Order management system

Abstract

The order management system (1) comprises: data storage means (2) configured to store one or more customer data, related to one or more customers, and one or more supplier data, related to one or more product suppliers; data processing means (3) operationally connected to the storage means (2); at least one working software run by the processing means (3) to process one or more e-mails (4) and / or respective documents (5, 6) attached thereto, automatically acquiring from one or more of the same documents one or more indicative data, the documents (5, 6) comprising one or more order documents (5) related to corresponding orders coming from one or more customers; interface means (7) operationally connected to the processing means (3) and configured to reproduce at least one digital graphical interface (8) employed by the user of the system (1) to interact with the working software; wherein: - the graphical interface (8) comprises at least one logistics screen (9) provided with a calendar (10); - the working software is configured to: - the process, for one or more of the order documents (5), at least one corresponding graphical element (11); process, for each of said graphical elements (11), at least one corresponding date and / or time as a function of one or more of the indicative data, the customer data and the supplier data, the date and / or time being related to the fulfillment of the corresponding order; automatically show one or more of the graphical elements (11) at the date and / or time within the calendar (10).

Description

[0001] ORDER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to an order management system.

[0004] Background Art

[0005] There are a number of known order management systems aiming at facilitating the logistical planning of the operations needed for the distribution of goods, supplied by one or more suppliers, to a plurality of customers.

[0006] The systems of known type use software that allows the user to store order documents received from customers and to create the transport documents needed by the personnel in charge of shipping to transport the goods.

[0007] In this way, this type of systems allows users to keep track of the documentation and activities carried out for each customer and supplier.

[0008] However, this type of systems is susceptible to a number of improvements. In particular, the systems of known type require continuous involvement of the user, as they must personally review each order, check manufacturer availability and schedule and organize shipments.

[0009] Added to this is the need to manually enter all the information into the system, with the result that the large amount of data processed makes the interface complex and unintuitive.

[0010] Furthermore, the large amount of data entered into this type of system makes it cumbersome and unintuitive to use.

[0011] As a result, these systems have long processing times, are particularly vulnerable to human errors and are often difficult to use efficiently.

[0012] Description of the Invention

[0013] The main aim of the present invention is to devise an order management system that allows orders to be managed in a substantially automatic or semi-automatic maimer.

[0014] A further object of the present invention is to devise an order management system that allows reducing user involvement compared to the systems of known type. An additional object of the present invention is to devise an order management system that is intuitive and simple compared to the systems of known type.Another object of the present invention is to devise an order management system that allows the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art to be overcome within a simple, rational, easy and effective to use and affordable solution.

[0015] The aforementioned objects are achieved by the present system having the characteristics of claim 1.

[0016] The aforementioned objects are achieved by the present method having the characteristics of claim 8.

[0017] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of an order management system, illustrated by way of an indicative, yet non-limiting example in the accompanying tables of drawings, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic view of some components of the system according to the invention;

[0020] Figure 2 is a schematic view of other components of the system according to the invention;

[0021] Figure 3 is a schematic view of further components of the system according to the invention.

[0022] Embodiments of the Invention

[0023] With particular reference to these figures, reference numeral 1 globally indicates an order management system.

[0024] The order management system 1 comprises data storage means 2 configured to store one or more customer data relating to one or more customers, and one or more supplier data relating to one or more product suppliers.

[0025] In addition, the system 1 comprises data processing means 3 operationally connected to the storage means 2.

[0026] Preferably, the processing means 3 are of the type of an electronic processing device, such as e.g. a PC or the like.

[0027] According to the invention, the system 1 comprises at least one working software run by the processing means 3 to process one or more e-mails 4 and / or respective documents 5, 6 attached thereto, automatically acquiring one or more indicativedata from one or more of the same documents.

[0028] In particular, the documents 5, 6 comprise one or more order documents 5 relating to corresponding orders coming from one or more customers.

[0029] More specifically, the indicative data define at least one of either the customer’s name and one or more products ordered by the customer.

[0030] Usefully, the system 1 comprises at least one e-mail messaging software run by the processing means 3 and / or by further processing devices to send and receive e-mails. The working software is operationally connected, e.g. via the Internet, to the messaging software.

[0031] In this way, the working software acquires the e-mails received by the messaging software and the corresponding documents 5, 6 attached thereto.

[0032] In fact, it cannot be ruled out that the working software may be operationally connected to a plurality of messaging software and / or processing devices, e.g., to acquire the e-mails received from different e-mail accounts.

[0033] According to the invention, the system 1 comprises interface means 7 operationally connected to the processing means 3 and configured to reproduce at least one digital graphical interface 8 employed by the user of the system 1 to interact with the working software.

[0034] In particular, the interface means 7 comprise at least one screen and interaction means, e.g., of the mouse and / or keyboard type.

[0035] According to the invention, the graphical interface 8 comprises at least one logistics screen 9 provided with a calendar 10.

[0036] Furthermore, the working software is configured to:

[0037] process, for one or more of the order documents 5, at least one corresponding graphical element 11 ;

[0038] process, for each of the graphical elements 11, at least one corresponding date and / or time as a function of one or more of the indicative data, of the customer data, and of the supplier data, the date and / or time being related to the fulfillment of the corresponding order;

[0039] automatically show one or more of the graphical elements 11 at the date and / or time within the calendar 10.In particular, the working software is configured to perform the aforementioned operations automatically or semi-automatically.

[0040] Usefully, the calendar 10 and the graphical element 11 are graphically represented, in digital form, by the logistics screen 9 via the interface means 7. For example, the calendar 10 represents a list of dates and the corresponding times.

[0041] In this way, the working software displays the graphical element 11 at the date and / or time of the calendar 10.

[0042] In particular, the graphical elements 11 relating to different order documents 5 comprise one or more unique identification marks (not shown in the figures) that distinguish them from the other graphical elements 11.

[0043] In other words, each identification mark or group of identification marks relating to a graphical element 11 uniquely distinguishes it from the others.

[0044] In this way, the system 1 schedules, substantially automatically or semi-automatically, a date and / or a time relating to the fulfillment of one or more orders and allows the user to consult this schedule in a quick and intuitive maimer. Advantageously, the graphical interface 8 comprises at least one summary screen 12 comprising a list of e-mails and / or of documents 5, 6 and comprising at least one graphical indication 13 assigned to one or more of the e-mails and / or documents 5, 6 from the list.

[0045] Usefully, the list and the graphical indication 13 are represented graphically, in a digital form, by the summary screen 12 via the interface means 7.

[0046] In particular, the summary screen 12 shows for each e-mail 4, at least one of either the e-mail address that received the e-mail or the e-mail address that sent the e-mail.

[0047] Preferably, the working software is configured to acquire these e-mail addresses from one or more of the messaging software.

[0048] Conveniently, the working software is configured to vary the appearance of one or more of the graphical indications 13 between at least a first and a second appearance 13a, 13b, which are different from each other, when the processing of the document 5, 6 has been successful or has failed, respectively.In this way, the system 1 signals the outcome of the processing of the documents 5, 6 to the user in a quick and intuitive maimer.

[0049] With particular reference to the order document 5, for example, processing was successful as a result of the processing of the date and / or time. Conversely, processing fails when one or more of the indicative data, of the customer data, and / or of the supplier data prevent the processing means 3 from processing the date and / or time.

[0050] Conveniently, the graphical interface 8 comprises at least one entering screen (not shown in the figures) comprising at least one entering section.

[0051] Furthermore, the user interacts with the entering section via the interface means 7 to manually provide one or more of the indicative data of one or more of the e-mails 4 and / or of the documents 5, 6 the corresponding graphical indication 13 of which has the second appearance 13b.

[0052] In this way, the system 1 allows the user to operate quickly on the documents 5, 6, the corresponding graphical indication 13 of which has the second appearance 13b.

[0053] Advantageously, the working software is configured to automatically process, for one or more of the order documents 5, at least one corresponding digital transport document 6 depending on one or more of the indicative data, of the customer data, and / or of the supplier data.

[0054] In addition, the transport document 6 comprises:

[0055] at least one indicative code 16 of one or more of the corresponding order documents 5;

[0056] at least one fillable section 17.

[0057] Appropriately, the transport document 6 is a digital document which can be printed using printing devices (not shown in the figures) that are operationally connected to the processing means 3.

[0058] In particular, the indicative code 16 is configured to uniquely associate a transport document 6 with one or more order documents 5.

[0059] Preferably, the indicative code 16 is of the type of a barcode, a QR code, or the like.Usefully, the tillable section 17 comprises a blank space intended to receive an identification mark, e.g. a signature, stamp, or the like, of the customer to whom the order document 5 processed by the processing means 3 is attributable.

[0060] Advantageously, the documents 5, 6 comprise one or more of the transport documents 6.

[0061] In other words, the documents 5, 6 processed by the processing means 3 also comprise the transport documents 6.

[0062] In particular, the transport document 6 processed by the working software can be printed, filled in one or more of its parts, e.g. at the tillable section 17, and digitized, e.g. by means of a scanner, camera or the like, to be transmitted by e-mail and processed by the processing means 3.

[0063] Usefully, the working software is configured to acquire from one or more of the transport documents 6, in a substantially automatic and / or semi-automatic maimer, the indicative code 16 and at least one filling piece of data which is indicative of the filling of the tillable section 17.

[0064] Advantageously, the working software is configured to:

[0065] identify one or more order documents 5 corresponding to one or more of the acquired indicative codes 16;

[0066] signal that one or more of the orders corresponding to one or more of the identified order documents 5 has been delivered to one or more customers as a function of at least the filling piece of data of one or more of said transport documents 6.

[0067] Usefully, the graphical interface 8 comprises at least one status screen provided with at least one graphical representation for each identified order document 5. Furthermore, the working software is configured to vary the appearance of one or more of the graphical representations between a first and a second appearance different from each other, to signal that one or more of the orders corresponding to one or more of the identified order documents 5 has been delivered.

[0068] Preferably, the status screen and the graphical representations have similar characteristics to the summary screen 12 and to the graphical indications 13. According to another aspect, the present invention relates to an order managementprocess comprising at least the phases of:

[0069] supplying at least one system 1;

[0070] processing one or more of the order documents 5 via the working software; processing one or more of the transport documents 6 corresponding to one or more of the order documents 5 processed via the working software.

[0071] In particular, the process comprises at least the following phases of:

[0072] printing one or more of the transport documents 6;

[0073] delivering one or more of the printed transport documents 6 to one or more carriers for the delivery of orders to the customer;

[0074] delivering one or more of the transport documents 6 to one or more customers to whom a corresponding order has been delivered;

[0075] filling the fillable section 17 of one or more of the transport documents 6 delivered by at least the customer to whom the order has been delivered; digitizing one or more of the filled transport documents 6;

[0076] e-mailing one or more of the scanned transport documents 6 to the system 1. Advantageously, the process comprises at least one phase of reporting that one or more of the orders corresponding to one or more of the processed order documents 5 has been delivered to one or more customers as a function of one or more of the corresponding scanned transport documents 6 and sent by e-mail. It has in practice been ascertained that the described invention achieves the intended objects.

[0077] In particular, the fact should be underlined that the graphical interface allows orders to be managed in a substantially automatic or semi-automatic maimer. Furthermore, the working software allows reducing the user involvement compared to the systems of known type.

[0078] In addition, the graphical interface screen allows orders to be managed in an intuitive and simple manner compared to the systems of known type.

Claims

CLAIMS1) Order management system (1), comprising:data storage means (2) configured to store one or more customer data, related to one or more customers, and one or more supplier data, related to one or more product suppliers;data processing means (3) operationally connected to said storage means (2); at least one working software run by said processing means (3) to process one or more e-mails (4) and / or respective documents (5, 6) attached thereto, automatically acquiring from one or more of the same documents one or more indicative data, said documents (5, 6) comprising one or more order documents (5) related to corresponding orders coming from one or more customers;interface means (7) operationally connected to said processing means (3) and configured to reproduce at least one digital graphical interface (8) employed by the user of said system (1) to interact with said working software; characterized by the fact that:said graphical interface (8) comprises at least one logistics screen (9) provided with a calendar (10);said working software is configured to:process, for one or more of said order documents (5), at least one corresponding graphical element (11);process, for each of said graphical elements (11), at least one corresponding date and / or time as a function of one or more of said indicative data, said customer data and said supplier data, said date and / or time being related to the fulfillment of the corresponding order; automatically show one or more of said graphical elements (11) at said date and / or time within said calendar (10).2) System (1) according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that:said graphical interface (8) comprises at least one summary screen (12) comprising a list of said e-mails and / or of said documents (5, 6) and comprising at least one graphical indication (13) assigned to one or more ofsaid e-mails and / or documents (5, 6) of said list;said working software is configured to vary the appearance of one or more of said graphical indications (13) between at least a first and a second appearance (13a, 13b), different from each other, when the processing of said document has been successful or has failed respectively.3) System (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said graphical interface (8) comprises at least one entering screen comprising at least one entering section, the user interacting with said entering section by means of said interface means (7) to manually provide one or more of said data indicative of one or more of said e-mails (4) and / or of said documents (5, 6), the corresponding graphical indication (13) of which has said second appearance (13b).4) System (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said working software is configured to automatically process, for one or more of said order documents (5), at least one corresponding digital transport document (6) as a result of one or more of said indicative data, said customer data and / or said supplier data, said transport document (6) comprising:at least one indicative code (16) of one or more of said corresponding order documents (5);at least one fillable section (17);and by the fact that:said documents (5, 6) comprise one or more of said transport documents (6); said working software is configured to automatically acquire, from one or more of said transport documents (6), at least said indicative code (16) and at least one filling piece of data indicative of the filling of said fillable section (17).5) System (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said working software is configured to:identify one or more of said order documents (5) corresponding to one or more of said acquired indicative codes (16);signal that one or more of the orders corresponding to one or more of saididentified order documents (5) has been delivered to one or more customers as a function of at least the filling piece of data of one or more of said transport documents (6).6) System (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said graphical interface (8) comprises at least one status screen provided with at least one graphical representation for each identified order document (5) and by the fact that said working software is configured to vary the appearance of one or more of said graphical representations between a first and a second appearance, different from each other, to signal that one or more of the orders corresponding to one or more of said identified order documents (5) has been delivered.7) System (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that it comprises at least one e-mail messaging software run by said processing means (3) and / or by additional processing devices to send and receive e-mails and by the fact that said working software is operationally connected to said messaging software, said working software acquiring the e-mails received by said messaging software and said corresponding documents (5, 6) attached thereto.8) Order management process, comprising at least the phases of:supplying at least one system (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims;processing one or more of said order documents (5) through said working software;processing one or more of said transport documents (6) corresponding to one or more of said order documents (5) processed by means of said working software.9) Process according to claim 8, characterized by the fact that it comprises at least the phases of:printing one or more of said transport documents (6);delivering one or more of said printed transport documents (6) to one or more carriers for the delivery of orders to the customer;delivering one or more of said transport documents (6) to one or more customers to whom a corresponding order has been delivered;filling the fillable section (17) of one or more of said transport documents (6) delivered by at least the customer to whom the order has been delivered; - digitizing one or more of said filled transport documents (6);e-mailing one or more of said scanned transport documents (6) to said system (1).10) Process according to one or more of the preceding claims 8 to 9, characterized by the fact that it comprises at least one phase of reporting that one or more of the orders corresponding to one or more of said processed order documents (5) has been delivered to one or more customers as function of one or more of said corresponding scanned transport documents (6) and sent by e-mail.

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