Manufacture for a market management framework

• US 7,395,193 B1
• Filed: 05/01/2000
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC), B2eMarkets Inc. (Jaggaer LLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture LLP (Accenture PLC), B2eMarkets Inc. (Jaggaer LLC)
• Inventors: Studdard, Holly H., Cunningham, John E, Pareek, Shirish, Waugh, Richard, Yelich, David A., Bailey, Orville, Thomas, Glenn J., Cohen, Amy Cutlip, Blaine, David
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US09/563,757
• Time in Patent Office: 2,983 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/30, 705/1, 705/8, 705/400, 700/97, 703/1, 703/2, 703/6, 703/7
• US Class Current: 703/6
• 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 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

The present disclosure provides for affording a market management framework. Category analysis is provided for a user specified project. Then, supplier analysis is performed for the user specified project. A strategy is then developed for determining the suppliers for the specified project based on the supplier analysis. Further, negotiations are managed between selected suppliers and the user.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for providing a market management framework in an electronic commerce environment, comprising the steps of:

(a) analyzing required goods with a research and planning application to create a required goods analysis for a user, comprising the steps of,

analyzing internal spending and usage,

accessing a subscription-based performance service available only to selected users with a subscription wherein the user is one of the selected users, and

identifying for the selected users with the subscription an industry analysis pertaining to the required goods from a plurality of unique industry analyzes;

(b) analyzing suppliers with a collaboration application to create a supplier analysis, comprising the steps of,

conferencing with suppliers,

accessing supplier profile data on a computer database, and

accessing a community management service including supplier assessment, implementation, and conferencing support with the subscription based-performance service;

(c) determining at least one supplier based on the supplier analysis with a performance support application, comprising the steps of,

creating an electronic request for quote document, and

creating templates with the subscription-based performance service; and

(d) managing negotiations between the at least one supplier and the user with a decision support application, comprising the steps of,

posting the electronic request for quote document on a website,

managing negotiation events based on the electronic request for quote document, the negotiation events including bidding, analysis, and award,

analyzing awards and bids, and

generating and sending notifications, distributions, and governance of the negotiation events with the subscription-based performance service.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of analyzing required goods further includes:

(a) extracting the expenditure data from the file,

(b) determining an independent variable and a dependent variable relating to the expenditure data,

(c) graphing the expenditure data based on the independent variable and the dependent variable, and

(d) displaying conclusions based on the expenditure data.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising the step of allowing the user to create the file including expenditure data relating to spent monies.

4. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the file is based on a materials worksheet.

5. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the file is based on a services worksheet.

6. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the independent variable and the dependent variable include price distribution and total expenditure by suppliers.

7. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the displayed conclusions include recommended issues to consider.

8. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising the operation of allowing the user to input conclusions about the graphed expenditure data.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of analyzing supplier further includes:

(a) identifying supply chain relationships based on particular commodities and the supplier profile data,

(b) generating a report depicting the supply chain relationships identified in the step of identifying,

(c) creating a request for information for specified suppliers based on the generated report, and

(d) distributing the created request for information to the specified suppliers.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the supplier profile data includes a classification, the classification selected from the group consisting of preferred, qualified, public, and internal.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the generated report is a bill of collaborators.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the generated report further depicts supply relationships through multiple tiers.

13. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the users are further allowed to review supplier response to the request for information.

14. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein a wizard interface is utilized to assist users in creating the request for information.

15. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising the step of creating links to web sites of additional suppliers.

16. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of managing negotiations further includes:

(a) grouping specific request for quote line items based on a request from the user,

(b) enabling the user to attach further data to the request for quote document, and

(c) distributing the request for quote document to specific suppliers.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the request for quote document is created via wizard interface.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the wizard interface allows the user to access category specific templates having cost drivers.

19. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the attached data includes parts drawings.

20. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the attached data includes item attributes information.

21. A method as recited in claim 16, further comprising the step of allowing the user to determine negotiation event scheduling.

22. A method as recited in claim 16, further comprising the step of allowing the user to provide negotiation event notification.

23. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of managing negotiations further includes:

(a) affording selected suppliers access to the electronic request for quote on the website,

(b) supporting electronic negotiations between the user and a selected supplier, and

(c) facilitating post-negotiation analysis via a decision matrix.

24. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein the website is a secure website.

25. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein the website is a 3rd party website.

26. A method as recited in claim 23, further comprising the step of providing electronic invitation messages regarding the electronic request for quote to the selected suppliers.

27. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein providing electronic invitation messages comprises:

(a) displaying a list of suppliers capable of responding to the electronic request for quote;

(b) allowing the user to select suppliers from the list of suppliers; and

(c) transmitting the electronic invitation messages regarding the electronic request for quote to the selected suppliers.

28. A method as recited in claim 27, wherein the website is a secure website.

29. A method as recited in claim 27, wherein the website is a 3rd party website.

30. A method as recited in claim 27, wherein the negotiations between the user and the selected suppliers include private offer negotiations, and total cost bidding with the selected supplier.

31. A method as recited in claim 27, wherein the user can limit price visibility.

32. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein the user can limit price visibility.

33. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein the negotiations include private offer negotiations and total cost bidding with the selected supplier.

34. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein the step of supporting electronic negotiations between the user and a selected supplier comprises:

(a) providing a list of agreement templates;

(b) providing a list of agreement clauses, the agreement clauses capable of modifying a selected template;

(c) allowing the user to select an agreement template from the list of agreement templates; and

(d) modifying the selected agreement template in response to user selection of specific agreement clauses from the list of agreement clauses.

35. A method as recited in claim 34, further comprising the step of providing a list of selected agreement clauses.

36. A method as recited in claim 35, further comprising the step of removing an agreement clause from the list of selected agreement clauses in response to a user removal request.

37. A method as recited in claim 36, wherein modifications to the agreement template are removed based on the removed agreement clause.

38. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein a description of a specific agreement clause is displayed in response to a user description request.

39. A method as recited in claim 34, further comprising the step of providing coaching on agreement creation in response to a user coaching request.

40. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of managing negotiations further comprises:

(a) affording selected suppliers access to the electronic request for quote on the website;

(b) receiving electronic bids from selected the suppliers;

(c) graphing the received electronic bids; and

(d) displaying the lowest electronic bid separately from the graphed electronic bids, whereby identification of the lowest bid is facilitated.

41. A method as recited in claim 40, wherein the website is a secure website.

42. A method as recited in claim 40, wherein the website is a 3rd party website.

43. A method as recited in claim 40, further comprising the step of providing electronic invitation messages regarding the electronic request for quote to the selected suppliers.

44. A method as recited in claim 40, wherein the electronic bids include total cost bids with the selected supplier.

45. A method as recited in claim 40, wherein the user can limit price visibility.

46. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising managing a project, wherein the step of managing a project comprises:

(a) providing a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface providing a process guide for a sourcing process;

(b) allowing the user to create a project utilizing the graphical user interface;

(c) providing a searchable database having information on various topics, the database including links to external web resources based on the created project, wherein the external web resources have further information on the various topics; and

(d) providing context-specific coaching on topics related to the created project.

47. A method as recited in claim 46, further comprising the step of allowing the user to organize documents related to the created project.

48. A method as recited in claim 46, further comprising the step of creating a user profile for the user.

49. A method as recited in claim 48, wherein the user profile includes specific data views and permissions for the user.

50. A method as recited in claim 46, further comprising the step of providing trader partner on-line conferencing.

51. A method as recited in claim 46, wherein the context-specific coaching utilizes software agents to search for requested information.

52. The method as recited in claim 46 wherein the step of providing the searchable database comprises:

(a) allowing the user to search the searchable database for information concerning a particular topic;

(b) displaying information on the particular topic, wherein the information displayed includes a weblink to further information on the particular topic; and

(c) displaying a specific webpage in response to the user selecting the weblink.

53. A method as recited in claim 52, wherein the searchable database includes archive projects.

54. A method as recited in claim 52, wherein the searchable database includes white papers on selected topics.

55. A method as recited in claim 52, wherein the displayed weblinks are organized according to specific competitor/company information whereby the user can obtain details on potential suppliers.

56. A method as recited in claim 52, wherein the user searches the searchable database using a directory structure.

57. A method as recited in claim 52, wherein the searchable database includes information concerning suppliers.