CN106062744A - Supply chain management system - Google Patents

Abstract

A supply chain management system is described that provides a single point of integration to partners, retailers, and distribution centers. Partners, retailers, and distribution centers register with the supply chain management system. Through the system, partners select those retailers with whom they wish to do business. The partners may also distribute inventory among selected retailers. The supply chain management system suggests a distribution center for maintaining product inventory.

Description

supply chain management system

technical field

The present disclosure relates generally to electronic commerce, and more specifically, but not necessarily exclusively, to the electronic management of supply chain networks between product suppliers, online retailers, and product distribution centers.

Background technique

Electronic commerce, commonly referred to as electronic commerce, involves the buying and selling of products or services over an electronic system such as the Internet. E-commerce utilizes a variety of technologies, including mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, online marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems.

Traditionally, e-commerce has been performed through e-commerce websites using various business models. Under one model, online sellers offer their own products to online customers through their own proprietary e-commerce websites. These sites are considered proprietary because sellers do not allow third parties to sell products on said sites. In this model, sellers own and manage their own product inventory. For example, an online seller offers a range of products to customers through its own proprietary e-commerce website. When a sale is made, the online seller ships the product from its warehouse to the buyer.

Under another model, third-party e-commerce sites allow online sellers to offer products, but under the seller's own name. Such third-party websites may include auction-type websites and sub-type websites. In some cases, these third-party websites provide online sellers with their own virtual storefronts. However, under this model, online sellers typically need to manage their online transactions with customers, including payments, inventory warehousing, and shipping.

Recently, another model has emerged that allows online sellers to list products on third-party websites in a manner that is largely transparent to customers. For example, previously proprietary e-commerce sites owned by large retailers have opened their doors to third-party sellers. These types of websites are known in the industry as third-party marketplaces. Under this model, popular online retailers partner with sellers who can enhance the customer experience by bringing a greater product selection to their e-commerce sites. Typically, the products of both the operator of an e-commerce website and the sellers selling on the website are treated equally in the search results. Third-party marketplaces are especially beneficial for small and mid-sized sellers who may not have the resources to run an e-commerce site. Examples of large online retailers that operate third-party marketplaces include Overstock.com, Amazon.com, Sears.com, Ebay.com, Walmart.com, and Buy.com. Additionally, it is predicted that more third-party marketplaces may be available in the near future.

Although third-party marketplaces have benefited sellers and online retailers, some drawbacks remain. For example, sellers offering products through multiple third-party marketplaces must manage each marketplace account individually, which can incur excessive supply chain management costs. Because of these excessive supply chain management costs, some sellers may artificially limit the number of third-party marketplaces through which they offer their products. It would therefore be an improvement to provide a supply chain management system with a single point of integration that reduces supply chain management costs in a manner that will benefit third party marketplaces and sellers.

Another disadvantage that exists for even those sellers using third-party marketplaces is the more sophisticated customer requirement for near-immediate delivery of products purchased from the online retailer. In fact, total delivery time is increasingly becoming a differentiating and defining characteristic for online buyers. While large online retailers may have sufficient resources to build a large distribution supply network, there are very few retailers of this size. Many third-party marketplaces require sellers to directly integrate and manage their inventory across multiple distribution centers, which adds cost to the overall supply chain and is a barrier to entry for many sellers. However, cost often limits sellers to a single fulfillment center. Additionally, sellers must determine how much inventory to allocate to each third-party marketplace, and they take the risk of locking unsold inventory to a single retailer. Therefore, it would be a further improvement to provide automated supply chain management systems that provide sellers with a single point of integration and access to multiple third-party marketplaces and third-party fulfillment centers.

The prior art is thus characterized by several disadvantages addressed by the present disclosure. The present disclosure minimizes and, in some respects, eliminates the above-mentioned glitches and other problems by utilizing the methods and structural features described herein.

Features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure without undue experimentation. The features and advantages of the present disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Description of drawings

Features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from consideration of the ensuing detailed description presented in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a framework of a supply chain management system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a supply chain management program according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

3 is a diagram of an exemplary display of a retailer include/exclude list generated by the supply chain management system shown in FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

4 is a diagram of an exemplary display of an inventory allocation list generated by the supply chain management system shown in FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

5 is a diagram of an exemplary display of an inventory allocation list generated by the supply chain management system shown in FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a diagram of an exemplary display of an electronic marketplace generated by the supply chain management system shown in FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

7 is a block diagram of a supply chain management system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

8 depicts an exemplary method of managing a supply chain using a supply chain management system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 9 depicts an exemplary method of managing a supply chain using a supply chain management system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

detailed description

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the illustrative embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used to describe the same. Nevertheless, it should be understood that no limitation of the scope of the present disclosure is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the features of the invention as exemplified herein and any additional applications of the principles of the disclosure as exemplified herein that would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art having possession of this disclosure are considered to be within the scope of the present invention as exemplified herein. within the scope of the claimed disclosure.

In describing and claiming the present disclosure, the following terminology will be used in accordance with the definitions set forth below. It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "comprising," "having," "characterized by," and their grammatical equivalents do not exclude additional, non-recited elements or method steps. Inclusive or open-ended terms.

As used herein, the term "partner" may refer to any entity that offers products, typically at a wholesale level, for sale on third-party e-commerce websites, including third-party retail marketplaces. Thus, a partner may be a product supplier, seller, distributor, wholesaler, importer, manufacturer or one of any other entity or individual. The partner can operate the sales management computer program running on the sales management computer server.

As used herein, the term "retailer" or "retail marketplace" may refer to an entity that offers products for sale at the retail level to customers, sometimes referred to as end users. Retailers may include electronic commerce businesses that provide products to customers over a network such as the Internet. That is, an e-commerce business includes an e-commerce computer server connected to a publicly accessible network. The e-commerce computer server hosts an e-commerce website that allows customers to purchase products. Products offered for sale by a retailer may include its own products, products purchased from a partner, or products offered for sale by a partner, even if title to the product has not been formally transferred to the retailer.

As used herein, the term "distribution center" may refer to a company that includes a warehouse for storing and managing product inventory. As used herein, a distribution center may or may not be associated with a partner or retailer or another distribution center. That is, distribution centers can be operated independently. In one embodiment, the distribution center may physically manage the inventory of products offered for sale by others, including partners and retailers. That is, fulfillment centers fulfill shipping orders from retailers and partners.

In view of the foregoing, the various exemplary embodiments of the present invention advantageously provide, for example, systems, computer readable media, programs and methods for providing supply chain management over a network that provide partners with a single point of integration and Access to multiple retail markets and distribution centers. For example, various embodiments of the systems, computer readable media, programs and methods of the present invention allow partners to submit partner data using a variety of integrated input methods including EDI, AS2, API, and web user interfaces. Partner data from any input method is processed to generate standardized output transactions. Based on the partner configuration, standardized outgoing transactions are only routed to those endpoints with which the partner has established a transaction relationship, ie, the retail marketplace.

The systems, computer readable media, programs and methods of the present invention can facilitate various transactions between partners, retailers and distribution centers including but not limited to purchase orders, shipping orders, inventory master lists, advanced shipping notifications, shipping confirmations , Receipts, Inventory Adjustment, Inventory Allocation, Total Inventory, Product Definition, Product Attributes, Product Binary Data, and Product Cost.

In various exemplary embodiments of the systems, computer readable media, programs and methods of the present invention, partners may create product definitions for each product in their inventory that they wish to offer for sale or carry. Product definitions may be stored in a centralized database made available to one or more retail marketplaces that offer products for sale to customers through the e-commerce website. A product definition can include product dimensions, weight, and quantity. Retail marketplaces can download product definitions from a centralized database so that partners only need to upload product definitions once.

In various exemplary embodiments of the systems, computer readable media, programs and methods of the present invention, partners may define market preferences to include or exclude individual retail marketplaces from offering their products. For example, a partner may include or exclude individual retail marketplaces or retailers by selecting from a list of available retail marketplaces generated by the supply chain management system. Establish a transactional relationship between the partner and the retail marketplace based on the partner's marketplace preferences.

In various exemplary embodiments of the systems, computer-readable media, programs, and methods of the present invention, a partner may be provided with suggested physical locations for product distribution points based on the partner's business relationship with the retail marketplace. In addition, the systems, computer readable media, programs and methods of the present invention can provide cost estimates and provide inventory allocation recommendations for each retail marketplace with which a partner has established a business relationship.

In various exemplary embodiments of the systems, computer readable media, programs and methods of the present invention, once transactional relationships are defined and product locations identified, the present invention will Create a 4-way relationship. This relationship can be stored and used to route all subsequent transactions. For example, e-commerce transactions through a retail marketplace can be routed based on product, partner, and retailer relationships. These transactions can include purchase orders, shipping orders, inventory master lists, advanced shipping notifications, shipping confirmations, receipts, inventory adjustments, inventory allocations, and total inventory.

In various exemplary embodiments of the systems, computer-readable media, programs and methods of the present invention, partners are provided with aggregated inventory information for multiple distribution centers even in cases where the distribution centers are operated by independent third parties . Partners and retail marketplaces can receive normalized and aggregated transactions regardless of the number or type of fulfillment center locations or providers. For example, if a partner has products in three warehouses, each warehouse provides daily inventory updates. The present invention can identify a partner's inventory transactions to create a single inventory update.

In various exemplary embodiments of the systems, computer readable media, programs and methods of the present invention, participating partners, distribution centers and retail marketplaces are provided with aggregated transaction files. For example, the present invention will process orders from all participating retail marketplaces and then determine the location of the product, and then create a single transaction load for each distribution center.

In various exemplary embodiments of the systems, computer readable media, programs and methods of the present invention, participating partners may define inventory allocation rules. For example, partners can define inventory allocation rules that best reflect their sales strategy. Partners may be provided with and selected from a list of available inventory allocation algorithms.

In various exemplary embodiments of the systems, computer readable media, programs and methods of the present invention, retailers and marketplaces are provided with a unified product interface and product catalog.

In various exemplary embodiments of the systems, computer readable media, programs and methods of the present invention, a raw cost market is generated and provided to a retail market. For example, a partner uploads a product catalog with relevant product attributes including original cost. A retail marketplace can be provided with access to this catalog and business logic can be created to help select relevant products to make available on site.

In various exemplary embodiments of the systems, computer readable media, programs and methods of the present invention, a retail marketplace defines a product level business logic/data model. The model uses partner product data, evaluates product attributes, and qualifies products based on product specifications or business logic provided by retailers. Qualified products can then be offered in appropriate retail markets. Products that have been qualified and accepted by retailers are automatically aggregated and included in subsequent inventory transactions. In various exemplary embodiments of the systems, computer-readable media, programs and methods of the present invention, partners are provided with a unified delivery service that eliminates costs from the supply chain and provides partners with a single integrated point.

Referring now to FIG. 1 , depicted is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a framework 10 for a supply chain management environment, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. By implementing the disclosed integration standards and providing unbiased transaction processing, the framework 10 provides an easy-to-use, cost-effective system, process, and computer-readable medium to manage warehousing, distribution, inventory distribution, and sales through multiple independent online retail channels. In an exemplary embodiment, the framework 10 of the present disclosure reduces overall supply chain costs and provides retailers with the ability to reduce delivery times to customers. In an exemplary embodiment, framework 10 facilitates the creation of electronically connected communities of partners, retailers, and distribution centers.

Framework 10 may include a central supply chain management system 12 . It will be appreciated that system 12 may include a collection of computer systems, computer readable media, computer programs, and computer implemented processes such that system 12 provides partners with a single point of integration and access to multiple independently operated retail marketplaces and distribution centers .

In an exemplary embodiment, system 12 may include supply chain management server 100 . Server 100 includes a processor 102 coupled with memory 104 . Loaded in memory 104 is a program comprising computer readable instructions executable by processor 102 . The programs include an operating system 108 known to those skilled in the art. In addition, the memory 104 has the supply chain management program 110 loaded therein.

Supply chain management program 110 includes computer readable instructions that, when executed by processor 102 , cause processor 102 to perform the functions and features of supply chain management system 12 as described herein. In an exemplary embodiment, an operator may enter commands and information into server 100 through input devices (not shown), such as a keyboard and pointing device, such as a mouse. In the exemplary embodiment, server 100 is connected to a network such as the Internet to provide access to remote computing devices utilized by partners, retailers, and distribution centers. As known to those of ordinary skill in the art, computer server 100 is connected to database 112 that resides on an electronic storage device such as a hard drive or array of hard drives.

In the exemplary embodiment, supply chain management server 100 includes a collection of computer servers, each with its own processor, connected to an internal or external network in what is commonly referred to as a "server farm," where each server executes Unique tasks or a group of servers sharing the load of multiple tasks. Each server in the server farm may include a processor coupled with memory. The server farm is scalable to accommodate large demands on the supply chain management system 12 as known to those skilled in the art. For example, server 100 may comprise a server farm having multiple servers, wherein a first portion of the servers is dedicated to performing functions and features offered to partners, wherein a second portion of servers is dedicated to performing functions and features offered to retailers, and Wherein the third part of the server is dedicated to performing the functions and features provided to the distribution center. Supply chain management server 100 may host a website accessible from a remote computer.

In an exemplary embodiment, supply chain management system 12 may be accessed by multiple partners 120 from remote computers through a website hosted by server 100 . Specifically, each partner 120 can access the supply chain management server 100 from the partner management system 122 through a network such as the Internet. Each partner 120 management system 122 may include a computer having a processor and memory, as is known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

Partner 120 may access features of server 100 through a web browser running on partner management system 122 . In the exemplary embodiment, each of plurality of partners 120 completes a registration process with server 100 to establish a user account with system 12 . The account information of the partner 120 may be stored in the database 112 by the server 100 .

Each partner management system 122 may also include a database for storing product listing information including product images, product descriptions, product attributes, and pricing information for products offered by partners 120 . It will also be appreciated that each partner management system 122 may exchange data with the supply chain management system 12, as will be described in more detail below.

In an exemplary embodiment, supply chain management system 12 may be accessed by multiple retailers 130 from remote computers through a website hosted by server 100 . Specifically, each retailer 130 can access the supply chain management server 100 from the e-commerce system 132 through a network such as the Internet. Each e-commerce system 132 may include a computer having a processor and memory, as is known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Retailer 130 may access features of server 100 through a web browser running on a computer of e-commerce system 132 . In the exemplary embodiment, each of plurality of retailers 130 completes a registration process with server 100 to establish a user account with system 12 . Account information for retailer 130 may be stored by server 100 in database 112 .

It will be appreciated that e-commerce system 132 of retailer 130 provides an e-commerce website that enables e-commerce transactions with customers, as known to those of ordinary skill in the art. In an exemplary embodiment, each retailer's 130 e-commerce system 132 provides a third-party marketplace that allows partners, including partner 120 , to offer products for sale on the retailer's 130 e-commerce website. As is known to those of ordinary skill in the art, each e-commerce system 132 may also include a database for storing product listing information including product images, product descriptions, product attributes, and pricing information. It will also be appreciated that each e-commerce system 132 can exchange data with the supply chain management system 12, as will be described in more detail below.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the retailer 130 offers products for sale on its e-commerce website. For example, using a web browser operating on a remote computer, a customer can access a website hosted by retailer's 130 e-commerce system 132 . Through the website, customers can browse product listings on the e-commerce website. As known to those of ordinary skill in the art, e-commerce websites may provide a search feature that allows customers to search for desired products on the website. Additionally, e-commerce sites can provide interactive hierarchical product listings. Additionally, each website hosted by e-commerce system 132 provides a checkout process that allows customers to purchase products from retailer 130 . As is known to those of ordinary skill in the art, the online checkout process typically requires the customer to enter name, payment information, and shipping address.

In an exemplary embodiment, plurality of distribution centers 140 may access supply chain management system 12 from a remote computer through a website hosted by server 100 . Specifically, each distribution center 140 can access supply chain management server 100 from fulfillment management system 142 over a network such as the Internet. Each fulfillment management system 142 may include a computer having a processor and memory, as is known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Distribution center 140 may access features of server 100 through a web browser running on a computer of fulfillment management system 142 . In the exemplary embodiment, each of plurality of distribution centers 140 completes a registration process with server 100 to establish a user account with system 12 . Account information for distribution center 140 may be stored by server 100 in database 112 .

Distribution center 140 may manage product inventory of third parties. Specifically, third parties such as partners 120 may ship products to distribution centers 140 . Product information about the product may be entered into the fulfillment management system 142 . Product information can include owner information, general product identification, and quantity. Product information may also include information necessary to ship the product via a common carrier, including product dimensions and weight. Products received at distribution center 140 may be stored at fulfillment center 144 . Fulfillment center 144 may stock products before shipping order instructions are received from system 12 . In response to the instructions, fulfillment center 144 packages and ships the product, as will be described in more detail below. Fulfillment management system 142 may exchange data with system 12, as will be described in more detail below.

It will be appreciated that partners 120 , retailers 130 , and distribution centers 140 may form a community of electronically connected users on system 12 . As will also be explained below, system 12 allows partners 120, retailers 130 and distribution centers 140 to easily form business and transactional relationships.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 , supply chain management program 110 may include partner module 202 , retailer module 204 , distribution center module 206 , transaction module 208 , and account management module 210 . The functions and features provided by these modules 202-210 when executed by processor 102 are described below.

Partner module

Partner module 202 allows partners 120 to interface with system 12 and exchange data. Specifically, partner module 202 provides partners 120 with access to features and functions of system 12 . In this regard, the partner module 202 acts as a gateway to the system 12 for exchanging data for partners 120 using the partner management system 122 .

In an exemplary embodiment, partner management system 122 may include a remote computing device having a processor and memory. It will be appreciated that the remote computing device may include a desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, smart phone, server computer, or any other intelligent device with computer networking capabilities. In an exemplary embodiment, a remote computing device of partner management system 122 may access system 12 through a publicly accessible network, such as the Internet.

Partners 120 interface with system 12 through partner management system 122 . In the exemplary embodiment, partner module 202 provides partners 120 with various integrated input methods (including but not limited to EDI, AS2, API, and web UI) to exchange data with system 12 . Partner 120 may receive subsequent transactions via an integration method of their choice, which may include, without limitation, AS2, EDI, CSV, XML, mobile, and email. It will be appreciated that data exchange between partner management system 122 and system 12 may use any data exchange method known now or in the future.

Partner module 202 receives data from partner management system 122 using any input method and creates standardized output transactions. The normalized data is then stored in database 112 . Based on partner 120 configuration, standardized outgoing transactions are routed to those endpoint entities, retailers 130 and distribution centers 140 with which partner 120 has established transaction relationships.

Using the partner module 202, partners 120 upload product information for each product they wish to offer for sale or carry in their inventory. Specifically, product information may be uploaded from the database of the partner management system 122 through the partner module 202 and stored in the database 112 . Product information may be normalized by partner module 202 before being stored in database 112 . Product information may include product images, product attributes, product descriptions, prices, ratings, and any other information used to facilitate selling the product to customers.

Product information can also include product dimensions, weight, and available quantities. Product information may be stored in database 112 in association with partner 120's account with system 12 . In an exemplary embodiment, product information may be stored in database 112 in association with partner 120 product catalogs. Partner module 202 may provide a spreadsheet and interface to facilitate uploading product information from partner management system 122 . Uploading product information to system 12 may be performed manually or through an automated process.

In an exemplary embodiment, partner module 202 may generate list 300 of available retailers 130 registered on system 12 as can be observed in FIG. 3 . The list 300 is displayed on a display 302 of the partner management system 122 . Using the list 300 , which may be interactive, searchable, and sortable, the partners 120 select those of the retailers 130 with which the partner 120 desires to establish a business relationship. That is, through the interface, partner 120 may enter retailer selection preferences to include and exclude retailers 130 . A retailer 130 selected by a partner 120 can offer for sale those products listed by the partner 120 in the database 112 . On the other hand, a retailer 130 that has been excluded by a partner 120 is prohibited from offering for sale those products listed by the partner 120 in the database 112 . The decision to include or exclude any particular retailer 130 may be based on business goals. Based on the qualification process and the inclusion/exclusion preferences of the partners 120, a transactional relationship will be established between each partner 120 and its selected or included ones of the retailers 130.

In an exemplary embodiment, partners 120 are able to use partner module 202 to allocate inventory differently among selected ones of retailers 130 . That is, partners 120 may define product allocation preferences that allocate more inventory to one retailer 130 than another retailer 130 . For example, as shown in FIG. 4 , partner module 202 may generate an exemplary list 130 of selected ones of retailers 130 on display 302 of partner management system 122 .

In an exemplary embodiment, partner module 202 may provide multiple inventory allocation methods that allow partners 120 to select an inventory allocation method that best reflects their sales strategy. This option provides a range of options designed to maximize available inventory across multiple retailers 130 and minimize short-ship risks. In an exemplary embodiment, the options include, without limitation:

• Minimize undershipments: Retailer Inventory = (Available_lnventory - (Total_SKU_Sales/Time_in_Period))/Count_of_Retailers

Maximize inventory: retailer inventory = ((Available_lnventory*Count_of_Retailers)-(Total_SKU_Sales/time_in_period))/Count_of_Retailers

Absolute Reserve: Retailer Inventory = (Available_lnventory–Partner_Reserve)/Count_of_Retailers

Retailer Reserve: Retailer Inventory = Retailer_Reserve+((Available_lnventory-S(All_Retailer_Reserves))/Count_of_Retailer)

Weighted Retailer: Retailer Inventory = (Retailer_SKU_Sales/Time_in_Period) + (Available_lnventory - S(All_Retailer_SKU_Sales/Time_in_Period)/Count_of_Retailer)

It will be appreciated that other inventory allocation methods may be utilized by the present invention. The inventory allocation method can be selected for the entire product catalog or on a product-by-product basis.

Based on the transaction relationship and the selected inventory allocation method, the partner module 202 will analyze the network data and recommend the selected distribution centers 140 for product distribution among the distribution centers 140, provide cost estimates, and provide inventory between the different distribution centers Allocation suggestions. Specifically, a distribution center 140 may be selected for each partner 120 based on geographic proximity to customers of the retailer 130 . For example, shown in FIG. 5 is a suggested list 400 and a suggested inventory allocation list 402 for the distribution center 140 of Product A as shown on the display 302 of the partner management system 122 . Partner 120 may then ship the product to the identified one of distribution centers 140 according to the proposed inventory allocation.

Once the transaction relationship between the partner 120 and the retailer 130 is defined and the product distribution center location is identified, the partner module 202 will establish a relationship between the product, the partner 120, the retailer 130 and one or more distribution centers 140 road relationship. These relationships are stored in database 112 and used to route all subsequent transactions, as will be explained in more detail below.

retailer module

Retailer module 204 allows retailer 130 to access features and functions of system 12 from a remote computing device (ie, a computer associated with e-commerce system 132 ). As mentioned above, once the retailer 130 has registered with the system 12, the partner 120 may select the retailer 130 as eligible to sell the partner's 120 products to customers. Likewise, retailers 130 may select which products of partners 120 they wish to offer on their respective e-commerce systems 132 . To implement this feature, the retailer module 204 defines a custom electronics marketplace for each retailer 130 in the database 112 . The customized electronics marketplace will allow a retailer 130 to select products from all those partners 120 that have chosen to include the retailer 130 in their list of qualified retailers.

For example, if partners A and B have selected retailer A as an eligible retailer for their products, the retailer module 204 will generate a list for retailer A that includes products from both partners A and B that were previously uploaded to the database 112. Customized electronics marketplace. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the retailer module 204 generates a unique and customized electronics marketplace for each retailer 130 . That is, each electronics marketplace has a customized product selection of eligible products offered by partners 120 to retailers 130 .

In an exemplary embodiment, once retailer 130 has access to the custom electronics marketplace, retailer 130 is able to browse through system 12 for products offered for sale. For example, retailer 130 can view product images, review product information, pricing information, and inventory information stored in database 112 .

In an exemplary embodiment, the retailer 130 is able to manually select a desired product in the electronic product marketplace created and maintained by the server 12 . Thus, if retailer 130 determines that it desires to offer one of the products offered by partner 120 for sale on its e-commerce website, retailer 130 selects that product in the electronics marketplace. In the exemplary embodiment, retailer 130 also selects the quantity of each product that it wishes to offer for sale.

In an exemplary embodiment, products listed for sale in the electronics marketplace may be presented in a catalog format. Retailer module 204 provides a search feature that allows retailers 130 to search for desired products. In addition, the retailer module 204 provides browsing features. Additionally, the retailer module 204 may provide a list of most purchased products, highest ratings, or any other useful product categories.

In an exemplary embodiment, retailer module 204 provides an interface that allows retailer 130 to enter business logic that defines product selection preferences that are utilized to select products to be sold on an e-commerce website operated by retailer 130. product. Business logic can define product attributes for desired products. For example, if a retailer's e-commerce site primarily sells horse-related products, the business logic could dictate product attributes that are typically horse-related, such as riding gear, bridles, saddles, and so on. The product attributes defined by the business logic are then compared to product attributes of products listed in the electronic product marketplace to find product matches.

In an exemplary embodiment, the retailer module 204 automatically matches products with the retailer 130 using business logic defined by the retailer 130 and retailer include/exclude parameters defined by the partner 120 . In other words, matching involves the retailer module 204 matching products in the database 112 with the retailer 130 based on: (1) business logic or product selection preferences defined by the retailer 130; Retailer include/exclude preferences as defined by partner 120 . Additionally, retailer module 204 can automatically select products in database 112 for each retailer 130 based on these two factors. It will be appreciated that the matching process described above greatly facilitates and automates product selection.

In an exemplary embodiment, retailer 130 may then manually accept or reject the products identified in the matching process. For example, as shown in FIG. 6 , retailer module 204 may generate on display 502 of e-commerce system 132 a list 500 of products identified by the matching process. Retailer 130 may then manually accept or reject products to be included for sale on e-commerce system 132 . Products can be accepted and rejected on a product-by-product basis, by product category, by partner, by price, by product attribute, or by any other grouping of products.

Once a product has been selected, either manually or through the matching process described above, the retailer module 204 then provides a download of related product information to the destination indicated by the retailer 130 . Using the provided product information, the retailer 130 is able to list the product for sale on its corresponding e-commerce website using the downloaded product information. Importantly, although the product is offered for sale on the retailer's 130 e-commerce website, the retailer 130 has not yet shipped the product. In an exemplary embodiment, e-commerce system 132 of retailer 130 dynamically generates product web pages linked to product information in database 112 so that retailer 130 does not need to maintain product information separately.

It will be appreciated that the retailer module 204 provides a unified product interface and catalog for multiple retailers and/or marketplaces. The retailer module 204 accommodates various integration methods including web services, XML, CSV, API, http and https. In an exemplary embodiment, the retailer module 204 creates an original cost or wholesale marketplace. That is, partner 120 may upload its entire product catalog to database 112 with associated product attributes including original cost. Retailer 130 can access the catalog if qualified by partner 120, and can create business logic (ie, product selection preferences) to help select relevant products to make available on its website.

In the exemplary embodiment, retailer module 204 includes a product level business logic/data model. This business logic consumes partner product data, evaluates product attributes, and qualifies the product against the product specification provided by the retailer. Products that have been qualified and accepted by the retailer 130 are automatically aggregated and included in subsequent inventory transactions.

Distribution Center Module

Distribution center module 206 allows distribution center 140 to access features and functions of supply chain management system 12 from a remote computing device (ie, the computer of fulfillment management system 142 ). In the exemplary embodiment, distribution center module 206 integrates and aggregates multiple distribution centers 140 and associated inventory into a single access point.

In the exemplary embodiment, partner 120 ships product inventory to distribution center 140 . Partner 120 may ship inventory based on the inventory allocation recommendations generated by partner module 202 . When a customer places an order with a retailer 130 , the retailer 130 generates a shipping order, which is routed through the system 12 to the appropriate distribution center 140 . Distribution center 140 then ships the product to the customer specified in the shipping order. The distribution center 140 then generates an advanced shipping notification, which is routed through the system 12 to the retailer 140 selling the product. Briefly, the distribution center ships the product to customers who order the product through the retailer's 130 website. Additionally, the distribution center module 206 will accommodate various integration methods, including EDI and AS2.

In the exemplary embodiment, the primary function of distribution center 140 is to route transactions based on product, partner, and retailer transaction relationships defined by the system's database. Transactions processed by distribution center 140 may include: purchase orders, shipping orders, inventory master lists, advanced shipping notifications, shipping confirmations, receipts, inventory adjustments, inventory allocations, and total inventory. In an exemplary embodiment, partners 120 and retailers 130 will receive normalized and aggregated transactions regardless of the number or type of fulfillment center 140 locations or providers.

For example, if Partner A has products located in three distribution centers 140, each distribution center 140 provides daily inventory updates. Distribution center module 206 identifies inventory transactions for partners 120 and aggregates the data into a single aggregated inventory update.

In an exemplary embodiment, retailer 130 and/or partner 120 will provide an aggregated transaction file. The distribution center module 206 will process orders from all participating retailers 130 and determine the best product location, and then the distribution center module 206 will create a single transaction load for each distribution center 140 . In the exemplary embodiment, the optimal product location is the distribution center 140 closest to the product's destination shipping address. In an exemplary embodiment, the retailer 120 may select the distribution center 140 where the product will be shipped and include this information in the shipping order.

Account Management Module

Account management module 210 provides its users (ie, partners 120, retailers 130, and distribution centers 140) with a registration process. It will be appreciated that the number of partners 120 , retailers 130 and distribution centers 140 registered with the supply chain management system 12 may be unlimited, subject only to the capacity requirements of the system 12 . In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, partners, retailers, and fulfillment centers are independently operated and unrelated entities.

In an exemplary embodiment, the registration process may be done online, such as through the Internet. For example, partners 120, retailers 130, and distribution centers 140 may access system 12 through a website. Partners 120, retailers 130 and distribution centers 140 may be provided with secure login IDs and passwords as known to those skilled in the art.

offline online retailer

Referring to FIG. 1 , supply chain management system 12 may provide features that allow partners 120 to ship products from distribution centers 140 to customers for purchases made through offline network retailers 160 . As used herein, an offline web retailer 160 is a retailer that offers products of one or more partners 120 for sale on the e-commerce system 162 . The offline web retailer 160 is not registered with the system 12 . When a customer purchases a product from the offline web retailer 160 , the offline web retailer 160 may send the shipping order to the appropriate partner 120 . Partner 120 may then generate an offline network shipping order, which is sent to system 12 . The system 12 then generates a shipping order, which is sent to the appropriate distribution center 140 . The distribution center 140 will then ship the order to the customer and provide a shipping confirmation back to the partner 120 through the system 12 .

Offline Network Distribution Center

Referring to FIG. 1 , supply chain management system 12 may provide features that allow partners 120 to ship products from offline network distribution centers 150 to customers for purchases made through retailers 130 . As used herein, an offline network fulfillment center 150 is a fulfillment center that fulfills shipping orders for one or more partners 120 but is not registered with the system 12 . In an embodiment, offline network fulfillment center 150 may include fulfillment management system 152 and fulfillment center 154 similar to fulfillment management system 142 and fulfillment center 144 , respectively. In an embodiment, the offline network fulfillment center carries an inventory of products offered for sale by one or more partners 120 . If a retailer 120 registered with the system 12 generates a shipping order, it is routed back by the system 12 to the appropriate partner 120 . The partner 120 can then send the shipping order to the offline network fulfillment center 150 .

transaction module

Referring to FIG. 1 , Table 1 below describes various data exchanges between partner 120 and supply chain management system 12 that may be performed by transaction module 208 or another appropriate module of system 12 .

Still referring now to FIG. 1 , Table 2 below describes various data exchanges between retailer 130 and supply chain management system 12 that may be performed by transaction module 208 or another module of system 12 .

Referring now to FIG. 1 , Table 3 below describes various data exchanges between the distribution center 140 and the supply chain management system that may be performed by the transaction module 208 or another module of the system 12 .

It will be appreciated that the transactions identified in Tables 1-3 may occur over a network such as the Internet.

Referring now to FIG. 7 , an illustrative embodiment of a supply chain management system 12A also suitable for use in the framework 10 of FIG. 1 is depicted. System 12A includes partner subsystem 202A, retailer subsystem 204A, distribution center subsystem 206A, transaction subsystem 208A, and account management subsystem 210A. It will be appreciated that partner subsystem 202A performs similar functions and features as partner module 202 described above. It will also be appreciated that the retailer subsystem 204A performs similar functions and features as the retailer module 204 described above. It will also be appreciated that the distribution center subsystem 206A performs similar functions and features to the distribution center module 206 described above. It will also be appreciated that transactional subsystem 208A performs similar functions and features as transactional module 208 described above. It will also be appreciated that account management subsystem 210A performs similar functions and features as account management module 210 described above.

It will be appreciated that many of the functional units described in this specification have been labeled "subsystems" to more particularly emphasize their implementation independence. For example, a subsystem may be implemented as a hardware circuit comprising custom VLSI circuits or gate arrays, off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or other discrete components. Subsystems may also be implemented in programmable hardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices, and the like.

Subsystems may also be implemented in software code, sometimes referred to as computer readable instructions, for execution by various types of processors. Where a subsystem includes software code, the subsystem will also include one or more processors and memory. An identified subsystem of executable code may, for example, comprise one or more physical or logical blocks of computer instructions which may, for example, be organized as an object, procedure, or function. However, the executables of the identified subsystems need not be physically located together, but may include disparate instructions stored in different locations, which when logically joined together constitute the subsystem and To achieve the specified purpose of the subsystem.

Indeed, a subsystem of executable code may be a single instruction, or many instructions, and may even be distributed over several different code segments, among different programs and across several memory devices. Similarly, operational data may be identified and instantiated herein within subsystems, and may be embodied in any suitable form and organized within any suitable type of data structure. Operational data may be collected as a single data set, or may be distributed across different locations, including on different storage devices, and may exist at least in part only as electronic signals on a system or network.

Referring now to FIG. 8 , depicted is a flowchart of processing performed by system 12 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. At step 600, a plurality of partners, retailers and distribution centers may be registered with the centralized supply chain management system. The plurality of partners, retailers and distribution centers may form a community of electronically interconnected users. At step 601, multiple partners can upload product information to the supply chain management system. Product information may relate to products offered for sale by partners. Product information can include product images, product descriptions, product attributes, and pricing information. Product information may relate to products offered for sale by partners. The supply chain management system can store product information in the database according to the product catalog.

At step 602, a list of retailers registered with the supply chain management system can be provided to the partner on a display of the computer. A retailer may operate an electronic commerce system that performs electronic commerce with customers. Retailers can allow third parties to offer goods for sale on their e-commerce systems. In an exemplary embodiment, a retailer's e-commerce system may include a third-party marketplace feature.

The partner may select a preferred one of the retailers from a list using the computer's input device. In particular, the selected ones of the retailers constitute those retailers with which the partner desires to do business. Partners can select retailers based on business goals. Specifically, a partner may choose to include or exclude retailers based on the partner's business model.

At step 604, the supply chain management system may receive product selection preferences or business logic from the retailer. In an exemplary embodiment, product selection preferences are utilized to filter products stored in the database based on retailer business objectives. Product selection preferences may define product attributes.

At step 606, the supply chain management system generates a customized catalog of eligible products for each retailer based on the retailer include/exclude preferences provided by the partner and the product selection preferences provided by the retailer. Each retailer may have its own customized electronic marketplace. Eligible products for each retailer define the e-Marketplace.

At step 607, the retailer is provided with a list of eligible products on a computer display to accept or reject eligible products listed in the catalog. That is, retailers are able to accept or reject products in their corresponding custom catalogs.

At step 608, product information for accepted products in the product catalog is downloaded from the supply chain management system to the e-commerce system associated with the retailer. The retailer can then use the product information to offer the customer the product for sale on the retailer's e-commerce system.

At step 610, the supply chain management system receives a shipping order for products sold on the retailer's e-commerce system. A shipping order may identify the product sold, the buyer, the quantity, the shipping address, and optionally the distribution center designated to ship the product.

At step 612, the supply chain management system sends the shipping order to the distribution center identified in the shipping order. In the alternative, the supply chain management system selects the distribution center based on the shipping address. For example, a supply chain management system can automate the process of selecting the distribution center closest to the shipping address. At step 614, the supply chain management system receives the shipping confirmation from the distribution center and provides it to both the retailer who sold the product and the listed partners who provided the product.

Referring now to FIG. 9 , depicted is a flowchart of processing performed by system 12 in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure. At step 700, a plurality of partners, retailers and distribution centers may be registered with the centralized supply chain management system. The plurality of partners, retailers and distribution centers may form a community of electronically interconnected users. At step 702, multiple partners can upload product information to the supply chain management system. Product information may relate to products offered for sale by partners. Product information may include product images, product descriptions, product attributes, and pricing information for the product. Product information may relate to products offered for sale by partners. The supply chain management system can store product information in the database according to the product catalog.

At step 704, the centralized management system provides partners with a choice of inventory allocation preferences. Inventory allocation preferences allow partners to specify the inventory allocation method to be used in allocating products stored in distribution centers among retailers. At step 706, the centralized management system receives inventory allocation preferences from partners. At step 708, the selected inventory allocation preferences are applied among the plurality of retailers. This can include advising partners on inventory allocation.

In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features of the disclosure are grouped together in a single illustrative embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed disclosure requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed exemplary embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated by this reference into this Detailed Description of the Disclosure, with each claim standing on its own as a separate illustrative embodiment of the disclosure.

It should be understood that the above-described arrangements are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the disclosure. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and it is intended by the appended claims to cover such modifications and arrangements. Therefore, while the disclosure has been shown in the drawings and described above with particularity and detail, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other including but not limited to changes in size, material, shape, form, function, and manner of operation, assembly, and use.

Additional Manual Support

In light of the above disclosure details, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be understood that the following verbatim description of the embodiments is hereby provided and supported as follows:

Embodiment 1. A method of managing a supply chain network for e-commerce transactions, the method comprising:

Registering a plurality of partners and retailers with a supply chain management system having at least one processor coupled to a memory having operating instructions stored therein, the supply chain management system also having database;

Maintaining product information of products provided by partners in the database, the product information including product attributes of products;

receiving retailer include/exclude preferences from each partner, the retailer include/exclude preferences being selected ones of each partner's specified retailers;

receiving product selection preferences from each retailer, the product selection preferences specifying product attributes of desired products; and

Eligible products are generated for each retailer using at least one processor based on product selection preferences provided by the retailer and retailer include/exclude preferences provided by the partner.

Embodiment 2. The method of embodiment 1, further comprising registering the plurality of distribution centers with the supply chain management system.

Embodiment 3. The method of embodiment 2, further comprising generating an inventory allocation proposal for a partner.

Embodiment 4. The method of embodiment 2, further comprising defining relationships among products, partners, retailers and distribution centers in the database.

Embodiment 5. The method of embodiment 1, further comprising generating transaction information.

Embodiment 6. The method of embodiment 1, further comprising defining inventory allocations for the one or more retailers in the database based on the inventory allocation preferences received from the partners.

Embodiment 7. The method as described in embodiment 1, further comprising:

Receive inventory information from multiple product distribution centers;

aggregate this inventory information; and

Generate inventory reports.

Embodiment 8. The method as described in embodiment 1, further comprising:

receiving shipping orders from two or more of the retailers;

aggregate shipping orders; and

Generate a single transaction payload for one or more distribution centers.

Embodiment 9. The method of embodiment 1, further comprising defining inventory allocation rules selected by each partner in the database.

Embodiment 10. The method of embodiment 9, wherein the inventory allocation rules include: minimize undershipment, maximize inventory, absolute reserve, retailer reserve, and weighted retailer.

Embodiment 11. The method of Embodiment 1, further comprising generating a customized product catalog for each retailer.

Embodiment 12. The method of embodiment 1, further comprising receiving an upload of product information with relevant product attributes from each partner.

Embodiment 13. The method of Embodiment 1, further comprising categorizing the product based on the product attributes identified by the retailer.

Embodiment 14. The method of Embodiment 1, further comprising downloading product information for eligible products to each retailer's remote computing device.

Embodiment 15. A system for managing a supply chain network, said system comprising:

at least one processor;

memory coupled to at least one processor;

Operational instructions stored in memory that when executed cause at least one processor to: (i) register a plurality of partners and retailers with the system, (ii) maintain product information in a database, the product information including Product attributes for products offered by partners, (iii) receive retailer include/exclude preferences from each partner, (iv) receive product selection preferences from each retailer specifying the desired product Product attributes, and (v) generate eligible products for each retailer based on the retailer's product selection preferences and partners' retailer include/exclude preferences.

Embodiment 16. The system of embodiment 15, wherein the operational instructions, when executed, are further operable to cause the at least one processor to: define in the database the relationship between the product, the partner, the retailer, and the product distribution center.

Embodiment 17. The system of Embodiment 15, wherein the operational instructions, when executed, are further operable to cause the at least one processor to: generate an inventory allocation proposal for a partner at the distribution center.

Embodiment 18. The system of Embodiment 15, wherein the operational instructions, when executed, are further operable to cause the at least one processor to: generate transactional information regarding products offered for sale.

Embodiment 19. The system of Embodiment 15, wherein the operational instructions, when executed, are further operable to cause the at least one processor to: define in the database inventory for each retailer based on product distribution preferences received from partners distribute.

Embodiment 20. The system of Embodiment 15, wherein the operating instructions, when executed, are further operable to cause at least one processor to:

Receive inventory information from multiple distribution centers;

aggregate inventory information; and

Generate inventory reports.

Embodiment 21. The system of Embodiment 15, wherein the operating instructions, when executed, are further operable to cause at least one processor to:

processing orders from retailers for products offered for sale in the electronics marketplace;

aggregate orders; and

Generate a single transaction payload for each distribution center.

Embodiment 22. The system of Embodiment 15, wherein the operational instructions, when executed, are further operable to cause the at least one processor to: define in the database product distribution preferences selected by each partner.

Embodiment 23. The system of embodiment 22, wherein product allocation preferences include: minimize undershipment, maximize inventory, absolute reserve, retailer reserve, and weighted retailer.

Embodiment 24. The system of Embodiment 15, wherein the operational instructions, when executed, are further operable to cause the at least one processor to: generate a uniform product interface.

Embodiment 25. The system of Embodiment 15, wherein the operational instructions, when executed, are further operable to cause the at least one processor to: generate a customized product catalog for each retailer.

Embodiment 26. The system of Embodiment 15, wherein the operational instructions, when executed, are further operable to cause the at least one processor to: receive from each partner an upload of a product catalog with associated product attributes including an original cost.

Embodiment 27. The system of Embodiment 15, wherein the operational instructions, when executed, are further operable to cause the at least one processor to: select a product based on product attributes identified by the retailer.

Embodiment 28. The system of Embodiment 15, wherein the operational instructions, when executed, are further operable to cause the at least one processor to: qualify the product in the electronics marketplace based on the product attribute identified by the retailer.

Claims (28)

1. management is for a method for the supply chain network of electronic commerce transactions, and described method includes:

Registering multiple affiliates and retailer to supply-chain management system, described supply-chain management system has and wherein stores At least one processor that the memorizer having operational order couples, described supply-chain management system also has and resides in Electronic saving Data base on medium；

The product information of the product provided by described affiliate, described product information is kept to include in the database described The product attribute of product；

Receive the retailer from each affiliate and include/get rid of that preference, retailer include/get rid of that preference is each cooperation partner Companion specifies the selected retailer in described retailer；

Receiving the product from each retailer and select preference, described product selects preference to specify the product attribute of expected product； And

At least one processor described is used to select preference and by described affiliate based on the product provided by described retailer The retailer provided includes/gets rid of that preference generates qualified products for each retailer.

2. the method for claim 1, also includes registering distribution centre to described supply-chain management system.

3. method as claimed in claim 2, also includes generating inventory allocation suggestion for described affiliate.

4. method as claimed in claim 2, is additionally included in product, affiliate, retailer defined in described data base and joins Send the relation between center.

5. the method for claim 1, also includes generating transaction information.

6. the method for claim 1, also includes based on the inventory allocation preference received from affiliate in described data For the inventory allocation of one or more retailers defined in storehouse.

7. the method for claim 1, also includes:

Receive the inventory information from multiple product delivery centers；

It is polymerized described inventory information；And

Generate stock report.

8. the method for claim 1, also includes:

Receive the transport order from two or more retailers in described retailer；

It is polymerized described transport order；And

Single transaction load is generated for one or more home-delivery centers.

9. the method for claim 1, is additionally included in the stock by each partner selection defined in described data base Allocation rule.

10. method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said inventory allocation rule includes: makes few transport minimize, make stock Bigization, definitely deposit, retailer's deposit and the retailer of weighting.

11. the method for claim 1, also include the catalogue generating customization for each retailer.

12. the method for claim 1, also include receiving the product letter with Related product attribute from each affiliate Uploading of breath.

13. the method for claim 1, also include carrying out product point based on the product attribute identified by retailer Class.

14. the method for claim 1, also include the product information of described qualified products is downloaded to each retailer's Remote computing device.

15. 1 kinds of systems for whole supply chain network, described system includes:

At least one processor；

The memorizer coupled with at least one processor described；

Storage operational order in which memory, described operational order makes at least one processor described upon being performed: I (), to the multiple affiliate of described system registry and retailer, (ii) keeps product information, described product information in data base Including the product attribute of the product provided by described affiliate, (iii) receive the retailer from each affiliate include/ Getting rid of preference, the product that (iv) receives from each retailer selects preference, and described product selects preference to specify expected product Product attribute, and (v) product based on described retailer selects the retailer of preference and described affiliate to include/get rid of partially Qualified products are generated well for each retailer.

16. systems as claimed in claim 15, wherein said operational order can also operate upon being performed so that described at least One processor: define the relation between product, affiliate, retailer and product delivery center in the database.

17. systems as claimed in claim 15, wherein said operational order can also operate upon being performed so that described at least One processor: generate inventory allocation suggestion for described affiliate at described home-delivery center.

18. systems as claimed in claim 15, wherein said operational order can also operate upon being performed so that described at least One processor: generate about the transaction information being provided for product sold.

19. systems as claimed in claim 15, wherein said operational order can also operate upon being performed so that described at least One processor: define in the database for each retail based on the product allocation preferences received from described affiliate The inventory allocation of business.

20. systems as claimed in claim 15, wherein said operational order can also operate upon being performed so that described at least One processor:

Receive the inventory information from distribution centre；

It is polymerized described inventory information；And

Generate stock report.

21. systems as claimed in claim 15, wherein said operational order can also operate upon being performed so that described at least One processor:

Providing for the order of product sold in electronics market from described retailer is provided；

It is polymerized described order, and

Single transaction load is generated for each home-delivery center.

22. systems as claimed in claim 15, wherein said operational order can also operate upon being performed so that described at least One processor: define in the database by the product allocation preferences of each partner selection.

23. the system as claimed in claim 22, wherein said product allocation preferences includes: make few transport minimize, make stock Maximize, definitely deposit, retailer lays in and the retailer of weighting.

24. systems as claimed in claim 15, wherein said operational order can also operate upon being performed so that described at least One processor: generate unified product interface.

25. systems as claimed in claim 15, wherein said operational order can also operate upon being performed so that described at least One processor: generate the catalogue of customization for each retailer.

26. systems as claimed in claim 15, wherein said operational order can also operate upon being performed so that described at least One processor: receive the uploading of catalogue with the Related product attribute including original cost from each affiliate.

27. systems as claimed in claim 15, wherein said operational order can also operate upon being performed so that described at least One processor: select product based on the product attribute identified by retailer.

28. systems as claimed in claim 15, wherein said operational order can also operate upon being performed so that described at least One processor: the product proved in electronics market based on the product attribute identified by retailer is qualified.