Patent ID: 7353180
Filing Date: 2008-04-01
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. In a contract manufacturing framework, a method of providing access to services comprising: providing a database including a request for proposal (“RFP”) mechanism, a nondisclosure agreement mechanism, a plurality of service provider data structures and a plurality of manufacturer data structures, wherein each service provider data structure includes a description of service provided by a particular service provider, and wherein each manufacturer data structure includes a description of offerings of a particular manufacturer; identifying a particular data structure based on a request for proposal from a user utilizing the request for proposal mechanism, wherein the user is a service provider or a manufacturer; receiving nondisclosure agreement data from the user wherein the nondisclosure agreement data is based on a nondisclosure agreement initiated with the nondisclosure agreement mechanism that is independently accessible by both the user and a third party using the contract manufacturing framework to initiate the nondisclosure agreement; storing the nondisclosure agreement data in the database with the nondisclosure agreement mechanism for later retrieval of the nondisclosure agreement data; and affording network-based project management services to the user based on the request for proposal and the identified data structure, wherein affording project management services includes managing assets in a network-based supply chain, including optimizing use of service provider assets and manufacturer assets and providing maintenance and service of service provider assets and manufacturer assets.