Method for consigning ordered commodities
First Claim
1. A method for the dispatch of ordered articles, comprising:
- ordering of different articles from a mail-order firm or one or more online suppliers by a customer;
storing relevant order data and customer details including name and address in a database of a dispatch center of a dispatch service, wherein the dispatch service is configured to coordinate outward delivery times from the manufacturers/suppliers to achieve delivery of the different articles to the customer in one shipment;
transferring or forwarding the order data from the customer in question to the relevant manufacturers/suppliers of the requested articles;
notifying the dispatch center of the dispatch service of the earliest possible outward delivery time tOutM for each of the manufacturers/suppliers, and storing the earliest possible outward delivery time tOutM under the respective article number in the database at the dispatch service;
determining the latest of the earliest possible arrival times of the articles at the dispatch center tArrD, each arrival time being calculated by adding the respective transport time tTransMD to the earliest possible outward delivery time tOutM;
the dispatch service notifying each manufacturer/supplier for the order concerned of the outward delivery time to be achieved, which is obtained from the latest of the earliest possible arrival times at the dispatch center tArrD minus the respective transport time from the manufacturer/supplier to the dispatch center;
determining an earliest possible delivery time tDelC to the customer by adding the transport time between dispatch center and customer tTransDC onto the latest arrival time tArrD, and then adding a handling time at the dispatch service;
the manufacturers/suppliers sending out the ordered articles to the dispatch center at the notified times; and
forwarding the different articles in one shipment to the customer so that the customer receives the shipment at the determined earliest possible delivery time tDelC.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
To dispatch ordered articles order data is transferred from a customer to a supplier of the articles. A dispatch center of a common dispatch service is notified of the earliest possible outward delivery time for each supplier. This information is saved in a database at the dispatch service. The latest of the earliest possible arrival times of the articles at the dispatch center is determined, wherein each arrival time is calculated by adding the respective transport time to the earliest possible outward delivery time. The dispatch service notifies each supplier of the outward delivery time to be achieved, which is obtained from the latest of the earliest possible arrival times at the dispatch center minus the respective transport time from the supplier to the dispatch center. The suppliers send out the ordered articles to the dispatch center at the notified times, and the articles are forwarded together to the customer.
22 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method for the dispatch of ordered articles, comprising:
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ordering of different articles from a mail-order firm or one or more online suppliers by a customer; storing relevant order data and customer details including name and address in a database of a dispatch center of a dispatch service, wherein the dispatch service is configured to coordinate outward delivery times from the manufacturers/suppliers to achieve delivery of the different articles to the customer in one shipment; transferring or forwarding the order data from the customer in question to the relevant manufacturers/suppliers of the requested articles; notifying the dispatch center of the dispatch service of the earliest possible outward delivery time tOutM for each of the manufacturers/suppliers, and storing the earliest possible outward delivery time tOutM under the respective article number in the database at the dispatch service; determining the latest of the earliest possible arrival times of the articles at the dispatch center tArrD, each arrival time being calculated by adding the respective transport time tTransMD to the earliest possible outward delivery time tOutM; the dispatch service notifying each manufacturer/supplier for the order concerned of the outward delivery time to be achieved, which is obtained from the latest of the earliest possible arrival times at the dispatch center tArrD minus the respective transport time from the manufacturer/supplier to the dispatch center; determining an earliest possible delivery time tDelC to the customer by adding the transport time between dispatch center and customer tTransDC onto the latest arrival time tArrD, and then adding a handling time at the dispatch service; the manufacturers/suppliers sending out the ordered articles to the dispatch center at the notified times; and forwarding the different articles in one shipment to the customer so that the customer receives the shipment at the determined earliest possible delivery time tDelC. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification