Integrated Price Planning Workbench for Budget Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current price planning systems require users to learn and operate multiple separate systems for manual and automated pricing processes, leading to increased training time and data entry errors due to the lack of integration, and fail to effectively manage price changes within applicable budgets.
Innovation Solution
A price planning workbench that integrates automated and manual pricing engines with a user interface to generate and implement price planning schedules, considering multiple budgets and budgets updates, enabling cost control and reducing errors through a unified platform.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate pricing systems are used for manual and automated pricing processes, then each system can be specialized for its specific function, but users must learn multiple systems and interfaces, increasing training time and data entry errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate pricing systems (manual pricing engine, automated pricing engine, slow seller management engine, promotion engine, markdown controlling engine) into a single integrated workbench. This unified interface allows users to access all pricing functions through one system, eliminating the need to learn multiple separate interfaces while maintaining the specialized functionality of each pricing engine through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The workbench is designed as a universal platform that performs multiple pricing functions simultaneously. It provides a common user interface that can initiate and manage various pricing processes (manual pricing, automated pricing, slow seller management, promotions, markdown controlling) within a single system, making the interface versatile enough to handle all pricing needs without requiring separate specialized systems.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate pricing systems are used, then each system can operate independently, but data entry errors increase and coordination between systems becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple independent pricing systems into a unified workbench that maintains the operational independence of each pricing engine through modular design. The integrated interface provides centralized data entry and management, reducing errors by eliminating redundant data input across separate systems while allowing each pricing module to function independently based on its specific logic and parameters.
3Productivity
If price planning does not consider budget constraints, then price planning is simpler and faster, but budgets may be exceeded leading to financial control issues
Solution Approach 1:
The workbench incorporates budget feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor price planning decisions against budget constraints. The system provides real-time feedback on budget utilization, allowing users to adjust price plans to remain within budget limits. This feedback loop enables budget-compliant price planning without significantly slowing down the planning process, as the system automatically calculates and displays budget impact.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary budget analysis before finalizing price planning decisions. By pre-calculating the budget impact of proposed price changes and presenting this information upfront, users can make informed decisions that ensure budget compliance before implementation. This preliminary action prevents budget overruns while maintaining efficient price planning through automated calculations.
Data Source
AI summary
A price planning workbench includes an automated pricing engine, a manual pricing engine, and a user interface. The user interface is configured to receive price planning information from one of the automated pricing engine and the manual pricing engine to generate a price planning schedule. The automated pricing engine may comprise a slow seller engine, a promotion management engine, or some other automated engine capable of providing the price changes used to generate the price planning schedule.