Abstract:
A computer system uses requests from a customer to configure custom medical procedural kits (PACKs) ordered by the customer from a service provider. A service provider computer executes a PACK management application which allows a customer to access a list of components of PACKs associated with a customer account. Preferably, the list of components is accessible for display on the customer computer with no need for personnel of the customer to interact with personnel of the service provider. A PACK database stores configuration and pricing information for each PACK associated with the customer account. The system allows a customer to view bills of materials for PACKs and request changes thereto, request vendor price exceptions for various kit components, submit forecast reports reflecting future need for the kits, submit changes to work orders, view current inventory on hand and in manufacturing of kits.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates to the manufacture of custom medical procedural trays. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a system that provides a customer the ability to manage components and associated costs associated with the manufacture of custom medical procedural trays in a manner that achieves desired customization while minimizing waste and inefficiency typically associated with customization. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Custom procedural trays are increasingly used by hospitals as one way to reduce supply costs. Custom procedural trays are medical procedural kits made to the specifications of a hospital based on the type of medical procedures to be performed and individual preferences of physicians. For example, such trays include, in a sterilized package, items such as drapes, sponges, scalpels, retractors, sutures, and the like as typically required by a physician for a procedure. The use of such trays enables more ease in billing for supplies and reductions in costs and labor in supplying and stocking such items in a hospital. 
         [0003]    Accordingly, the use of custom procedural trays is desirable in many respects, and their use can serve to enable future cost reductions. For example, the use of such trays can promote recognition of what are right-sized appropriately-arranged trays, the prediction of accurate but conservative forecasts for future needs, and identification of line-item opportunities for cost reduction. 
         [0004]    However, in practice, it has been observed that the use of such trays can have some detrimental cost effects. For example, while their use can lead to some standardization, it can become expensive to permit even further customization or and/or changes. Also, since only the tray as a package is typically tracked, adaptation for changes to medical procedures can be slow and expensive to implement, which can also result in waste that goes unrecognized. For example, in the event a change to a medical procedure is introduced requiring a new instrument or other supply, it can be expensive to introduce such changes into the manufacturing process. Also, due to costs typically charged for changes, a hospital may make only the changes necessary to add a new component, yet fail to make a change to eliminate a low-cost component that is no longer needed in the new procedure, rationalizing that it is cheaper to pay for and throw away such components rather than pay to have a tray redesigned with the unneeded item removed. On a large scale, this represents considerable waste. 
         [0005]    Another complaint of customers is a lack of transparency in the true costs of components utilized as well as the availability of options, such as use of comparable items from different suppliers and any associated cost differences. 
         [0006]    What is desired, therefore, is a system that enables a customer to be involved in the manufacture of custom procedural trays in a manner that maintains desirable aspects of the use of such trays to provide enhanced customization and further cost reduction, while avoiding or minimizing many of the undesirable aspects. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    The above and other needs are met by a system for incorporating requests from a customer in determining the configuration and pricing of custom medical procedural kits ordered by the customer from a service provider. In a preferred embodiment, the system includes a service provider computer in communication with a customer computer via a communication network. The service provider computer executes a custom procedural kit management application to receive customer requests via the communication network and process the customer requests in determining the configuration and pricing of custom medical procedural kits. The custom procedural kit management application allows a customer to access a list of components of one or more custom procedural kits associated with a customer account maintained by the service provider for the customer. Preferably, the list of components is accessible through the communication network for display on the customer computer with no need for personnel of the customer to interact with personnel of the service provider. The system also includes a custom procedural kit database in communication with the custom procedural kit management computer. The custom procedural kit database stores configuration information and pricing information for each custom procedural kit associated with the customer account. 
         [0008]    In some embodiments, the custom procedural kit management application receives a customer request to change the configuration of one or more custom procedural kits associated with the customer account. 
         [0009]    In some embodiments, the custom procedural kit management application receives a customer request for the service provider to perform an optimization analysis of one or more of the custom procedural kits associated with the customer account. 
         [0010]    In these embodiments, the customer request is submitted from the customer computer via the communication network to the service provider computer without personnel of the customer interacting with personnel of the service provider. 
         [0011]    In some embodiments, the custom procedural kit management application receives a customer request to add a component to or delete a component from one or more of the custom procedural kits associated with the customer account. The custom procedural kit management application then calculates a new price for the custom procedural kit(s) in which a component is added or deleted. Based on the new price, the custom procedural kit management application generates a price quote for the custom procedural kit(s) in which a component is added or deleted. Preferably, the customer request is submitted, the new price is calculated, and the price quote is generated without personnel of the customer interacting with personnel of the service provider. 
         [0012]    In some embodiments, the custom procedural kit management application receives a forecast report from the customer for one or more of the custom procedural kits associated with the customer account. Preferably, the forecast report is submitted from the customer computer via the communication network to the service provider computer without personnel of the customer interacting with personnel of the service provider. 
         [0013]    In some embodiments, the custom procedural kit management application receives an electronic vendor price exception request form submitted by the customer. Preferably, the electronic vendor price exception request form is directed to a vendor that supplies one or more components of the custom procedural kits associated with the customer account. 
         [0014]    In some embodiments, the custom procedural kit management application generates the electronic vendor price exception request form for the customer to complete and sends the completed electronic vendor price exception request form from the service provider computer via the communication network to the vendor without personnel of the customer interacting with personnel of the service provider. 
         [0015]    In some embodiments, the custom procedural kit management application sends the vendor an electronic message containing the electronic vendor price exception request form submitted by the customer. Preferably, the electronic message is sent from the service provider computer via the communication network. 
         [0016]    In some embodiments, the electronic vendor price exception request form includes means in the form for the vendor to electronically enter approval or disapproval of the vendor price exception request. 
         [0017]    In some embodiments, the electronic vendor price exception request form includes means in the form for the vendor to electronically choose to email the electronic vendor price exception request form to the service provider after the vendor has entered approval or disapproval in the form. 
         [0018]    In some embodiments, the custom procedural kit management application generates a work order list indicating pending work orders for the custom procedural kits associated with the customer account. Preferably, the work order list indicates pending work orders that are ready to build and pending work orders that are on hold because one or more components of a custom procedural kit are unavailable. The custom procedural kit management application allows the customer to access the work order list via the communication network and view the work order list on the customer computer without personnel of the customer interacting with personnel of the service provider. 
         [0019]    In some embodiments, the custom procedural kit management application generates a component list indicating components of a custom procedural kit associated with a work order that is on hold because one or more components of the custom procedural kit are unavailable. Preferably, the component list includes means for the customer to electronically enter a choice to exclude an unavailable component from the custom procedural kit or a choice to substitute another component for the unavailable component. The customer choice may be entered without personnel of the customer interacting with personnel of the service provider. 
         [0020]    In some embodiments, the custom procedural kit management application receives the customer choice, generates a modified work order based on the customer choice, and electronically sends the modified work order to manufacturing for approval. 
         [0021]    In some embodiments, the custom procedural kit management application generates a request for a sales order for the modified work order, and electronically sends the request for the sales order to an electronic data interchange server in communication with the custom procedural kit management computer. 
         [0022]    In another aspect, an embodiment of the invention provides a method for incorporating requests from a customer in determination of configuration and pricing of custom medical procedural kits ordered by the customer from a service provider. The method is preferably implemented using a service provider computer in communication with a customer computer via a communication network. The service provider computer is also in communication with a custom procedural kit database. The method includes the following steps:
   (a) storing in the custom procedural kit database configuration information and pricing information for custom procedural kits associated with a customer account maintained by the service provider for the customer;   (b) accessing from the custom procedural kit database a list of components of the custom procedural kits associated with the customer account;   (c) communicating the list of components through the communication network from the service provider computer to the customer computer;   (d) displaying the list of components on the customer computer;   (e) communicating a customer request through the communication network from the customer computer to the service provider computer, where the customer request relates to the configuration and/or pricing of the custom medical procedural kits associated with the customer account; and   (f) determining the configuration and/or pricing of the custom medical procedural kits associated with the customer account based on the customer request
 
Preferably, at least steps (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) of the method are accomplished without personnel of the customer interacting with personnel of the service provider.
   
 
         [0029]    In some embodiments, step (e) includes communicating a customer request to change the configuration of one or more of the custom procedural kits associated with the customer account. 
         [0030]    In some embodiments, step (e) includes communicating a customer request for the service provider to perform an optimization analysis of one or more of the custom procedural kits associated with the customer account. 
         [0031]    In some embodiments, step (e) includes communicating a customer request to add a component to or delete a component from one or more of the custom procedural kits associated with the customer account, and step (f) includes calculating a new price for the custom procedural kit(s) in which a component is added or deleted. These embodiments also include a step (g) of generating a price quote for the custom procedural kit(s) in which a component is added or deleted based on the new price. 
         [0032]    In some embodiments, step (e) includes communicating an electronic vendor price exception request form from the customer computer to a vendor that supplies one or more components of the custom procedural kits associated with the customer account. 
         [0033]    In some embodiments, the vendor enters approval or disapproval of the vendor price exception request directly in the electronic vendor price exception request form. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0034]    Further advantages of the disclosure are apparent by reference to the detailed description when considered in conjunction with the figures, which are not to scale so as to more clearly show the details, wherein like reference numbers indicate like elements throughout the several views, and wherein: 
           [0035]      FIG. 1  is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of a system that provides for customer management of custom medical procedural trays; 
           [0036]      FIGS. 2-8  are flowcharts describing the operation of an embodiment of a system that provides for customer management of custom medical procedural trays; and 
           [0037]      FIGS. 9-18  depict examples of graphical user interfaces employed in an embodiment of a system that provides for customer management of custom medical procedural trays. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0038]      FIG. 1  depicts a customer managed manufacturing system  10  for the manufacture of custom medical procedural trays. A custom procedural tray (CPT) is also referred to herein as a preassembled custom kit (PACK). As described in more detail hereinafter, the system  10  provides computer-implemented tools and processes that enable a customer to have significant involvement in the management of PACK&#39;s containing medical supplies and tools used in medical procedures. However, one skilled in the art will recognize that the system  10  may be used to manage customized kits of various other components and materials in medical and nonmedical applications. Thus, the inventions described herein are not limited only to medical product/supply ordering, manufacturing, and inventory management. 
         [0039]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the system  10  includes a customer computer network  12  and a service provider computer network  14  which communicate with each other via a communication network  16  such as the Internet. As the term is used herein, “customer” generally refers to a medical facility where medical surgical procedures are performed, such as a hospital, outpatient surgical center, or physician&#39;s office. The term “customer” may also refer to any consumer of products/supplies that are inventoried and managed using the system described herein. Accordingly, one or more of the components of the customer computer network  12  may be located within a hospital, doctor&#39;s office, or other medical facility. 
         [0040]    The customer computer network  12  includes a customer computer  18 , also referred to herein as a first computer, that is operable to communicate through the Internet  16  with the service provider computer network  14 . The customer computer  18  may be, for example, a desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, or smart phone. A browser application is loaded on the customer computer to provide for access to a service provider website via the Internet  16 . 
         [0041]    With continued reference to  FIG. 1 , the service provider computer network  14  comprises one or more computers which store information and execute software to support sales, order processing, manufacturing, quality control, billing, and inventory management functions of the service provider. As the term is used herein, a “service provider” may be a company that manufactures and maintains inventories of PACK&#39;s that are supplied to the customer to be used in medical surgical procedures. An example of one such service provider is DeRoyal Industries, Inc. of Powell, Tenn. Alternatively, the “service provider” may not do the manufacturing or maintain the inventory of PACK&#39;s, but may provide inventory management services for another company that does so. 
         [0042]    In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the service provider computer network  14  includes a service provider server computer  20 , also referred to herein as a custom procedural kit management computer, running PACK management application  22 . In a preferred embodiment, the PACK management application  22  includes an inventory module  24 , a support request module  26 , an optimization module  28 , a quoting module  30 , a forecast reporting module  32 , a vendor price exception request module  34 , and a work order management module  36 . The purpose and operation of each of these modules are described in detail hereinafter. 
         [0043]    The service provider server computer  20  is in communication with several databases of information related to manufacturing, sales, and inventory management of PACK&#39;s. These include a sales database  40 , electronic data interchange (EDI) database  42 , a quote management system (QMS) database  44 , a PACK management database  46 , and a user authentication database  48 . The service provider server computer  20  is also in communication with a manufacturing operations computer  38  and vendor computers  50  via the Internet  16 . 
         [0044]    The sales database  40 , which may be an IBM Informix database, maintains records of pending and completed orders for sales of PACK&#39;s. The EDI database  42 , which may be a J.D. Edwards/Oracle database, executes programs for implementing electronic commerce transactions between the service provider network  14  and the customer network  12 . The QMS database  44 , which may be an Oracle database, stores data related to the PACK quote management system which manages quotations for new and revised PACK configurations. The PACK management database  46 , which may be on a SQL server, stores records indicating quantities of each PACK in the service provider&#39;s inventory and the contents or Bill of Materials (BOM) for each kit. The user authentication database  48 , which may be on a SQL server, stores identification records regarding users (customers) who are authorized to access and use the PACK management application  22 . 
         [0045]    Using the inventory module  24  of the PACK management application  22 , a customer may view detailed PACK inventory information for one or more customer accounts to which the customer has access. This module  24  provides for viewing and printing general inventory information, BOMs for each PACK in the inventory list, as well as relevant production, forecast, shipment, and backorder quantity information.  FIG. 2  depicts a process  60  for viewing PACK information using the inventory module  24 . Using a browser application running on the customer computer  18 , a user logs into the PACK management application  22  running on service provider server  20  via the Internet  16  (step  62 ), and selects the customer accounts for which an inventory list is to be generated (step  64 ). In one preferred embodiment, this selection is made using a dropdown list displayed in a browser window on the customer computer  18 . Based on the selection, the inventory module  24  generates an inventory list for the selected account(s) (step  66 ). This list preferably includes all PACK&#39;s available to be ordered under the selected customer account.  FIG. 9  depicts an example of a browser window  290  displaying a PACK inventory list  82 . For each PACK in the list  82 , the customer may view inventory data (step  68 ). For example, by clicking on one of the PACK numbers in the “PACK #” column  292 , the customer may view a BOM  70 , an example of which is depicted in the browser window  294  of  FIG. 10 . If there have been previous revisions to the BOM of any PACK in the list  82 , it will preferably be so noted in a “Current Rev” column  296  in the list  82 , and the customer may view the revision data  72  as shown in  FIG. 11 . If there are items currently being processed in sterilization for a product shown in the list  82 , it will preferably be so noted in a “Cases in STERIL” column  298  in the list  82 , and the customer may choose to view the sterilization process data  74  as shown in  FIG. 12 . If a PACK in the list  82  has been shipped in the last 30 days, this will be so denoted in a “Cases SHIPPED” column  300  in the list  82 , and the customer may choose to view the shipping data  76  as shown in  FIG. 13 . If invoice data is available online from the carrier handling the shipment, this will preferably appear as a link in the “Invoice #” column  302  as shown in  FIG. 13 . If after viewing the inventory information, the customer needs further assistance (step  78 ), the customer may submit a PACK Management Support Request (as described hereinafter) or directly contact a Service Provider Sales Representative (step  80 ). 
         [0046]    Using the support request module  26  of the PACK management application  22 , a customer may submit a support request for one or more customer accounts to which the customer has access. This module  26  provides for submitting support requests to the service provider, monitoring activity associated with an open request, and viewing activity logs for closed requests.  FIG. 3  depicts a process  90  for submitting support requests using the support request module  26 . Using a browser application running on the customer computer  18 , a user logs into the PACK management application  22  running on service provider server  20  via the Internet  16  (step  92 ), and selects the customer account for which a support request is to be generated (step  94 ). In one preferred embodiment, this selection is made using a dropdown list displayed in a browser window on the customer computer  18 . The customer then selects the type of request (step  96 ), which may be a PACK change request, a quality issue request, or other. 
         [0047]    If the request is a PACK change request (step  98 ), the customer enters the number of the PACK to be changed and a description of the change (step  100 ) and the request is submitted (step  104 ). If Integrated Health Network (IHN) approval is required (step  104 ), the application  22  submits the request to IHN which determines whether the request is approved (step  106 ). If the request is approved, the application  22  generates an email to the service provider Sales Support Department with instructions to proceed with processing of the PACK change request (step  108 ). The Sales Support Department then processes the request (step  110 ). A new PACK quote with the requested changes is emailed by the Sales Support Department to the sales representative to present to the customer for signature. If the request is not approved, the application  22  generates an email to the customer to inform the customer that the requested PACK change cannot be implemented, and the service provider sales representative and IHN are copied (step  112 ). If IHN approval is not required (step  104 ), the service provider Sales Support Department proceeds with the processing of the request (step  110 ). 
         [0048]    If the request involves a quality issue (step  114 ), the customer enters the number of the PACK, the lot number involved, and a description of the quality issue (step  116 ) and the request is submitted to the service provider&#39;s quality assurance department, preferably via email (step  118 ). The quality assurance department then processes the request (step  120 ) and sends a confirmation email to the customer with the results with a copy to IHN (step  122 ). 
         [0049]    If the request does not involve a quality issue (step  114 ), the customer enters a description of the issue and the number of the PACK (if relevant)(step  124 ) and the request is submitted to the service provider&#39;s sales representative, preferably via email (step  126 ). The sales representative then processes the request (step  128 ) and sends a confirmation email to the customer with the results with a copy to IHN (step  122 ). 
         [0050]    Using the optimization module  28  of the PACK management application  22 , a customer may request that the service provider perform a PACK optimization analysis and send a resulting report to the customer. In a preferred embodiment, this module  28  provides a report that (1) identifies PACKs that can be standardized within a hospital or across a network of hospitals, (2) identifies the optimal number of PACKs within a hospital or across a network of hospitals, (3) determines the specific component configuration of the optimized custom procedure PACK, (4) calculates aggregate and procedural savings based on the optimized PACK combinations, and (5) compares current Bills of Materials to the service provider&#39;s low-cost line of standard PACKs.  FIG. 4  depicts a process  130  for requesting and preparing an optimization report using the optimization module  28 . Using a browser application running on the customer computer  18 , a user logs into the PACK management application  22  running on service provider server  20  via the Internet  16  (step  132 ), and selects the customer account(s) for which an inventory list is to be generated (step  134 ). In one preferred embodiment, this selection is made using a dropdown list displayed in a browser window on the customer computer  18 . Based on the selection, the optimization module  28  generates an inventory list for the selected account(s) (step  136 ). This list preferably includes all PACKs available to be ordered under the selected customer account. Using the graphical list, the user may check a box or other select one or more of the listed PACKs for analysis (step  138 ). The application  22  sends an email request to the service provider&#39;s system improvement group (SIG) to perform an analysis on the selected PACK(s) (step  140 ). The service provider SIG then performs the requested analysis and generates an electronic copy of an analysis report (step  142 ) and sends the report to the service provider sales representative via email (step  144 ). In performing the analysis, the SIG identifies the component bills of materials for the selected PACKs. These components are then categorized into functional groups and a crosstab analysis is performed, such as using Microsoft Access, to determine the similarity of functional groups with the selected PACKs. A listing of proposed PACK bills of materials is generated and provided to the sales representative to present to the customer. The service provider sales representative then goes over the report with the customer and explains the suggested optimization steps (step  146 ). If the customer agrees that the suggested steps should be implemented (step  148 ), the service provider sales representative takes appropriate action to initiate the PACK changes (step  150 ). In a preferred embodiment, this process is essentially the same as the initiation of the PACK change request described above. If the customer does not agree that the suggested steps should be implemented (step  148 ), and the customer wants a new analysis performed (step  152 ), the process loops back to step  142 . 
         [0051]    Using the quoting module  30  of the PACK management application  22 , a customer may request that the service provider issue a quote for a PACK and the customer may view previously submitted quote requests.  FIG. 5  depicts a process  160  for requesting a quote using the quoting module  30 . Using a browser application running on the customer computer  18 , a user logs into the PACK management application  22  running on service provider server  20  via the Internet  16  (step  162 ), and selects the customer account(s) for which a quote is to be requested (step  164 ). In one preferred embodiment, this selection is made using a dropdown list displayed in a browser window on the customer computer  18 . Based on the selection, the quoting module  30  generates a quote list for the selected account(s) (step  166 ). This list preferably includes all PACKs for which quotes have been previously generated. If the customer desires a quote based on a production change to an existing PACK (step  168 - 170 ), the customer selects the PACK to be changed from the quotes list (step  172 ). The application  22  retrieves the data and displays the bill of material (BOM) for the selected PACK (step  174 ). The customer may then add components or delete components listed in the BOM (step  176 ) and the application  22  calculates a new estimated PACK unit price based on the changes (step  182 ). The application  22  emails the new quote to the service provider&#39;s sale representative (step  184 ). If IHN approval is needed, the application sends the new quote to IHN for consideration (step  186 ). If IHN approves (step  188 ), the service provider&#39;s sales representative communicates with the customer regarding the newly-quoted price for the PACK (step  190 ) 
         [0052]    With continued reference to  FIG. 5 , if the customer desires a quote for a new PACK (steps  168  and  178 ), the application  22  displays a list of components from which the customer may choose to create a BOM for the new PACK (step  179 ). The customer then selects the components and the quantity of each to be added to create the new PACK (step  180 ), and the process continues at step  182  as described above to generate and approve a quote for the new PACK. 
         [0053]    Using the forecast reporting module  32  of the PACK management application  22 , a customer may complete and submit a forecast report to the service provider. As the term is used herein, a forecast report is a notification from the customer to the service provider of changes in quantity (either positive or negative) of upcoming requirements for PACKs. The resulting forecast data is used by the service provider&#39;s Supply Chain Management to plan manufacturing and purchasing requirements for PACK assemblies and their associated components.  FIG. 6  depicts a process  200  for submitting a forecast report using the forecast reporting module  30 . Using a browser application running on the customer computer  18 , a user logs into the PACK management application  22  running on the service provider server  20  via the Internet  16  (step  202 ), and selects the forecast reporting option. The forecast reporting module  30  displays a form in which the customer may enter the forecast report to be submitted to the service provider (step  204 ). The application  22  sends a notification, such as via email, about the new forecast data to the supply chain manager of the service provider (step  206 ) and the supply chain manager enters the new forecast data into a demand planner program (step  208 ). The application  22  also sends a copy of the completed forecast report, such as via email, to the customer (step  210 ). 
         [0054]    Using the vendor price exception request module  34  of the PACK management application  22 , a customer may request that a vendor of a particular product in a PACK make an exception in the pricing of the product, such as by lowing the price.  FIG. 7  depicts a process  220  for requesting and processing a price exception using the module  34 . Using a browser application running on the customer computer  18 , a user logs into the PACK management application  22  running on service provider server  20  via the Internet  16  (step  222 ), and selects the vendor price exception request option. The module  34  generates an input screen  304  as shown in  FIG. 14  wherein the user may select the vendor to which the price exception request is to be directed. As shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 14 , this selection may be accomplished using a drop-down list  306 . When the vendor is selected, a product list  308  is populated with products provided for PACK&#39;s by the selected vendor. For each product, this list  308  indicates the service provider&#39;s part number for the product, the service provider&#39;s product description, the vendor&#39;s part number for the product, the vendor&#39;s product description, the estimated annual usage of the product in PACK&#39;s, and the vendor&#39;s current price charged to the service provider for the product. The user may enter the desired exception price for each product in the column  310  and the expiration date for the exception pricing in column  312 . After entering the price exception information, the user clicks the submit button  314  to submit the exception request to the vendor contact person (step  224 ). Preferably, each request includes the information shown in box  226  of  FIG. 7 . 
         [0055]    The application  22  then generates an email to the vendor contact with the price exception request attached along with instructions for processing the request (step  228 ). In one preferred embodiment, the request is sent as an editable PDF form  316 , an example of which is depicted in  FIG. 15 . The vendor contact person then reviews the request and either approves or denies the request (step  230 ). For example, approval may be indicated by checking a box in the “Approve” column  318 . The vendor contact person then signs the response (either digitally or physical) (step  236  or  242 ). The vendor&#39;s response may be sent to the service provider sales representative by email or fax (step  232 ) by selecting the appropriate button  320  on the form  316 . If by email, the vendor may click on an email button in the form  316  to automatically generate an email to the sales representative (step  238 ), and if by fax, the vendor faxes the form  316  to the sales representative (step  244 ). 
         [0056]    If the service provider sales representative sees that the pricing exception was approved by the vendor (step  246 ) with no modification of the requested price (step  248 ), the sales representative processes the approved request by changing the product pricing in the service provider&#39;s records (step  254 ). If the vendor did not approve the request (step  246 ), the sales representative forwards the rejected request to the customer (step  250 ). If the vendor approved the request (step  246 ) but with modifications to the price or expiration date (step  248 ), the sales representative forwards the modified pricing to the customer for consideration. If the customer agrees to the modifications (step  252 ), the sales representative processes the approved request by changing the product pricing in the service provider&#39;s records (step  254 ). 
         [0057]    Using the work order management module  36  of the PACK management application  22 , the service provider&#39;s material requirements planning (MRP) department may request that a customer consider a change to a pending work order when one or more components of a PACK are unavailable for production.  FIG. 8  depicts a process  260  for requesting and processing a work order change using the module  36 . In a preferred embodiment, this process begins when the EDI server  42  identifies one or more PACK&#39;s to be manufactured which require components that are currently unavailable, and the EDI server  42  or the application  22  sends an email to the customer contact person notifying the customer that a work order change request is pending (step  262 ). Using a browser application running on the customer computer  18 , a user logs into the PACK management application  22  running on service provider server  20  via the Internet  16  (step  264 ), and selects the work order management option. The module  36  generates a pending work orders list  322  as shown in  FIG. 16  which indicates pending work orders that are ready to build  324  and those on hold  326  because of unavailable components. If the user clicks on the work order number of a work order in the “on hold” list, a BOM list  328  for the selected work order is displayed as shown in  FIG. 17 . The “Action” column  330  in the list  328  indicates BOM components that are currently unavailable for production, along with a request to either exclude the component from the BOM or substitute another component. The user reviews this request (step  266 ) and, for each lacking component, either approves an exclusion (step  268 ) or chooses to make a substitution (step  270 ) in the column  330 . If the user selects a substitution, the application  22  generates a substitution selection screen  332  as shown in  FIG. 18 . From this screen, the user may select a substitute component, such as from another vendor, to be included in the BOM in place of the unavailable component. 
         [0058]    Once the substitution selection is made, the application  22  sends a modified work order to manufacturing  38  for approval (step  272 ). If manufacturing approves the substitution (step  274 ), the application  22  sends a sales order initiation request to the EDI server  42  (step  276 ) which generates a sales order (step  278 ). Manufacturing  38  then processes the work order (step  280 ) and the shipping department ships the completed order to the customer (step  282 ). 
         [0059]    The foregoing description of preferred embodiments for this disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments are chosen and described in an effort to provide the best illustrations of the principles of the disclosure and its practical application, and to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the disclosure in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.