Increased visibility during order management in a network-based supply chain environment

• US 9,922,345 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2015
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Mikurak, Michael G.
• Primary Examiner(s): ADE, OGER GARCIA
• Application Number:
  US14/731,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20150269617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 705 22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for a first business entity to provide a network-based supply chain framework for collaborative order management between at least a second and a third independent business entity, such as a service provider, vendor, reseller, manufacturer and the like. A request for an order is received over a network with an automated system, from at least a second business entity. The order is transmitted over a network, with an automated system, to at least the third business entity. Information is received from the third business entity relating to a status of completion of the order by the third business entity using a network. The progress in completing the order is tracked based on the information received from the third business entity. Progress reports from the tracking are generated periodically; and transmitted to the second business entity using the network.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving, from a user associated with a user device, a request for food items available for purchase over a network;

obtaining, for a particular food item available for purchase over the network, a default set of features of the particular food item, wherein the default set of features is a subset of features of the particular food item that are available for purchase over the network;

determining additional available features that are available for user selection and that are not among the default set of features;

determining that a presentation of the particular food item having the default set of features is stored in a cache, the presentation comprising (i) an image of the particular food item having the default set of features and (ii) selectable user interface elements that each identify a respective additional available feature of the additional available features that are available for user selection and that are not among the default set of features;

accessing the cache that stores the presentation of the particular food item having the default set of features;

without accessing an original source of the image of the particular food item having the default set of features and without accessing an original source of the selectable user interface elements, providing, to the user device and for presentation to the user, the presentation of the particular food item having the default set of features stored in the cache;

receiving, from the user, a selection of one or more of the additional available features of the particular food item selected through the selectable user interface elements;

in response to receiving the selection of one or more of the additional available features of the particular food item selected through the selectable user interface elements, updating the presentation to include an image of the particular food item having (i) the one or more selected additional available features of the particular food item and (ii) the default set of features; and

providing, to the user device for presentation to the user, the updated presentation of the particular food item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the default set of features of the particular food item comprises obtaining the default set of features from a user profile of the user.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising generating the user profile for the user based on one or more of input from the user, previous purchases by the user, and previous searches by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the additional presentation of the additional food item comprises generating a presentation having respective images of the one or more of the additional available features that are available for user selection and that are not among the default set of features of the additional food item.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein generating the additional presentation comprises:

determining that one or more features of the additional food item are unavailable for the user; and

generating a presentation that omits respective images of unavailable features of the additional food item.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining a geographic location of the user; and

determining a price for the particular food item having the default set of features and the one or more selected additional available features at the geographic location of the user,

wherein updating the presentation comprises updating the presentation to include the determined price for the particular food item having the default set of features and the one or more selected additional available features at the geographic location of the user.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising:

generating a saved configuration comprising the set of default features and the one or more selected additional features for the particular food item; and

associating the saved configuration with a user profile of the user.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining one or more advertisements related to the particular food item and related to a user profile of the user; and

providing the one or more advertisements for presentation to the user.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving an indication that the user has submitted payment for the particular food item; and

providing the indication to a provider of the food item for processing.

24. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving an additional request for the food items;

obtaining, for an additional food item, a default set of features of the additional food item;

determining additional available features that are available for user selection and that are not among the default set of features;

determining that an additional presentation of the additional food item having the default set of features is not stored in the cache, the additional presentation comprising (i) an additional image of the additional food item having the default set of features and (ii) additional selectable user interface elements that each identify the respective additional available feature of the additional available features that are available for user selection and that are not among the default set of features;

accessing an original source of the additional image of the additional food item and an original source of the additional selectable user interface elements;

generating the additional presentation of the additional food item having the default set of features;

providing the additional presentation of the additional food item having the default set of features to the user device for presentation to the user;

receiving, from the user, a selection of one or more of the additional available features of the additional food item selected through the additional selectable user interface elements;

in response to receiving the selection of one or more of the additional available features of the additional food item selected through the additional selectable user interface elements, updating the additional presentation to include an image of the additional food item having (i) the one or more selected additional available features of the additional food item and (ii) the default set of features; and

providing, to the user device for presentation to the user, the updated presentation of the additional food item.

25. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving data indicating that the image of the particular food item having the default set of features is updated;

receiving data indicating that the selectable user interface elements that each identify a respective additional available feature of the additional available features that are available for user selection and that are not among the default set of features are updated; and

in response to receiving the data indicating that the image of the particular food item having the default set of features is updated and to receiving the data indicating that the selectable user interface elements that each identify a respective additional available feature of the additional available features that are available for user selection and that are not among the default set of features are updated, automatically updating the presentation of the particular food item having the default set of features stored in the cache.

10. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

receiving, from a user associated with a user device, a request for food items available for purchase over a network;

obtaining, for a particular food item available for purchase over the network, a default set of features of the particular food item, wherein the default set of features is a subset of features of the particular food item that are available for purchase over the network;

determining additional available features that are available for user selection and that are not among the default set of features;

determining that a presentation of the particular food item having the default set of features is stored in a cache, the presentation comprising (i) an image of the particular food item having the default set of features and (ii) selectable user interface elements that each identify a respective additional available feature of the additional available features that are available for user selection and that are not among the default set of features;

accessing the cache that stores the presentation of the particular food item having the default set of features;

without accessing an original source of the image of the particular food item having the default set of features and without accessing an original source of the selectable user interface elements, providing, to the user device and for presentation to the user, the presentation of the particular food item having the default set of features stored in the cache;

receiving, from the user, a selection of one or more of the additional available features of the particular food item selected through the selectable user interface elements;

in response to receiving the selection of one or more of the additional available features of the particular food item selected through the selectable user interface elements, updating the presentation to include an image of the particular food item having (i) the one or more selected additional available features of the particular food item and (ii) the default set of features; and

providing, to the user device for presentation to the user, the updated presentation of the particular food item.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein obtaining the default set of features of the particular food item comprises obtaining the default set of features from a user profile of the user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations comprise generating the user profile for the user based on one or more of input from the user, previous purchases by the user, and previous searches by the user.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations comprise:

determining a geographic location of the user; and

determining a price for the particular food item having the default set of features and the one or more selected additional available features at the geographic location of the user,

wherein updating the presentation comprises updating the presentation to include the determined price for the particular food item having the default set of features and the one or more selected additional available features at the geographic location of the user.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the operations comprise:

generating a saved configuration comprising the set of default features and the one or more selected additional features for the particular food item; and

associating the saved configuration with a user profile of the user.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations comprise:

determining one or more advertisements related to the particular food item and related to a user profile of the user; and

providing the one or more advertisements for presentation to the user.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations comprise:

receiving an indication that the user has submitted payment for the particular food item; and

providing the indication to a provider of the food item for processing.

17. A computer program product, encoded on one or more non-transitory computer storage media, comprising instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a user associated with a user device, a request for food items available for purchase over a network;

obtaining, for a particular food item available for purchase over the network, a default set of features of the particular food item, wherein the default set of features is a subset of features of the particular food item that are available for purchase over the network;

determining additional available features that are available for user selection and that are not among the default set of features;

determining that a presentation of the particular food item having the default set of features is stored in a cache, the presentation comprising (i) an image of the particular food item having the default set of features and (ii) selectable user interface elements that each identify a respective additional available feature of the additional available features that are available for user selection and that are not among the default set of features;

accessing the cache that stores the presentation of the particular food item having the default set of features;

without accessing an original source of the image of the particular food item having the default set of features and without accessing an original source of the selectable user interface elements, providing, to the user device and for presentation to the user, the presentation of the particular food item having the default set of features stored in the cache;

receiving, from the user, a selection of one or more of the additional available features of the particular food item selected through the selectable user interface elements;

in response to receiving the selection of one or more of the additional available features of the particular food item selected through the selectable user interface elements, updating the presentation to include an image of the particular food item having (i) the one or more selected additional available features of the particular food item and (ii) the default set of features; and

providing, to the user device for presentation to the user, the updated presentation of the particular food item.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein obtaining the default set of features of the particular food item comprises obtaining the default set of features from a user profile of the user.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the operations comprise generating the user profile for the user based on one or more of input from the user, previous purchases by the user, and previous searches by the user.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the operations comprise:

determining a geographic location of the user; and

determining a price for the particular food item having the default set of features and the one or more selected additional available features at the geographic location of the user,

wherein updating the presentation comprises updating the presentation to include the determined price for the particular food item having the default set of features and the one or more selected additional available features at the geographic location of the user.

21. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the operations comprise:

generating a saved configuration comprising the set of default features and the one or more selected additional features for the particular food item; and

associating the saved configuration with a user profile of the user.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the operations comprise:

determining one or more advertisements related to the particular food item and related to a user profile of the user; and

providing the one or more advertisements for presentation to the user.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the operations comprise:

receiving an indication that the user has submitted payment for the particular food item; and

providing the indication to a provider of the food item for processing.