Network-based sales system using bar codes and operating method of the same

A network-based sales system is composed of a merchant computer, a defining unit, and a distribution managing computer. The merchant computer sends an order of a product. The defining unit defines a bar code of the product in response to the order, and notifies the distribution managing computer of the bar code. The distribution managing computer manages distribution of the product based on the bar code.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to FIG. 1, a network-based sales system according to the present invention includes a computer network 1 , a merchant computer 2 , a production managing computer 3 , a distribution managing computer 4 , a product managing computer 5 , a bar code defining computer 6 , a sales supporting computer 7 , and an EDP system 8 . The merchant computer 2 is provided for operation by a merchant A. The merchant computer 2 sends an order request of a product in accordance with the purchaser's willing. The production managing computer 3 is provided for operation by a manufacturing department B. The production managing computer 3 manages the manufacture of the products. The distribution managing computer 4 is provided for operation by a distribution department C. The distribution managing computer 4 manages the distribution of the products. The product managing computer 5 is provided for operation by a product managing department D. The product managing computer 5 includes a tentative product master database 5 a and a formal product master database 5 b . Product data such as article numbers and prices of the products are registered into the tentative product master database 5 a . The formal product master database 5 b is produced based on the tentative product master database 5 a as mentioned below. The bar code defining computer 6 is provided for operation by the product managing department D. The bar code defining computer 6 respectively defines bar codes for the article numbers. The bar codes respectively correspond to the article numbers. The defined bar codes are registered into the formal product master database 5 b. The sales supporting computer 7 is shared by the merchant A and the product managing department D. The sales supporting computer 7 supports an order reception management and an appointed delivery answer of the product for the order from the merchant computer 2 . The EDP system 8 is provided for operation by the merchant A. The EDP system 8 manages the stock of the merchant A. FIG. 2 shows the operation of the network-based sales system. Various data concerning the products are initially prepared for the production managing computer 3 , the distribution managing computer 4 , and the product managing computer 5 (Step SB 1 , SC 1 , and SD 1 ). Manufacture data needed for manufacturing the products are provided for the production managing computer 3 , such as article numbers of the products and preparation numbers of parts included in the products (Step SB 1 ). Also, distribution data needed for distribution of the products are provided for the distribution managing computer 4 , such as the article numbers and distribution numbers of the products (Step SC 1 ). Furthermore, the tentative product master database 5 a is provided for the product managing computer 5 (Step SD 1 ). As mentioned above, the product master database 5 a records the product data including the article numbers and the prices of the products. At the steps SB 1 , SC 1 , and SD 1 , no bar code is initially registered into the production managing computer 3 , the distribution managing computer 4 , and the product managing computer 5 . The formal product master database 5 b initially records no bar code. The merchant computer 2 sends an order request to the sales supporting computer 7 (Step SA 1 ). The merchant A inputs to the merchant computer 2 an article number of a product that the merchant A is willing to order. The order request includes the article number of the ordered product. The sales supporting computer 7 accesses the product master database 5 a to see if a bar code corresponding to the article number is already registered into the formal product master database 5 b (Step SD 2 ). If the code corresponding to the article number is not yet defined, the bar code is not registered. When the corresponding bar code 13 is not yet registered, the sales supporting computer 7 accesses the bar code defining computer 6 to send the article number. The bar code defining computer 6 defines a new bar code for the article number (Step SD 3 ). The bar code defining computer 6 sends the article number and the defined bar code to the product managing computer 5 . The product managing computer 5 queries the tentative product master database 5 a based on the article number. When the article number is registered into the tentative product master database 5 a , the product managing computer 5 extracts product data concerning the product having the article number from the tentative product master database 5 a . The product managing computer 5 registers the article number, the defined bar code and the extracted product data into the formal produce master database 5 b (Step SD 4 ). The registered article number, bar code, and product data are sent to the production managing computer 3 , the distribution managing computer 4 , the sales supporting computer 7 . The registered article number, bar code, and product data are also registered into each of the production managing computer 3 , the distribution managing computer 4 , the sales supporting computer 7 (Step SB 2 , SC 2 , and SD 5 ). The registration process for the product is finished. After the registration process, the sales supporting computer 7 sends a registration report informing the registration completion to the merchant computer 2 . The merchant A notices that a regular order of the product can be proceeded (Step SD 6 ). The merchant computer 2 sends a regular order request of the product (Step SA 2 ). At the Step SD 2 , when the bar code corresponding to the article number included the order request is already registered into the formal product master database 5 b , the above-mentioned Steps SD 3 , SD 4 , SD 5 , SD 6 , SB 2 , and SC 2 are skipped. In this case, the order request sent by the merchant computer 2 is regarded as the regular order request (Step SA 2 ). The production managing computer 3 receives the regular order request from the merchant computer 2 . The manufacturing department B manufactures the product in accordance with the regular order request (Step SB 3 ). The bar code registered in the production managing computer 3 is used for the production management executed by the production managing computer 3 . The manufactured product is shipped after the bar code of the product is printed on a package box or a slip affixed on a package box (Step SB 4 ). The distribution department C distributes the product in accordance with the printed bar code (Step SC 3 ). The distribution managing computer 4 manages the distribution of the product with the printed bar code and also the bar code registered into the distribution managing computer 4 itself. The merchant A delivers the product at a moderate timing (Step SAD 2 ). The delivery is managed by the EDP system 8 . The merchant A is provided with the product data including the article number, price, and the defined bar code of the product and the product data is registered into the EDP system 8 (Step SAD 1 ). The EDP system 8 executes stock management of the merchant A with the registered product data. The above-mentioned operation realizes the effective use of the limited number of bar codes. That enables the usage of the EDP system to be actually effective for the makers and the merchants. In the above-mentioned operation, the product data including the prices and the article numbers are preliminarily prepared for the tentative product master database 5 a . The preliminary preparation of those data requires the large number of steps. In order to reduce the number of such steps, it is desirable to reduce the preliminary preparation to the minimum. The registering method is effective for individually registering the article data after the reception of the order request. Such a registering method has a disadvantage that it takes a certain time to actually order the article after the reception of the order request. However, the advantage of using the conventional EDP system and treating the various kinds of articles offsets and outweighs the disadvantage. Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been changed in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.