System and method for certifying and monitoring commercial activity of a manufacturer, distributors, and retailers in a product supply chain

• US 8,996,414 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2014
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Budimir Damnjanovic, Desanka Damnjanovic
• Original Assignee: Budimir Damnjanovic, Desanka Damnjanovic
• Inventors: Damnjanovic, Budimir, Damnjanovic, Desanka
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haider, Fawaad
• Application Number:
  US14/154,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20140129458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation

Abstract

A method and a system for certifying and monitoring commercial activity of manufacturers, distributors, and retailers are provided. The method includes registering a manufacturer with a certification and monitoring company. The method includes certifying the distributor and first and second retailers by the manufacturer for a product. The method includes inputting a first quantity of the product shipped during a time period from the manufacturer to the distributor, by the manufacturer, and inputting second and third quantities of the product shipped during the time period from the distributor to the first and second retailers, by the distributor. If a sum of the second and third quantities is greater than the first quantity by a predetermined amount, then a first notification message is generated.

Claims

1. A method for certifying and monitoring commercial activity of a manufacturer, distributors, and retailers in a product supply chain, comprising:

logging into a central computer server that is owned and managed by a certification and monitoring company utilizing a login web page, by a manufacturer, the central computer server having a certification and monitoring software program that is programmed to generate the login web page, a manufacturer registration web page, a select distributor web page, a select retailer web page, a manufacturer shipment web page, a distributor shipment web page, and a notification web page;

inputting a business name of a manufacturer and a state of incorporation associated with the business name utilizing the manufacturer registration web page;

verifying whether the business name of the manufacturer is registered with the state of incorporation by accessing a database utilizing the central computer server;

registering and certifying the manufacturer with the centralized certification and monitoring company utilizing the central computer server if the business name of the manufacturer is registered with the state of incorporation;

after registering and certifying the manufacturer with the centralized certification and monitoring company then;

selecting and certifying a distributor by the manufacturer, for a product manufactured by the manufacturer, utilizing the select distributor web page;

selecting and certifying first and second retailers by the manufacturer, for the product, utilizing the select retailer web page;

inputting a first quantity of the product shipped during a time period from the manufacturer to the distributor, by the manufacturer, utilizing the manufacturer shipment web page;

inputting second and third quantities of the product shipped during the time period from the distributor to the first and second retailers, by the distributor, utilizing the distributor shipment web page; and

if a sum of the second and third quantities is greater than the first quantity by a predetermined amount, then generating a first notification message on the notification web page associated with the manufacturer, the first notification message indicating that the distributor has shipped an amount of the product greater than an amount of the product received from the manufacturer during the time period.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inputting at least one of a business address of the manufacturer, a telephone number of the manufacturer, an email address associated with the manufacturer, and a contact person name associated with the manufacturer, by the manufacturer, utilizing the manufacturer registration web page.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the certification and monitoring software program is further programmed to generate a product web page;

the method further comprising;

inputting a product name associated with the product, a product serial number associated with the product, and a product model number associated with the product, utilizing the product web page.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting and certifying the distributor by the manufacturer, for the product manufactured by the manufacturer, utilizing the select distributor web page, comprises:

inputting at least one of a business name of the distributor, an address of the distributor, a telephone number of the distributor, and an email address of the distributor, by the manufacturer, utilizing the select distributor web page.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting and certifying the first and second retailers by the manufacturer, for the product, utilizing the select retailer web page, comprises:

inputting at least one of a business name of the first retailer, an address of the first retailer, a telephone number of the first retailer, and an email address of the first retailer, by the manufacturer, utilizing the select retailer web page; and

inputting at least one of a business name of the second retailer, an address of the second retailer, a telephone number of the second retailer, and an email address of the second retailer, by the manufacturer, utilizing the select retailer web page.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein inputting the first quantity of the product shipped during the time period from the manufacturer to the distributor, by the manufacturer, utilizing the manufacturer shipment web page, comprises:

inputting the first quantity of the product shipped and a date of shipment of the product during the time period, and further inputting at least one of a product name associated with the product, a product serial number associated with the product, and a product model number associated with the product, by the manufacturer, utilizing the manufacturer shipment web page; and

inputting at least one of a business name of the distributor, an address of the distributor, by the manufacturer, utilizing the manufacturer shipment web page.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein inputting second and third quantities of the product shipped during the time period from the distributor to the first and second retailers, by the distributor, utilizing the distributor shipment web page, comprises:

inputting the second quantity of the product shipped and a date of shipment of the product during the time period, and further inputting at least one of a product name associated with the product, a product serial number associated with the product, and a product model number associated with the product, by the distributor, utilizing the distributor shipment web page;

inputting at least one of a business name of the first retailer and an address of the first retailer, by the distributor, utilizing the distributor shipment web page;

inputting the third quantity of the product shipped and a date of shipment of the product during the time period, and further inputting at least one of the product name associated with the product, the product serial number associated with the product, and the product model number associated with the product, by the distributor, utilizing the distributor shipment web page; and

inputting at least one of a business name of the second retailer and an address of the second retailer, by the distributor, utilizing the distributor shipment web page.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the certification and monitoring software program is further programmed to generate a de-certification web page, the method further comprising:

inputting a business name of the distributor, by the manufacturer, on the de-certification web page.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the certification and monitoring software program is further programmed to generate a retailer web page, the method further comprising:

inputting a fourth quantity of the product sold by the first retailer during the time period, by the first retailer, utilizing the retailer web page;

inputting a fifth quantity of the product sold by the second retailer during the time period, by the second retailer, utilizing the retailer web page;

if a sum of the fourth and fifth quantities is greater than the first quantity by a predetermined amount, then generating a second notification message on the notification web page associated with the manufacturer, the second notification message indicating that the first and second retailers have sold an amount of the product greater than an amount of the product originally shipped by the manufacturer to the distributor during the time period.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the certification and monitoring software program is further programmed to generate a de-certification web page:

inputting a business name of at least one of the distributor, the first retailer, and the second retailer, by the manufacturer, on the de-certification web page.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the certification and monitoring software program is further programmed to generate a product authentication web page, the method further comprising:

inputting a product name associated with the product, by a customer, utilizing the product authentication web page;

inputting a retailer name associated with a retailer who sold the product to the customer, by the customer, utilizing the product authentication web page;

determining whether the retailer name corresponds to either the first retailer or the second retailer utilizing the central computer server; and

generating a first notification message on the product authentication web page indicating the retailer associated with the retailer name is authorized to sell the product, if the retailer name corresponds to either the first retailer or the second retailer.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a second notification message on the product authentication web page indicating the retailer associated with the retailer name is not authorized to sell the product, if the retailer name does not correspond to either the first retailer or the second retailer.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the manufacturer shipment web page is further programmed to receive inputted data corresponding to at least one of a date of shipment of the product during the time period, a product name associated with the product, a product serial number associated with the product, and a product model number associated with the product, by the manufacturer; and

the manufacturer shipment web page is further programmed to receive inputted data corresponding to at least one a business name of the distributor, an address of the distributor, by the manufacturer.

13. A system for certifying and monitoring commercial activity of a manufacturer, distributors, and retailers in a product supply chain, comprising:

a central computer server that is owned and managed by a certification and monitoring company, the central computer server having a certification and monitoring software program that is programmed to generate a login web page, a manufacturer registration web page, a select distributor web page, a select retailer web page, a manufacturer shipment web page, a distributor shipment web page, and a notification web page;

a computer programmed to operably communicate with the central computer server, the computer being operably coupled to a display device, the computer further programmed to induce the display device to selectively display the login web page, the manufacturer registration web page, the select distributor web page, the select retailer web page, the manufacturer shipment web page, the distributor shipment web page, and the notification web page;

the manufacturer registration web page programmed to receive an inputted business name of the manufacturer and a state of incorporation associated with the business name, from the manufacturer;

the central computer server further programmed to verify whether the business name of the manufacturer is registered with the state of incorporation by accessing a database;

the central computer server further programmed to register and certify the manufacturer with the centralized certification and monitoring company if the business name is registered with the state of incorporation;

after the central computer server registers and certifies the manufacturer with the centralized certification and monitoring company then;

the select distributor web page programmed to receive data to select and to certify a distributor, from a manufacturer, for a product manufactured by the manufacturer;

the select retailer web page programmed to receive data to select and certify first and second retailers, from the manufacturer, for the product;

the manufacturer shipment web page programmed to receive an inputted first quantity of the product shipped during a time period from the manufacturer to the distributor, from the manufacturer;

the distributor shipment web page programmed to receive inputted second and third quantities of the product shipped during the time period from the distributor to the first and second retailers, from the distributor;

the central computer server further programmed to determine whether a sum of the second and third quantities is greater than the first quantity by a predetermined amount; and

the central computer server further programmed to generate a first notification message on the notification web page associated with the manufacturer, the first notification message indicating that the distributor has shipped an amount of the product greater than an amount of the product received from the manufacturer during the time period, if the sum of the second and third quantities is greater than the first quantity by the predetermined amount.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the manufacturer web page is further programmed to receive inputted data corresponding to at least one of a business address of the manufacturer, a telephone number of the manufacturer, an email address associated with the manufacturer, and a contact person name associated with the manufacturer, by the manufacturer.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the certification and monitoring software program is further programmed to generate a product web page; and

the product web page is programmed to receive inputted data corresponding to at least one of a product name associated with the product, a product serial number associated with the product, and a product model number associated with the product.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the select distributor web page is further programmed to receive inputted data corresponding to at least one of a business name of the distributor, an address of the distributor, a telephone number of the distributor, and an email address of the distributor, by the manufacturer, for selecting and certifying the distributor by the manufacturer.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the select retailer web page is further programmed to receive inputted data corresponding to at least one of a business name of the first retailer, an address of the first retailer, a telephone number of the first retailer, and an email address of the first retailer, by the manufacturer for selecting and certifying the first retailer; and

the select retailer web page is further programmed to receive inputted data corresponding to at least one of a business name of the second retailer, an address of the second retailer, a telephone number of the second retailer, and an email address of the second retailer, by the manufacturer for selecting and certifying the second retailer.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the distributor shipment web page is further programmed to receive inputted data corresponding to a date of shipment of the product during the time period, and at least one of a product name associated with the product, a product serial number associated with the product, and a product model number associated with the product, by the distributor;

the distributor shipment web page is further programmed to receive inputted data corresponding to at least one of a business name of the first retailer and an address of the first retailer, by the distributor;

the distributor shipment web page is further programmed to receive inputted data corresponding to a date of shipment of the product during the time period, and at least one of the product name associated with the product, the product serial number associated with the product, and the product model number associated with the product, by the distributor; and

the distributor shipment web page is further programmed to receive inputted data corresponding to at least one of a business name of the second retailer and an address of the second retailer, by the distributor.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the certification and monitoring software program is further programmed to generate a product authentication web page;

the product authentication web page is further programmed to receive inputted data corresponding to a product name associated with the product, by a customer;

the product authentication web page is further programmed to receive inputted data corresponding to a retailer name associated with a retailer who sold the product to the customer, by the customer;

the central computer server is further programmed to determine whether the retailer name corresponds to either the first retailer or the second retailer;

the central computer server is further programmed to generate a first notification message on the product authentication web page indicating the retailer associated with the retailer name is authorized to sell the product, if the retailer name corresponds to either the first retailer or the second retailer.