System and method for creating a spot market
First Claim
1. A method for soliciting and receiving bids, in a computer network, for goods or services necessary to satisfy a spot need of a buyer, comprising the steps of:
- receiving a request to procure goods or services that are required to satisfy the spot need of the buyer, wherein the request includes information identifying a type of good or service being procured by the buyer;
automatically selecting potential bidders in response to the good or service identified in the buyer'"'"'s request by querying a database that includes a plurality of groups of potential bidders, wherein each of the groups of potential bidders is associated with purchasing requests directed to a particular good or service;
electronically notifying each of the potential bidders in the selected group of an opportunity to submit a bid to satisfy all or part of the buyer'"'"'s purchase request;
electronically accepting bids from each of the potential bidders in the selected group; and
selecting a winning bidder in accordance with the received bids.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for soliciting and receiving bids for goods or services necessary to satisfy a spot need of a buyer. The system receives a request to procure goods or services that are required to satisfy the spot need of the buyer. The request includes information identifying the type of goods or services being procured by the buyer. Next, the system automatically selects a plurality of suppliers to invite to the online auction by querying a supplier database with information from the request. The supplier database includes records identifying suppliers capable of supplying a plurality of different goods and services to a spot marketplace. For each supplier represented in the supplier database, a record is stored in the supplier database, which includes information representing the capabilities of the supplier to deliver at least one good or service. The system automatically invites the suppliers selected from the supplier database to offer bids by sending an electronic communication to each of the selected suppliers. Each of the suppliers is electronically coupled on-line to the spot marketplace. Finally, a winner bidder is selected to satisfy the spot need of the buyer.
79 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for soliciting and receiving bids, in a computer network, for goods or services necessary to satisfy a spot need of a buyer, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a request to procure goods or services that are required to satisfy the spot need of the buyer, wherein the request includes information identifying a type of good or service being procured by the buyer;
automatically selecting potential bidders in response to the good or service identified in the buyer'"'"'s request by querying a database that includes a plurality of groups of potential bidders, wherein each of the groups of potential bidders is associated with purchasing requests directed to a particular good or service;
electronically notifying each of the potential bidders in the selected group of an opportunity to submit a bid to satisfy all or part of the buyer'"'"'s purchase request;
electronically accepting bids from each of the potential bidders in the selected group; and
selecting a winning bidder in accordance with the received bids. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19)
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18. A web-based system for soliciting and receiving bids for goods or services necessary to satisfy a spot need of a buyer, comprising:
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a computer that receives a request to procure goods or services that are required to satisfy the spot need of the buyer, wherein the request includes information identifying a type of goods or services being procured by the buyer;
a supplier database, coupled to the computer, that includes a plurality of groups of potential bidders, wherein each of the groups of potential bidders is associated with purchasing requests directed to a particular good or service, wherein the computer automatically selects potential bidders in response to the good or service identified in the buyer'"'"'s request by querying the database, electronically notifies each of the potential bidders in the selected group of an opportunity to submit a bid to satisfy all or part of the buyer'"'"'s purchase request, electronically accepts bids from each of the potential bidders in the selected group, and selects a winning bidder in accordance with the received bids, and wherein only the bidders invited by the computer may offer bids.
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20. A method for soliciting and receiving bids, in a computer network, for goods or services necessary to satisfy a spot need of a buyer, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a request to procure goods or services that are required to satisfy the spot need of the buyer;
wherein the request includes information identifying a type of good or service being procured by the buyer;
automatically selecting a plurality of suppliers to solicit by querying a supplier database with the type information from the request;
wherein the supplier database includes records identifying suppliers capable of supplying a plurality of different goods and services to a spot marketplace; and
wherein, for each supplier represented in the supplier database, a record is stored in the supplier database which includes information representing capabilities of the supplier to deliver at least one good or service;
posting information about the request on a spot marketplace;
automatically inviting the plurality of suppliers selected from the supplier database to bid on the spot need by sending an electronic communication to each of the selected suppliers;
conducting an auction, wherein only the bidders invited in step of automatically inviting may bid on the request; and
selecting a winning bidder to satisfy the spot need of the buyer.
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Specification