System for managing customer orders and methods of implementation

• US 7,058,596 B1
• Filed: 05/22/1998
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lykes Bros. Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lykes Bros. Inc.
• Inventors: Morrow, Bob, Schebell, Michael Lewis, Wehry, Jr., Joseph R., Hartley, Bill D., Kuczynski, Paul, Cappel, Sheila, Edwards, Matt F., Weisgarber, Kimberly, Schnieder, Mark A., Vogler, Henry Lee, Loftus, Thomas W., Ferguson, Louis Duane, Schnieders, Brian, Wojcik, Casimir M., Bernardi, Thomas C., Pretto, Paul A., Pellerin, Craig Raymond, Courier, Jim, Bushaw, Ron D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Irshadullah, M.
• Application Number:
  US09/083,681
• Time in Patent Office: 2,937 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/28, 705/30, 705/34, 235/375, 700/96
• US Class Current: 705/26.81
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

The system of this invention manages customer orders using vendor supplied software systems interfaced on a real time basis to touch the data in each system on a real time basis. In effect, there is horizontal communication between the various components of the system such as inventory, purchasing, order management and receipt, logistics and inventory to have continual data flow without using a vertical software interface. As a result, customer orders are received on a real-time basis using screens that are user friendly to promptly take orders, and to verify customer data and verify the ability to meet those orders. Transmission of documents within the system is minimized thereby making it more efficient, timely and cost efficient.

Claims

1. A method for creating an electronic catalog and processing purchase requests comprising:

requesting a vendor quotation;

creating a blanket vendor order;

entering the blanket vendor order in the electronic catalog, wherein the electronic catalog comprises a plurality of items, quantities, shipment charges delivery times and availabilities;

creating a pre-approved budget;

creating a purchase request;

requesting an item from the plurality of items electronic catalog using the purchase request;

communicating said order from the electronic catalog to a vendor;

receiving acknowledgment of the communicated order;

receiving the ordered item; and

recording receipt of said item.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

creating an accounts payable record initiated by said record of receipt; and

placing the item in an inventory.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving the order further comprises:

creating a carrier data base containing information to determine shipping costs and delivery schedules;

tending an offer of shipment to a selected carrier; and

receiving confirmation from the carrier.

4. A system for creating an electronic catalog, comprising:

means for purchasing an item;

means for creating a graphical user interface for a customer service representative to input an order;

means for tendering a load to a carrier for shipment;

means for creating an automated warehousing ticket; and

means for creating an electronic catalog based on a blanket vendor agreement wherein said electronic catalog comprises a plurality of items, quantities, shipment charges, delivery times and availabilities.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the means for purchasing an item further comprises:

means for creating a blanket vendor order;

means for providing user input to generate a requisition request to requisition the item;

means for processing the requisition request by comparing said requisition request to the blanket vendor agreement to determine the availability of the item;

means for checking the availability of funds against a budget to approve a purchase transaction;

means for communicating a purchase request and a purchase release to a vendor; and

means for acknowledging the purchase request.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the means for purchasing an item further comprises:

means for receiving the item;

means for creating a record of the receipt;

means for creating an accounts payable record initiated by said record of receipt; and

means for placing the item in an inventory.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the means for creating a graphical user interface for a customer service representative, further comprises:

means for creating screens in a window context with multiple files, said screens having buttons to control access to files, wherein said buttons are used to access customer records.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the means for tendering a load to a carrier for shipment further comprises:

means for creating a carrier data base containing information to determine shipping costs and delivery schedules;

means for tendering an offer of shipment to a selected carrier; and

means for receiving confirmation from the carrier.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the means for creating an automated warehousing ticket further comprises:

means for generating pick-order data for an item;

means for picking the item from an inventory;

means for creating a record of the picked item;

means for transmitting said pick-order data to a central data base in real time;

means for delivering the picked item to a shipping point;

means for transmitting data representing delivery of the item for shipment to said data base; and

means for consolidating said pick-order and shipment data into a record in said data base.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the means for creating an electronic catalog further comprises:

means for requesting a vendor quotation;

means for creating a blanket vendor agreement having a plurality of items, quantities, shipment charges, delivery times and availabilities;

means for entering said blanket vendor agreement into the electronic catalog;

means for creating a pre-approved budget;

means for creating a purchase request;

means for requesting an item from the electronic catalog;

means for communicating said blanket order to a vendor;

means for receiving acknowledgement of a blank order request;

means for receiving said ordered item; and

means for receiving receipt of said item.

11. A method for processing customer orders in a computer-based processing system having a plurality of data processing devices electrically connected to communicate with each other, comprising:

requesting a vendor quotation;

creating a blanket vendor agreement;

entering said blanket vendor agreement into an electronic catalog;

receiving a customer order from a customer order input terminal;

processing the customer order using an interface module accessed through the customer order input terminal, said interface module coordinating access to the electronic catalog and controlling interaction between a user and said electronic catalog;

generating the customer order in response to data inputs from the user through said customer order input terminal and data from said electronic catalog;

automatically checking an inventory for availability of an item corresponding to the customer order in response to the customer order by accessing an inventory data base;

retrieving the item from the inventory by accessing an inventory storage location data base;

building a load for shipment from the retrieved item; and

scheduling delivery of the load to the customer.

12. A method for a processing customer order using a networked computer-based data processing system, comprising:

requesting a vendor quotation;

creating a blanket vendor order;

entering said blanket vendor order into an electronic catalog;

receiving a customer order from a customer order input terminal;

processing the received customer order to generate a customer order in response to data inputs from a user;

automatically checking an inventory for availability of an item corresponding to the customer order by accessing the electronic catalog;

retrieving the item by accessing an inventory storage location data base;

building a load for shipment containing the retrieved item; and

scheduling the load for delivery to the customer.