Electronic sourcing system

• US 6,505,172 B1
• Filed: 03/22/2000
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ePlus Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ePlus Incorporated
• Inventors: Johnson, James M., Kinross, Robert P., Melly, Francis J., Momyer, Douglas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US09/532,557
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 700/90, 700/106, 700/107, 705/1, 705/26, 705/27, 705/400, 707/1, 707/100, 707/104
• US Class Current: 705/26.62
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

An electronic sourcing system includes a computer that maintains a catalog database of data including product information (such as product identification and descriptive information) relating to catalog items available from vendor product catalogs, and a means for building (generating) a requisition including at least one requisitioned item. Information at least partially identifying an item desired to be requisitioned is entered by a user, and utilized by a means for searching the database for catalog items matching that information and for selecting at least one catalog item located as a result of the search. Text describing the catalog items, and images of the items, may be viewed. Data identifying selected catalog items are communicated to the requisition building means, which generates a requisition including entries for items corresponding to the selected catalog items. The system checks the availability in one or more inventory locations of the corresponding desired catalog items, and generates one or more purchase orders for desired items from inventory locations stocking the items.

Claims

1. An electronic sourcing system comprising:

a database containing data relating to items associated with at least two vendors maintained so that selected portions of the database may be searched separately;

means for entering product information that at least partially describes at least one desired item;

means for searching for matching items that match the entered product information in the selected portions of the database;

means for generating an order list that includes at least one matching item selected by said means for searching;

means for building a requisition that uses data obtained from said database relating to selected matching items on said order list;

means for processing said requisition to generate purchase orders for said selected matching items.

2. The electronic sourcing system according to claim 1, wherein the means for searching comprises:

means for searching the database for segments of data relating to items associated with a vendor that contain vendor items that match the product information for said at least one desired item;

means for generating a hit list of such vendor segments; and

means for selectively viewing the vendor segments identified for said hit list, and

wherein the means for generating an order list comprises means for selecting desired items from a vendor segment identified by said hit list.

3. The electronic sourcing system according to claim 1, wherein the means for entering product information fully describes at least one desired item.

4. The electronic sourcing system according to claim 1, further comprising means for determining the applicable price of a selected matching item.

5. The electronic sourcing system according to claim 1, further comprising means for determining whether a selected matching item is available in inventory.