System for ordering items using an electronic catalogue

In an electronic catalog requisition system in which catalogs of items offered by suppliers are stored on a central catalog database system, a method for retrieving information elating to said items and electronically ordering items from suppliers comprising the following steps:

• searching the catalog database for information on a customer-selected item, said catalog database residing on a public computer system;
• downloading said information on said customer-selected item to a Customer/Requestor computer system;
• creating an electronic requisition using the Customer/Requestor computer system;
• and
• transmitting the electronic requisition to a supplier computer system.

A method for facilitating the ordering of items offered by a supplier comprising the following steps:

• creating a machine readable catalog of information relating to items offered by a vendor at a suppler computer system;
• transmitting the machine readable catalog to a public database system for access by Customer/Requestors;
• transmitted the machine readable catalog to a customer/requestor system;
• and receiving electronic purchase requisitions from said Customer/Requestor system based upon information obtained from said machine readable catalog.

In an electronic catalog requisition system in which catalogs of items offered by suppliers are stored on a central catalog database system, a method for retrieving information relating to said items and electronically ordering items from suppliers comprising the following steps:

• downloading the catalog database to a Customer/Requestor computer system;
• modifying said catalog database to create a private catalog, said private catalog containing data different than said downloaded catalog database;
• searching said private catalog for information on an item selected by a user;
• creating an electronic requisition for said item using the customer/Requestor computer system;
• and
• transmitting said electronic requisition to a supplier computer system.