Dynamic Procurement Link Generation in Software Applications
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Solution Overview
Problem
Employees of businesses with negotiated discounts for software and hardware products face inefficiency in purchasing non-trial software versions from their company's procurement sites, as they cannot easily determine if the trial version can be upgraded from within the software application.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that dynamically generates a link to an online procurement site within a supported software application, using the client computer's IP address or domain to determine if a business has a procurement site, and providing a URL for either the procurement site or a default website for purchasing related software applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If employees use trial versions of software, then they can evaluate the software functionality, but they cannot easily determine whether to purchase from the company's procurement site
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component (procurement site link integration) that connects the trial software environment with the company's procurement site. This intermediary provides employees with direct access to procurement information and purchasing capabilities within the software interface, eliminating the need to independently check the procurement site while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the procurement site functionality directly into the trial software environment. By combining the software evaluation experience with integrated procurement site access, employees can both evaluate software and determine purchasing options within a single unified interface, resolving the information gap without adding operational complexity.
2Loss of information
If employees independently check the procurement site, then they can find purchasing information, but it increases time and reduces efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring the trial software environment with integrated procurement site links and purchasing information. This preparation is done in advance during software deployment, so when employees evaluate the trial version, the purchasing information is already readily available, eliminating the need for time-consuming independent research.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated procurement site link acts as an intermediary that bridges the trial software and procurement site, providing employees with immediate access to purchasing information without requiring them to navigate away from the software evaluation environment, thus saving time while maintaining information availability.
3Ease of operation
If the trial software provides purchase information, then employees can easily determine purchasing options, but it requires integration with the procurement site
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing the trial software with multi-functional capabilities that include both software evaluation and integrated procurement site access. This universal design allows the same software interface to serve dual purposes: evaluating software functionality and accessing purchasing information, thereby improving ease of operation without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The trial software is configured to self-serve employees by automatically providing procurement site links and purchasing information within the software environment. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex manual integration processes while making purchasing information readily accessible, as the software automatically manages the connection to procurement resources.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a system, method, and software application for providing a link to an online procurement site from within a supported software application. In one embodiment, when a user starts up a supported software application on a client computer, the client computer sends a request to a server for the Universal Resource Locator (URL) to use in the link. The server, which may be a server associated with a software vendor or the supported client application, determines whether or not the user of the client computer is associated with a business that has a procurement site from which the user can purchase a related application. If the server determines that the user is associated with a business that has a procurement site from which the user can purchase a related software application, then the server provides the client computer with the URL for the procurement site, and the supported client application generates a link to the procurement site.