Patent ID: 8112323
Filing Date: 2012-02-07
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A purchasing method comprising: enabling, by a computing system for an administrator, access to said computing system, wherein said computing system comprises a memory system, and wherein said administrator is associated with a first entity; generating, by said computing system in response to a first command received from said administrator, a database table, wherein said database table comprises catalog purchase types and associated descriptions for items available for purchase, and wherein said catalog purchase types are associated with internal entity purchases, external entity purchases, and outsourcing entity purchases; storing said database table in said memory system; generating, by said computing system in response to a second command received from said administrator, an entity profile table associated with said first entity, wherein said entity profile table comprises company code column and an allowable purchase type code column; associating, by said computing system in response to a third command received from said administrator, said entity profile table with entity allowable catalog purchase types selected from said catalog purchase types in said database table; generating, by said computing system in response to a fourth command received from said administrator, a catalog profile table, said catalog profile table comprising catalogs that comprise items that are associated with said catalog purchase types for said items available for purchase from said database table, wherein said catalog profile table comprises a catalog ID column and a purchase type column; associating, by said computing system in response to a fifth command received from said administrator, said catalog profile with said entity profile; generating, by said computing system, a cascade delete option allowing a deletion of rows in said database table to automatically delete associated rows in said entity profile table and said catalog profile table; generating, by said computing system in response to a first command received from a first user associated with said entity, a user profile for said first user, said user profile comprising a name and address for said first user; associating, by said computing system, said user profile with said entity allowable catalog purchase types; receiving from said first user, a selection for a default purchase type from said entity allowable catalog purchase types; identifying, by said computing system, specified catalogs from said catalogs based on said default purchase type, said user profile, said entity profile table, and said catalog profile table; generating, by said computing system, a catalog report comprising said specified catalogs; and presenting, by said computing system to said first user, said catalog report for initiating a purchasing process.