Generating pricing estimates

• US 8,280,760 B1
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Kapadia, Pranay, Spies, J.W.M., Castleman, Wendy Ann, Pawlak, Arthur Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Jasmin, Lynda
• Assistant Examiner(s): Feeney, Brett
• Application Number:
  US12/772,038
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/7.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method for generating a pricing estimate involves displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) to obtain and display data associated with the pricing estimate, receiving items of the pricing estimate receiving a request to generate the pricing estimate, and obtaining, in response to receiving the request, pricing data for the items from a pricing server collecting pricing data from suppliers. The method further involves accessing a pricing rule relating to items of the pricing estimate, applying the pricing rule to the pricing data for the items to obtain adjusted pricing data, populating the GUI with the adjusted pricing data, calculating a total estimated cost based on adjusted pricing data and displaying the total estimated cost within the GUI.

Claims

1. A method for generating a pricing estimate for a customer of a small business, comprising:

displaying, by a financial application executing on a processor and configured to manage finances for the small business, a graphical user interface (GUI) comprising a GUI widget loaded with a plurality of line items corresponding to an industry of the small business;

receiving, from a user associated with the small business and operating the financial application, a selection of a first line item and a second line item using the GUI widget;

receiving, from the user, a request to generate the pricing estimate for at least the first line item and the second line item;

obtaining, by the financial application and from a pricing server operatively connected to the financial application, a plurality of pricing data comprising a first price for the first line item and a second price for the second line item, wherein the pricing server collects the plurality of pricing data from a plurality of suppliers who agree to share the pricing data;

accessing a pricing rule specifying a profit percentage to be applied to the first price to increase profitability of the small business;

applying, by the financial application, the pricing rule to the first price for the first line item to obtain an adjusted price;

populating the GUI with at least the first price, the second price, and the adjusted price;

calculating, by the financial application, the pricing estimate based on the adjusted price and the second price;

displaying, by the financial application, the pricing estimate within the GUI; and

sending, by the financial application, the pricing estimate to a customer of the small business.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

filtering the plurality of pricing data based on a plurality of qualifying criteria.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of qualifying criteria comprises at least one from a group consisting of a quality, a price, and a rating of a supplier of the plurality of suppliers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of suppliers agree to share the pricing data via the pricing server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the pricing server collects the plurality of pricing data prior to the request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the pricing server uses a web crawler to collect the plurality of pricing data from the plurality of suppliers.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of pricing data comprises an expiration date.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first line item is a service.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second line item comprises a quantity and a description.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a plurality of computer executable instructions for generating a pricing estimate for a customer of a small business, the plurality of computer executable instructions comprising functionality to:

display, using a financial application configured to manage finances for a small business, a graphical user interface (GUI) comprising a GUI widget loaded with a plurality of line items corresponding to an industry of the small business;

receive, from a user associated with the small business and operating the financial application, a selection of a first line item and a second line item using the GUI widget;

receive, from the user, a request to generate the pricing estimate for at least the first line item and the second line item;

obtain, using the financial application and from a pricing server operatively connected to the financial application, a plurality of pricing data comprising a first price for the first line item and a second price for the second line item, wherein the pricing server collects the plurality of pricing data from a plurality of suppliers who agree to share the pricing data;

access a pricing rule specifying a profit percentage to be applied to the first price to increase profitability of the small business;

apply, using the financial application, the pricing rule to the first price for the first line item to obtain an adjusted price;

populate the GUI with at least the first price, the second price, and the adjusted first price;

calculate, using the financial application, the pricing estimate based on the adjusted price and the second price;

display the pricing estimate within the GUI; and

sending, using the financial application, the pricing estimate to a customer of the small business.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the plurality of computer executable the instructions further comprising functionality to:

filter the plurality of pricing data based on a plurality of qualifying criteria.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the plurality of suppliers agree to share the pricing data via the pricing server.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the pricing server collects the plurality of pricing data prior to the request.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the pricing server uses a web crawler to collect the plurality of pricing data from the plurality of suppliers.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the plurality of pricing data comprises an expiration date.

16. A system for generating a pricing estimate for a customer of a small business, comprising:

a pricing server configured to collect a plurality of pricing data from a plurality of suppliers; and

a client hardware device executing a financial application configured to manage finances of the small business and comprising functionality to;

display a graphical user interface (GUI) comprising a GUI widget loaded with a plurality of line items associated with an industry of the small business;

receive one or more line items of the pricing estimate, wherein the one or more line items require pricing information;

receive, from a user associated with the small business and operating the financial application, a selection of a first line item and a second line item using the GUI widget;

receive, from the user, a request to generate the pricing estimate for at least the first line item and the second line item;

obtain, in response to receiving the request, the plurality of pricing data comprising a first price for the first line item and a second price for the second line item from the pricing server wherein the pricing server collects the plurality of pricing data from suppliers who agree to share the pricing data;

access a pricing rule specifying a profit percentage to be applied to the first price to increase profitability of the small business;

apply the pricing rule to the first price to obtain an adjusted price;

populate the GUI with at least the first price, the second price, and the adjusted price;

calculate the pricing estimate based on the adjusted price and the second price;

display the pricing estimate within the GUI; and

send the pricing estimate to the customer.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of suppliers agree to share the data via the pricing server.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the pricing server is further configured to collect the plurality of pricing data prior to the request.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the pricing server is further configured to use a web crawler to collect the plurality of pricing data from the plurality of suppliers.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of pricing data comprises an expiration date.