Patent ID: 8073748

Claim:
An inventory management system, comprising: a memory storage device; a management server for managing inventory of articles, said management server including a processor device in communication with the memory storage device, wherein the processor device is capable of performing a method for managing inventories of articles for an organization, said method comprising: storing management information on a first inventory of articles in said memory storage device, said information including information identifying articles and first salespersons of a department within the organization designated to sell each respective article in said memory storage device; moving an article from the first inventory of articles to a second inventory of articles, where the second inventory of articles allows second salespersons of other departments within the organization who have not purchased the article to sell articles included in the second inventory of articles; and for the article specified to be included in the second inventory, storing in the memory storage device, information accessible by said second salespersons indicating the article is included in the second inventory as the management information; and storing, for the article specified to be included in the second inventory, information of profitability indicated by a rate of profit to be obtained when a seller sells the article relative to the selling price of the article, and a lower-limit inventory unit cost value; and in response to a status that the article is sold, calculating a profit for said second salesperson obtained by selling the article based on the profitability, and calculating a profit for said first salesperson based on the lower-limit inventory unit cost value; and a terminal device providing said first and second salespersons access to the management server to inquire the condition of the first and second inventory, wherein the management server accepts access by said first salespersons from the terminal device to management information on articles included in said first inventory and also accepts access by said second salespersons from the terminal device to management information on articles specified to be included in said second inventory.