Spare part procurement method
First Claim
1. A method for facilitating the sale of a specified spare part between a first manufacturer which possesses, but is reluctant to sell, such spare part, and a second manufacturer who is seeking to buy such spare part (hereinafter “
- prospective buyer”
), comprising the steps of;
(i) providing a website programmed to receive from said prospective buyer, via the internet, a request for a specified spare part;
(ii) maintaining a global database of manufacturers who may have various types of spare parts available;
(iii) in response to such request, selecting from a database at least one manufacturer, other than the prospective buyer, who may possess the specified spare part;
(iv) sending over the internet to each selected manufacturer an inquiry whether such manufacturer possesses the specified spare part;
(v) upon receiving a response from a particular manufacturer (hereinafter “
potential source”
) that said potential source has, but is reluctant to sell, the specified spare part, presenting interactively over the internet a series of questions to be answered by said potential source;
wherein said questions are derived from experts in order to be able to determine whether the potential source'"'"'s current supply of said part is excessive, correct, or insufficient;
wherein said questions include at least one question to determine the frequency and likelihood of failure of the particular part during production operations, and at least one question to determine the consequences to the production operation should such part fail;
(vi) upon receiving responses to said questions from said potential source, processing such responses using a computer programmed to assign a predetermined score to each response, to ascertain an overall cumulative score; and
determine, based at least on cumulative score, the risk whether the current level of inventory of said specified spare part held by said potential source is excessive, correct, or insufficient;
(vii) communicating over the internet the results of such determination to said potential source;
(viii) in the event the potential source'"'"'s inventory is excessive, requesting electronically said potential source to authorize a sale of said specified spare part; and
(ix) in the event said potential source authorizes said sale, brokering a sale between said potential source and said prospective buyer.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of facilitating broker mediated matching of a potential buyer of a spare part with a potential seller of the spare part, the potential seller having an inventory of spare parts for use in a manufacturing process run by the potential seller, the method comprising the following steps undertaken by the broker: (a) receiving a request for the spare part from a potential buyer, (b) enquiring with a potential seller as to the presence of the spare part in its inventory, (c) if the spare part is present, assessing whether or not the spare part is excess to the foreseeable needs of the potential seller in running the manufacturing process efficiently by the application of software that presents a series of questions for answering by the potential seller, the answers to which will reveal whether or not the spare part is excess to said needs, and (d) if the spare part is excess to said needs, providing means by which the potential seller and potential buyer will communicate with each other, whereby they may finalise details for securing the sale and transfer of the spare part.
-
Citations
9 Claims
-
1. A method for facilitating the sale of a specified spare part between a first manufacturer which possesses, but is reluctant to sell, such spare part, and a second manufacturer who is seeking to buy such spare part (hereinafter “
- prospective buyer”
), comprising the steps of;(i) providing a website programmed to receive from said prospective buyer, via the internet, a request for a specified spare part; (ii) maintaining a global database of manufacturers who may have various types of spare parts available; (iii) in response to such request, selecting from a database at least one manufacturer, other than the prospective buyer, who may possess the specified spare part; (iv) sending over the internet to each selected manufacturer an inquiry whether such manufacturer possesses the specified spare part; (v) upon receiving a response from a particular manufacturer (hereinafter “
potential source”
) that said potential source has, but is reluctant to sell, the specified spare part, presenting interactively over the internet a series of questions to be answered by said potential source;
wherein said questions are derived from experts in order to be able to determine whether the potential source'"'"'s current supply of said part is excessive, correct, or insufficient;
wherein said questions include at least one question to determine the frequency and likelihood of failure of the particular part during production operations, and at least one question to determine the consequences to the production operation should such part fail;(vi) upon receiving responses to said questions from said potential source, processing such responses using a computer programmed to assign a predetermined score to each response, to ascertain an overall cumulative score; and
determine, based at least on cumulative score, the risk whether the current level of inventory of said specified spare part held by said potential source is excessive, correct, or insufficient;(vii) communicating over the internet the results of such determination to said potential source; (viii) in the event the potential source'"'"'s inventory is excessive, requesting electronically said potential source to authorize a sale of said specified spare part; and (ix) in the event said potential source authorizes said sale, brokering a sale between said potential source and said prospective buyer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- prospective buyer”
-
8. A method for attempting to facilitate the sale of a specified spare part between a first manufacturer which possesses, but is reluctant to sell, such spare part), and a second manufacturer who is seeking to buy such spare part (hereinafter “
- prospective buyer”
), comprising the steps of;(i) providing a website programmed to receive from said prospective buyer, via the internet, a request for a specified spare part; (ii) maintaining a global database of manufacturers who may have spare parts available; (iii) in response to such request, selecting from a database at least one manufacturer, other than the prospective buyer, who may possess the specified spare part; (iv) sending over the internet an inquiry to each selected manufacturer an inquiry whether such manufacturer possesses the specified spare part; (v) upon receiving a response from a particular manufacturer (hereinafter “
initial potential source”
) that said initial potential source has, but is reluctant to sell, the specified spare part, presenting interactively over the internet a series of questions to be answered by said initial potential source;
wherein said questions are derived from experts in order to be able to determine whether said initial potential source'"'"'s current supply of said part is excessive, correct, or insufficient;
wherein said questions include at least one question to determine the frequency and likelihood of failure of the particular part during production operations, and at least one question to determine the consequences to the production operation should such part fail;(vi) upon receiving responses to said questions from said initial potential source, processing such responses using a computer programmed to assign a predetermined score to each answer, to ascertain an overall cumulative score; and
determine, based at least on cumulative score, the risk whether the current level of inventory of said specified spare part held by said initial potential source is excessive, correct, or too low;(vii) communicating over the internet the results of such determination to said initial potential source; (viii) in the event that said initial potential source'"'"'s inventory is correct or too low, repeating steps (v) through (vii) with respect to other potential sources until another potential source is identified having excess inventory of said specified spare part (“
new potential source”
);
then(ix) requesting electronically said new potential source to authorize a sale of said specified spare part; and (x) in the event said new potential source authorizes said sale, brokering a sale between said new potential source and said prospective buyer. - View Dependent Claims (9)
- prospective buyer”
Specification