The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 14, 2009
Filed:
Jan. 30, 2008
E. Weston Seaman, Poughkeepsie, NY (US);
Laurie Cohn, Poughkeepsie, NY (US);
James Greene, Wappingers Falls, NY (US);
Eric Lambert, Wappingers Falls, NY (US);
Benjamin J. Steele, Newburgh, NY (US);
Debra J. White, Cold Spring, NY (US);
E. Weston Seaman, Poughkeepsie, NY (US);
Laurie Cohn, Poughkeepsie, NY (US);
James Greene, Wappingers Falls, NY (US);
Eric Lambert, Wappingers Falls, NY (US);
Benjamin J. Steele, Newburgh, NY (US);
Debra J. White, Cold Spring, NY (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A storage medium for managing a supply chain is provided. The storage medium includes instructions for implementing a method. The method includes transmitting a bid request from a bill of material (BOM) file to a web site and receiving a response from a supplier, resulting in an award notice. The method also includes identifying component prices incurred by the supplier that manufactures products using the components, comparing the prices with those available to the manufacturer from a component supplier. For components in which the supplier incurs a price greater than that available to the manufacturer, the method includes requesting authorization for the supplier to purchase a quantity of the component from the component supplier at the purchase price available to the manufacturer. Upon approval, the method includes transmitting an authorization to the supplier to purchase the component directly from the component supplier. The authorization includes guidelines for the contract manufacturer to follow.