Dynamic Catalog System for Automated Vendor Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic commerce systems fail to provide automated brokerage services for finding potential vendors for parts or services where no existing database entry matches the user's query, requiring human intervention and additional setup, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A Dynamic Catalog System that uses a web-based client-server system to receive user queries, assign policies with search and evaluation methods, perform correlation operations on a partitioned database, and generate an optimized supplier list, enabling automated identification and quotation for desired goods or services, even if they are not directly listed in the database.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing electronic commerce systems use dedicated websites with static databases, then users can easily search for listed products, but the system cannot find vendors for parts or services not directly listed in the database
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an electronic brokerage system as an intermediary between users and vendors. The brokerage system contains a database of vendor information and capabilities, and when a user needs a part or service not directly listed, the brokerage system acts as a mediator to search its database, identify suitable vendors, and facilitate the connection. This resolves the contradiction by enabling versatile vendor finding without requiring every vendor to maintain a dedicated website.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic brokerage system provides universal functionality by serving multiple purposes: it acts as a search engine for unlisted parts, a vendor database, a quotation system, and a procurement assistant. Instead of requiring separate dedicated websites for each vendor, the single brokerage system handles diverse procurement needs through its multi-functional capabilities, including searching vendor databases, evaluating supplier capabilities, and managing the procurement process.
2Extent of automation
If users manually search for and contact potential suppliers, then they can find vendors for unlisted items, but this requires significant human intervention and increases processing costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of users searching and contacting suppliers with an automated electronic information processing system. The brokerage system uses computer-based databases, search algorithms, and communication networks to automatically identify suitable vendors, evaluate their capabilities against user requirements, and facilitate quotations. This substitution maintains high matching accuracy through systematic database queries while eliminating manual human intervention in the search process.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic brokerage system incorporates feedback mechanisms where vendor responses, quotation accuracy, and procurement outcomes are fed back into the system database. This feedback loop allows the system to learn from past transactions, improve its vendor matching algorithms, and enhance the accuracy of future vendor identifications. The system continuously refines its ability to match user needs with supplier capabilities based on accumulated data from automated interactions.
3Productivity
If the system contacts multiple potential suppliers to obtain quotations, then users receive optimized supplier lists, but this increases the number of communications and processing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic brokerage system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing a comprehensive database of vendor information, capabilities, and performance metrics before actual procurement needs arise. When a user submits a procurement request, the system can quickly query this pre-prepared database and identify suitable vendors without needing to gather information from scratch. This preliminary preparation significantly speeds up the vendor identification process while maintaining thorough evaluation capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the procurement process into distinct automated stages: user requirement submission, database querying for vendor identification, capability evaluation, quotation request, and response compilation. Each segment is handled automatically by the brokerage system through specialized software modules. This segmentation allows parallel processing of multiple vendors simultaneously, reducing overall procurement time while maintaining comprehensive evaluation of supplier responses.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of determining an optimized supplier list for a consumer using a web based client-server system is described. The method provides for receiving a query from a user and assigning a policy to the query. A search step and an evaluation step are then performed. Additional optional operational steps are provided to enhance the users buying efficiency.