Fact based negotiation tool

A method of managing cost information by a fact based negotiation tool, comprising:

• defining a plurality of products to be provided by one or more suppliers;
• obtaining, from one or more suppliers, cost information for purchase of each of the products from the one or more suppliers;
• receiving a sales price for each of the products;
• determining a profit margin for sales of each of the products if supplied by the one or more suppliers;
• and
• simultaneously displaying for each of the products the determined profit margins.

A method of managing cost information by a fact based negotiation tool, comprising:

• defining a plurality of products for purchase, such that each product is associated with one or more suppliers that may provide the product;
• obtaining cost information for purchase of each of the products from the one or more suppliers associated with product;
• electronically storing the cost information for each of the products obtained from the one or more suppliers associated with the product;
• and
• simultaneously displaying the cost information for two or more of the products.

A fact based negotiation tool for providing information to help a user negotiate purchases, comprising:

• a cost sheet preparation component for preparing and transmitting, to one or more suppliers, a request for product cost information for a product to be provided by the one or more suppliers;
• a cost information import component that receives and electronically stores product cost information provided by the one or more suppliers in a database;
• and
• a view cost sheets component that displays product cost information provided by one of the one or more suppliers.

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

• transmitting, to one or more suppliers, a request for product cost information for a product to be provided by the one or more suppliers;
• receiving product cost information from the one or more suppliers;
• electronically storing the product cost information from the one or more suppliers;
• receiving a sales price for the product;
• using the received sales price and the product cost information, calculating a profit margin for sale of the product if supplied by each of the one or more suppliers;
• and
• displaying the calculated profit margins for sale of the product if supplied by each of the one or more suppliers.