Patent ID: 6983258
Filing Date: 2006-01-03
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A trading information exchange system comprising: an application layer comprising applications; a supporting framework of services for the application for handling trading information; a database; a collaborative work flow engine accessible by the applications; and a gateway configured to allow supplier and retailer access to the applications, wherein the supporting framework is configured to allow access of the applications to the work flow engine for work flow processing related to the trading information, wherein the supporting framework is configured for accessing the gateway for monitoring supplier and retailer access to the applications, and wherein the supporting framework comprises a community management function for interacting with a commerce platform to relate users to roles, wherein users belonging to external suppliers and retailers are associated with roles, for directly accessing the trading information exchange system that integrates the workflow across a supply chain that generates the trading information exchanged, wherein the applications and the work flow engine are configured for interfacing to control work flow with process nodes, each node comprising an activity, a variable, and rules defining routing of an activity to a work queue, further comprising a timer for controlling exit from a process node or entry to a process node according to activity status, wherein said timer comprises a timer program in an application and a work queue in the work flow engine, said timer program programmed for accessing the work queue to determining activity status.