Local Commerce Server for Dynamic Shipping Data Updates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Package delivery companies face challenges in efficiently updating data and services within existing systems, leading to increased operational costs, uneven service availability, and potential compliance issues due to vendor subjectivity and the burden of data implementation, which affects both vendors and customers.
Innovation Solution
A commerce system with a local commerce server managed by the delivery services company, integrated with an operations-management server at the customer's location, allowing for dynamic updates and reducing the reliance on vendors for data maintenance, utilizing a remote computer system for data transfer and message management to ensure timely and accurate service delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the vendor maintains the module and database through which the customer accesses the services of the package delivery company, then the customer can access services through a unified interface, but the vendor bears the burden of laborious data updates and increased operational costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the data maintenance function from the vendor's operations-management system and places it directly in the customer's environment. The commerce server is installed at the customer's site and receives update data directly from the delivery company's remote system, eliminating the vendor's burden of manual data updates while preserving unified interface access.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the vendor implements update data from the delivery company, then new services and rates become available, but the implementation process is challenging and time-consuming due to unwieldy data formats
Solution Approach 1:
The commerce server installed at the customer's site performs self-service by automatically receiving update data from the delivery company's remote system and implementing it locally. The system autonomously processes the data without requiring vendor intervention, thereby reducing implementation time and eliminating challenges associated with unwieldy data formats.
3Stability of the object's composition
If update data is provided to multiple vendors in stages or with advance notices, then some uniformity in implementation can be achieved, but the process remains burdensome and timing is not synchronized
Solution Approach 1:
The system prepares for synchronized updates by having the commerce server continuously ready to receive update data from the delivery company's remote system. When update data becomes available, all customers with deployed commerce servers receive and implement updates simultaneously, achieving both uniformity and efficiency without requiring staged rollouts or advance vendor coordination.
4Loss of energy
If the vendor charges the customer for data update work, then the vendor's operational costs are covered, but the customer incurs additional costs and the vendor still bears the implementation burden
Solution Approach 1:
The commerce server at the customer's site performs data updates autonomously by receiving update data directly from the delivery company's remote system. This eliminates the need for vendor personnel to perform manual update work, thereby removing operational costs entirely and eliminating the need to charge customers for update services.
Data Source
AI summary
A commerce system for serving a customer of delivery services using dynamically updated data including platform services, an operations-management server maintained by a vendor, and a local commerce server and a remote computer system maintained by a delivery services company. The operations-management server is positioned at a customer location and operatively connected to the platform services. The commerce server is operatively connected to the operations-management server and operatively connected to the platform services and includes local programs configured for providing services of the delivery services company to the customer. The remote computer system is connected to the local commerce server by a network. The remote computer system includes a message-management system, wherein at least one of the message-management compartments holds update data connected to the local commerce server for updating the commerce data, and includes remote programs. The operations-management and local commerce servers run interactively on the platform services.