Abstract:
A system for managing vendor data, the system including a vendor component controlled by an owner and accessible to a vendor, wherein the vendor component is adapted to allow the vendor to enter vendor-supplied data describing the vendor, and further adapted to allow the vendor to update the vendor-supplied data; and an owner component associated with the vendor, controlled by the owner, and inaccessible to the vendor, wherein the owner component is adapted to allow the owner to enter owner-supplied data describing the vendor, and further adapted to allow the owner to review the vendor-supplied and owner-supplied data.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
         [0001]    Corporations and other entities keep records of contacts with outside vendors to enable the corporation to find a source for goods or services when a need arises. These records may take the form of vendor brochures and other literature, telephone contact records, meeting notes, contracts, and information in many other formats. These records are typically stored by whomever made the contact.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Because of the nature of these records and their distributed storage, corporations and other entities face many difficulties in managing contacts with outside vendors. Vendors may contact multiple parties in the corporation by phone or in meetings over a period of time, without there being a central means to store the knowledge and decisions that have been made regarding vendor proposals or services. Thus, there is a need for a centralized means of receiving, storing, and distributing information obtained from contacts with vendors to reduce duplication of efforts, to simplify decision making, and to increase the availability of information throughout the corporation.  
           [0003]    The present invention overcomes these problems by providing a system for managing vendor data, the system including a vendor component controlled by an owner and accessible to a vendor, wherein the vendor component is adapted to allow the vendor to enter vendor-supplied data describing the vendor, and further adapted to allow the vendor to update the vendor-supplied data; and an owner component associated with the vendor, controlled by the owner, and inaccessible to the vendor, wherein the owner component is adapted to allow the owner to enter owner-supplied data describing the vendor, and further adapted to allow the owner to review the vendor-supplied and owner-supplied data.  
           [0004]    The present invention also provides a system for managing vendor data, the system including a computer including a browser-based application adapted to collect vendor-supplied data from a vendor; a communication link accessible to the vendor to link the vendor to the computer; a first interface accessible to the vendor adapted to allow the vendor to enter vendor-supplied data; a computer including a browser-based application adapted to collect owner-supplied data from an owner, wherein the owner-supplied data is inaccessible to the vendor; and a second interface accessible to the owner and inaccessible to the vendor, adapted to allow the owner to access and enter owner-supplied data.  
           [0005]    The present invention also provides a method for a vendor to manage vendor data available to a customer, the method including contacting the customer to obtain access to a data management system of the customer; accessing the data management system via the Internet; entering vendor data into the data management system; reviewing vendor data in the data management system; and updating vendor data in the data management system.  
           [0006]    The present invention also provides a method for an owner to manage vendor data, the method including providing a data management system capable of receiving and storing vendor-supplied data; providing a link via the Internet to the data management system accessible to a vendor such that the vendor may enter vendor-supplied data; and providing an application accessible to the owner to review vendor-supplied data and add owner-supplied data.  
           [0007]    The present invention provides several attributes that are advantageous. A vendor has ultimate responsibility for entering and maintaining up-to-date information, and it is in their best interests to do so. Also, a user may immediately access the user&#39;s entire company&#39;s knowledge and experience with a vendor, rather than such knowledge and experience being spread across many people&#39;s memories and many obscure file drawers. 
       
    
    
       [0008]    Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the following description and the accompanying drawings.  
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a vendor management system of the present invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is an exemplary screen shot view of a vendor data entry screen of the system shown in FIG. 1. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a web-based vendor management system  10  of the present invention. The system  10  includes an application  15  resident on a computer server run by an owner  20  or designee of the owner  20 . The owner  20  may be a corporation, a subset of a corporation, and individual, or other suitable entity.  
         [0012]    The application  15  is preferably web-based to provide nearly universal accessibility to any relevant entity.  
         [0013]    The application  15  includes a vendor component or side  25 . The vendor component  25  is designed to collect and store data related to a vendor  30 , and may accommodate any number of vendors  30 . FIG. 2 illustrates a sample data entry page accessible to a vendor  30 . The information the vendor may enter includes the vendor&#39;s name and address, any other entities associated with the vendor  30 , the number of employees and sales of the vendor  30 , contact information, descriptions of services or proposals, selection of categories describing the vendor and vendor products, optional information regarding competitors, and so forth. Further, the vendor may add electronic attachments such as brochures, annual reports, written proposals, URLs to selected vendor Web pages or files on other servers, and the like in an attachment region for the vendor  30 . Further, the vendor may add any other relevant information that may aid a customer in evaluating the vendor  30 . This information supplied by the vendor may be referred to collectively as vendor-supplied data  35 .  
         [0014]    The vendor component  25  is preferably connected to the Internet to provide access outside the owner  20  to vendors  30  and potential vendors  30 . The owner  20  provides a vendor  30  with a web address so that the vendor  30  may access the system  10 . A vendor  30  is provided with a URL where it may create its own account with a username and password to access a secure Web site where the vendor  30  may provide vendor-supplied data  35  unique to the vendor  30 . The Web environment offered to the vendor  30  after logging in pertains only to that vendor  30 . The system  10  may also include a security component that requires the vendor  30  to enter a login name and a password or other identifying information to enhance the confidentiality and security of the system  10 .  
         [0015]    The information and electronic attachments included in the vendor-supplied data  35  are then stored on an owner server to provide owner employees with access to the vendor-supplied data  35 .  
         [0016]    The application  15  also includes an owner component or side  40 . In addition to information entered by the vendor  30 , the Web-based system  10  also includes an owner component  40  available only to authorized users in the owner  20  where further data relative to a particular vendor  30  may be entered by employees of the owner  20 . Data entered may be anything associated with the vendor  30  or anything that would help employees of the owner  20  to identify and evaluate the vendor  30 . Data may include records, notes, and minutes of meetings with the vendor  30 , where the term “meeting” refers to any personal contact, including a telephone conversation, a videoconference, a personal meeting, a teleconference, an Internet meeting, or combinations thereof. Data may also include ratings/status of the vendor  30  (e.g., level of interest, recommendations, preferability of the vendor  30 , etc.), past embodiments of company (pre-merger, etc.), history of dealings with the vendor  30 , safety information, regulatory information, qualifications (e.g., ISO 9000), quarterly reviews and updates, statuses of agreements such as confidential disclosure agreements including terms and expiration information, other comments, and so forth. Data may also include links to information including financial databases, catalogs, links to third parties on web, vendor specs, work/purchase orders, a comparison of contract terms versus audit results, and a link to a legal database. This data entered by the owner  20  or representatives of the owner  20  may be referred to collectively as owner-supplied data  45 .  
         [0017]    The owner component  40  is connected to the Internet or to an intranet within the owner  20  to provide access to the system  10  by those people associated with the owner  20 . The owner employees may also access the vendor component  25  to review data entered by a vendor  30 . The system  10  may be configured to restrict access by owner employees to various portions of the system  10 . For example, an owner employee may only be able to access the vendors of certain good and services. In another example, permission to add or alter data in the owner component  40  may be given only to system administrators, or team leaders, or the like. In general, the system  10  may be freely accessible, or may be restricted in access by vendor type, data type, vendor status, reason for accessing data (e.g., reviewing data versus altering data), or any other suitable reason for restriction.  
         [0018]    The system  10  may also have other features. Key word filters may be identified to help employees search for particular data or to alert employees when certain vendors enter data. Data on the system  10  may be changed or removed; vendors may access their vendor component  25  and update data, for example. Employees of the owner  20  may access the owner component  40  for a particular vendor  30  to add meeting notes, for example. Both the vendor and owner components  25 ,  40  may include a help function to assist users. The system  10  may also screen users to ensure that a given user has received sufficient training to be able to use the system  10  effectively. Data may be made searchable by words, category, status, etc. The system  10  may characterize vendors by any meaningful classification, including minority-ownership, financial stability, and quality programs.  
         [0019]    Further, the system  10  may identify an owner contact for each vendor  30 , and a vendor contact for each vendor  30 . The system  10  may also generate and send an e-mail notification to a vendor  30  when the vendor  30  needs to update the vendor-supplied data  35  associated with that vendor  30 . When vendor-supplied data  35  is entered initially or updated, e-mails may be sent to the vendor  30  to confirm the changes, and to the owner  20  to notify the owner  20  that the vendor  30  has updated the vendor-supplied data  35 . The system  10  may also check for and eliminate duplicate vendor-supplied data  35  and duplicate vendors  30 . The system  10  may also accommodate files in different formats including pdf, ppt, xls, doc, etc.  
         [0020]    In use, a vendor  30  contacts an owner  20  to obtain contact information including the URL for the vendor management system  10 , and instructions on how to use the system  10 . Using a browser-based Internet connection, the vendor  30  links to the vendor component  25  of the system  10 , but only to the specific vendor component  25  associated with that vendor  30 , and not to other vendor data or any owner components  40 . The vendor  30  uses or establishes the vendor&#39;s identification information to gain secure access through SSL encryption to the system  10 . Once the vendor  30  has access to the vendor component  25  of the system  10 , the vendor  30  may input or update the types of vendor-supplied data  35  described above. Once data entry is complete, the system  10  updates the records of the vendor  30 , and generates and sends an e-mail to the vendor  30  confirming the update. The system  10  also sends e-mails to interested parties or administrators of the owner  20 .  
         [0021]    The owner  20  then has a meeting with the vendor  30  to discuss what the vendor  30  has to offer, or what the owner  20  is looking for. After the meeting, the owner  20  enters owner-supplied data  45  about the vendor  30  into the owner component  40  of the system  10 . In one embodiment, each person meeting with the vendor  30  is asked to enter information pertaining to the meeting into the owner component  40  of the vendor management system  10 . A paper form may be used to obtain this information, allowing a secretary or other party to later enter it electronically, or it may be entered electronically in the first place.  
         [0022]    Later, an authorized employee of the owner  20  may search the vendor management system  10  to evaluate vendor-supplied data  35  and owner-supplied data  45 . The employee may search for a particular vendor  30 , or for all vendors associated with a particular good or service, or by any other criteria as described above. The employee may review vendor-supplied data  35  entered by the vendor  30  as well as owner-supplied data  45  entered by other employees concerning the vendor  30 .  
         [0023]    Potential specific uses for the vendor management system  10  include researching potential vendors  30  that may be useful in fulfilling a particular need, and ensuring capabilities will be available for planned projects. In another example, the vendor management system  10  may be used to answer Federal Bureau of Investigation requests concerning whether the owner  20  has used certain vendors  30 .  
         [0024]    Each vendor  30  has the ultimate responsibility for entering and maintaining up-to-date information in the vendor management system  10 . It is also in each vendor&#39;s best interests make sure information is accurate to provide the owner  20  with the best data available.  
         [0025]    An owner  20  may immediately access the owner&#39;s entire knowledge of and experience with a particular vendor  30 , rather than having such knowledge and experience spread across many people&#39;s memories and many obscure file drawers.  
         [0026]    An important advantage of the vendor management system  10  is the ability that it offers to owner employees to rapidly access a centralized source of information regarding the vendor  30  and past contacts with the vendor  30 . Thus, when a vendor  30  calls a marketer, for example, with a marketing proposal, the marketer may access the web-based records for the vendor  30  and learn who has been working with the vendor  30  already in the past after only a few seconds into the phone call. Judgments and experiences of others with the vendor  30  may be reviewed, allowing for a more effective interaction with the vendor  30 .  
         [0027]    Another important benefit is the ability to provide updated brochures, slide materials, and other vendor-supplied data  35  in a common, readily accessible location. Instead of having to sort through a file cabinet to find a brochure that may be outdated, users of the vendor management system  10  may access an electronic file and know its date of entry in the vendor management system  10 .  
         [0028]    The vendor management system  10  may also efficiently communicate the status of confidentiality agreements and other legal matters relating to the vendor  30 , with the data being entered in the owner component  40 . Other databases, both inside and outside the owner  20 , may be accessible via links in the owner component  40  associated with the vendor  30  or may be used to display live information directly on a web page in the administrative area for the vendor  30 .  
         [0029]    Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the following description and the accompanying drawings.  
         [0030]    The invention has been described with reference to various specific and illustrative embodiments and techniques. However, it should be understood that many variations and modifications may be made while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention. Many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, this invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.