when executed by a processor, result in:

providing a display describing at least one service on a computing device and features for allowing at least one buyer client computer to provide a request for quote;

receiving at least one request for quote from said buyer client computer, wherein the request for quote includes a product specification data set comprising a plurality of quantity values for a number of items having different size parameters;

transmitting the product specification data set to a plurality of seller client computers;

receiving a plurality of price data sets from said plurality of seller client computers, wherein the price data sets contain a quoted value, and wherein said plurality of price data sets are responsive to the product specification data set;

generating at least one comparison value by;

retrieving a price total from one of said price data sets;

for items having similar size parameters;

calculating a size total value based on a summation of said size parameters;

receiving metric data from at least one source, wherein the metric data represents price data that is indicative of one or more market prices and comprises a comparable price per unit of said each item; and

multiplying said comparable price per unit by said size total value, thereby creating a market price total for the items;

calculating a summed market price total by summing one or more of the market price totals for the items;

comparing said summed market price total to said price total, thereby generating at least one comparison value; and

generating an output of at least one comparison value for communication to said buyer client computer.

31. The article of claim 30, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further result in:

receiving a buy notice from said buyer client computer; and

transmitting a purchase order to one or more of said seller computers of said plurality of seller client computers.

32. The article of claim 30, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further result in:

receiving a plurality of product specification data sets from a plurality of buyer client computers; and

combining said plurality of product specification data sets, thereby creating one request for quote.

33. The article of claim 30, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further result in receiving an additional price data set from one of said plurality of seller client computers, wherein the additional price data set is a result from a renegotiated price.

34. The article of claim 30, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further result in storing at least one comparison value in a database communicatively connected to the server.