Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-15
2003-03-25
Mizrahi, Diane D. (Department: 2175)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06539386
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Historically, customers of a company have entered orders for products and/or services by calling a sales representative or submitting a written order to the company. If the customer later desires to change the order that was already submitted, then the customer has to call the company or submit a new written order. With the advent of electronic data processing the ordering process has become computerized, and a customer can enter an order onto the screen of a computer and then send the order to a company electronically, such as over a computer network. Many companies have developed ordering systems with complex electronic forms and systems to handle orders submitted by customers.
The ordering systems route the completed orders to the appropriate manufacturing and/or distribution facility within the company to fulfill the order. Often orders are fulfilled with a speed that would not have been possible in the precomputer age. If the customer desired to change the electronically submitted order, often the customer would have to call the sales representative or cancel the previous order and submit a new order electronically.
Modem ordering systems can handle complex orders for systems of assembled parts. For example, a customer may order a computer system from a computer manufacturer. Suppose that the customer requests in the order that the computer system be configured for a particular processor, a certain amount of RAM memory, a particular hard disk size, and other features selected by the customer. The order may be based on an ATO (assemble to order) approach, meaning that the ordered item is assembled based on each individual order after the order has been received. In the example of the computer system, the manufacturer receives this order, places it in a queue for manufacturing, assembles the computer system to the specifications requested by the customer, and then ships it to the customer. The manufacturing process is primarily a process of assembling the selected parts and modules into a complete unit, loading the appropriate software, and testing the finished product. Accordingly, manufacturers can now handle complex orders for different configurations and options for systems that are custom configured and assembled for each individual order
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
When a customer seeks to update or modify an order that was previously submitted, customer may not be aware of the latest status of the order. The customer may have a copy of the order that was previously submitted, but he/she does not readily know where the order is in the company's ordering system. The customer may submit a modification to the order changing the configuration of an ordered piece of equipment. However, the order may be at a stage where it is currently being fulfilled at a manufacturing or assembly facility, where the requested equipment is in the process of being assembled based on the configuration originally requested. The customer may think the change order request has been applied to the order to change the configuration that was originally suggested, but the assembly process may be completed before the modification moves through the ordering system to match up with the order at the manufacturing facility.
Thus, the equipment ordered by the customer is assembled based on the original order, while the customer is expecting the equipment to be configured based on the modified order. The customer may receive the assembled equipment and discover that it does not meet expectations, because the order was never updated with the new modifications. Alternatively, the modified order is routed to and matched up with the current order, while the equipment is being assembled. The facility assembling the equipment must halt the process, perhaps disassemble all or part of the unit, and reassemble it according to the modified order. The awkward question arises of who should pay for the reassembly, the customer or the company. The customer may receive an unexpected surcharge. The customer may wish to have the option of receiving the originally ordered equipment without a surcharge, rather than receive the modified equipment with a surcharge.
Another problem related to timing arises when the company has not begun assembly of the ordered equipment, when it receives the modified order. When the customer placed the original order, the customer secured a shipment date based on the order date. If the customer modifies the order, the customer then may lose the original ship date. The customer may wish to know that the ship date has been changed, before confirming to go ahead with the modified order. In some situations, the ship date may be more critical to the customer than some relatively minor change in the configuration, and the customer may wish to have the option of retaining the original shipment date without any modification to the order.
Of course, these types of problems can often be resolved by a phone conversation or other direct communication with a sales representative. Generally, the customer prefers to order over a computer network, such as the Internet, at the customer's convenience, without playing “phone tag” when trying to connect with an individual by telephone or experiencing other problems in verbal communication. Likewise, the customer typically prefers to retain the electronic ordering approach when requesting a change to an order. The customer also may desire to know what stage the order is in and also any critical impacts of modifying the order, such as loss of the ship date, surcharges for reassembly of a piece of equipment, unexpected increase in price due to a change in subcomponents in the configuration, and other issues. Preferably, the customer wishes to know these impacts without the burden of direct phone calls or other direct contact with sales representatives.
An additional problem is that the current order may have been modified one or more times before the customer decides to modify it again. This may occur in a variety of ways. The customer may decide that the order needs additional modification due to changing circumstances. The customer may work in a large department where someone else in the department modified the order without timely communicating the change. The customer thus wishes to be aware of the latest modifications to the order and the order's current configuration before making any additional modifications, which could, in fact, turn out to be unnecessary.
The present invention substantially overcomes the above deficiencies of typical electronic ordering systems. One object of the invention is to provide, on demand, the current status of the order to the customer. The customer can thus view the latest version of the order and also determine basic status issues, such as whether the order is already fulfilled or in the midst of the process of being fulfilled. In different embodiments of the invention, the customer can access an ordering application on the customer's local computer, or the customer can use the local computer to access the ordering application on an ordering server over a network.
Another object of the invention is to place a hold on the current order, when the customer initiates the query about the order with the intention of changing it. Thus, the customer avoids the problem of the current order beginning fulfillment, such as assembly of a piece of equipment, while the customer is considering and preparing the changes to the order.
A further object of the invention is to provide feedback on adverse impacts of any modifications that the customer wishes to make, such as changes leading to loss of the ship date. The customer receives the feedback, considers it, and then makes an informed decision as to whether to proceed with the change order request. If the customer wishes to proceed, the customer confirms the change order request.
A general object of the invention is to provide an automated ordering and feedback process that minimizes any direct contact with other individuals, such as sales represe
Athavale Atul G.
Joffe David M.
Srinivasan Subramanian
Tran Anh-Thu T.
Chapin & Huang , L.L.C.
Cisco Technology Inc.
Huang, Esq. David E.
Mizrahi Diane D.
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