System, method and computer program product for providing online service contract negotiation service

• US 20030216993A1
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Amber Road, Inc. (E2open Parent Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amber Road, Inc. (E2open Parent Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kidd, David, Goldwerger, Eyal
• Application Number:
  US10/305,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20030216993A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product for negotiating a service contract including receiving a tender line item from a shipper and an offer from a carrier, providing online viewing access to the tender line item and the offer, receiving a designation of a selected offer associated with the tender line item, and communicating the designation.

Claims

1. A method for negotiating a service contract online via a service contract negotiation online service provider, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving one or more tender line items from a shipper and storing said one or more tender line items in a tender database;

(b) providing online viewing access of said tender database to one or more carriers;

(c) receiving an offer from each of said one or more carriers and storing offers received from said one or more carriers in an offer database;

(d) providing online viewing access of said offers received from said offer database to said shipper;

(e) receiving one or more final designations of awarded line items from said shipper designating one or more winning carriers; and

(f) communicating said one or more final designations of awarded line items corresponding to one or more awarded service contracts.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of said one or more tender line items comprises an origin, a destination, and a container size of a container.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein each of said one or more tender line items further comprises at least one of a route and a commodity.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said container comprises an ocean container.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(g) receiving a list of one or more tentative award carriers designated by said shipper; and

(h) receiving at least one revised offer from said one or more tentative award carriers.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step (b) comprises:

(1) allowing filtering of views of said one or more tender line items.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more tender line items further comprise at least one of:

an origin, a destination, a container size, a commodity, volume information for a period of time, a route, and a type of service.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said offer comprises at least one of:

a price and a route.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said offer further comprises a time frame.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said route comprises at least one of a method of service, a quality of service, and a mode of transportation.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said mode of transportation comprises at least one of:

ocean transport, land transport, and air transport.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said land transport comprises at least one of:

rail transport, truck transport, and barge transport.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step (f) further comprises:

(1) communicating said one or more final designations of awarded line items to designated users of information comprising at least one of;

personnel from warehouses, personnel from shipping sites, personnel from carrier sites, personnel from manufacturing plants, and selected third parties.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said selected third parties comprise freight forwarders, consolidators, third party logistics, and accountants.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

(g) monitoring for exceptions including tracking actual bookings;

(h) comparing actual bookings to said one or more final designations of awarded line items;

(i) identifying a variance between said actual bookings and said one or more final designations of awarded line items; and

(j) reporting said variance.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said step (h) comprises comparing a booked container quantity to a committed container quantity.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein said step (i) comprises:

(1) determining whether said variance exceeds a variance threshold.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein said step (j) comprises:

(1) notifying appropriate parties at shipper of said variance.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the appropriate parties are notified through electronic means.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said electronic means comprises at least one of an online application, an email, a facsimile, a computing device, a communications device, a handheld messaging device, and a message.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

(g) receiving confirmation that said one or more winning carriers has completed appropriate regulatory actions.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

(g) reporting actual volume of cargo moved against said service contract.

24. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

(g) reporting actual line items moved in said service contract.

25. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

(g) reporting actual line items moved outside said service contract.

26. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

(g) reporting actual service performance of carriers against agreed upon service performance.

27. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

(g) providing an automated booking process by allowing shipper to place a booking against a contract line item of said service contract.

22. A method for negotiating a service contract comprising:

(a) receiving a tender line item from a shipper and an offer from a carrier;

(b) providing online viewing access to said tender line item and said offer;

(c) receiving a designation of a selected offer associated with said tender line item; and

(d) communicating said designation.