Method and apparatus for pricing products in multi-level product and organizational groups
US6553350B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 19, 1999 |
| Grant date | Apr 22, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 19, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06Q40/06
- WIPO fieldIT methods for management
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The system organize 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 system and method utilizes a denormalized table to relate the “who” to the “what” using denormalized numbers. The system and method 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 i…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.