METHOD OF AND SYSTEM FOR ENABLING AND MANAGING SUB-CONTRACTING ENTITIES

• US 20090281955A1
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IQNavigator Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Volt Information Sciences Incorporated
• Inventors: Cullen, Andrew A. III, Shaw, Steven A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,364,557 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A method of facilitating a project bid process includes generating a buyer-associated bid request utilizing at least a portion of bid item selections of a stored bid item list, transmitting the buyer-associated bid request to at least one supplier for solicitation of a supplier bid response to be generated with the bid item selections utilized in the buyer-associated bid request, generating a supplier-associated bid request utilizing at least a portion of the bid item selections utilized in the buyer-associated bid request, and transmitting the supplier-associated bid request to at least one subcontracting entity for solicitation of a subcontracting-entity bid response to be generated with the bid item selections utilized in the supplier-associated bid request.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating a project bid process, the method comprising:

generating a buyer-associated bid request utilizing at least a portion of bid item selections of a stored bid item list;

transmitting the buyer-associated bid request to at least one supplier for solicitation of a supplier bid response to be generated with the bid item selections utilized in the buyer-associated bid request;

generating a supplier-associated bid request utilizing at least a portion of the bid item selections utilized in the buyer-associated bid request; and

transmitting the supplier-associated bid request to at least one subcontracting entity for solicitation of a subcontracting-entity bid response to be generated with the bid item selections utilized in the supplier-associated bid request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the buyer-associated bid request further comprises:

receiving buyer-associated bid request data from the buyer for the buyer-associated bid request; and

storing the buyer-associated bid request data within fields associated with at least a portion of the bid item selections.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving the supplier bid response; and

wherein the supplier bid response includes bid response data within fields associated with at least a portion of the bid item selections utilized in the buyer-associated bid request.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving the subcontracting-entity bid response; and

wherein the subcontracting-entity bid response includes bid response data within fields associated with at least a portion of the bid item selections utilized in the supplier-associated bid request.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting the supplier bid response to the buyer upon completion of all required ones of the fields by the supplier.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising transmitting the subcontracting-entity bid response to the supplier upon completion of all required ones of the fields by the subcontracting entity.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving an acceptance of the subcontracting-entity bid response;

receiving a selection of at least a portion of the bid response data included in the subcontracting-entity bid response; and

updating the supplier bid response with the selected at least a portion of the bid response data included in the subcontracting-entity bid response.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting the supplier bid response to the buyer.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a buyer request to access data relative to the subcontracting-entity bid response.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of transmitting the buyer-associated bid request comprises selecting the at least one supplier to receive the buyer-associated bid request using the buyer-associated bid request data.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of transmitting the supplier-associated bid request comprises selecting the at least one subcontracting entity to receive the supplier-associated bid request using the supplier-associated bid request data.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of selecting the at least one supplier further comprises:

maintaining supplier information associated with the at least one supplier; and

comparing the buyer-associated bid request data with the supplier information to select the at least one supplier.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of selecting the at least one subcontracting entity further comprises:

maintaining subcontracting-entity information associated with the at least one subcontracting entity; and

comparing the supplier-associated bid request data with the subcontracting-entity information to select the at least one subcontracting entity.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the subcontracting-entity bid response;

receiving the supplier bid response;

receiving a supplier bid award;

transmitting a purchase requisition to the supplier;

transmitting a parsed purchase requisition to the subcontracting entity; and

wherein the parsed purchase requisition is a subset of the purchase requisition.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the purchase requisition is submitted to the supplier for purposes of acceptance and tax assessment.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the parsed purchase requisition is submitted to the subcontracting entity for purposes of acceptance and tax assessment.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a completed parsed purchase requisition from the subcontracting entity; and

generating a completed purchase requisition.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of generating the completed purchase requisition comprises aggregating at least one completed purchase requisition.

19. A computer system for facilitating a bid process for a project involving a buyer, a supplier, and at least one subcontracting entity, the computer system comprising:

a database system for maintaining a configurable pre-established bid item list and a bid template for the project;

wherein the bid template includes bid item selections selected from the bid item list;

a server connected to the database system and connectable to the buyer, the supplier, and the at least one subcontracting entity; and

wherein the server is operable to;

generate a buyer-associated bid request utilizing the bid template;

transmit the buyer-associated bid request to the supplier;

generate a supplier-associated bid request via a parsing of the supplier-associated bid request;

transmit the supplier-associated bid request to the at least one subcontracting entity;

receive a subcontracting entity bid response to the supplier-associated bid request;

receive a supplier bid response, the supplier bid response incorporating, at least in part, data from the subcontracting entity bid response.

20. A method of managing a project bid process, the method comprising:

receiving an enablement request relative to a subcontracting entity;

receiving an affiliation request relative to a primary supplier, the affiliation request requesting that the subcontracting entity be affiliated with the primary supplier;

transmitting a buyer-associated bid request to the supplier;

transmitting, to the subcontracting entity, of a daisy chain quotation associated with the buyer-associated bid request;

receiving a completed daisy chain quotation from the subcontracting entity, the completed daisy chain quotation comprising completed applicable daisy chain quotation items of the daisy chain quotation transmitted to the subcontracting entity;

updating a supplier bid response to the buyer-associated bid request using at least some of the completed applicable daisy chain quotation items; and

transmitting the updated supplier bid response to the buyer.