Online system and method of reporting related to orders for consumer product having specific configurations

• US 8,095,431 B1
• Filed: 04/04/2000
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Ahluwalia, Gurpreet
• Primary Examiner(s): Boyce, Akiba Robinson
• Application Number:
  US09/542,413
• Time in Patent Office: 4,298 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/1, 705/26.1, 705/28, 705/7.11, 709/200, 709/228
• US Class Current: 705/26.5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

An online system for generating reports related to consumer product online orders is provided. The system comprises at least one presentation application operable to capture user online session data including a presentation application identifier, session identifier, user data, user click stream data, and product configurations selected by the user. A session report message incorporating the user online session data is generated. The system further comprises a web server in communication with the presentation application and operable to receive the session report message. A report processor is operable to receive the session report message, and storing the user online session data in a report database.

Claims

1. An online system for generating reports related to manufactured consumer product online orders, comprising:

a configuration database having product configuration options for selection by a user;

a multimedia user interface operable to receive a manufactured product configuration selected by the user from the configuration database;

an inventory database queried via the multimedia user interface to determine if one or more unreserved products in-process match the user-selected manufactured product configuration;

a sales processor operable to receive a user reservation of an unreserved product in-process if the user-selected manufactured product configuration at least partially matches the one or more unreserved products in-process in the inventory database;

an order processor operable to receive a custom order from the user if the user-selected manufactured product configuration does not at least partially match the one or more unreserved products in-process in the inventory database;

at least one presentation application operable to capture user online session data including a presentation application identifier, session identifier, user data, user click stream data, and the user reserved product configuration or the custom order product configuration, and generate a session report message incorporating the user online session data;

a web server in communication with the presentation application and operable to receive the session report message; and

a report processor operable to receive the session report message, and storing the user online session data in a report database;

wherein the report processor is operable to generate a report related to manufactured product online orders, based on at least a portion of the information stored in the report database.

2. The system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the session report message further comprises manufactured product identifiers having the user-selected manufactured product configuration in-inventory and in-process identified in a user-initiated online search.

3. The system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the session report message further comprises session start date and time, session end date and time, and entry and exit web pages.

4. The system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the session report message further comprises a user identifier.

5. The system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the session report message further comprises a configuration identifier assigned to each user-selected manufactured product configuration.

6. The system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the report processor comprises a report log utility operable to receive the session report message and cleanse the session data therein.

7. The system, as set forth in claim 6, wherein the report processor further comprises a data collector operable to receive the cleansed session data from the report log utility and storing the session data in the report database.

8. The system, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a workflow manager operable to receive order messages related to the placement of online orders for the manufactured products, and to route a copy of the order messages to the web server for processing by the report processor and storage in the report database.

9. The system, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a workflow manager operable to receive lead messages related to leads for contacting customers about the manufactured products, and to route a copy of the lead messages to the web server for processing by the report processor and storage in the report database.

10. The system, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a workflow manager operable to receive status messages related to the status of online orders, and route a copy of the status messages to the web server for processing by the report processor and storage in the report database.

11. The system, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising credit messages generated by a credit processor containing customer credit and financing information being processed by the report processor and stored in the report database.

12. The system, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising dealer messages containing participating dealership information being processed by the report processor and stored in the report database.

13. The system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the manufactured products are automotive vehicles.

14. A method of processing and storing data associated with online orders for consumer manufactured products having particular manufactured product configurations, comprising:

receiving at a computer, a product configuration selection by an online customer from a configuration database of product configuration options;

querying by the computer, an inventory database to determine if one or more unreserved products in-process match the online customer-selected product configuration;

receiving by the computer, a reserved online order of an unreserved product in-process from the online customer if the online customer selected product configuration at least partially matches the one or more unreserved products in-process in the inventory database;

receiving by the computer, a custom online order from the online customer if the online customer selected product configuration does not at least partially match the one or more unreserved products in-process from in the inventory database;

capturing by the computer, the reserved or custom online order containing at least one manufactured product identifier and the manufactured product configuration submitted by the online customer;

capturing by the computer, click stream data generated during an online session during which the online customer submitted the online order;

storing by the computer, the online order and click stream data in a report database; and

generating by the computer, a report related to consumer manufactured product online orders based on at least a portion of the information stored in the report database.

15. The method, as set forth in claim 14, further comprising:

generating an order message incorporating the at least one manufactured product identifier and the at least one manufactured product configuration; and

sending the order message to a report processor for processing.

16. The method, as set forth in claim 14, further comprising:

generating a session data message incorporating the click stream data; and

sending the session data message to a report processor for processing.

17. The method, as set forth in claim 14, wherein capturing the click stream data comprises:

capturing a session identifier; and

capturing a customer identifier.

18. The method, as set forth in claim 14, wherein capturing the click stream data comprises:

capturing click stream data associated with user input to select a manufactured product configuration; and

generating and capturing a configuration identifier for each user-selected manufactured product configuration.

19. The method, as set forth in claim 14, wherein capturing the click stream data comprises:

capturing an online session starting point; and

capturing an online session ending point.

20. The method, as set forth in claim 14, wherein capturing the online order comprises:

capturing an online order number;

capturing a session identifier during which the online order was placed by the customer;

capturing a configuration identifier of the manufactured product configuration; and

capturing a manufactured product identifier.

21. The method, as set forth in claim 14, wherein capturing the online order comprises:

capturing order information;

capturing order status; and

capturing dealer action needed.

22. The method, as set forth in claim 14, further comprising:

extracting the session data from the session data message; and

cleansing the session data.

23. The method, as set forth in claim 14, further comprising:

receiving an online contact lead message containing customer data;

extracting the customer data; and

storing the customer data in the report database.

24. The method, as set forth in claim 14, further comprising:

capturing participating dealer information;

generating a dealer message containing the participating dealer information; and

storing the participating dealer information in the report database.

25. The method, as set forth in claim 24, further comprising generating a dealer report.

26. The method, as set forth in claim 14, further comprising:

capturing customer credit and financing information;

generating a customer credit message containing the customer credit and financing information; and

storing the customer credit and financing information in the report database.

27. The method, as set forth in claim 14, further comprising generating a report on metrics related to the online orders.

28. The method, as set forth in claim 14, further comprising generating a report on metrics related to the click stream data.

29. A method of reporting data associated with online orders for manufactured consumer products having particular product configuration,

comprising:

capturing at a computer, a manufactured product configuration selected by an online customer from a configuration database of product configuration options;

capturing by the computer, an online order containing at least one manufactured product identifier and specifying the manufactured product configuration, the manufactured product being a reserved online order of an unreserved product in-process from an online customer if the online customer selected manufactured product configuration at least partially matches one or more unreserved products in-process in an inventory database or a custom online order from the online customer if the online customer selected manufactured configuration does not at least partially match the one or more unreserved products in-process in the inventory database;

capturing by the computer, click stream data generated during an online session during which the online customer submitted the online order;

storing by the computer, the manufactured product configuration, online order and click stream data in a report database; and

generating by the computer, reports related to the manufactured product configuration, online order, and click stream data.

30. The method, as set forth in claim 29, further comprising:

generating an order message incorporating the manufactured product identifier and the manufactured product configuration; and

sending the order message to a report processor for processing.

31. The method, as set forth in claim 29, further comprising:

generating a session data message incorporating the click stream data; and

sending the session data message to a report processor for processing.

32. The method, as set forth in claim 29, wherein capturing the click stream data comprises:

capturing a session identifier;

capturing a customer identifier;

capturing an online entry point for the session; and

capturing an online end point for the session.

33. The method, as set forth in claim 29, wherein capturing the click stream data comprises:

capturing click stream data associated with user input to select a manufactured product configuration; and

generating and capturing a configuration identifier for each online customer-selected manufactured product configuration.

34. The method, as set forth in claim 29, wherein capturing the online order comprises:

capturing an online order number;

capturing a session identifier during which the online order was placed by the customer;

capturing a configuration identifier of the manufactured product configuration; and

capturing a manufactured product identifier.

35. The method, as set forth in claim 29, wherein capturing the online order comprises:

capturing order information;

capturing order status; and

capturing dealer action needed.

36. The method, as set forth in claim 29, further comprising:

extracting the session data from the session data message; and

cleansing the session data.

37. The method, as set forth in claim 29, further comprising:

receiving an online contact lead message containing customer data;

extracting the customer data; and

storing the customer data in the report database.

38. The method, as set forth in claim 29, further comprising:

capturing participating dealer information;

generating a dealer message containing the participating dealer information; and

storing the participating dealer information in the report database.

39. The method, as set forth in claim 29, further comprising:

capturing customer credit and financing information;

generating a customer credit message containing the customer credit and financing information; and

storing the customer credit and financing information in the report database.

40. The method, as set forth in claim 29, further comprising generating a metric report related to the online orders.

41. The method, as set forth in claim 29, further comprising generating a metric report related to the click stream data.