Abstract:
A computerized information storage, filtering and presentation system configured to facilitate the function of intermediary broker agents in the purchasing and sale of consumable and perishable products, such as dairy goods. The computerized system provides agents of the intermediary broker with filtered information via a communications network identifying the sellers of particular goods, current market purchase prices, and transportation costs for various regions. The computerized system further provides the agents with additional filtered information via the communications network identifying buyers for particular goods and current market selling prices, enabling the agents to efficiently match goods purchased from a seller to a buyer&#39;s demand while achieving a desired profit margin.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/773,803 filed on Feb. 2, 2001, now abandoned from which priority is claimed, and which is herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a computerized system for facilitating the purchase of a product from a seller and the sale of the product to a buyer through an intermediary, and more particularly to the processing of requests for quotations for goods and/or services from buyers and for the linking of the buyers to sellers through an intermediary broker utilizing a centralized computer in communication with a communications network such as the Internet. 
     Buyers in need of goods, particularly in the dairy product field, often spend considerable time locating an appropriate seller or vendor for the product which they require, and commonly utilize a intermediary broker to eliminate the need for the buyer to locate, purchase, and arrange for the transport of the goods. Similarly, vendors in the dairy product field must find buyers for their products quickly, as dairy products are a perishable goods. Rather than locating individual buyers, vendors utilize the same intermediary brokers as the buyers, thereby facilitating the exchange of the goods. 
     Traditionally, an intermediary broker functions as a central clearing house for the goods in which they specialize. The broker establishes contact with a wide range of vendors, purchasing goods at a “buy price” to establish a suitable “supply.” The broker next identifies suitable buyers in need of the goods which the broker has purchased, and arranges for the sale and transport to the of the goods to the buyer at a premium “sale price,” resulting in a small profit to the broker on each transaction, a portion of which is paid to the broker&#39;s agent in the form of a commission. Ideally, the broker never assumes actual possession of the goods, and rather, is able to arrange for the sale and transport of the goods within a very short period of time, such that the goods are delivered directly from the seller to the buyer, without an intermediate stop at the buyer&#39;s storage facility. 
     Traditionally, the operation of the intermediary broker is carried out over the telephone, with agents of the broker contacting sellers to locate supplies of goods and to purchase goods, and contacting buyers to identify the need for particular goods and to close sales. Furthermore, agents of the brokers may receive unsolicited calls from buyers in need of a particular good, or from sellers who find themselves with a surplus of goods which must be sold in a short period of time. 
     Conventional general purpose computers utilized by brokers and their agents for maintaining a record of buyers and sellers may provide limited access to a network of computers (e.g., LAN) or to the Internet. However, traditional product brokerage systems generally do not integrate the Internet into the associated brokerage software so as to provide an integrated framework through which the buyers, sellers, and brokers may communicate and conduct business via the general purpose computer. Therefore, it is desirable to develop a traded goods brokerage system which integrates local or global computer networks such as the Internet into the brokerage software to provide an integrated system for tracking buyers, sellers, haulers, and products. 
     In the dairy product field, it is not uncommon to find a surplus of goods in one region of the country (or world) such as a rural or primarily agricultural region, and a demand in another region of the country, such as an urban or densely populated area. The agents of the intermediary broker must be continually made aware of the fluctuations in regional supply and demand for the goods, limitations on transportation distances and time requirements, as well as fluctuations in regional prices. As with any profit-driven business, agents of the intermediary broker desire to purchase the goods at a lower prices, and sell the goods at a premium price, factoring in the cost of transportation from the seller to the buyer. 
     Accordingly, for an agent of the intermediary broker to complete a transaction, the agent requires access to a large amount of accurate and up-to-date information detailing the current market conditions, buyer information, and seller information. Such information is traditionally stored in a central computer database at the intermediary broker, requiring manual entry of information as it becomes available to the agents. 
     Therefore, it is desirable to develop a brokerage system that integrates local or global computer networks such as the Internet into the system software to provide a more efficient and accurate system than is currently available by facilitating access to, and acquisition of, the most current and up-to-date information available pertaining to product pricing, availability and transportation. The present invention is an improvement to the traditional computerized system for use by intermediary brokers, providing a plurality of user interfaces for accessing filtered information and for exchanging information pertaining the purchase, sale, and transportation of goods, such as dairy products, over the Internet between the buyers, sellers, and agents of the intermediary broker. 
     The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention as well as presently preferred embodiments thereof will become more apparent from the reading of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly stated, the present invention is a computerized information storage, filtering and presentation system configured to facilitate the function of intermediary broker agents in the purchasing and sale of consumable and perishable products, such as dairy goods. The computerized system provides agents of the intermediary broker with filtered information via a communications network identifying the sellers of particular goods, current market purchase prices, and transportation costs for various regions. The computerized system further provides the agents with additional filtered information via the communications network identifying buyers for particular goods and current market selling prices, enabling the agents to efficiently match goods purchased from a seller to a buyer&#39;s demand while achieving a desired profit margin. 
     The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention as well as presently preferred embodiments thereof will become more apparent from the reading of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification: 
         FIG. 1   a  is a work flow chart illustrating the relationships between the graphical user interfaces of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1   b  is a continuation of the work flow chart of  FIG. 1   a;    
         FIG. 1   c  is a continuation of the work flow chart of  FIG. 1   a;    
         FIG. 1   d  is a continuation of the work flow chart of  FIG. 1   a;    
         FIG. 2  is an illustration of a home page graphical user interface to the e-commerce server data processing system of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an illustration of a graphical user interface for facilitating selection of a plurality of contact inquiries or information filters; 
         FIG. 4  is an illustration of a graphical user interface for displaying individual contact information; 
         FIG. 5   a  is an illustration of a graphical user interface for displaying a first portion of corporate contact information; 
         FIG. 5   b  is an illustration of the graphical user interface of  FIG. 5   a , displaying the second portion of corporate contact information; 
         FIG. 5   c  is an illustration of the graphical user interface of  FIG. 5   a , displaying a hierarchical tree of associated contact information for a selected contact; 
         FIG. 5   d  is an illustration of the graphical user interface of  FIG. 5   a , displaying a window of attached documents associated with a selected contact; 
         FIG. 6  is an illustration of a graphical user interface for displaying selection criteria for filtering goods shipment schedules; 
         FIG. 7  is an illustration of a graphical user interface for displaying filtered goods shipment schedules; 
         FIG. 8  is an illustration of a graphical user interface for displaying confirmation information for a selected goods shipment; 
         FIG. 9  is an illustration of a graphical user interface for displaying selection criteria for filtering goods and product information; 
         FIG. 10  is an illustration of a graphical user interface for displaying filtered goods and product information; 
         FIG. 11  is an illustration of a graphical user interface for displaying the buyers of a selected good and/or product; 
         FIG. 12  is an illustration of a graphical user interface displaying market pricing information for goods and products; 
         FIG. 13  is an illustration of a graphical user interface displaying pricing history for a selected entity; 
         FIG. 14  is an illustration of a graphical user interface calculating pricing parameters for goods and/or products; 
         FIG. 15  is an illustration of a graphical user interface displaying transportation information for goods; 
         FIG. 16  is an illustration of a graphical user interface displaying a transportation detail window; 
         FIG. 17  is an illustration of a graphical user interface providing access to maintenance and data entry screens; 
         FIG. 18  is an illustration of a graphical user interface providing access to load settlement screens; 
         FIG. 19  is an illustration of a graphical user interface displaying a filtered load settlement report; 
         FIG. 20  is an illustration of a graphical user interface displaying a detailed information sheet for a load settlement; and 
         FIG. 21  is an illustration of a graphical user interface displaying a filtered load settlement invoice report. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The following detailed description illustrates the invention by way of example and not by way of limitation. The description clearly enables one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives, and uses of the invention, including what is presently believed to be the best mode of carrying out the invention. 
     Throughout the following description, the term “interactive link” is intended to describe embedded information associated with a display of specific information in a graphical user interface of a computer system. Selection of the displayed specific information, for example, a highlighted name or button, by the user through a conventional interface, signals the computer system to access the embedded information, and to execute a specific set of instructions associated therewith. Such embedded information may direct the computer system to display additional information to the user in the graphical interface, to access stored data, or to perform one or more specified functions. 
     Updated information is critical to maintaining profitability for an intermediary broker or trader in the purchasing, sale, and transportation of goods such as dairy products. As illustrated in  FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b , in order to receive the most current information on buyers, seller, haulers, and product pricing, the information can be stored centrally on a broker&#39;s e-commerce server data processing system or computer accessible via a communications network, such as the Internet. In this manner, the information can be updated and altered at a central location as soon as the new data becomes available, eliminating delays in sending updated information to numerous individual users. Thus, in the preferred embodiment, a host broker computer is adapted to allow for data communication with one or more-remote computers, such as a seller&#39;s computer, buyer&#39;s computer, or hauler&#39;s computer, via a communications network such as the Internet. It is understood that a conventional protocol for communicating with a local or global computer information network such as the Internet is implicit in the interconnection between each computer, which may be running an Internet browser application such as Internet Explorer from Microsoft or Netscape Communicator, the broker&#39;s e-commerce server data processing system which may be setup as an Internet web-server, and the communications network. In the case of a global communications network, the transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) presently is the preferred protocol, although it will be appreciated that protocols such as HTML and XML may be implemented and utilized without altering the scope of the invention. Each computer connects to the network using software residing on the computer, and access information stored on the broker&#39;s e-commerce server data processing system. It may be desirable for the broker&#39;s e-commerce server data processing system to verify the identity of the accessing user or computer before allowing access to the data on the broker&#39;s e-commerce server data processing system. This identity verification can be implemented through either software or hardware in a conventional manner. 
     Turning to  FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b , a flow-chart guide to the components of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. A broker workstation  10  is linked to a communications network such as the Internet  12  and to an e-commerce server data processing system or computer  14  configured to provide transactional information and data. Optionally, one or more seller workstations  16 , buyer workstations  18 , and hauler workstations  20  may be linked to the e-commerce server data processing system or computer  14  via the Internet. Sellers, buyers and haulers may utilize the e-commerce serve data processing system to gather product and sales information, transact business, and send or receive transaction confirmations and financial data. 
     Upon accessing the e-commerce server data processing system or computer  14 , the user, such as a broker workstation  10 , is presented with a Login Screen (Box  100 ) requiring user identification and password. In the preferred embodiment, the Login Screen (Box  100 ), and all other informational screens provided to a user from the e-commerce server data processing system or computer  14  are presented as graphical user interfaces, which may include one or more conventional interactive components such as buttons, links, or tabs associated with specific actions. The e-commerce server data processing system or computer  14  employs conventional security protocols to ensure that only authorized users may access the data stored thereon. Following a successful login by a user, a Home Page (Box  102 ) is presented to the user. Information displayed to the user by the Home Page (Box  102 ) may include a welcome message, version information, news, or other information pertinent to the user. 
     To access the information stored on the e-commerce server data processing system or computer  14 , the user may select an interactive component such as a tab or drop-down menu item to view an Inquiry Page (Box  104 ), a Maintenance Page (Box  106 ), a Settlement Page (Box  108 ), a Settings Page (Box  110 ), News (Box  112 ), or to log out of the system (Box  114 ). As seen in  FIG. 2 , in the preferred embodiment, these interactive components are provided in the form of selection tabs  20   a - 20   h  in a menu bar  22  at the top of the graphical user interface. Selection of one or more of these interactive components  20   a - 20   h  may be blocked by the e-commerce server data processing system or computer  14  depending upon the user&#39;s level of security clearance. For example, buyers, sellers, and haulers may not be permitted to select the Maintenance Page (Box  106 ) or Settlement Page (Box  108 ), and accordingly, the associated interactive components  20   c  and  20   d  will be deactivated for such users. 
     Selection of the “Home” interactive component  20   a  will return the user to the Home Page (Box  102 ) presented upon login to the e-commerce server data processing system  14 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 3 , selection of the “Inquiry” interactive component  20   b  presents the user with additional interactive components, such as a tab or drop-down menu item to view a Contacts Page (Box  114 ), a Schedules Page (Box  116 ), a Products Page (Box  118 ), a Pricing Page (Box  120 ), or to view a Transportation Page (Box  122 ). In the preferred embodiment, these interactive components are provided in the form of selection tabs  24   a - 24   e  below the menu bar  22 . By default, as seen in Figure  3 , the first interactive component  24   a  associated with the Contacts Page (Box  114 ) is automatically selected upon display of the inquiry page. The Contacts Page (Box  114 ) provides the user with access to both corporate and individual contact information stored on the e-commerce server data processing system  14 . A conventional interactive interface  26  is provided for the user to enter filter information utilized to retrieve stored contact information. For example, the user may search for a contact by the contact name/code, the contact type (buyer or seller), the contact status, or by the contact category. Alternative search parameters may be provided within the scope of the invention.  FIG. 4  illustrates the displayed results of a search for an individual contact stored on the e-commerce server data processing system  14 . The displayed results are preferably presented in a separate Personal Contact window (Box  124 ) of the graphical user interface, and the information displayed may include interactive links to telephone numbers for a telephone auto-dialer, email addresses, or Internet web-site links. Additional contact information, including but not limited to names, addresses, contact codes, and update information may be included in the displayed results. 
     Turning to  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b , the displayed results of a search for corporate contacts matching the filter criteria input into the interface  26  located on the e-commerce server data processing system  14  are shown in a results column  30  of the graphical user interface. Adjacent the displayed results, a detailed listing  32  of the contact information for a single corporate contact selected from the results column  30  is displayed in a company contact column (Box  126 ). The detailed listing provides the user with conventional contact information for the selected corporation, including the names of individuals, telephone numbers and addresses. Interactive links associated with the names of individuals presented in the corporate contact information will display an individual contact in a Personal Contact window (Box  124 ) as described above. Additional interactive links may be provided for phone numbers, email addresses, and corporate web-sites accessed via the Internet. 
     Additionally provided with each detailed listing  32  of corporate contact is a menu bar  33  comprising a plurality of interactive component buttons. Included on the menu bar  33  is a hierarchical tree interactive component button  35  for selecting a hierarchical tree view of associated contacts, as seen in  FIG. 5   c . Associated contacts may include individual plants, warehouses, or hauling companies which are part of a larger corporate structure. The hierarchical tree information is displayed in the results column  30 , as interactive links permitting the user to access contact information for each of the associated contacts. The user may further expand the display of associated contacts to include, as subordinate entries on the hierarchical tree, individuals associated with each corporate entity displayed on the list, or may compress the hierarchical tree information to display only directly superior or subordinate corporate contacts. The hierarchical view further permits the user to subdivide the display of a large corporate contact geographically, or by the types of products which are produced. For example, a large corporate contact in the dairy business may include several subsidiary corporations, each responsible for a different aspect of the business, such as milk production or cheese production. Displaying this information in a hierarchical tree structure allows the user to filter contact information to extract relevant data. 
     An attachment interactive component button  37  displayed in the menu bar  33  permits the users to associate or “attach” a stored document or data record with a specific contact. Information associated with a contact may be stored on the e-commerce server data processing system or computer  14 , or may be accessible over the Internet through a suitable link. Selection of the attachment button  37  results in the display, to the user, of an attachment windows  39  (Box  125 ), shown in  FIG. 5   d  containing a list of all documents or records attached to the current contact. The user may select one or more of the displayed documents or records for review or editing, or may insert or delete additional attachments. For example, an attachment list displayed in the attachment window  39  may include a picture file, a text file, a spreadsheet, or scanned images of contracts, certificates, or phone journals. In this manner, the user is provided with access to additional information specific to the current contact displayed in window  32 . 
     Additional interactive buttons included on the menu bar  33  may include a “print” button  41 , and an “add” button  43 , and a “delete” button  45 . Selection of the “print” button  41  directs the e-commerce server data processing system or computer  14  to produce a printed copy of the contact information currently displayed in window  32 . Selection of the “add” or “delete” buttons  43 ,  45  causes the e-commerce server data processing system or computer  14  to add or delete the contact currently displayed in window  32  to a stored list of “favorites” associated with the current user. The stored “favorites” lists is utilized by the user to provide rapid access to information which is utilized on a regular basis. For example, individual users may only be responsible for handling accounts with specific sellers and buyers, and hence will frequently refer to contact information associated with those buyers and sellers. A stored “favorites” list facilitates this by providing a listing of the commonly accessed information. 
     Turning to  FIG. 6 , selection of the second interactive component  24   b  associated with the Schedules Page (Box  116 ) presents the user with an interactive filter window  34  for displaying desired product or goods shipment and transport schedules. By selecting desired criteria, the user can search for and locate specific goods shipment schedules matching the selected criteria stored in the e-commerce server data processing system  14 . Selection criteria may include, but are not limited to, the particular shipping entity (broker, buyer, seller, or hauler), shipment dates, schedule types (Ship From, Ship To), the product type, the contact type, the identification of the responsible broker agent, or specific remarks. Additionally, the user may select the format in which the results of the search are displayed (Box  128 ) through the use of interactive components in the Schedules Page graphical interface. For example, the user may select a Detail View, identifying all information pertaining to a particular set of shipment schedules, a Remarks View in which only stored remarks are displayed, or a Confirmation View, in which only order confirmation information associated with a shipment schedule is displayed (Box  128 ). 
     Shipment schedule information matching the input selection criteria for a specific corporate entity, for example, T. C. Jacoby &amp; Co. is illustrated in  FIG. 7  displayed in the Detail View format. The information preferably includes order parameters (Confirmation No. and Status), shipping parameters (From City, Ship Date, Ship Time, To City, Arrive Date, and Arrive Time), seller parameters (Ship From), buyer parameters (Ship To), product parameters (Product, Load Type), and hauler parameters (Carrier). Information displayed may be in the form of an interactive link, for example, the buyer, seller, and hauler parameters provide interactive links to displays of corporate contact information as set forth above. Similarly, the product parameters may provide an interactive link to the products page (Box  118 ), described below. The order parameters may provide a link to an order Confirmation Page (Box  130 ), illustrated in  FIG. 8 . 
     The Confirmation Page (Box  130 ) provides the user with a new window  36  in the graphical user interface, and displays information associated with the confirmation of a specific shipment of goods from a buyer to a seller which has been arranged by the broker. Preferably, the confirmation page window  36  displays an order confirmation number, shipment information, product information, buyer, seller, and hauler information, and pricing information. Additional information related to a specific product order may be included in the confirmation page window  36 . The confirmation page windows  36  may further include one or more interactive links configured to access additional information available on the e-commerce server data processing system  14 , for example, an interactive link  38  for product pricing information is shown in confirmation page window  36 . 
     Optionally, in addition to storing and displaying order confirmation information, the e-commerce server data processing system  14  may be configured to automatically transmit, by an electronic means such as facsimile or e-mail, order confirmation information to the parties involved in a completed transaction. 
     Turning to  FIG. 9 , selection of the third interactive component  24 C associated with the Products Page (Box  118 ) presents the user with an interactive filter window  40  for displaying desired product information. Through the interactive filter window  40 , the user may selectively search for product information on the e-commerce server data processing system  14  by either the name or code of the product, or by the category of the product.  FIG. 10  illustrates the displayed results of a search for a product by category. The search results are displayed in the graphical user interface in a tabular format (Box  132 ), including interactive links to access additional information available on the e-commerce server data processing system  14 . For example, as seen in  FIG. 10 , interactive links are provided for the user to access additional information pertaining to the product code (Box  134 ), the product buyers (Box  136 ), sellers (Box  138 ), and haulers (Box  140 ). Selection of an interactive link associated with a product buyer, seller, or hauler will display a list of entities associated with the product. As seen in  FIG. 11 , a list of buyers associated with a selected product is displayed (Box  136 ) in response to the activation of a buyer interactive link by the user in the product. search results display. Similar listings are provided by the system of the present invention in response to the selection of a seller or hauler interactive link by the user in the product search results display. The displayed lists of buyers, sellers, or haulers associated with a selected product provide the user with additional interactive links to displays of company contact information (Box  126 ) as described above, or product pricing history (Box  142 ), described below. 
     As seen in  FIG. 12 , selection of the “Pricing” interactive component  24   d  presents the user with additional interactive components, such as a tab or drop-down menu item to view Market Prices (Box  144 ), Pricing History (Box  142 ), a Pricing Calculator (Box  146 ), or to view a listing of links to external pricing information (Box  148 ) available over the Internet  12 . In the preferred embodiment, these interactive components are provided in the form of selection tabs  42   a - 42   d  below the selection tabs  24   a - 24   e . By default, as seen in  FIG. 12 , the first interactive component  42   a  associated with the Market Prices (Box  144 ) is automatically selected upon display of the pricing page in the user interface. Information displayed to the user upon selection of the Market Prices interactive component  24   d  includes, but is not limited to, a price basis code, a product description, price dates (i.e., effective from date, effective to date, update date), the current market price, and information identifying the broker agent who last updated the information on the e-commerce server data processing system  14 . The displayed information for the Market Prices may include one or more interactive links to additional information stored on the e-commerce server data processing system  14 . For example, selection of the price basis code for an individual product will provide the user with pricing history for the individual product (Box  142 ). 
     Turning to  FIG. 13 , selection of the tab  42   b  for Pricing History (Box  142 ) displays a pricing history report  44  for a selected product, and provides an interactive filter window  46  through which the user may identify a product for which the pricing history records stored on the e-commerce server data processing system  14  will be displayed in the pricing history report  44 . Optionally, the interactive filter window  46  may provide the user with interactive components permitting the filtering of price histories by buyer, seller, hauler, dates, or purchase information. The pricing history report  44  displayed in the graphical user interface optionally may include one or more interactive links to additional information stored in the e-commerce server data processing system  14 . For example, a pricing history report  44  displaying information for a specific product buyer may include interactive links to order confirmation information (Box  130 ) for each product order shown in the report  44 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 14 , selection of the tab  42   c  for Calculator (Box  146 ) displays an interactive product price calculator  50 . The interactive product price calculator provides fields into which the user may enter product pricing parameters, hauling parameters, and load parameters. Product pricing parameters may include items such as the product code, the price type, the market price basis, the price function, and the price factor. Hauling parameters may include the identification of the responsible party, the rate type, the load type and the distance over which the product is to be transported. Load parameters may include items such as the shipping date for the product, the estimated weight of the product, and the estimated test of the product. A “calculate” button  52  is provided on the price calculate  50 . Responsive to the entry of the required data fields by the user, and the selection of the “calculate” button  52 , the e-commerce server data processing system  14  processes the provided information to produce an estimated product cost associated with the data provided by the user. 
     The final interactive tab,  42   d  for the pricing options, presents the user with a display of interactive links (Box  148 ) to one or more external information resources accessible via the Internet  12 . These may include interactive links to web sites displaying current market activity, such as international exchanges or markets. 
     Selection of the “Transportation” interactive component  24   e , as shown in  FIG. 15 , presents the user with an interactive filter window  54  and a hauling report window  56 . Through data entry fields in the interactive filter window  54 , the user may enter filter information utilized to retrieve hauler information from the e-commerce server data processing system  14 . Retrieved hauler information is displayed in the hauling report window  56 , preferably in tabular form, listing buyer, seller, ship from, and ship to information, together with an interactive link  58  to the specific details associated with each shipment. Interactive links may be further provided to the corporate contact information (Box  126 ) for each buyer and seller listed in the hauler information report. Selection of the interactive link  58  opens a Transportation Detail window  60  in the graphical user interface, as seen in  FIG. 16 , and displays detailed transportation information associated with the selected hauling record. For example, the detailed transportation information displayed in the Transportation Detail window  60  may include an interactive link to individual order confirmation information (Box  130 ), the hauling parameters such as load type, statue, rate, weight test, distance, and shipping information such as departure and arrival dates. Additional links may be provided to the corporate contact information (Box  126 ) for the buyer, seller, and hauler, and to access product information (Box  132 ). 
     Turning to  FIG. 17 , selection of the interactive tab  20   c  in the menu bar  20  at the top of the graphical user interface results in the display of the Maintenance Home Page (Box  106 ), providing the user with access to a variety of data entry pages. The display of the Maintenance Home Page presents the user with a maintenance menu bar  62 , comprising a plurality of interactive maintenance tabs  64   a - 64   h . Maintenance tab  64   a  provides an interactive link which returns the user to the Home Page  102 . Maintenance tabs  64   b ,  64   c ,  64   d , and  64   e  provide interactive links to data entry pages for contact information (Box  150 ), schedule information (Box  152 ), price information (Box  154 ), and product information (Box  156 ), respectively. Upon selection of one of these maintenance tabs, the user is presented with conventional data filters for the associated topic, and one or more data entry windows permitting alteration, insertion, and deletion of data stored on the e-commerce server data processing system  14 . 
     Selection of maintenance tab  64   f  provides access to the maintenance page for attached documents and data (Box  158 ) associated with contact information, while selection of maintenance tab  64   g  provides access to the maintenance page for the lookup tables (Box  160 ). Maintenance for the lookup tables provides access to system-level information, used to define ranges of valid values for fields in the databases stored on the e-commerce server data processing system or computer  14 . These values may be changed or updated at any time. 
     Finally, selection of maintenance tab  64   h  provides access to the maintenance page for the security (Box  162 ) of the e-commerce server data processing system  14 . The security page (Box  162 ) presents the user with a variety of conventional options for regulating access to the e-commerce server data processing system  14  by different users. For example, buyers  18  accessing the e-commerce server data processing system  14  from the Internet  12  may be permitted only to access data available through the Inquiry Page (Box  104 ), but not to any other information. Similarly, haulers  20  accessing the e-commerce server data processing system  14  from the Internet  12  might only be permitted to access information related to the transportation of goods, and denied access to any pricing information for the products which they are hauling. In contrast, a broker&#39;s agent accessing the e-commerce server data processing system  14  directly from a terminal  10  may be granted unlimited security access to all aspects of the e-commerce server data processing system  14 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 18 , selection of the interactive tab  20   d  in the menu bar  20  at the top of the graphical user interface results in the display of the Load Settlement Home Page (Box  108 ), shown in  FIG. 1   d , providing the user with access to a variety of report pages. The display of the Load Settlement Home Page presents the user with a settlement menu bar  68 , comprising a plurality of interactive settlement tabs  70   a  and  70   b  together with a conventional interactive interface  71  for the user to enter filter information utilized to retrieve stored load settlement information. The conventional interactive interface  71  permits the user to retrieve stored information stored by month, or by load settlement status, i.e. all, unsettled, or settled. A “Contacts” field is additionally provided in the interface  71 , into which the user may enter a contact code for access to either the personal contact page (Box  124 ) or company contact page (Box  126 ) associated with the entered code. 
     Selection of settlement tab  70   a  provides the user with a load report  74 , as seen in  FIG. 19 , based upon the parameters input into interface  71 . The displayed report may be from either a seller&#39;s perspective (Box  164 ) or a buyer&#39;s perspective (Box  168 ), as determined by the user&#39;s selection of an associated interactive component  72   a  or  72   b , respectively. Prior to a weight determination and the testing of a dairy product to be shipped, the shipping load is considered “unsettled”. The user calls the buyer and the seller of the shipping load to get each weight and test results and then negotiates a settlement, after which the shipping load is considered to be “settled”. Accordingly, the user may chose, through selection in the interface  71 , to view all loads, only unsettled loads, or only loads whose weight and test have been settled. 
     For each displayed load, an associated detail button  75  provides access to an expanded detail view  76  in a new detail window (Box  170 ) for the particular load, as seen in  FIG. 20 . The expanded detail view  76  provides the user with additional information identifying the buyer or seller, the product, the sale confirmation number, shipping information, commission information, and the load information. The detail view  76  may include one or more interactive links to additional information stored in the e-commerce server data processing system  14  or accessible over the Internet  12 . For example, selection of an interactive link associated with an order confirmation will present the user with expanded order information as previously described. 
     Selection of settlement tab  70   b  provides the user with a load invoice report  78 , as seen in  FIG. 20 , based upon the parameters input into an interface  80 . The conventional interactive interface  78  is configured to permit the user to enter filter information utilized to retrieve stored load invoice information. Stored information may be sorted by month, or by load invoice status, i.e. all, invoiced loads, or loads which have not yet been invoiced. A “Contacts” field is additionally provided in the interface  80 , into which the user may enter a contact code for access to either the personal contact page (Box  124 ) or company contact page (Box  126 ) associated with the entered code. A displayed load invoice report  78  provides the user with information identifying the invoice party, location information, and load status information. A load invoice cannot be generated before the load status information is settled, as described above. The load invoice report  78  may include one or more interactive links to additional information stored in the e-commerce server data processing system  14  or accessible over the Internet  12 . 
     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the information presented to the user through the graphical user interface is in the form of an individual page of information, or self-contained code segment formatted for viewing on a computer system configured with a conventional web-browser application such as Netscape Communicator of Microsoft Internet Explorer. 
     As a process for facilitating a trading operating, the present invention provides a medium through which information related to buyers, sellers, haulers, products, and pricing stored on an e-commerce server data processing system  14  is accessible from one or more workstations connected via a local connection or remotely via the Internet. Sellers of a product may access the e-commerce server data processing system  14 , and provide information identifying products offered for sale and the selling price. Buyers of a product may access the e-commerce server data processing system  14  to provide information identifying desired products, and haulers may access the e-commerce server data processing system  14  to provide information identifying their transportation routes and hauling rates. 
     A broker or broker&#39;s agent may utilize the e-commerce server data processing system  14  of the present invention to obtain contact information for buyers, sellers, or haulers, product information, pricing information, invoicing reports and transportation information. Information is presented to the user in a interactive format, providing interactive links from displayed information to additional relevant information stored on the e-commerce server data processing system  14  or accessible via the Internet  12 . 
     Optionally, the e-commerce server data processing system  14  may be further configured to interact with one or more financial or accounting systems, thereby facilitating the handling of customer accounts and invoicing. Transactional information stored or entered into the e-commerce server data processing system  14 , such as purchases, sales, and hauling contracts may be transferred to associated financial or accounting systems, wherein it is utilized to generate invoices or track accounts. 
     The present invention can be embodied in the form of computer-implemented processes and apparatuses for practicing those processes. The present invention can also be embodied in the form of computer program code containing instructions embodied in tangible media, such as floppy diskettes, CD-ROMs, hard drives, or an other computer readable storage medium, wherein, when the computer program code is loaded into, and executed by, an electronic device such as a computer, micro-processor or logic circuit, the device becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention. 
     The present invention can also be embodied in the form of computer program code, for example, whether stored in a storage medium, loaded into and/or executed by a computer, or transmitted over some transmission medium, such as over electrical wiring or cabling, through fiber optics, or via electromagnetic radiation, wherein, when the computer program code is loaded into and executed by a computer, the computer becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention. When implemented in a general-purpose microprocessor, the computer program code segments configure the microprocessor to create specific logic circuits. 
     In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results are obtained. As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.