Patent ID: 8751336

Claim:
A non-transitory computer readable program product storing machine-readable program code for causing, when executed by a computer, a machine to perform the following method for a supply chain management system utilizing a network: collecting sales data from the network regarding the sale of at least one product from a plurality of entities in the supply chain management system over a period of time; maintaining an electronic database of products, with each product having associated therewith in the database one or more items of equipment used to produce the product; based on a criteria, performing a calculation to obtain usage data at a particular entity for an item of equipment of a particular type using, at least in part, the collected sales data for products produced by the particular type of equipment at the particular entity; accessing at least one equipment supplier electronic catalogue that contains the particular type of equipment represented by the item of equipment, with each of a plurality of catalogue items of equipment under this type of equipment having a different characteristic; selecting at least one of the items of equipment in the catalogue based on the usage data for the item of equipment and the characteristic; and displaying the selected one of the catalogue items of equipment.