Method and system for tiered pricing of customized base products

• US 8,065,192 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boundless Network, Inc. (Zazzle, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Boundless Network, Inc. (Zazzle, Inc.)
• Inventors: Black, Jason, Johansson, Henrik
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg; Yogesh C
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, MATTHEW E
• Application Number:
  US11/901,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20090043670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.2, 705/26.5, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Systems and methods for organizational purchasing are disclosed herein. More specifically, in certain embodiments a campaign corresponding to a product may be created and potential buyers informed of the campaign. These potential buyers may then themselves purchase the product in association with the campaign. In this manner not only are potential buyers informed that a product is being offered to one or more other buyers but the purchases of the individual buyers in association with the campaign may be aggregated to, for example, achieve a lower purchasing cost for each buyer relative to what the buyer would have paid if he had purchased only the quantity of product he desired.

Claims

1. A method for network based purchasing, comprising:

providing a network based purchasing system having a computer processor, coupled to a set of computing devices affiliated with one of a plurality of organizations;

providing a location on a network, wherein the location presents the opportunity to purchase a base product customized according to buyer preferences;

accepting a first order from a first buyer through the location prior to an expiration date, wherein the first order includes a first quantity of the base product customized according to product design options specified by the first buyer;

associating a first price with the first quantity based on a first tiered pricing matrix, wherein the first tiered pricing matrix includes ranges of quantities and associated prices;

accepting a second order from a second buyer through the location prior to the expiration date, wherein the second order includes a second quantity of the base product customized according to product design options specified by the second buyer, wherein the product design options specified by the second buyer are different than the product design options specified by the first buyer;

associating a second price with the second quantity based on a second tiered pricing matrix, wherein the second tiered pricing matrix includes ranges of quantities and associated prices and further wherein the associated prices in the second tiered pricing matrix are different than the associated prices in the first tiered pricing matrix;

determining an aggregate purchase quantity by aggregating the first quantity of the base product customized according to the product design options specified by the first buyer and the second quantity of the base product customized according to the product design options specified by the second buyer;

determining, using a computer processor, a revised first price based on the aggregate purchase quantity and the first tiered pricing matrix, wherein the revised first price is lower than the first price; and

charging the first buyer the revised first price for the first quantity of the base product customized according to the product design options specified by the first buyer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating an order configured to be placed with a product supplier to purchase the aggregate purchase quantity of the product after the expiration date, and the first quantity of the base product customized according to the product design options specified by the first buyer and the second quantity of the base product customized according to the product design options specified by the second buyer are not manufactured until the campaign order is placed with the product supplier.

3. The method of claim 2, where the first buyer'"'"'s product design options are provided by the first buyer and the second buyer'"'"'s product design options are provided by the second buyer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first buyer'"'"'s product design options comprises artwork associated with the first buyer and the second buyer'"'"'s product design options comprises artwork associated with the second buyer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first quantity of the base product is supplied by a first product supplier and the second quantity of the base product is supplied by a second product supplier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregate purchase quantity of the base product is supplied by a first supplier and the first quantity of the product is customized according to the first buyer'"'"'s product design options by a second supplier and the second quantity of the product is customized according to the second buyer'"'"'s product design options by a third supplier.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second supplier and the third supplier are different.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a parent campaign, where the parent campaign is associated with the base product and the expiration date;

creating a first organization specific campaign associated with the parent campaign, where the first organization specific campaign is associated with a first organization, the first tiered pricing matrix and the first buyer'"'"'s product design options;

creating a second organization specific campaign associated with the parent campaign, where the second organization specific campaign is associated with a second organization, a second expiration date, the second tiered pricing matrix and the second buyer'"'"'s product design options,

wherein the first buyer is associated with the first organization, the second buyer is associated with the second organization and the location comprises a first location and a second location,

wherein the first location is a first organization specific campaign location associated with the first organization specific campaign and the first organization specific campaign location presents the first tiered pricing matrix and the product design options specified by the first buyer, and the first buyer ordered the first quantity of the base product using the first organization specific location, and

wherein the second location is a second organization specific campaign location associated with the second organization specific campaign and the second organization specific campaign location presents the second tiered pricing matrix and the product design options specified by the second buyer, and the second buyer ordered the second quantity of the base product using the second organization specific location.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first buyer comprises multiple buyers and the second buyer comprises multiple buyers.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first quantity is the same as the second quantity.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first quantity is different than the second quantity.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first price and the second price are the same.

13. A system for network based purchasing, comprising:

a network based purchasing computer having a processor executing instructions embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the instructions configured to implement;

a buyer application operable for providing a location on a network, wherein the location presents the opportunity to purchase a base product customized according to buyer preferences; and

an order management application configured for;

accepting a first order from a first buyer through the location prior to an expiration date, wherein the first order includes a first quantity of the base product customized according to product design options specified by the first buyer;

associating a first price with the first quantity based on a first tiered pricing matrix, wherein the first tiered pricing matrix includes ranges of quantities and associated prices;

accepting a second order from a second buyer through the location prior to the expiration date, wherein the second order includes a second quantity of the base product customized according to product design options specified by the second buyer, wherein the product design options specified by the second buyer are different than the product design options specified by the first buyer;

associating a second price with the second quantity based on a second tiered pricing matrix, wherein the second tiered pricing matrix includes ranges of quantities and associated prices and further wherein the associated prices in the second tiered pricing matrix are different than the associated prices in the first tiered pricing matrix;

determining an aggregate purchase quantity by aggregating the first quantity of the base product customized according to the product design options specified by the first buyer and the second quantity of the base product customized according to the product design options specified by the second buyer;

determining, using a computer processor, a revised first price based on the aggregate purchase quantity and the first tiered pricing matrix, wherein the revised first price is lower than the first price; and

charging the first buyer the revised first price for the first quantity of the base product customized according to the product design options specified by the first buyer.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising creating an order configured to be placed with a product supplier to purchase the aggregate purchase quantity of the product after the expiration date, and the first quantity of the base product customized according to the product design options specified by the first buyer and the second quantity of the base product customized according to the product design options specified by the second buyer are not manufactured until the campaign order is placed with the product supplier.

15. The system of claim 14, where the first buyer'"'"'s product design options are provided by the first buyer and the second buyer'"'"'s product design options are provided by the second buyer.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first buyer'"'"'s product design options comprises artwork associated with the first buyer and the second buyer'"'"'s product design options comprises artwork associated with the second buyer.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the first quantity of the base product is supplied by a first product supplier and the second quantity of the base product is supplied by a second product supplier.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the aggregate purchase quantity of the base product is supplied by a first supplier and the first quantity of the product is customized according to the first buyer'"'"'s product design options by a second supplier and the second quantity of the product is customized according to the second buyer'"'"'s product design options by a third supplier.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the second supplier and the third supplier are different.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising an campaign administration application operable for:

creating a first organization specific campaign associated with the parent campaign, where the first organization specific campaign is associated with a first organization, the first tiered pricing matrix and the first buyer'"'"'s product design options;

creating a second organization specific campaign associated with the parent campaign, where the second organization specific campaign is associated with a second organization, a second expiration date, the second tiered pricing matrix and the second buyer'"'"'s product design options,

wherein the first buyer is associated with the first organization, the second buyer is associated with the second organization and the location comprises a first location and a second location,

wherein the first location is a first organization specific campaign location associated with the first organization specific campaign and the first organization specific campaign location presents the first tiered pricing matrix and the product design options specified by the first buyer, and the first buyer ordered the first quantity of the base product using the first organization specific location, and

wherein the second location is a second organization specific campaign location associated with the second organization specific campaign and the second organization specific campaign location presents the second tiered pricing matrix and the product design options specified by the second buyer, and the second buyer ordered the second quantity of the base product using the second organization specific location.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first buyer comprises multiple buyers and the second buyer comprises multiple buyers.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the first quantity is the same as the second quantity.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the first quantity is different than the second quantity.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the first price and the second price are the same.