System and method for defining a sales promotion

• US 8,489,446 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2004
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Veit, Thomas, Roth, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Boyce, Andre
• Assistant Examiner(s): FEACHER, LORENA R
• Application Number:
  US10/926,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20050197901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,246 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1- 30
• US Class Current: 705/7.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements

Abstract

A method of and system for defining a sales promotion is disclosed. The method includes receiving a hierarchical listing of items, including a plurality of levels, each level including at least one node. The method also includes selecting a first node to define a first sales promotion, and selecting a second node below the first node to define a second sales promotion, wherein the second sales promotion is more specific than the first sales promotion. The system includes means for receiving a hierarchical listing of items, including a plurality of levels, each level including at least one node. The system also includes means for selecting a first node to define a first sales promotion, and means for selecting a second node below the first node to define a second sales promotion, wherein the second sales promotion is more specific than the first sales promotion.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, wherein the instructions are executable by one or more processors to implement a method of defining a sales promotion, the method comprising:

receiving a hierarchical listing of items, the hierarchical listing of items including a plurality of levels, each level including at least one node;

selecting a first node to define a general sales promotion for a product category, the product category comprising at least a first product, a second product, and a third product, the general sales promotion being valid for a first time period, the product category comprising products which have common product characteristics and specific product characteristics;

selecting a second node below the first node to define a first sales promotion for the first product based on a specific first product characteristic and a second sales promotion for the second product based on a specific second product characteristic, wherein the first sales promotion is valid for a second time period and wherein the second sales promotion is valid for a third time period, and wherein the second time period during which the first sales promotion is valid and the third time period during which the second sales promotion is valid are included within the first time period within which the general sales promotion is valid;

determining a first group sales promotion combining the first sales promotion and the second sales promotion;

generating a report including data associated with the first group sales promotion, the report including overall profit from the first sales promotion and the second sales promotion; and

wherein a first product pricing modification of the first sales promotion and a second product pricing modification of the second sales promotion are different than a general product pricing modification of the general sales promotion,

wherein the second time period and the third time period are subsets of the first time period,

wherein an amount of the general product pricing modification and the first product pricing modification are based on an inventory quantity of the first product as of a date specified by a user, wherein the date is within the first time period.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the first node is one of a consumer field, a distribution chain, a department store, a division, a site, a consumer theme, a shop, a department, a theme module, an assortment module, and an article.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the first node is a general product and the second node is a variant of the general product.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein the variant is a specific color or size or combination thereof.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the first node is a department store and the second node is one of a shop within the department store, a theme module within the department store, and a department within the department store.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the first node is a consumer theme and the second node is a theme module within the consumer theme.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the first node is a theme module and the second node is an assortment module within the theme module.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the first sales promotion includes at least one of a first sales price and a first validity period.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the second sales promotion includes at least one of a second sales price and a second validity period, and wherein the at least one of the second sales price and the second validity period differs from the at least one of the first sales price and the first validity period.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the items include at least one of a service and a retail product.

11. A program product for defining a sales promotion, the program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage media including program code for causing, when executed, one or more machines to perform the following method steps:

receiving a hierarchical listing of items, the hierarchical listing of items including a plurality of levels, each level including at least one node;

selecting a first node to define a general sales promotion for a product category, the product category comprising at least a first product, a second product, and a third product, the general sales promotion being valid for a first time period, the product category comprising products which have common product characteristics and specific product characteristics;

selecting a second node below the first node to define a first sales promotion for the first product based on a specific first product characteristic and a second sales promotion for the second product based on a specific second product characteristic, wherein the first sales promotion is valid for a second time period and wherein the second sales promotion is valid for a third time period, and wherein the second time period during which the first sales promotion is valid and the third time period during which the second sales promotion is valid are included within the first time period within which the general sales promotion is valid;

determining a first group sales promotion combining the first sales promotion and the second sales promotion;

generating a report including data associated with the first group sales promotion, the report including overall profit from the first sales promotion and the second sales promotion; and

wherein a first product pricing modification of the first sales promotion and a second product pricing modification of the second sales promotion are different than a general product pricing modification of the general sales promotion,

wherein the second time period and the third time period are subsets of the first time period,

wherein an amount of the general product pricing modification and the first product pricing modification are based on an inventory quantity of the first product as of a date specified by a user, wherein the date is within the first time period.

12. The program product of claim 11, wherein the first node is one of a consumer field, a distribution chain, a department store, a division, a site, a consumer theme, a shop, a department, a theme module, an assortment module, and an article.

13. The program product of claim 12, wherein the first node is a general product and the second node is a variant of the general product.

14. The program product of claim 13, wherein the variant is a specific color or size or combination thereof.

15. The program product of claim 12, wherein the first node is a department store and the second node is one of a shop within the department store, a theme module within the department store, and a department within the department store.

16. The program product of claim 12, wherein the first node is a consumer theme and the second node is a theme module within the consumer theme.

17. The program product of claim 12, wherein the first node is a theme module and the second node is an assortment module within the theme module.

18. The program product of claim 11, wherein the first sales promotion includes at least one of a first sales price and a first validity period.

19. The program product of claim 18, wherein the second sales promotion includes at least one of a second sales price and a second validity period, and wherein the at least one of the second sales price and the second validity period differs from the at least one of the first sales price and the first validity period.

20. The program product of claim 11, wherein the items include at least one of a service and a retail product.

21. A system for defining a sales promotion, the system comprising:

means for receiving a hierarchical listing of items, the hierarchical listing of items including a plurality of levels, each level including at least one node;

means for selecting a first node to define a general sales promotion for a product category, the product category comprising at least a first product, a second product, and a third product, the general sales promotion being valid for a first time period, the product category comprising products which have common product characteristics and specific product characteristics;

means for selecting a second node below the first node to define a first sales promotion for the first product based on a specific first product characteristic and a second sales promotion for the second product based on a specific second product characteristic, wherein the first sales promotion is valid for a second time period and wherein the second sales promotion is valid for a third time period, and wherein the second time period during which the first sales promotion is valid and the third time period during which the second sales promotion is valid are included within the first time period within which the general sales promotion is valid;

means for determining a first group sales promotion combining the first sales promotion and the second sales promotion;

means for generating a report including data associated with the first group sales promotion, the report including overall profit from the first sales promotion and the second sales promotion; and

wherein a first product pricing modification of the first sales promotion and a second product pricing modification of the second sales promotion are different than a general product pricing modification of the general sales promotion,

wherein the second time period and the third time period are subsets of the first time period,

wherein an amount of the general product pricing modification and the first product pricing modification are based on an inventory quantity of the first product as of a date specified by a user, wherein the date is within the first time period.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first node is one of a consumer field, a distribution chain, a department store, a division, a site, a consumer theme, a shop, a department, a theme module, an assortment module, and an article.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the first node is a general product and the second node is a variant of the general product.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the variant is a specific color or size or combination thereof.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the first node is a department store and the second node is one of a shop within the department store, a theme module within the department store, and a department within the department store.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the first node is a consumer theme and the second node is a theme module within the consumer theme.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the first node is a theme module and the second node is an assortment module within the theme module.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the first sales promotion includes at least one of a first sales price and a first validity period.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the second sales promotion includes at least one of a second sales price and a second validity period, and wherein the at least one of the second sales price and the second validity period differs from the at least one of the first sales price and the first validity period.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the items include at least one of a service and a retail product.