Method and apparatus for enhancing the business and engineering communication between a supplier and a buyer

• US 7,613,648 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2001
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Fortes, Pedro Luiz Discacciati, Thomaz, Nelson Alves, Filho, Clovis Bergamo
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAHAM, CLEMENT B
• Application Number:
  US09/929,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20030036991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,003 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705 35- 38, 705/34
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

Data is exchanged between a buyer and a plurality of suppliers via an internet supplier on-line system. A buyer requests a quotation from at least some of the suppliers for the cost of a part or device. When the request includes attachments, documents are generated wherein the request and attachments include both engineering and business documents. A determination is made whether the request is for a commodity part or device or for a non-commodity part or device. Once the supplier has downloaded this information, and the e-mail is generated to alert the buyer that such actions have occurred following an analysis of the request, the supplier is able to enter a quotation or bid.

Claims

1. A method of exchanging data between a buyer and a plurality of multiple suppliers via an internet electronic supplier on-line system having a physical infrastructure including a back end supplier on-line server and an internet supplier on-line server, the method comprising:

generating by a buyer a request for a quotation from at least some of the plurality of suppliers for a cost of a part or device;

generating at least one attachment document, at least one of the request for quotation and the at least one attachment document including both engineering information and business information;

determining which of the plurality of suppliers are to be provided with the request for quotation;

inquiring if all suppliers to be provided with the request for quotation are registered on the electronic supplier on-line system;

responsive to the inquiring, registering the suppliers not registered on the electronic supplier on-line system;

notifying the buyer, automatically by the electronic supplier on-line system, of the registration of the suppliers;

selecting which of the generated at least one attachment document are to be attached as part of a service bidding process corresponding to respective non-commodity parts or devices of the request for quotation;

building the request for quotation, including joining the selected generated attachment documents into a request for quotation pack, the request for quotation pack including the business information and the engineering information, the engineering information to be used by at least one of the suppliers for generating the non-commodity parts or devices;

registering information in the service bidding process for the non-commodity parts or devices;

selecting the suppliers that are to receive the request for quotation pack;

making the request for quotation pack available to selected suppliers on a supplier on-line system web site stored on the internet supplier on-line server, including;

synchronizing the request for quotation with internal and external databases in order to transfer the files to a designated web site;

e-mailing all suppliers that the request for quotation pack is available at the web site;

downloading the request for quotation pack from the internet supplier on-line server to at least one of the suppliers; and

displaying the request for quotation pack on a computing device for the at least one of the suppliers.

2. The method according to claim 1 further including:

receiving from the supplier a quotation corresponding to the request for quotation pack; and

e-mailing automatically by the electronic supplier on-line system, the buyer that the supplier has entered a quotation.

3. The method according to claim 2 further including an upload document transfer process wherein a supplier is able to upload document information to the electronic supplier on-line system which may be received by the buyer.

4. The method according to claim 1 further including:

analyzing automatically the request for quotation pack to determine a last day available for the supplier to respond;

determining, if the day the quotation is provided by the supplier is prior to the last day to respond to the request for quotation pack; and

providing the buyer with the capability to review quotations for request for quotation pack received prior to the last day to respond.

5. The method according to claim 4 further including:

determining whether a need exists to alter the last day for responding to a request for quotation;

altering the last day suppliers may respond to a request for quotation; and

transmitting, automatically, e-mail notifications to the suppliers that the last day to respond to the request for quotation has been altered.

6. The method according to claim 1 further including an action of downloading documentation from sources outside of the electronic supplier on-line system for inclusion into the request for quotation pack.

7. The method according to claim 1,further including an automatic document transfer process which generates files to be included in the request for quotation pack wherein the automatic document transfer process transfers the generated files to individual supplier folders maintained on the back end supplier on-line server.

8. The method according to claim 1 further including:

registering part or device number information within the bidding process for the commodity parts or devices; and

selecting the documentation that is to be attached to individual parts or devices of the request for quotation to form the request for quotation pack.

9. A method configured to exchange data between a buyer and a plurality of suppliers via an electronic on-line communication network having a physical infrastructure including a back end supplier on-line server and an internet supplier on-line server, the method comprising:

generating a request for a quotation intended for at least some of the plurality of suppliers for a cost of a part or device;

determining if the request for the quotation will include attachments;

generating documents for inclusion as attachments to the request for quotation, the request for quotation and attachments including both engineering and business documents;

determining that the request for quotation is for a commodity part or device or is for a non-commodity part or device, and (i) selecting which of the generated documents are to be attached as part of an item bidding process corresponding to each of the commodity parts or devices or (ii) selecting which of the generated documents are to be attached as part of a service bidding process corresponding to each of the non-commodity parts or devices, the commodity part or device being found in a catalog;

building the request for quotation, including joining the selected business and engineering documentation into a request for quotation pack;

registering information in one of the item bidding process for commodity parts or devices or the service bidding process for non-commodity parts or devices;

selecting the suppliers that are to receive the request for quotation pack;

making the request for quotation pack available to selected suppliers on an electronic on-line communication network web site;

synchronizing the request for quotation pack with data of internal and external databases;

receiving from at least one of the selected suppliers by the internet supplier on-line server, a supplier quotation comprising supplier documentation and supplier business information;

generating a buyer notification e-mail by the electronic on-line communication network in response to receiving the supplier quotation; and

displaying the request for quotation pack on a computing device for at least one of the selected suppliers.

10. The method according to claim 9 further including:

configuring the request for quotation pack for automatic analysis by one of the suppliers to determine a last day available for the supplier to respond; and

providing the buyer with the capability to review quotations for request for quotation pack received prior to the last day to respond.

11. The method according to claim 9 wherein the action of making the request for quotation with the attached documents available to select suppliers includes synchronizing the data in the request for quotation with internal and external databases in order to transfer the files to a designated web site.

12. The method according to claim 9 further including an action of downloading documentation from sources outside of the electronic on-line communication network for inclusion into the request for quotation pack.

13. The method according to claim 9 further including:

registering part or device number information within the bidding process for the commodity parts or devices; and

selecting the documentation that is to be attached to individual parts or devices of the request for quotation to form the request for quotation pack.

14. The method according to claim 9 further including:

determining by the electronic on-line communication network a closed day for the request for quotation pack; and

prohibiting reception of the supplier quotation after the determined closed day.

15. A method configured to exchange data between a buyer and a plurality of suppliers via an electronic on-line communication network having a physical infrastructure including a back end supplier on-line server and an internet supplier on-line server, the method comprising:

generating a request for a quotation intended for at least some of the plurality of suppliers for a cost of a part or device;

determining if the request for the quotation will include attachments;

generating documents for inclusion as attachments to the request for quotation, the request for quotation and attachments including both engineering and business documents;

determining that the request for quotation is for a commodity part or device or is for a non-commodity part or device, and (i) selecting which of the generated documents are to be attached as part of an item bidding process corresponding to each of the commodity parts or devices or (ii) selecting which of the generated documents are to be attached as part of a service bidding process corresponding to each of the non-commodity parts or devices, the commodity part or device being found in a catalog;

building the request for quotation, including joining the selected business and engineering documentation into a request for quotation pack;

registering information in one of the item bidding process for commodity parts or devices or the service bidding process for non-commodity parts or devices;

selecting the suppliers that are to receive the request for quotation pack;

making the request for quotation pack available to selected suppliers on an electronic on-line communication network web site;

synchronizing the request for quotation pack with data of internal and external databases;

receiving from at least one of the selected suppliers by the internet supplier on-line server, a supplier quotation comprising supplier documentation and supplier business information;

generating a buyer notification e-mail by the electronic on-line communication network in response to receiving the supplier quotation;

displaying the request for quotation pack on a computing device for at least one of the selected suppliers; and

downloading the engineering documents to at least one of a CAD workstation, a plotter, and a CNC machine, wherein the engineering documents control operation of the at least one of the CAD workstation, the plotter, and the CNC machine which generates at least one of a printed document or a manufactured part.