Method of producing, selling, and distributing articles of manufacture
First Claim
1. A method of selling articles of manufacture, comprising the steps of:
- providing an electronic communication system which is available to a plurality of potential purchasers of said articles of manufacture;
utilizing said electronic communication system to identify one or more articles of manufacture, from at least one manufacturing entity, which are available for purchase by said plurality of potential purchasers;
for selected ones of said one or more articles of manufacture which are available for purchase, identifying pricing milestones in each of a manufacturing phase and a distribution phase, which correspond to a change in commercial risk;
through prior arrangements with said at least one manufacturing entity, determining a separate price for each of said pricing milestones to establish a range of prices for said selected ones of said one or more articles of manufacture, taking into account a change in said commercial risk as said pricing milestones are experienced, and providing a changing price to encourage and reward timely commercial commitments and to reduce the commercial risk to said at least one manufacturing entity;
utilizing said electronic communication system to make conditional offers of said selected ones of said one or more articles of manufacture for sale to said plurality of potential purchasers at each of said pricing milestones with said separate price, with said conditional offers specifying at least a minimum number of articles which must be ordered in aggregate before the conditional offer becomes binding upon a manufacturing entity; and
utilizing said electronic communication system to separately communicate with particular ones of said plurality of potential purchasers and to aggregate commercial commitments from said plurality of potential purchasers for each of said pricing milestones and thereby selling said selected ones of said one or more articles of manufacture;
wherein each pricing milestone corresponds to a period of availability in which costs of future supply chain activities or savings related to avoidance of future supply chain activities are reflected in an offer price.
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Accused Products
Abstract
There is disclosed a method of selling articles of manufacture. The method comprises an electronic communication system to identify one or more articles of manufacture, from at least one manufacturing entity, which are available for purchase by a plurality of potential purchasers and identify pricing milestones in each of a manufacturing phase and a distribution phase, corresponding to a change in commercial risk. Determining a separate price for each pricing milestone to establish a range of prices for the selected articles of manufacture and making conditional offers for sale to potential purchasers at each pricing milestone, with the conditional offers specifying at least a minimum number of articles which must be ordered in aggregate before the conditional offer becomes binding upon a manufacturing entity. Communicating with potential purchasers and aggregating commercial commitments for each pricing milestone, corresponding to a period of availability, thereby selling one or more articles of manufacture.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. A method of selling articles of manufacture, comprising the steps of:
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providing an electronic communication system which is available to a plurality of potential purchasers of said articles of manufacture; utilizing said electronic communication system to identify one or more articles of manufacture, from at least one manufacturing entity, which are available for purchase by said plurality of potential purchasers; for selected ones of said one or more articles of manufacture which are available for purchase, identifying pricing milestones in each of a manufacturing phase and a distribution phase, which correspond to a change in commercial risk; through prior arrangements with said at least one manufacturing entity, determining a separate price for each of said pricing milestones to establish a range of prices for said selected ones of said one or more articles of manufacture, taking into account a change in said commercial risk as said pricing milestones are experienced, and providing a changing price to encourage and reward timely commercial commitments and to reduce the commercial risk to said at least one manufacturing entity; utilizing said electronic communication system to make conditional offers of said selected ones of said one or more articles of manufacture for sale to said plurality of potential purchasers at each of said pricing milestones with said separate price, with said conditional offers specifying at least a minimum number of articles which must be ordered in aggregate before the conditional offer becomes binding upon a manufacturing entity; and utilizing said electronic communication system to separately communicate with particular ones of said plurality of potential purchasers and to aggregate commercial commitments from said plurality of potential purchasers for each of said pricing milestones and thereby selling said selected ones of said one or more articles of manufacture; wherein each pricing milestone corresponds to a period of availability in which costs of future supply chain activities or savings related to avoidance of future supply chain activities are reflected in an offer price. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of selling articles of manufacture, comprising the steps of:
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providing a trusted intermediary entity; providing at least one data processing system which is under the control of said trusted intermediary entity and which includes an electronic communication system which is available to a plurality of potential purchasers of said articles of manufacture; utilizing said trusted intermediary entity to qualify said plurality of potential purchasers for participation in commercial transactions utilizing said electronic communication system; utilizing said trusted intermediary to identify one or more articles of manufacture from at least one manufacturing entity; utilizing said trusted intermediary to negotiate a conditional offer from each of said at least one manufacturing entity for each of said one or more articles of manufacture, wherein each conditional offer specifies at least one price for each of said one or more articles of manufacture and a minimum number which must be ordered before said conditional offer becomes binding; for selected ones of said one or more articles of manufacture which are available for purchase, identifying a pricing milestone in each of a manufacturing phase and a distribution phase, which correspond to a change in commercial risk; determining a separate aggregate minimum order number and price for each of said pricing milestones to establish a range of different prices for said selected ones of said one or more articles of manufacture, taking into account an increase in said commercial risk as said pricing milestones are experienced, and providing a change in price to encourage and reward timely commercial commitments and to reduce the commercial risk for said at least one manufacturing entity; utilizing said electronic communication system to offer said selected ones of said one or more articles of manufacture for sale to said plurality of potential purchasers at each of said pricing milestones with said separate price; and utilizing said electronic communication system to offer said one or more articles of manufacture for sale in the form of a conditional offer and to separately communicate with particular ones of said plurality of potential purchasers in order to aggregate commercial commitments from said plurality of potential purchasers and to meet said separate aggregate minimum order number for each of said pricing milestones and thereby making said conditional offer binding upon a particular manufacturing entity of a particular one of said one or more articles of manufacture; wherein each pricing milestone corresponds to a period of availability in which costs of future supply chain activities or savings related to avoidance of future supply chain activities are reflected in an offer price. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method of selling articles of manufacture, comprising the steps of:
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providing a trusted intermediary entity; providing an virtual exchange which allows for a relatively direct, aggregated, and moderated series of commercial interactions between a plurality of manufacturers of one or more articles of manufacture and a plurality of potential purchasers of said one or more articles of manufacture, which is under control of said trusted intermediary entity; providing at least one data processing system which is under the control of said trusted intermediary entity and which includes an electronic communication system which is utilized to enable said virtual exchange and which is available to said plurality of manufacturers of said one or more articles of manufacture for offering for sale through said virtual exchange said one or more articles of manufacture and to a plurality of potential purchasers of said one or more articles of manufacture; utilizing said trusted intermediary entity to qualify said plurality of potential purchasers for participation in commercial transactions utilizing said electronic communication system; utilizing said trusted intermediary entity to obtain production guarantees from said plurality of manufacturers of said one or more articles of manufacture, in the form of a conditional offer each of which is binding upon said plurality of manufacturers if an aggregate minimum number of orders is obtained in a predetermined amount of time; utilizing said electronic communication system of said virtual exchange to identify a one or more articles of manufacture which are available for purchase by said plurality of potential purchasers through said virtual exchange; for selected ones of said one or more articles of manufacture which are available for purchase, identifying pricing milestone in each of a manufacturing phase and a distribution phase, which correspond generally to a change in commercial risk; determining a separate price for each of said plurality of pricing milestones to establish a range of changing prices for said selected ones of said one or more articles of manufacture, taking into account a change in said commercial risk experienced by said plurality of manufacturers of said selected ones of said one or more articles of manufacture as said pricing milestones are experienced, and providing a changing price to said plurality of potential purchasers to encourage and reward early commercial commitments and to reduce commercial risk to said plurality of manufacturers; utilizing said electronic communication system of said virtual exchange to offer said selected ones of said one or more articles of manufacture for sale to said plurality of potential purchasers at each of said plurality of pricing milestones with said separate price; and utilizing said electronic communication system of said virtual exchange to separately communicate with particular ones of said plurality of potential purchasers and to aggregate commercial commitments from said particular ones of said plurality of potential purchasers for each of said pricing milestones in order to meet said aggregate minimum number of orders for said selected ones of said one or more articles of manufacture; wherein each pricing milestone corresponds to a period of availability in which costs of future supply chain activities or savings related to avoidance of future supply chain activities are reflected in an offer price. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification