Device for monitoring and managing over-the-counter products sales with associated platform

Abstract

The invention relates to a device integrated with a virtual platform for monitoring and managing sales of over-the-counter products, optimizing the communication between multi-brand shops and manufacturing companies. The device allows to track sales in real time, generating univocal digital warranty certificates, registered on blockchain to guarantee their authenticity and safety. Provided with barcodes reader and user interface, the system transmits sales data to a web-based platform offering functions as warranty verification, products traceability, real time analysis and promotion management. This solution supports production planning and simplifies post-sale assistance. Conceived to be compatible with independent shops, the device prints warranty documents with QR code and allows the access to data by means of platform. The blockchain assures transparence, immutability and trust between producers, retailers and customers, improving efficiency and safety in sales and warranty management.

Description

[0001] DEVICE FOR MONITORING AND MANAGING OVER-THE-COUNTER

[0002] PRODUCTS SALES WITH ASSOCIATED PLATFORM

[0003] State of the art

[0004] The present invention relates to the technical field comprising electronic devices with functions of sales management , products traceability and warranty and transactions documents generation at the moment of the sale .

[0005] The present invention relates to an integrated system for managing and monitoring over-the-counter products sales , conceived to make the communication between independent retailers and manufacturing companies easier . The proposed device allows to track sales in real time , generating a univocal digital warranty certi ficate at the moment of the sale , which is veri fiable by means of an online platform . By using innovative technologies as blockchain, the solution guarantees the authenticity of the products sold and allows both the customer and the manufacturing company to have access to safe and updated data . The associated platform allows also to optimi ze the production and the post-sale assistance process thanks to accurate information about sales , encouraging retailers to adopt an ef ficient and transparent system for traceability and products warranties management at the same time.

[0006] In particular, it relates to an electronic device (1) with a user interface (2) , means for the acquisition of the identification code (8) of an over-the-counter product (5) , remote communication means (4) remotely connecting said electronic device (1) to a sales management and monitoring virtual platform (6) and to at least a manufacturing company of over-the-counter products. The electronic device (1) is configured to generate a transaction document (7) at the moment of the sale, containing an identification code of the product warranty certificate, and to communicate instantly the sale data to the sales management and monitoring virtual platform (6) .

[0007] The invention solves a technical problem arising when the over-the-counter products manufacturing companies sell their products through independent and multi-brand shops. A multi-brand shop is a shop that sells a wide range of brands and products.

[0008] In such context, sales monitoring becomes a complex challenge since independent and multi-brand shops have a diversified assortment of products and they are not often able to communicate precisely, and above all immediately, the sales of the products of each brand to the respective manufacturing companies .

[0009] Technical problem

[0010] The main technical problem is the need to develop a device able to noti fy immediately to each manufacturing company of over-the-counter products the sales of their products at the moment of the sale . Such information is very important for the manufacturing companies , since it allows both to optimi ze the production process , on the basis of updated and precise data relating to the sales of each product , and to have a traceability of the single products sold, for which they have to provide warranty services , maintenance and anyway post-sale assistance in general .

[0011] In order to encourage the multi-brand shops to communicate immediately the sales , the proposed solution comprises the generation of a transaction document ( 7 ) comprising an identi fication code of the warranty certi ficate of the product .

[0012] This aspect is very important for luxury products as j ewelry or watches , where both the buyer and the retailer need a univocal document attesting the sale and guaranteeing the authenticity of the product . Currently, warranty documents for such products are issued by means of manual stamps and cards , but such means do not guarantee a univocal traceability, thus making for the buyer di f ficult to veri fy the authenticity of the product and the authori zation of the retailer from the manufacturing company . State of the art

[0013] Some systems solving the problems of counterfeiting exist so far, which use the POS ( Point Of Sale ) technology to trace the information of a product .

[0014] One example is the system described in the Patent document W02005109361 , based on a system of data acquisition able to interface with a POS terminal . But this system requires necessarily that the traditional sale process is turned upside-down, since it is indispensable that the producer and retailer data are interfaced by means of automi zed systems to be reali zed ad hoc . According to such a system, in fact , the product sale refers to the producer database to trace the product . Such solution, even i f apparently solves the problem of counterfeiting, is however expensive and di f ficult to be implemented, since it implies a radical change of the sale process of a product , necessarily requiring an interface between the retailer and producer management system, and does not function with the independent shops since all the shops would have to be interfaced with di f ferent systems for each brand sold .

[0015] Other anti-counterfeiting means function by means of complex logics , which function exclusively theoretically but that are di f ficult to be implemented, since the modi fications to the traditional sales systems are particularly expensive and not appreciated by retailers ; some examples are the solutions provided in documents AU2012100400 , US4816824 and US2012042375 .

[0016] Moreover, there exist devices for the generation of electronic warranty certi ficates , mainly used for the traceability of j ewelry products , as it is described in Patent IT0001416661 . Anyway, these systems function by themselves and are not connected to a platform al lowing the sales management and monitoring .

[0017] The absence of an ef ficient connection with the manufacturing company and the scarcity of sales data management means make these systems not so practical and inef ficient for sales management and production planning .

[0018] Brief description of figures

[0019] Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of the invention with all its main elements . It represents the electronic device ( 1 ) remotely connected to the virtual platform (6) , which reads and prints the transaction document (7) at the moment of the sale, containing an identification code of the product warranty. The figure shows a company A and a company B connected to the sales management and monitoring virtual platform (6) , associated to the electronic device (1) .

[0020] Description of the invention

[0021] The device according to the present invention allows to identify easily an over-the-counter product (5) thanks to the usage of data acquisition means as an optical reader (3) of barcodes or manual entering means of the identification code (8) of the product (5) .

[0022] Moreover, the device (1) comprises communication means configured to remotely communicate with the manufacturing company, allowing this latter to generate a univocal code to be applied on a warranty certificate (7) .

[0023] The univocal code can be verified online both by the buyer and the retailer, thus guaranteeing the validity of the product warranty.

[0024] The intrinsic value of this invention is the possibility to notify immediately to the manufacturing company the data relating to the sale occurred, thus providing sales data in real time , which are essential for the production planning .

[0025] Moreover, the manufacturing company can communicate directly with the buyer or the retailer in real time , for example by authori zing a discount printed on the sale receipt together with the warranty code .

[0026] Such discount can be calculated in real time on the basis of the sales occurring, thus encouraging both the retailer and the buyer . This system allows a focused and in real time promotion .

[0027] As a consequence , the device i s able to collect sale data in real time and to communicate them to the of ficial authori zed retailers , thus solving the technical problem of both the validation of warranty certi ficates and the management of marketing policies (by means of possible discounts authori zation) and the production planning .

[0028] The functioning of the system is based on the data communication between manufacturing companies and the device ( 1 ) by means of the access to a database containing information about each product . In particular, the information associated to each product is the brand, the identi fication code , the price and a description . These data are transmitted to a virtual platform (6) connected to a plurality of devices (1) .

[0029] The virtual platform is a web-based system, based on a micro-services architecture to guarantee scalability and flexibility. Each micro-service manages a specific aspect of the operations, such as the authentication, the management of the sales, the verification of the warranty certificates, and the generation of reports, and it is configured to manage the accesses of the various users to a database managing the structured data relating to the sales, the products, the warranty certificates and the retailers.

[0030] In a preferred but not limiting embodiment, the virtual platform comprises: a Sale Data Acquisition Module, configured to receive data in real time from the devices at the retailers, processing information as product identification code, sale time and day, and retailer identification information; a Warranty Certificates Generation Module, configured to generate a univocal digital warranty certificate for each product at the moment of the sale and to register it on the blockchain so to guarantee its immutability and authenticity. The identification code of the certificate is communicated to the device that prints it on a physical support (7) . So, the customer can verify it by having access to the platform (6) and by entering said univocal code, numerically or by reading a QR code; a Verification and Traceability Module, configured to allow both the final users and the manufacturing companies to verify the authenticity of a product and the validity of a warranty. Once the QR code is scanned or the univocal code representing the product (8) and the univocal code of the warranty certificate are entered, the module has access to the register of the blockchain and gives back the details relating to the property and the authenticity of the product; an Analysis and Reporting Module: this module aggregates sales data to provide reports in real time about sales, products availability and promotion trend. The manufacturing companies can have access to these data to improve production planning and to optimize sale strategies;

[0031] An Administration Interface, comprising a dashboard allowing the administrators (manufacturing companies and authorized retailers) to have access to the updated data about sales, to visualize reports and to manage promotions in real time. It is advantageous to precise that by means of the just described platform, a subject managing the platform can provide the service of authentication to a plurality of manufacturing companies and to a plurality of retailers. For the usage of the device, it is provided that the retailer acquires the identification code (8) of a product (5) for sale by using a barcode reader (3) or by entering it manually on the device interface.

[0032] The device is conceived for managing more manufacturing companies and brands at the same time, simplifying the process for multi-brand and independent shops .

[0033] The key for guaranteeing the communication of sales in real time is the issuing of a transaction document (7) at the moment of the sale, containing the warranty certificate, thus guaranteeing the reliability of the sale date.

[0034] From a commercial point of view, the device can be provided to the retailers in loan for use by the manager of the device in agreement with the manufacturing companies the registered sales data are sent to.

[0035] This allows to align the sale data structure of the different manufacturing companies, so that the retailers can communicate said data precisely. The device is configured only to read the identifier of the product sold, to remotely connect to the database of the device manager and to communicate the sale to the manufacturing company. A univocal code is generated, which represents the warranty of the product sold.

[0036] This code is sent to the device (1) , that prints it on a transaction document (7) . The document contains the warranty code, the day and time of the sale, the brand of the product, the description of the product, the data of the shop and a code for the cancellation of the warranty in case of a possible return of the product and can be verified online .

[0037] To obtain a property certificate recognized by an open and distributed digital register, able to store data records, usually called "transactions", in a safe, verifiable and permanent manner, the device prints on the transaction document (7) univocal codes which are registered on the blockchain .

[0038] The usage of the blockchain in the present invention is justified for its immutability, transparency and safety features, fundamental for the management of products warranties. By registering the warranty certificates on a blockchain, each certi ficate becomes a univocal and immutable record, thus guaranteeing that data cannot be altered or counterfeited . This technology allows the producers to certi ficate safely the authenticity of the products sold and the buyers to veri fy the origin and the validity of their warranty, thus increasing the trust between retailers and final customers . Moreover, the blockchain makes the traceability of the products during all their li fe cycle easier, thus allowing the producers to monitor possible property trans fer and to intervene rapidly and safely in case of need of post-sale assistance or returns . This solution eliminates the dependence on physical documents or traditional warranty systems , making the process more ef ficient , transparent and reliable for all the parties involved .

[0039] Ultimately, the blockchain is used to implement a dedicated distributed register registering univocal transactions of warranty and property .

[0040] Without departing from the aims of the invention public blockchains ( as Ethereum) or a private blockchain can be used for more safety and cost control .

[0041] In the following, by means of said transaction document ( 7 ) the buyer can match on the blockchain his own personal data to said univocal codes of the transaction document (7) , to transform said transaction document (7) in a real digital property certificate .

[0042] Moreover, a QR code is printed on the sales receipt which can be scanned by a smartphone, by opening a web page which has access to the virtual platform (6) , with all the warranties activated and scanned by the user. The system keeps track also of the returns by saving them of the platform. In this way, the warranty is safeguarded safely, this is particularly useful for products with 2-3 years warranty .

[0043] Moreover, the device solves the technical problem of the uniformity of data reading by making them accessible by means of the virtual platform (6) connected to the electronic device (1) .

[0044] This virtual platform (6) allows the manufacturing companies to visualize data updated in real time, to identify the products to be produced and to take decisions about the production and distribution management. Moreover, the device makes the automatic provision of the products sold easier, simplifying further the purchase and selling process . Finally, the device provides data in real time to the sales agents by means of the virtual platform ( 6 ) , thus allowing them to offer more focused advice to the retailers on the basis of the products most sold in that moment .

[0045] This improves considerably the ef ficiency in the commercial interactions between the various actors involved .

[0046] In short , this invention provides a device that solves success fully many technical problems linked to the over-the-counter products sales management through multi-brand and independent shops , improving ef ficiency, warranty safety and communication between manufacturing companies , retailers and buyers .

Claims

CLAIMS1. Electronic device (1) for over-the-counter products sales management, configured to acquire data of a product (5) by means of an identification code (8) and to transmit sales data in real time to a management and monitoring virtual platform (6) , said platform being configured to generate and transmit to said device (1) a univocal code to be associated to a warranty certificate, said device comprising :- a user interface (2) ,- means for the acquisition of the identification code (8) of the product,- remote communication means (4) to send sale data to the virtual platform (6) .

2. Electronic device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said means for the acquisition of the identification code (8) of the product comprise an optical reader of barcodes.

3. Electronic device (1) according to claim 1, further comprising means for printing a physical transaction document (7) comprising said identification code (8) of said product and saidunivocal code to be associated to a warranty certificate .

4. Virtual platform (6) for sales management and monitoring, configured to receive, store and visualize in real time data coming from a plurality of electronic devices (1) according to one of the previous claims, comprising: a sale data acquisition module, configured to process information received by the device (1) , a warranty certificates generation module, configured to generate a univocal digital certificate and register it on a blockchain, a verification and traceability module, configured to allow the users to verify the product authenticity and the warranty by means of a univocal code.

5. Method for the generation of a warranty certificate of a product sold by means of an electronic device (1) according to one of the previous claims 1 to 3 connected to a platform according to claim 4, comprising the following steps of:- acquisition of the identification code (8) of a product at the moment of the sale;transmission of said identification code to said platform;- generation of a univocal code to be associated to a warranty certificate;- registration of the certificate on a blockchain, transmission of said univocal code to said electronic device; printing of the warranty certificate on a transaction document (7) comprising said identification code of the product and said univocal code.

6. System comprising at least an electronic device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3 and monitoring virtual platform (6) according to claim 4, wherein: said at least one electronic device (1) is configured to acquire sale date of a product comprising an identification code (8) , and to transmit data to said virtual platform (6) ,- said virtual platform (6) is configured to store the received data, to monitor sales in real time, and to make accessible the warranty certificates to the buyers and to the producers by means of a verification and traceability module.

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