Method and system for reporting price planning results

• US 8,341,011 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2004
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Veit, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Boyce, Andre
• Assistant Examiner(s): DICKERSON, TIPHANY B
• Application Number:
  US10/927,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20050197851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,043 Days
• Field of Search: 705/10, 705/7.35
• US Class Current: 705/7.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors

Abstract

A method for reporting one or more results that occur based on a price change includes receiving price planning input including at least one price change from at least one of an automated pricing engine and a manual pricing engine. The method further includes generating at least one result that will occur based on the price planning input and reporting the at least one result along with the at least one price change.

Claims

1. A method for reporting one or more results that occur based on a price change, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, price planning input from at least one of an automated pricing engine and a manual pricing engine, the price planning input including a first product price change based on at least a first markdown profile and a second markdown profile;

applying, by the one or more processors, a conflicts check procedure to the first product price change to determine inconsistent data;

logging, by the one or more processors, the inconsistent data;

correcting, by the one or more processors, the inconsistent data;

selecting, by the one or more processors, the first markdown profile for a product group, the product group comprising a first product, the first markdown profile configured to compare a first targeted sales amount during at least a first time period to a first markdown amount for the at least first time period;

assigning, by the one or more processors, the first markdown profile to the first product;

assigning, by the one or more processors, a second markdown profile to the first product, the second markdown profile configured to compare a second targeted sales amount during at least a second time period to a second markdown amount for the at least second time period;

selecting, by the one or more processors, a first retail price for the first product;

acquiring, by the one or more processors, first updated sales data for the first product;

monitoring, by the one or more processors, a first product inventory level;

generating, by the one or more processors, a first product price planning document, the first product price planning document comprising the first product price change for a limited quantity of the first product, a price activation inventory level, and a status assigned to the first product price planning document being indicative of price change activation status, the first product price planning document being configured to be released based on the status of the first product price planning document, and when the first product inventory level equals the price activation inventory level;

upon determination that the status of the first product price planning document indicates that price changes reflected in the first product price planning document are ready for activation, releasing, by the one or more processors, the first product price planning document;

adjusting, by the one or more processors, the first retail price for the limited quantity of the first product based on the first product price planning document;

generating, by the one or more processors, at least one result that will occur based on adjusting the at least one of the first retail price by the markdown and adjusting the first retail price for the limited quantity of the first product based on the first product price planning document;

reporting, by the one or more processors, the at least one result; and

storing first retail price adjustment data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the automated pricing engine is at least one of a slow seller management engine, a manual pricing engine and a promotion management engine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein reporting the at least one result includes providing the at least one result in a price planning schedule.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein adjusting the first retail price by the markdown includes a price reduction for an article or a service for sale at a retail location.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein adjusting at least one of the first retail price by the markdown includes a plurality of price reductions for articles or services for sale at a plurality of retail locations.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the price planning schedule includes a time period associated with the at least one price change.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting the price planning schedule to one or more retail locations to implement the price change.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the at least one result includes determining whether a price planning budget is within a predefined tolerance based on the at least one price change.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one result includes an actual result of the at least one price change.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one result includes a predicted result of the at least one price change.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising using at least one of formulae and historical data for generating the predictive result.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving input from a user to change one or more prices in a price planning schedule.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising displaying the at least one result to the user in response to the input received from the user.

14. A program product for generating a price planning schedule, comprising machine-readable program code, stored on machine-readable media, for causing, when executed, one or more machines to perform the following method steps:

receiving price planning input from at least one of an automated pricing engine and a manual pricing engine, the price planning input including a first product price change based on at least a first markdown profile and a second markdown profile;

applying a conflicts check procedure to the first product price change to determine inconsistent data;

logging the inconsistent data;

correcting the inconsistent data;

selecting the first markdown profile for a product group, the product group comprising a first product, the first markdown profile configured to compare a first targeted sales amount during at least a first time period to a first markdown amount for the at least first time period;

assigning the first markdown profile to the first product;

assigning a second markdown profile to the first product, the second markdown profile configured to compare a second targeted sales amount during at least a second time period to a second markdown amount for the at least second time period;

selecting a first retail price for the first product;

acquiring first updated sales data for the first product;

monitoring a first product inventory level;

generating a first product price planning document, the first product price planning document comprising the first product price change for a limited quantity of the first product, a price activation inventory level, and a status assigned to the first product price planning document being indicative of price change activation status, the first product price planning document being configured to be released based on the status of the first product price planning document, and when the first product inventory level equals the price activation inventory level;

upon determination that the status of the first product price planning document indicates that price changes reflected in the first product price planning document are ready for activation, releasing the first product price planning document;

adjusting the first retail price for the limited quantity of the first product based on the first product price planning document;

generating at least one result that will occur based on adjusting the at least one of the first retail price by the markdown and adjusting the first retail price for the limited quantity of the first product based on the first product price planning document;

reporting the at least one result; and

storing first retail price adjustment data.

15. The program product of claim 14, wherein the automated pricing engine is at least one of a slow seller management engine, a manual pricing engine and a promotion management engine.

16. The program product of claim 14, wherein the at least one result includes a predicted result of the at least one price change.

17. The program product of claim 14, wherein the predicted result is determined based on at least one of formulae and historical data.

18. The program product of claim 14, wherein the at least one result includes an actual result of the at least one price change.

19. The program product of claim 14, wherein the price planning schedule further includes a time period associated with the at least one price change.

20. The program product of claim 14, further including transmitting the price planning schedule to one or more retail locations to implement the at least one price change.

21. The program product of claim 14, wherein determining the at least one result includes determining whether a price planning budget is within a predefined tolerance based on the at least one price change.

22. The program product of claim 14, further including receiving input from a user to change one or more prices in the price planning schedule.

23. A system comprising machine-readable media for reporting one or more results that occur based on a price change, comprising machine-readable program code for causing, when executed, one or more machines to perform the following method steps:

means for receiving price planning input from at least one of an automated pricing engine and a manual pricing engine, the price planning input including a first product price change based on at least a first markdown profile and a second markdown profile;

means for applying a conflicts check procedure to the first product price change to determine inconsistent data;

means for logging the inconsistent data;

means for correcting the inconsistent data;

means for selecting the first markdown profile for a product group, the product group comprising a first product, the first markdown profile configured to compare a first targeted sales amount during at least a first time period to a first markdown amount for the at least first time period;

means for assigning the first markdown profile to the first product;

means for assigning a second markdown profile to the first product, the second markdown profile configured to compare a second targeted sales amount during at least a second time period to a second markdown amount for the at least second time period;

means for selecting a first retail price for the first product;

means for acquiring first updated sales data for the first product;

means for monitoring a first product inventory level;

means for generating a first product price planning document, the first product price planning document comprising the first product price change for a limited quantity of the first product, a price activation inventory level, and a status assigned to the first product price planning document being indicative of price change activation status, the first product price planning document being configured to be released based on the status of the first product price planning document, and when the first product inventory level equals the price activation inventory level;

means for releasing the first product price planning document, upon determination that the status of the first product price planning document indicates that price changes reflected in the first product price planning document are ready for activation;

means for adjusting the first retail price for the limited quantity of the first product based on the first product price planning document;

means for generating at least one result that will occur based on adjusting the at least one of the first retail price by the markdown and adjusting the first retail price for the limited quantity of the first product based on the first product price planning document;

means for reporting the at least one result; and

means for storing first retail price adjustment data.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the automated pricing engine is at least one of a slow seller management engine, a manual pricing engine and a promotion management engine.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the means for reporting generates a price planning schedule including the at least one result and the at least one price change.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein adjusting the first retail price by the markdown includes a price reduction for an article or a service for sale at a retail location.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the price planning schedule includes a time period associated with the at least one price change.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the means for reporting transmits the price planning schedule to one or more retail locations to implement the at least one price change.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the means for generating determines whether a price planning budget is within a predefined tolerance based on the at least one price change.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one result includes an actual result of the at least one price change.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one result includes a predicted result of the at least one price change.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the means for generating uses at least one of formulae and historical data for generating the predictive result.

33. The system of claim 23, further including a user input means for receiving input from a user to change one or more prices in the price planning schedule.

34. The system of claim 33, further including means for displaying the at least one result to the user in response to the input received from the user.