A method of order entry, product selection and inventory control for building products, building product accessories and building product components sold by a dealer to a customer. The method comprises the steps of providing a computer having a display screen and a plurality of files. A first file lists descriptions, dimensions and styles of available building products by product code along with building product accessories. A second file lists rough opening dimensions and building products fitting the rough opening dimensions and a third file lists building product components. A customer can enter into the computer a product code, a rough opening dimension or plural product codes for a desired building product. Based on the entry, the computer will select a building product. The computer then determines and displays the desired building product along with a price. The customer can then order the desired building product from an inventory.
This application is a continuation-in-part of our co-pending application Ser. No. 07/243,090 which was filed on Sept. 9, 1988.
This invention relates to an order entry and inventory control method and more specifically, to a method whereby customers of a dealer or the dealer can enter into a computer a product code, a "rough opening" entry or a plurality of product codes. Based on the entry, the computer will select a building product along with all building product accessories (such as grills, screens and hardware) and building product components (such as mull posts), if necessary. The computer determines and displays the price for the desired building product and accessories and components and the customer can order the same from the dealer, a distributor of the goods, the supplier of the goods or a combination of two or three of these sources.
Electronic data ordering ("EDO") is increasingly being used by suppliers of products to industry. Typically, EDO's consist of a computer terminal that a customer can access that is tied into a computer owned by the dealer of the product. The customer enters into the computer an order for a certain product, and this order is sent, via data transmission lines, to the dealer's computer. The dealer's computer matches the customer order with inventory availability, pricing data, and other information. The customer's order is then shipped from the dealer's inventory.
A further enhancement of EDO is electronic data interchange ("EDI"). EDI's involve a series of dealers and suppliers who have computer terminals that are networked into one central computer. This central computer then communicates information such as purchase orders and invoices back and forth between the parties.
EDI's have been used by manufacturers to obtain parts from their suppliers. See "Big Businesses Battle To Control EDI Channels", Network World, Volume 5, Number 13,Mar. 28, 1988. Manufacturers can dictate the way information is input into the supplier's computer. Thus, specific part numbers and/or inventory numbers can be entered into the EDI computer. This is also true for systems where customers order inventory directly from a supplier. See "Marketing By Modem", Industry Week, June 6, 1988.
A problem arises when specific part numbers and inventory numbers are not known. This is especially a problem when dealing with specialty items or high priced items such as building products sold to a customer or contractor. Typically, these customers have a rough idea of what style and size is needed, but are unaware of the manufacturers and, especially the manufacturers' inventory part numbers.
We provide a method of order entry, product selection and inventory control for building products, building product accessories and building product components sold by a dealer to a customer. Our method comprises the steps of providing a computer having a display screen and a plurality of files. We provide a first file listing descriptions, dimensions and styles of available building products by product code along with building product accessories, a second file listing rough opening dimensions and building products fitting the rough opening dimensions and a third file listing building product components. We further provide means to enable a customer to enter into the computer a product code, a rough opening dimension or plural product codes for a desired building product. The computer takes this information and displays the desired building product along with a price. We then provide means to enable the customer to order the desired building product from an inventory. We may provide that this inventory can be the dealer's inventory, a distributor's inventory, a supplier's inventory, or a combination of two or three of those inventories.
Other details, objects, and advantages of our invention will become more apparent as the following description of a present preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.
A system is provided for reducing and managing the inventory of lasts needed for footwear production which comprises a foot sizing device for determining foot sizing data by empirically measuring a plurality of feet at a footwear sales location, a data processing device logically coupled to the foot sizing device for receiving the foot sizing data from the foot sizing device, and a statistical trend analysis mechanism logically coupled to the data processing device for analyzing the foot sizing data received by the data processing device and for identifying foot sizing data groups whereby efficient manufacture of footwear lasts according to empirical foot sizing needs may be achieved. The system may include an inventory control feedback mechanism logically coupled to the data processing device which provides last inventory status information on demand. A method of inventory management is provided for footwear and last manufacture which comprises the steps of creating an automated foot sizing database including foot sizing data automatically inputted from a plurality of point of sale locations and from a plurality of measured feet, adding new foot sizing data to the automated foot sizing database each time a foot is measured, analyzing foot sizing data in the automated foot sizing database to identify foot size data groups, assigning inventory control values to each of the foot size data groups and utilizing the inventory control values to determine economical footwear last inventory needs according to the foot size data groups.
In an inventory control method and system, changes of sales for individual goods are forecasted and the excess or deficiency of a stock of each of the goods at the present point of time is estimated from the results of forecast. In order to facilitate an inventory control, merchandise information is sorted and displayed in accordance with the degree of urgency, the degree of importance or the like of inventory adjustment on the basis of the results of estimation.
A hierarchical relational definition system (26) for defining an object is provided in which a user is presented with a plurality of menus from which selections are made, whereupon the system references a database (10) to obtain information about an object corresponding to said selections, the data including control data to determine whether a formula is to be referenced to calculate further data, and provides an output including information about said object. The system is useful in cost estimate engineering to provide estimates of man-hours to install materials. The system also has a formula adjustment mechanism (44,46) to refine the formulae according to any variation between the actual man-hours and the calculated man-hours.
A post-delivery support system for private branch exchanges, which permits a customer support department to provide post-delivery support to delivered private branch exchanges includes an automatic notifying unit which is arranged in a private branch exchange and automatically notifies identification information of a private branch exchange, stored in an identification information storage unit and clue information providing a clue to tracing a recipient to whom the private branch exchange is delivered, to the customer support department via a public line. The notification is carried out when system software is initialized at the time of installation of the private branch exchange. The clue information is, for example, a telephone number of the recipient of the private branch exchange. A shipment information storage unit, provided at the customer support department, previously stores the identification information and component parts information of the private branch exchange when the private branch exchange is shipped. A linking unit links the identification information and the component parts information stored in the shipment information storage unit, to the identification information and the clue information notified by the automatic notifying unit, to organize a database.
An integrated hangtag production system with an order analysis program for receiving an electronic order file from a customer and outputting an analyzed customer data file in which the order analysis program including means for generating a first plurality of documents from the electronic order file which are useful for evaluating the integrity of the customer order; and a hangtag automation program for receiving the analyzed customer data file in which the hangtag automation program file including means for generating a second plurality of documents from analyzed customer data file which are useful for coordinating the production of hangtags ordered by the customer.
