US 8,412,615 B2 · Materials supply contract system and method

Abstract

The invention relates to a materials supply contract system and method for use in conducting business on-line over a network of computers such as the Internet. A method is provided for a buyer to award a supply contract, issued as a BOM, to a supplier selected from a panel of predetermined suppliers which each have a base supply contract with the buyer, the method being conducted over a computer network which comprises at least one buyer computer, an administrator computer and at least two supplier computers, the method comprising the steps of sending a buyer message from the buyer computer to the administrator computer identifying the BOM which includes at least one predetermined parameter (e.g. material requirement, business and market rules and/or special instructions), receiving the buyer message and displaying the BOM on a site on the administrator computer which is accessible by at least two supplier computers, sending a BOM message from the administrator computer to the at least two suppliers, receiving and storing an offer message in the administrator computer from one or more of the at least two supplier computers which includes an offer to supply goods or services in accordance with the BOM, sending an acceptance message from the administrator computer to the supplier computer which sent the successful offer, and sending a notification message from the administrator computer to the buyer computer notifying the buyer computer of one or more of the offers.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A method for a controlling party to award a contract to a bidding party selected from a panel of predetermined bidding parties, the method conducted over a computer network which comprises at least one controlling party computer, an administrator computer and at least two bidding party computers, the method involving a competitive auction event conducted to result in said contract award,

key contract parameters having been established in advance of said auction event and provided to the bidding parties wherein the key contract parameters include at least one non-price parameter, the method comprising:
applying a weighting process by said administrator computer with respect to said parameters for each bidding party of the panel of predetermined bidding parties, to calculate a rating for each said bidding party;
and
during said auction event, receiving respective bids from the respective bidding party computers, adjusting said bids by said administrator computer by applying said ratings for the respective bidding parties, and using said ratings to provide to each bidder an indication of a current bid to win (CBTW) in respect of said contract, the CBTW calculated by said administrator computer to dynamically indicate to a bidding party the offer that said party must submit to compete with the best previous bid;
wherein the controlling party is a seller and the bidding parties are prospective buyers, each bid received from bidding party computers representing an offer to buy goods or services.

2 more elements

An administrator computer system for enabling a controlling party to award a contract to a bidding party selected from a panel of predetermined bidding parties, the system operating over a computer network and involving connection between at least one controlling party computer, an administrator computer and at least two bidding party computers,

key contract parameters having been established in advance of an auction event and provided to the bidding parties, wherein the key contract parameters include at least one non-price parameter, wherein the system comprises:
means for applying a weighting process by said administrator computer with respect to said parameters for each bidding party of the panel of predetermined bidding parties, to calculate a rating for each said bidding party;
and
means for, during said auction event, receiving respective bids from the respective bidding party computers, adjusting said bids by said administrator computer by applying said ratings for the respective bidding parties, and using said ratings to provide to each bidder an indication of a current bid to win (CBTW) in respect of said contract, the CBTW calculated by said administrator computer to dynamically indicate to a bidding party the offer that said party must submit to compete with the best previous bid;
wherein the controlling party is a seller and the bidding parties are prospective buyers, each bid received from bidding party computers representing an offer to buy goods or services.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Materials supply contract system and method

Life of this patent

Materials supply contract system and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24