Patent ID: 8788372
Filing Date: 2014-07-22
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. Non-transitory machine-readable storage media for classifying retail products and services using an automated process, the machine-readable storage media comprising program code stored therein executable by one or more machines to perform the automated process, the automated process comprising: determining a plurality of groupings of characteristic values relating to a plurality of characteristics of a product in a computerized system, wherein each grouping of characteristic values includes a subset of a plurality of predetermined values for a particular one of the plurality of characteristics; grouping hierarchically the plurality of groupings of characteristic values for each characteristic; determining a plurality of characteristic profiles, each of the plurality of characteristic profiles being associated with at least one characteristic and a set of one or more groupings of characteristic values relating to the at least one characteristic, wherein the plurality of characteristic profiles include a first characteristic profile that is associated with a first characteristic and a second characteristic, wherein the first characteristic profile is further associated with a first set of groupings of characteristic values relating to the first characteristic and a second set of groupings of characteristic values relating to the second characteristic, wherein each of the first set and the second set of groupings of characteristic values comprises one or more of the determined plurality of groupings of characteristic values; determining a merchandise hierarchy, the merchandise hierarchy including an enterprise level, one or more merchandise hierarchy levels, one or more merchandise categories; assigning one or more products to each merchandise category in the merchandise hierarchy; assigning one or more characteristic profiles to a plurality of products; permitting the assignment of different characteristic profiles to multiple products associated with the same merchandise category; for each product having an assigned characteristic profile, assigning characteristic values to the product based on the characteristic values of the assigned characteristic profile; providing a user interface configured to enable a user to select a characteristic profile; receiving a selection of the characteristic profile from the user; receiving a modification of one or more characteristic values of the characteristic profile from the user; and modifying one or more corresponding characteristic values of the products associated with the selected characteristic profile based on the modification to the one or more characteristic values of the characteristic profile received from the user.