Method and apparatus for pricing products in multi-level product and organizational groups
US5878400A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 17, 1996 |
| Grant date | Mar 2, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 17, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06Q40/06
- WIPO fieldIT methods for management
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The invention organizes various pricing tables and price adjustment tables and various products and purchasing organizations based on "who" (i.e. which purchasing organization) is purchasing "what" (i.e. which product). The invention utilizes a denormalized table to relate the "who" to the "what" using denormalized numbers. The invention further organizes various purchasing organizations and products into hierarchical tables. These hierarchical tables are called organizational groups and product groups. Various price adjustments may be specified for each level of the organizational groups and product groups hierarchies. The price adjustments for a particular purchasing organization are determined by retrieving the price adjustments for that particular purchasing organization as well as the price adjustments for organizational groups above the particular purchasing organization in the organizational groups hierarchy. Likewise, the price adjustments for a particular product are determined by retrieving the price adjustments for that particular product as well as the price adjustments for product groups above the particular product in the product groups hierarchy. The invention sorts …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.