Patent ID: 6282518
Filing Date: 2001-08-28
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
A process for making available industrial products by the manufacturer thereof for online ordering through a communications network made accessible to customers therefor, the industrial products being made available based upon a selection by the manufacturer of such industrial products as a subset of an inventory set of industrial products manufactured by the manufacturer and for querying such customers as to their desire to place an order for at least one of the selected industrial products comprising:a. effecting an identification by the manufacturer of the key parameters involved in a selection by the manufacturer of a subset of the industrial products from an inventory set of industrial products manufactured by the manufacturer, the inventory set of industrial products including all of the industrial products that may be made available by the manufacturer for online ordering by customers therefor through a communications network made accessible to customers;b. placing such key parameters for the industrial products in a database of the industrial products manufactured by the manufacturer that are available for ordering by a customer;c. making the database of the industrial products that are available for ordering by a customer accessible through the communications network to any customer for such industrial products having access to the communications network;d. effecting a connection by a customer for such industrial products through the communications network to the database containing the key parameters for the industrial products;e. effecting a request by the manufacturer through the communications network for specific information from the customer for subsequent assessment by the manufacturer of such requested specific information with respect to the key parameters for the industrial products in the database containing key parameters for the industrial products;f. effecting an identification by the manufacturer of a subset of industrial products manufactured by the manufacturer based on an assessment of the requested specific information provided by the customer for the industrial products relative to the key parameters for the industrial products contained in the database, the subset of industrial products including at least one particular industrial product manufactured by the manufacturer selected by the manufacturer based upon the suitability of the at least one particular industrial product for meeting a specific requirement of the customer for an industrial product; andg. effecting a query through the communications network as to whether the customer for the industrial products desired to place an order with the manufacturer for the at least one particular industrial product identified by the manufacturer based upon the suitability of the at least one particular industrial product for meeting a specific requirement of the customer for an industrial product.