Patent ID: 8694384

Claim:
A method of automating and managing supply chain purchases of goods and services with the use of a distributed computer system, said computer system having a server and a plurality of client computers linked together over a telecommunications network, at least one client computer operated by a vendor who offers for sale goods or services, and at least another of said client computers operated by a customer who expresses an interest in said goods or services offered by said vendor, comprising: said server obtaining, from said vendor's client computer, data representing a plurality of goods or services offered for sale by said vendor and, for each offering, a default offer record including a description of the good or service offered for sale, price, payment terms and conditions, delivery data, and set-aside parameters for the offered goods or services; said server obtaining, from said vendor computer, a customer acceptance notice after said customer registers its profile with said server via said customer's client computer; said server responding to a search request from said customer's computer and presenting search results listing goods or services relationally matching said search request to said customer's computer; said server presenting portions of said default offer record to said customer's computer upon selection of one or more of the listed goods or services from said search results by said customer; and, based upon said customer acceptance notice, said server facilitating the following transactions between said vendor and said customer: (a-1) reserving for said customer a defined quantity of offered goods as a set-aside in accordance with set-aside parameters for the same, said defined quantity of goods being specified by at least one of said customer and said vendor; (a-2) reserving for said customer a defined quantity of offered services, related to said goods, as a set-aside in accordance with set-aside parameters for the same, said defined quantity of services being specified by at least one of said customer and said vendor; (b) requesting a quote from said vendor for said defined quantity of either said goods or said services or both; (c) purchasing said defined quantity of either said goods or said services or both from said vendor; wherein the reserving said defined quantity of goods or services is specified by both said customer and said vendor and; wherein the server communicates with said vendor's computer and said customer's computer to confirm the reservation of said goods or services on behalf of said customer prior to the step of purchasing.