KR100847970B1 - System and method for managing recurring orders in a computer network - Google Patents

Abstract

A repeat order management system and method for a computer network is disclosed. The system receives a request to present a recurring order for one or more products / services. The system generates a profile that stores the presentation product / service to be delivered at each iteration, the presentation occurrences for the presentation product / service, and the quantity presented. Orders are automatically repeated one or more times according to the specified iteration.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING RECURRING ORDERS IN A COMPUTER NETWORK}

The present invention relates to a system for managing recurring orders using a computer network.

Regardless of conventional commerce or e-commerce, one of the keys to increasing sales or reducing sales is consumer convenience. Consumers tend not to make purchases when they are inconvenient. The mail / telephone order catalog industry is based on the premise that it is more convenient for users to shop at home and receive the goods than to visit a store.

However, when the first sale is made, the retailer tries to make repeat purchases to the foreseeers to continue the business. If the customer's first shopping feels good, it's easy for the customer to continue buying later.

An automatic repeat order system has been implemented to increase customer fidelity. These systems include negative response systems, such as record / compact disc clubs, that send a different product than the previous one, such as a recording, at a fixed interval, such as monthly, if the consumer fails to return the response card. The negative response system also includes a system where the user agrees to purchase a specified amount of a product / service. If the user does not reach a certain amount for a given period, the system automatically delivers the products / services that make up the difference. Another repeat order system includes a "Product of the Month" system that delivers a different product than the one selected from the product category every month. These systems include flowers of the month or fruits of the month that deliver different products each month for a specified number of months.

The problem with the above recurring order system is that the system is designed to provide convenience to the seller rather than consumer convenience. These systems benefit the seller from inconvenience to the consumer involved in returning response cards, returning unnecessary products, or meeting minimum purchase requirements. Consumers often receive unwanted products and don't want to deal with the annoyance associated with returning products or stopping shipments. Moreover, these systems fail to reduce the number of delivery opportunities to the consumer, as they are generally related to sellers offering limited product selection.

In e-commerce, consumers have convenient access to products and services offered by multiple vendors known as "e-tailors" on the Internet. By clicking the mouse, a particular customer can jump from one website to another. Consumers can move around for a variety of reasons, such as finding a cheaper price, offering a free gift, or if the first website feels uncomfortable. In addition, it is difficult to get regular customers on a particular website for products that are used continuously. Web retailers are doing better on real-time purchases of durable goods such as books, gifts, and airline tickets, rather than repeat purchases of consumer goods such as detergents, deodorants and shampoos. Attracting and retaining customers in particular is becoming an important concern as an attribute of the e-commerce industry.

E-commerce customer management strategies include streamlining website design, improving customer service, and improving product selection. Typically, strategies for streamlining a website include simplifying web navigation, organizing content, and simplifying order entry and processing. An example of such a strategy is U.S. Patent 5,960,411, which discloses a one-click ordering system that allows regular customers to process a product in one operation. However, a slightly different customer management strategy can better manage customer fidelity for future purchases.

Therefore, there is a need to improve the convenience of purchasing products and services in an e-commerce environment. In particular, there is a need to improve the convenience of making purchases from one or more e-commerce merchants to reduce customer dissatisfaction, costs, and related means related to the shopping experience, to improve attracting new customers and managing existing customers.

In one aspect, electronic commerce is facilitated through an order management system, the order management system comprising one or more server computers associated with a merchant, the one or more server computers communicating with a browser system located at a remote client computer. And in the order management system, the order management system receives a first request for a first presented order from the remote client computer, wherein the first presented order is one or more of a plurality of products / services. 1 presenting product / service, a first presenting iteration for each of the one or more first presenting products / services, and a first presenting quantity, wherein each of the plurality of products / services is a product webpage for an e-commerce system ( Or a service web page), and the product web page (or service web page) Stored by one or more server computers and accessible from a website associated with the vendor, the first presentation order further includes a reminder specification for a reminder message. And a first profile is generated by the order management system, wherein the first profile includes the first presentation order, and the first presentation order is automatically performed one or more times in accordance with the first presentation iteration. Repeated, the reminder message is automatically sent one or more times in accordance with the reminder specification.

In another aspect, a method of facilitating electronic commerce through an order management system is provided, wherein the order management system includes one or more server computers associated with a merchant, wherein the one or more server computers are located on a remote client computer. Communicating with a browser system, the method further comprising the order management system receiving a first request for a first suggested order from the remote client computer, wherein the first presentation An order includes one or more first presented products / services of a plurality of products / services, a first suggested recurrence for each of the one or more first presented products / services, and a first suggested quantity. Wherein the plurality of products / services each comprise a product web page (or service web page) for an e-commerce system. And the product web page (or service web page) is stored by the one or more server computers and is accessible at a website associated with the seller, and the first presented order is a reminder message. further comprising a reminder specification for a message, and generating a first profile by the order management system, wherein the first profile includes the first presented order; The first presentation order is automatically repeated one or more times, in accordance with the first presentation iteration, wherein the reminder message is automatically sent one or more times in accordance with the reminder specification.

1 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment for a repeat order management system.                 

2 is a detailed block diagram of the repeat order management system of FIG.

3A is a block diagram of a first preference profile for use with the repeat order management system of FIG.

3B is a block diagram of a second preference profile for use with the repeat order management system of FIG.

4 is a block diagram of the calculator function of FIG.

5 is a block diagram of the evaluation interface of FIG.

6 is a block diagram of the package / template interface of FIG.

7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the repeat order management system of FIG.

8 is a first preference profile database diagram for use with the repeat order management system of FIG.

9-11 are schematic diagrams of preferred back end processing for use with the repeat order management system of FIG.

12 is a diagram of a first preferred interface screen for the repeat order management system of FIG.

13 is a second preferred interface screen diagram of the repeat order management system of FIG.

14 is a diagram of a first preference description screen of the repeat order management system of FIG.

15 is a diagram of a second preferred description screen of the repeat order management system of FIG.

FIG. 16 is a first preference confirmation / modification interface screen diagram of the repeat order management system of FIG. 2; FIG.

FIG. 17 is a first preferred profile data entry interface screen diagram of the repeat order management system of FIG. 2; FIG.

18 is a first preferred profile confirmation screen diagram for the repeat order management system of FIG.

19A-B are third preferred interface screen diagrams for the repeat order management system of FIG.

20A-B are first preferred evaluation interface screen diagrams for the repeat order management system of FIG.

21A-B are first preferred package / template interface screen diagrams for the repeat order management system of FIG.

FIG. 22 is a second preference confirmation / modification interface screen diagram of the repeat order management system of FIG. 2. FIG.

Preferred embodiments relate to a periodic / repeat order management system that allows a consumer to set up a periodic order for a product / service. Periodic orders are automatically repeated according to the repetition pattern specified by the user. The selected product / service is delivered to the user at regular intervals according to a repeating pattern. That is, the order is processed. The system promotes long-term order establishment, improving consumer convenience and fidelity. Although the embodiments are described in relation to individual consumers, the embodiments are all entities that purchase a product / service, including industrial buyers, e-commerce retailers / sellers, conventional retailers / sellers, and direct retailers / wholesalers. Applicable to Products and services include consumer products / services for end-user consumption and industrial products / services, or considered as specifications, including consumer goods and durable goods / services.

The problem with most web sales strategies is that even if the customer feels like a visit to the e-commerce place, the customer must continue to visit, especially for the same product, each time they want to make a purchase. When a particular customer purchases multiple products from multiple sellers, the customer must visit several websites repeatedly and go through the purchase process at each website. If each website provides a convenient shopping feel, this convenience is lost in the many shopping experiences that consumers must go through to complete their shopping needs. This causes customer dissatisfaction and results in the loss of one or more e-commerce sellers or conventional retailers. When a particular customer executes a process of purchasing specifications, office supplies, etc. from an e-commerce seller, repeated purchases from multiple sellers are waste in terms of cost and resources. Thus, there is a need to reduce the number of shopping experiences of consumers to make shopping on the web truly convenient.

1 shows a recurring order system 100, in which a consumer 102 uses a recurring order management system 108, via an network 106, an e-commerce merchant 104A, A regular order may be set for one or more products / services provided by B). By the system 108, periodic orders can be repeated in one interval. For each recurring segment, the periodic order is sent to the order processing entity 110A, B to process the periodic order to the customer 102. The repeat order management system 108 is preferably implemented in one or more server computers connected by a network 106.

In this preferred embodiment, the consumer 102 includes an individual consumer (individual or family) with a personal computer such as Pentium III and using a Windows operating system and a browser program such as Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator installed. Of course, other personal computers, operating systems, and browser programs can be used.

The consumer 102 may be connected to the network 106 (preferably the Internet) to browse and communicate using websites and browser programs that are also connected to the internet. Such websites include sites provided by the e-commerce merchant 104A, B. Here, the term "connected" means connected indirectly through one or more intermediate components or directly without components. These intermediate components can be both hardware and software based components. In alternative embodiments, the consumer 102 may use the telephone to communicate with an operator connected with the repeat order management system 108 on behalf of the consumer 102.

In one alternative embodiment, the consumer 102 may be an enterprise or corporation, or a representative thereof, and may include an intercompany procurement management system. Moreover, the consumer 102 may include a direct business owner of a multilevel marketing organization. In addition, the network 106 may be of various other types, such as a public access network such as a cable network or a satellite network, a private network such as a subscriber-based network, such as an America on-line, intranet, or private extranet, or a combination thereof. have.

The e-commerce merchant 104A, B is preferably a website based product and service seller. In one embodiment, sellers 104A and B are accessible from the Quixtar website provided by Amway Corporation, Ada, Michigan, USA. In this embodiment, the sellers 104A, B are familiar with the multilevel marketing organization that registers the participants as customers, members, or standalone business owners (IBOs), each with several different participation privileges and responsibilities. The e-commerce merchant 104A, B may be a traditional marketing based seller. Moreover, sellers 104A and B may include e-commerce and conventional stores. Alternatively, merchant 104A, B may only include order processing entities 110A, B, and may not operate a store. In this case, seller 104A, B may rely on order management system 108 to receive and process orders, where seller 104A, B orders these orders as order processing entity 110A, B. Process it. Products / services provided by the seller 104A, B include products / services such as electronics and other durable goods as well as toothpaste, shampoos and other consumer goods. Services include reminder services (as detailed below), cleaning services, administrative services, or legal accounting, clerks or other professional services, or subscriber-based services such as magazines, book clubs, mobile phone services, voice mail services, etc. can do. Products / services provided may include office supplies, corporate statements, or office-related services.

Order processing entities 110A and 110B are entities such as storage specialists / delivery specialists who provide products / services to end consumers. In a preferred embodiment, order processing entity 110A, B is associated with e-commerce merchant 104A, B. In an alternative embodiment, the order processing entity 110A, B is a separate entity from the seller 104A, B, and the seller 104A, B transfers the order to one or more order processing entities 110A, B. Outsourcing). The e-commerce merchant 104A, B communicates with the order processing entity via the network 106 or a private / internal communication channel. Order processing entity 110A, B processes an order for a product / service by delivering or providing the product / service to end consumer 102. Electrically distributable products / services such as software, music, reminders, etc. may be processed via the network 106.

In one embodiment, recurring order management system 108, seller 104A, B and order processing entity 110 are all included in the same entity 112. In alternative embodiments, one or more of order management system 108, seller 104A, B, or order processing entity 110 are included in an individual entity, and in addition, order management system 108 may include multiple merchants 104A. , B) and multiple order processing entities 110A, B.

2 is a detailed block diagram of the order management system 108 of FIG. In a preferred embodiment, system 108 is connected to merchant 104A, B via a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) link displayed on a website / webpage / screen associated with merchant 104A, B. Web pages relate to services or products offered by sellers 104A and B, and preferably provide a link to order management system 108 so that specific products / services can be added to a regular order. In one embodiment, the link may be a regular order link provided on a description page, order entry page, or shipping cart / basket management page of a particular product / service.

By selecting the periodic order link, the consumer 102 enters the order management system interfaces 202 and 204, which are preferably implemented as web pages, whereby the interface 102 allows the consumer 102 to create a new order. You can create a periodic order profile or update an existing profile. The periodic ordering profile allows the consumer 102 to set up an automated ordering system that sends products / services to the user at regular intervals selected by the user. Such periodic orders provide an efficient way to repeatedly order products and services from sellers 104A and B.

In one embodiment, all items in the user shopping cart are placed in an existing profile or a new profile using the interface 204. The user then has the option to remove the items from the profile. Consumers 102 get a removal option on the shopping cart management page, preferably after the calculation, when a particular item can be placed on a regular order. Alternatively, the user can quickly and easily locate the entire order or individual products on a regular order. Users can also have the ability to add items to a regular order in one go, as well as multiple regular orders. As described below, consumers 102 may communicate directly with order management system 108 for profile creation and management.

Order management system 108 includes a profile generator 202, a profile management interface 204, a profile database 206, and an order generator 208. As will be described in detail below, periodic / repeat orders for a particular consumer 102 are stored in the profile 210. Profile 210 includes a specification of when and how each of these products or services are delivered and provided, and a list of products / services that are preferably identified by identifiers, such as stock keeping units (SKUs). . Profile 210 also includes payment and delivery information. It is desirable for the profile 210 to have enough information to repeatedly perform a repeat order without further conversation from the consumer 102. As part of the profile, you can manage less or more information.

Iterations specify when the order management system 108 places an order on the order processing entity 110A, B, and how often the order is generated. In alternative embodiments, the iterations specify when, and how often, or when the consumer would like to receive the product / service. For example, profile 210 may specify that an order for two 12 oz bottles of shampoo will occur on the 2nd of every other month. In this case, the order will be generated on the second day of the month, and the repetition cycle is only every two months. At this time, if the order is processed by the order processing entity (A, B), the actual delivery is made. Alternative repetition cycles may be daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, etc. and may be defined by the needs of the consumer 102. For example, if a consumer 102 orders a certain quantity of a particular product for 38 days of normal use, the repetition cycle for delivering additional quantities of the product is every 38 days. Furthermore, an order origination or scheduled delivery may be specified as a specific day of the week, such as Thursday delivery, on a particular day or week of the month, for example, on the 3rd or 3rd week of the month, or on the first Tuesday of the month. have. In one embodiment, profile 210 includes a group of products / services to be delivered in each shipment according to specified iterations. If the consumer 102 wants to receive a product / service delivered in two or more shipments, an additional profile 210 may be created for the user. For example, if the consumer 102 wants to receive a bottle of shampoo on the 2nd day of every month and a bottle of conditioner on the 18th of every month, two profiles 210 (for shampoo and conditioner) are created.

In FIG. 3A, an example profile 210 is shown. Profile 210 includes user information 302 such as name, address, account number, statistical information, and preference information. Statistical information includes objective and detailed categorization of consumers such as age, gender, income, education, housing size, and homeownership. Profile 210 further includes order matrix 304, order processing schedule / period 306, payment information 308, and shipping information 310. Payment information 308 includes information about how the consumer 102 will pay for each recurring order and includes billing source, credit card / account information, or other funding source identifier. In a preferred embodiment, the payment information 308 includes information that allows the automated management system 108 to automatically collect payments for each recurring order, which are made in advance or prior to processing the order. .

The delivery information 310 includes information about a place to deliver the order contents. This information may specify an address other than the billing source or may be different from the address where the customer 102 resides. If the recurring order is a gift, the delivery information 310 identifies the delivery address of the gift recipient and may include a gift message.

The order matrix 304 lists each product / service in the regular order. Each product / service is preferably identified by a stock keeping unit (SKU) and a product description. When each recurring order is repeated, the quantity of products / services delivered is located adjacent to each product / service. These quantities are preferably specified as the number of units of a particular product. For example, two 12-ounce shampoo bottles. Alternatively, these quantities may be indicated by volume, box, or the like. In a preferred embodiment there are twelve repetitions, one for each month of the year. Alternatively, 52 iterations are provided once for each week of the year because the number of iterations or the reference value may vary from consumer 102. In the order matrix 304, the consumer 102 may specify different quantities for each iteration as needed for a particular product / service.

Order processing schedule / cycle 306 defines when each iteration of a repeat order should be delivered, such as three days of each particular month. Order processing schedule / cycle 306 may further specify the number of repetitions in the recurring order. In each iteration of the recurring order, an order for each product / service listed is generated in the specified quantity and delivered to the order processing entity 110A, B for processing.

In alternative embodiments, repetitions of individual products or groups of products are set up with different recurring schedules within one profile 210. Moreover, profile 210 specifies the quantity to be delivered when each iteration. As described below, products / services are typically indicated in specific unit quantities, such as 12 oz bottles. Consumers 102 may specify a regular order that frequently delivers small quantities or occasionally delivers large quantities. Such specifications may depend on the consumer's ability to store excess product or the shelf life of the product. Moreover, these specifications can be combined into sales promotion by the seller 104A, B of a particular product / service.

3B shows a profile 210 that can deliver any product at any time. Profile 210 of FIG. 3B is similar to profile 210 of FIG. 3A including user information 302, except that the order processing schedule for this product / service is independent of the schedule / period of other products / services. There is a difference in what cycles each product / service entry can specify in the order matrix 312. In alternative embodiments, the consumer 102 may specify a delivery schedule for a particular product that specifies when the product / service is actually delivered, such as a periodic schedule or a variable schedule. Moreover, in another embodiment, the consumer 102 may specify payment information or shipping information for each product / service. For example, one particular product is delivered to one specific address for payment in one account, and another product / service is delivered to another address for payment in a second account.

In another embodiment, order matrix 312 includes a category field for each product / service that enables consumer 102 to categorize and organize the listed products / services, thereby maintaining and maintaining repeat orders. Can promote. Products / services may be classified and organized to allow group manipulation and modification. In another embodiment, profile 210 enables the specification of recurring reminders (see below). In a separate embodiment, the profile 210 is date-based, not product-centric, and illustrates the structure of the daily calendar, monthly calendar, and annual calendar to allow the consumer 102 to specify by date the products and services and quantities to be delivered. Take it. In addition, the consumer 102 specifies iterations. That is, it specifies that orders for a particular product / service, or group of products / services, must be repeated on a specified date each month or every other month, or the order is repeated every 30, 60, 90, ..., etc. Specifies that each time it should be repeated, or specifies that an order is made only once. For example, the consumer 102 may order a 12 oz. Shampoo bottle on the first Tuesday of October and may specify that the order should then be repeated on the first Tuesday every other month.

Again in FIG. 2, the profile generator 202 includes a single product interface 212, a shopping cart interface 232, a reminder interface 218, a package / template interface 220, an evaluation interface 222, and a transaction history interface ( 224). Each of these interfaces 212, 232, 218, 220, 222, 224 are used to add products / services to an existing profile or to create a new profile for the products / services. Each interface 212, 232, 218, 220, 222, 224 preferably creates a temporary presented profile 210 that the consumer 102 can modify, cancel, or confirm / agree with. After confirmation / agreement, the presented profile 210 is activated and stored in the profile database 206. Interfaces 212, 232, 218, 220, 222, and 224 may directly create an active profile with the option to be modified or canceled by the consumer 102. Moreover, profile generator 202 includes calculator 214 and scale 216 functions, and profile confirmation / modification interface 226. The profile generator 202 provides both an interface to the order management system 108 and a function for generating the profile 210. In a preferred embodiment, this interface uses HTTP, or HTML, or XML, or an equivalent communication protocol and web page construction language, or a combination thereof, to issue instructions to the consumer 102, and the consumer 102 It includes one or more web pages that receive input from.

The single product interface 212 is used to add a specific product / service to an existing profile 210 or to create a new profile 210 for that product / service. As mentioned above, the interface 212 can be accessed by the consumer 102 via the seller 104A, B, or directly by the consumer 102. For example, seller 104A, B may provide an HTTP link on a web page / file associated with a particular product / service, allowing consumer 102 to add that particular product / service to a regular order. The consumer 102 selects the link and enters a single product interface 212 of the order management system 108 where options for specifying the desired quantity and iterations are presented. When the consumer 102 accesses a single product interface 212 directly, the interface 212 allows the consumer 102 to enter a product / service name, or SKU, and, if necessary, the merchant 104A, B identifiers. By entering, one or more desired products / services can be identified. Alternatively, the single product interface 212 may provide an HTTP link that provides the consumer 102 with a web page related to the product / service provided by the seller 104A, B. This web page may be provided by merchant 104A, B or may be provided by order management system 108.

The shopping cart interface 232 operates similarly to the single product ordering interface 212 and may link to the shopping cart / basket webpage of the seller 104A, B. The consumer 102 may add the entire product / service of the shopping cart to the regular order profile 210 in one operation. In an alternative embodiment, when the seller 104A, B provides a persistent shopping cart that maintains selected but unaligned products / services outside the browsing section of the consumer 102, the consumer 102 may open their own. (open) Accesses a shopping cart interface 232 associated with each persistent shopping cart, allowing the consumer 102 to add one or more products to the periodic order profile 210 from one or more of the existing shopping carts.

The package / template interface 220 allows the consumer 102 to take from a set of designated product groups. Each product group includes one or more presentation products / services, the iterations presented for that group, and the suggested quantity to be delivered in each iteration. The presented products / services are sorted and bundled based on the relationships between them. For example, a product group may be provided under the name "fitness freak", which includes one or more presented products / services related to health, exercise and fitness. The iterations presented for each product / service are then tailored to the physically active consumer 102. In addition, a group may be provided under the name “Family of Four” and includes one or more presented products / services that are available to an average family of four with an iteration pattern presented. The group may be provided based on consumer 102 statistics or preferences, or may be provided as a sales promotion associated with a free product / service, discounted price, or other free opportunity. If the seller 104A, B includes a multilevel sales system and the consumer 102 is a standalone business owner or direct representative within the sales system, the group is tailored to help the consumer 102 reach a particular sales or bonus goal. It may be provided as.

In addition, the group selection provided to a particular consumer 102 is tailored to the consumer 102 statistics or preferences, or if the seller 104A, B includes a member club, the selection is dependent on the membership level of the consumer 102. It can also be tailored. In one embodiment, the package / template interface 220 may first, via the interactive pick list, interactive questionnaire, or the like, or by referencing this information stored in the profile 210, to the consumer 102. Determine statistics and preferences. Using the response of the consumer 102, the package / template interface 220 generates and displays a group selection of products / services that match the consumer's statistics or preferences. In a preferred embodiment, grouping is referred to as a template for new customers of order management system 108, and is tailored to the new customer starting with the recurring order. Grouping may also be referred to as a package for an existing customer with an existing profile 210, and is tailored to help update an existing customer's profile 210 while updating the profile 210.

6 shows a block diagram of a package / template interface 220. Interface 220 includes an interface webpage 602 that provides a choice of grouping of products / services presented to consumer 102. Available product / service groupings are stored in the database 606. The database 606 is connected to the interface 602 via a filter 604, where, as mentioned above, the filter 604 controls which product / service groupings are available to the consumer 102. Used to Database 606 is coupled with response processor 608 that receives a selection from consumer 102 of product / service grouping. The response processor 608 retrieves the desired product / service grouping from the database 606 and sends the grouping to the generator 610. Alternatively, the response processor 608 displays the content of the particular grouping selected via the interface 602 to reconfirm the choice of the consumer 102. The generator 610 generates a presented profile 210 that includes one or more products / services of grouping and a suggested repeating pattern. The profile 210 presented above is either made available for balancing (described later) or is passed to the profile confirmation / modification interface 226.

In FIG. 2, the evaluation interface 222 may be a first time consumer 102 using the order management system, or a consumer 102 who needs help in selecting whether to have a product / service, an appropriate quantity, and an appropriate iteration. In order to provide an interface to the order management system 108. Evaluation interface 222 provides one or more interactive messages to consumer 102 to determine and present which product / service, quantity, and which iterations are appropriate for the consumer 102. The interactive message may include a list of options for the consumer 102 to select, a question for the consumer 102 to answer, or some other method of collecting information. If the consumer 102 has an existing profile 210, one or more portions of this information are retrieved from the stored profile 210. For example, the consumer 102 may be inquired as to whether to do the laundry himself. If the answer is yes, you will be presented with a list of options for choosing how many times a month to wash. In addition, you can be inquired about your gender, age, income and whether you are using fabric softeners.

The series of interactive messages may be part of a hierarchical or linear survey or procedure flow used to determine what specific product / service should be presented and what quantity and iterations should be presented. In one embodiment, a first series of one or more interactive messages is concerned with determining whether a particular product is used or can be used, and a second related series of one or more interactive messages is presented as an iteration. And is used to determine the quantity for each iteration. In one embodiment, each response to the second series of interactive messages is associated with a multiplier used to calculate the iterations and quantity presented. The first and second series of interactive messages are provided for various other products and services. In an alternative embodiment, the evaluation interface 222 provides a series of interactive messages designed to determine what branded product the consumer 102 is currently using. The evaluation interface 222 then determines the presentation profile 210 of the appropriate replacement product / service provided by the seller 104A, B.

This presentation profile 210 may be accompanied by a report that the cost is low for a branded product of the name.

Table 1.0 below lists example questions, expected answers, and related products for the preferred evaluation interface 222.

Table 1.0

In one embodiment, the interactive message consists of a set of linear questions, as shown in Table 1.0 above. Evaluation interface 222 provides a structural framework within which the marketer of order management system 108 or seller 104A, B may specify questions, expected responses, and related products or actions to be performed. Can be. This framework allows marketers to define one or more question categories. Within each category, marketers specify one or more question messages and expected responses. In practical use, questions are provided with a pick-list that displays acceptable options. The consumer 102 simply selects the appropriate response from the list. In addition, for each response, the marketer may define a related product or group of related products, and may define a regulation or action to be performed in response to the response of the consumer 102. This provision may include mathematical operations using stored data and consumer responses in relation to the product concerned. In addition, the operation may take into account responses from other questions. In one embodiment, each provision associated with one or more respective products is also associated with an annual utilization forecast for products for the average individual as determined by the sales region. For example, the answer "yes" to the question "use powder detergent?" May be related to the SA8 detergent and may also be associated with the answer to the question "number of adults in the household?". The rule will then calculate the product of SA8's annual average usage and family size. If the number of children is settled as an argument, one-half multiplier may be included to account for the lower usage of children for the predicted average individual. In this way, the numerical response is multiplied by the average annual usage to determine the total amount of product to be shipped each year. In addition, one or more questions may be formulated to more accurately determine actual usage rather than relying on predicted utilization. For example, rather than simply asking whether the customer is washing and using the annual average usage estimate, one may ask how often the customer 102 washes and how much laundry is processed at one time. Using this information, the total laundry can be calculated and divided into one known unit for SA8 detergent to reach the recommended quantity.

In operation, the evaluation interface 222 provides a list of questions to the consumer 102 via a web page. The consumer 102 uses the peak-list for each question to set its response. The consumer 102 selects a "submit" button that sends a question, an answer, a related rule to the host mainframe, which computes the result of all rules. These rules determine the recommended annual amount that the consumer 102 should purchase, and the recommended annual amount calculates the annual quantity of units of the product to be purchased. Fractional units are rounded appropriately. In alternative embodiments, the unit dose determining factor may use several different unit sizes, such as, for example, 12 oz and 24 oz sizes. The logic circuit then determines which size is appropriate for each unit, given the utilization rate and the calculated annual unit amount. Such a decision may be based on the possibility of a discount on large purchases.

Once the number of unit quantities for a year is determined, a calendar and schedule logic circuit is applied to determine how to distribute the unit quantities for that year. Table 2.0 shows the logic circuits used to advertise delivery schedules. This table is formed by the sales area of the sellers 104A, B, and can be adjusted by the specific sellers 104A, B, depending on the type of product / service sold and the consumer preference.

Table 2.0

Annual unit January February In March April In May June In July August September October November December One One 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 One 0 0 0 0 One 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 One 0 0 0 One 0 0 0 One 0 0 0 4 One 0 0 One 0 0 One 0 0 One 0 0 5 One 0 One 0 One 0 One 0 0 One 0 0 6 One 0 One 0 One 0 One 0 One 0 One 0 7 One One 0 One 0 One One 0 One One 0 0 8 One One 0 One One 0 One One 0 One One 0 9 One One One 0 One One One One 0 One One 0 10 One One One One One 0 One One One One One 0 11 One One One One One One One One One One One 0 12 One One One One One One One One One One One One 13 2 One One One One One One One One 2 One 0 14 2 One One One One One One One One 2 One One 15 2 One One One 2 One One One 2 One One One 16 2 One One One 2 One One One 2 One 2 One 17 2 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 2 0 One 18 2 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 2 One One 19 2 2 One 2 2 One 2 2 2 2 One One 20 2 2 One 2 2 One 2 2 2 2 One One 24 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

For units of 20 to 24, or greater than 24, the number of units is divided into 24 unit quantities and applies to the table above. Alternatively, logic circuits may be applied to properly adjust the size of each unit depending on whether a given product / service of different sizes is available.

In an alternative embodiment, the interactive message consists of a set of vertical or linear questions as shown in Table 1.0. The question consists of a product / service decision question to determine whether a particular product / service is used or is in use, and a quantity question group to collect information about how the products are used. Product / service decision questions are generally yes / no questions, each question relating to a specific product / service. Each product / service decision question is associated with one or more quantity questions. Each quantity question may be associated with more than one product / service decision question. The quantity question is typically a numerical response question to determine the statistics and preferences of the consumer 102, and the responses to this question are used as a multiplier of the operation to determine the presented quantity of the relevant product / service. Some quantity questions look for yes / no answers. In this case, each response, ie yes or no, is associated with a multiplier value used in the entire operation.

Questions, related products / services, acceptable potential responses, multipliers, and total quantity calculations are marketing-related and are dynamic to reflect changes in the way consumers 102 actually use the products / services or changes in available products / services. Can be adjusted. At the back-end, evaluation interface 222 operates similar to package / template interface 220. Each product / service decision question is associated with a grouping of one or more product / services. For example, the answer to the question "Use powdered detergent?" May be associated with the powdered detergent product and may also be associated with the powdered fabric softener. The answer "no" may be associated with the liquid detergent product. Each response can have an infinite number of related products / services. The response to the quantity question related to the product / service decision question is used for later quantity and repetition pattern determination. For example, the answer to the question "How many times a month do you wash?" Is "2", and the answer to the question "How many spoons of detergent do you use each time?" to be. If a box of powdered detergent is 36 spoons, one box will last for the customer for utilization / (spoons per wash x washings per month)-36 / (3x2) = 6 months. Interface 222 suggests ordering a box of powdered detergent every six months. There are numerous ways to calculate the proposed order frequency, but in general, the proposed iteration can be determined from the following variables.

The quantity per unit of product, i.e. Q uantity per unit of product,

S uggested quantity per use of the product,

Repeat estimated number of consumers actually use per Lee Yong-soo (A ctual or projected number of uses by the comsumer per iteration) - which can be multiplied with the number of people within the household.

(Q / S) / A is the number of iterations per unit = frequency of purchase

(Proper adjustments can be made to the fraction result, and integer units may be required in each iteration to match actual or expected use.)                 

5 is a block diagram of the evaluation interface 222. The interface 222 includes an interface webpage 502, a question database 504, a response processor 506, a quantity / frequency processor 508, a product database 510, and a profile generator 512 presented. Interface webpage 502 provides an interactive message to consumer 102. Available interactive messages are stored in the question database 504. In order to determine the presented product / service and begin the procedure with quantity and repetition patterns, it is preferred that a regular set of introductory conversation messages be provided to each consumer 102. As described above, this introductory interactive message is located at the top level of a hierarchical or linear question structure or procedure flow, and can lead to other interactive messages that attempt to derive more detailed responses from the consumer 102.

The response of the consumer 102 to the interactive message is received by the response processor 506, where the response processor 506 determines which product / service is presented and factors to be used to calculate the quantity and repetition pattern presented. Collect them. Product / service selection and repetition factors are passed to a quantity / frequency processor 508 that computes the quantity per iteration and the presented repetition pattern for a particular product / service. The quantity / frequency processor 508 is coupled to a product database 510 that provides information about recommended / reported usage of a product / service. The product database 510 further includes information about the availability of various units of products / services, the recommended quantity per use of the products / services, and the utilization rate or storage life of the products / services. The product database 510 may be provided by the seller 104A, B, or by the order management system 108. In one embodiment, order management system 108 accesses product database 510 via network 106. Once the proposed product / service and related iterations have been determined, this information is passed to the profile generator 512 that is presented to generate the profile entry that has been presented for the particular product / service. As the consumer 102 proceeds through more interactive messages, the procedure is repeated for each product / service presented. At any time, the consumer 102 may indicate the end with an assessment of the need. The presented profile is made to be balanced or sent to the confirmation / modification interface 226.

In FIG. 2, transaction history interface 224 provides additional ways to assist the consumer to specify or update profile 210 with the product / service presented. The transaction history interface 224 is connected with the order processing system of the seller 104A, B to provide access to the order history of the consumer 102. In one embodiment, the consumer 102 accesses the transaction history interface 224 to request an order history analysis with one or more specific sellers 104A, B. Once the transaction history interface 224 determines the purchase repetition pattern, the interface 224 suggests adding the particular product / service to the regular order file 210 at the determined repetition. In an alternative embodiment, seller 104A, B accesses transaction history interface 224 to determine a repeating pattern within the consumer 102 base of that particular seller 104A, B. Seller 104A, B presents the consumer 102 with a specific product / service for the periodic ordering profile to increase shopping convenience. This presentation may be linked to the provision of sales promotions. In another embodiment, the transaction history of other consumers 102, such as consumers 102 of the same or similar statistics, may be used to generate a presentation profile for a particular consumer 102 or group of consumers 102. .

The calculator function 214 provides a tool that allows the consumer 102 to determine a presentation iteration or quantity for a particular product / service. The calculator function 214 is preferably made available from any interface 212, 232, 218, 220, 222, 224. In one embodiment, calculator function 214 is an interactive popup webpage window. In another embodiment, calculator function 214 is linked to the product description webpage or shopping cart webpage of seller 104A, B, and automatically available through a selectable button or when the product / service is selected. Is made. Link selection automatically identifies the product / service to calculator function 214. The calculator function 214 is intended for consumers who identify the intended or actual usage information for a particular product / service and a particular product / service, such as a SKU, name, or description, provided manually or automatically as described above. Receive information from Calculator function 214 calculates the iterations presented for the particular product / service and the quantity per iteration. In one embodiment, calculator function 214 generates presentation profile entries for the particular product / service in presentation profile 210. In an alternative embodiment, the calculator function displays the presentation results and allows the consumer 1024 to enter information into the profile 210.

4 is a block diagram of the calculator function 214. Calculator function 214 includes product identifier input 402, user data input 404, quantity frequency processor 406, product database 408, and presentation profile input generator 410. Inputs 402 and 404 accept an identifier of the desired product / service, and as described above, contain information regarding the intended / actual use of the particular product / service. These inputs 402, 404 are passed to the quantity / frequency processor 406 to provide information about products / services retrieved from the product database 408 and per presentation iteration and iterations based on user data input 404. Calculate the quantity. The product database 408 provides information about recommended / reported use of the product / service. The product database 408 also includes information about various various unit quantities, recommended quantities per product / service usage, and predicted lifespan, shelf life, or utilization rates of the product / service. The product database 408 may be provided by the order management system 108, or by the seller 104A, B. In one embodiment, order management system 108 accesses product database 408 via network 106. Once the presentation iterations have been computed, the information is passed to the presentation profile input generator 410 to generate presentation profile entries for the particular product / service. The consumer 102 may repeat the calculation function 214 for one or more products / services. At any time, the consumer 102 may indicate that it ends with the calculation function 214. The presentation profile entries are made available for subtraction or are passed to the profile confirmation / modification interface 226.

The package / template interface 220, the evaluation interface 222, the transaction history interface 224, and the calculator function 214 are all designed to make the creation and management of the recurring order profile 21 more convenient. Each of these interfaces 220, 222, 224, 214 is designed so that the consumer 102 does not need to know which product / service, how much of that product / service is needed and when to obtain it. The interfaces 220, 222, 224, and 214 provide a way to automatically and easily present the presented products / services, the quantity presented, and the presentation repetition pattern by analyzing the needs of the consumer 102. Sellers 104A, B may benefit from improved customer retention and fidelity, and consumer 102 may benefit from convenience and control. Each interface 220, 222, 224, 214 effectively receives a request from the consumer 102 to present a product / service to add to a regular order, the quantity of the product / service presented, and the presented repeating pattern. do. Interfaces 220, 222, 224, and 214 facilitate the extraction of information from the consumer 102 needed to make logical presentations and generate an appropriate presentation profile 210.

In FIG. 2 the profile generator 202 also provides a balancing function 216. The balance function 216 equalizes the cost and quantity of each iteration of the recurring order as a function of the total duration of the order as the cost or quantity changes as a function of the iteration. The balancing function 216 provides an interface for manipulating the presented profile or the existing profile 210 as described below. In one embodiment, the balancing function 216 includes a popup webpage window accessible from the interfaces 212, 232, 218, 220, 222, 224 via selectable buttons. In alternative embodiments, the balancing function 216 may include a unique webpage. When the presentation profile 210 is generated, one or more may exist in the repeating pattern of the profile 210. Such anomalies include uneven quantities or costs for a particular iteration or set of iterations relative to the entirety of the repeat order, or to one or more of the remaining iterations. In this case, the quantity and repetition patterns delivered may represent an efficient distribution of the ordered product / service relative to use, but may result in uneven costs or quantities in one or more repetitions. In other cases, the quantities presented and the repeating patterns may not represent the most efficient distribution for that particular consumer 102. For example, one month, the consumer 102 may be shipped a large number of specific products / services and not receive them at all for the next five months. Another example is when the total order cost is more than $ 500 per month but the order cost is less than $ 100 over the next five months. In such a case, the consumer 102 may choose to apply the balancing function 216 for the profile 210 presented.

The balancing function 216 distributes quantity and cost more evenly over the entire iteration of the order or the remaining iterations. In this way, uneven repetition is eliminated. In one embodiment, the consumer 102 may balance the profile 210 as a function of total order cost, individual product / service cost, quantity per product / service, total order quantity, or a combination thereof.

In an alternative embodiment where the order management system 108 or the seller 104A, B requires a minimum purchase or provides incentives for each iteration of the recurring order, the balance function 216 may be applied to the monthly minimum without increasing the order quantity. It can be used to spread the iteration distribution to ensure matching or maximize incentive gain. Furthermore, if the seller 104A, B includes a multi-level sales system that adds incentive rewards to each product / service, the balance function 216 is a monthly, weekly, or other cycle for the ordered product / service. In principle, it can be used to equalize the rewards obtained. If the consumer 102 is a direct seller, retailer, or wholesaler, this balance is used to ensure that the sales targets are met for each iteration, and to ensure that the repeating order cycle matches the list cycle. Can be. The consumer 102 may repeat the balancing function 216 for one or more other factors. At any time, the consumer 102 may indicate that the balance function 216 ends. The balanced profile inputs presented are communicated to profile identification / modification interface 226.

In an alternative embodiment, order management system 108 provides a reminder interface 218 for adding a repeat reminder message to consumer profile 210. The reminder interface 108 allows the consumer 102 to enter any message and specify a repeating pattern for that message. This message is preferably sent by e-mail, in which case the reminder interface 108 allows the consumer 102 to enter an e-mail address for user information or delivery information of the profile. In an alternative embodiment, the message may be delivered via telephone, fax, or mail, in which case the reminder interface 218 allows the consumer 102 to enter the appropriate shipping information into the profile 210. The consumer 102 may specify reminder messages delivered to other individuals and groups of individuals, such as family members or business associates. One example reminder message includes a birthday / anniversary reminder, or some other circular event. Reminders may be specified to be associated with events that occur due to order management system 108. For example, the consumer 102 may specify that a reminder message be sent one week before the processing of the recurring order so that the consumer 102 may have a chance to modify the order prior to processing the order. Alternatively, the reminder can be specified to notify the consumer 102 that the order has already been processed and will be shipped soon.

The reminder message may also be associated with the product / service specified in profile 210. For example, a reminder may be specified for a spouse's gift combined with a gift order for a spouse.

In alternative embodiments, the order processing system 108 or the seller 104A, B may include a sales promotion or other product / service offering known as cross-selling in the reminder message. This promotion or other offer is included as an HTTP link, allowing the user to select the link and automatically allow the browser program to receive an order entry screen for order use. For example, a birthday reminder message may be associated with a link that allows a consumer 102 who is a reminder recipient to purchase flowers or other gifts.

The reminder interface 218 can specify a reminder for any repetition, or for any recurring event. In one embodiment, the reminder interface 218 presents a selection of one of the designated reminder messages to select for consumption. In another embodiment, the reminder message includes payment from the debtor consumer 102 to a particular creditor. The order processing entity 110A, B in this embodiment includes a payment clearing house, a bank, or some other payment center. In this way, the reminder message functions as a payout / borrowing payment system. The payment may be associated with a reminder message to the consumer 102 that a payment was made according to the profile 210. Furthermore, in alternative embodiments, seller 104A, B or order processing system 108 may add reminder messages to consumer profile 210 that include promotional offers or other information.

The reminder message may be added based on the consumer profile 210 or the purchase history analysis. In one embodiment, order processing system 108 or merchant 104A, B checks the validity of the payment information provided in profile 210 prior to order processing to determine if the information is still valid. If the payment information is not valid, a reminder message may be generated to the consumer 102 to correct the situation before the order is processed. In another embodiment, a reminder message may be specified when the consumer 102 cancels the periodic order to provide a sales promotion or other offering to restore the periodic order. At any time, the consumer 102 may indicate that it has finished with the reminder interface 218. The reminder interface generates profile entries for the profile verify / modify interface 226.

When the consumer 102 has completed creating or updating the profile 210 using the interfaces 212, 232, 218, 220, 222, 224, confirmation of this action is provided by the confirm / modify interface 226. do. The confirmation / modification interface 226 is preferably a web page / screen (one or series), presenting the current state or changes of the presentation profile 210 to the consumer 102, creating a new presentation profile 210, Alternatively, the consumer 102 is given the option to update the existing profile 210 with new inputs and the like. Furthermore, interface 226 provides consumer 102 with additional product / service addition, unnecessary product / service deletion, quantity adjustment, or repeating pattern adjustment functions. In addition, the consumer 102 may modify user, shipping, and payment information. The interface 226 is preferably convenient for the consumer 102 to view, modify, and cancel recurring orders. In one embodiment, the interface 226 provides an overview of the presented profile, including projected costs, projected cost savings and iteration cost limits, total quantities, and other summary information. Profile 210 may be presented to consumer 102 in a product-centric structure. List each product, service, or reminder in profile 210 in a tabular form with associated iterations and quantities. In another embodiment, the profile 210 is presented in a calendar-centric structure, such as daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, with ordered products, services, or reminders displayed according to the iterations, and associated quantities displayed according to the iterations. , Or displays a selectable visual representation of a custom calendar. In another embodiment, the consumer 102 can select tabular and calendar displays. This tabular or calendar display of the selected product, service, or reminder, and the associated quantity, displays an interface 212, 232, 218, 220 for display and review of the presented product, service, reminder, or related quantity, and the repeating pattern. , 222, 224, and calculators and balance functions 214, 216 can be made available.

Furthermore, interface 226 provides reverse HTTP links to interfaces 212, 232, 218, 220, 222, and 224 and calculators and balancing functions 214 and 216, so that consumer 102 can present the profile inputs. Allows you to modify more than one thing. If the consumer 102 accepts a given presentation profile 210, the input is used to generate a new profile 210 or update an existing profile 210 in the profile database 206.

The profile database 206 stores the profile 210 of the consumer 102 using the order management system 108. In FIG. 7, a schematic diagram of integrating the website interface 702 into the order management system 108 along with the profile database 206 is shown. In a preferred embodiment, this database is implemented as a DB2 database. DB2 is a relational database management system created by IBM. The website interface application 702 is connected to a server computer 704 running (preferably) a Windows NT operating system manufactured by Microsoft Corporation. Server computer 704 also runs a DB2 open database connectivity (ODBC) application program interface (API). The ODBC API connects the server computer 704 with the host mainframe 706, which hosts the order management system 108 database including the profile database 206. In a preferred embodiment, the host mainframe is IBM ES9000 manufactured by IBM Corporation. When the consumer 102 creates, modifies, or accesses a profile, the web application 702 executes a function call to the host mainframe 706 via an ODBC connection with the server computer 704. The call initiates a procedural transaction stored in DB2 and executes the desired function according to the data parameters passed during the call. All queries and updates are executed directly against the operational profile database 206 managed on the host 706. Other combinations of hardware and software may be used to achieve desired functionality, such as an alternative database management system such as Oracle8 made by Oracle Corporation that uses a structured query language (SQL) interface. In addition, other interface broker APIs may be used, such as Java database connections or common object request structures. Profile database 206 consists of a set of four tables for managing information in the DB2 database described above. In FIG. 8, the preferred profile database 206 table is shown.

The order management system 108 also provides a profile management interface 204 that allows the consumer 102 to load, view, edit, and delete profiles 210. The profile management interface 204 is preferably implemented with one web page / screen or a series of web pages / screens that implement the profile management function. In one embodiment, profile management interface 204 provides a link to profile generator 202. Profile management interface 204 provides access to all of the aforementioned functions for managing recurring order profile 210.

The order / reminder generator 208 is connected to the profile database 206 and further includes an interface 230 for the order processing entity 110A, B. The order / reminder generator 208 may periodically scan the profile 210 stored in the database 206 to determine whether any orders are scheduled to be repeated during the cycle. In a preferred embodiment, the generator scans the profile database 206 daily. The scan period is a function of the minimum allowed order repetition period. If a scheduled recurring order is detected for a given period, the generator submits the order to the order processing entity 110A, B, which will process the order and process the work. In the case of a reminder message, this involves sending the message to an e-mail server for sending to the recipient. For multilevel sales or commission-based sellers 104A and B, the order generator 208 may calculate incentive compensation or sales bonuses and assign the compensation or bonuses to the appropriate vendor, seller, or standalone business owner. .

9-11 show block diagrams of preferred order generation and order processing procedures. In a preferred embodiment, the deployment procedure scans the profile database 206 at night. The batch procedure selects all active profiles 210 that have a procedure date equal to the current date. The procedure identifies each product associated with profile 210 to determine the products reserved for the current month. Once this information is determined, the order transaction is formalized to have shipping information, payment information, and bonus information with the product booked for the current month.

Once an order transaction is formalized, it is sent through the request queue's IBM message queuing facility (MQ). From the request queue, an order transaction is selected by the host ordering system to complete the processing. Upon completion of processing, the host ordering system places the transaction result in the MQ facility selected by order processing system 108 and the appropriate database file is updated. Although the system uses one processing date per profile, the processing date can be associated with each individual product, service, or reminder, resulting in numerous order transactions over a month. In alternative embodiments, other order time increases are supported on a specific day of the month or on a weekly basis, such as the first Wednesday and the second Tuesday. Alternatively, a procedure may be implemented that causes the profile 210 to initiate a transaction process.

In an alternative embodiment, the order / reminder generator 208 verifies the payment information provided in the profile 210 before delivering the order to the order processing entity 110A, B. For example, the generator 208 communicates with the credit card processor to verify that the credit card payment information provided in the profile 210 is still valid and that the credit limit has not been reached. In one embodiment, if it is determined that the payment information is not valid, an automatic message is sent to the consumer 102 to improve it prior to order processing.

In another alternative embodiment, a stats processor is coupled to the order / reminder generator for recurring orders and profile 210 analysis. Moreover, the statistical processor derives statistical information from orders and profiles 210 for sales purposes such as fidelity or frequency compensation programs. Moreover, the statistics can be used to optimize the order management system 108.

In another embodiment, order management system 108 includes a personal information manager. The administrator can add recurring reminders and other calendar-based events or product / service orders to the consumer's locker, allowing the consumer 102 to store contact / address book information (name, address), notes, journals, and tasks. Make sure Moreover, system 108 may include an e-mail box for the consumer to send and receive e-mail. In an alternative embodiment, order management system 108 may be integrated with personal information manager software such as Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, Novell GroupWise for profile 210 management.

In another embodiment, order management system 108 may be accessible through wireless devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, and wireless modems. This allows the consumer 102 to continuously access the profile 210.

As described above, the disclosed embodiments provide a centralized, fully automated and all-in-one recurring order that can manage recurring orders for products and services from various managers 104A and B to be executed by various order processing entities 110A and B. Provide a management system 108. The order management system 108 provides calendar-based automated products / services / reminders at any time and in any way. In this way, order management system 108 becomes an intermediate entity that increases customer convenience, satisfaction, and fidelity, and provides value-added services to sellers 104A, B. Consumers 102 also receive value-added services in that adjustments to repeat orders are conveniently provided to the consumer. Moreover, the system 108 allows the consumer 102 to efficiently integrate and manage all recurring purchases and reminders in one location. In this way, order management system 108 becomes a convenient lifestyle management system that can handle any repetitive tasks, purchases, or events.

In this way, a method of facilitating electronic commerce over a network is described. The order management system 108 server receives requests for presentation orders, quantity presented, and presentation repetitions for products and services from a client browser system of the consumer 102 via a network such as the Internet. This request is received at one of the interfaces 220, 222, and 224 to generate a presentation profile for the order for the product / service, including the presentation quantity and the presentation order iteration, which in turn results in a presentation profile once. Over will be repeated automatically.

12-22 are diagrams of various interface screens of the preferred embodiment. 12 is a diagram of a first preferred interface screen for the repeat order management system 108. 13 is a second preferred interface screen diagram for a repeat order management system 108. 14 is a diagram of a first preference description screen of the repeat order management system 108. 15 is a diagram of a second preference description screen of the repeat order management system 108. FIG. 16 is a diagram of the first preference confirmation / modification interface 226 screen for the repeat order management system 108, and FIG. 17 is a diagram of the first preference profile 210 data entry interface for the repeat order management system 108. Screen drawing. 18 is a first preferred profile confirmation screen diagram for a repeat order management system 108, and FIGS. 19A-B are a third preferred interface screen diagram for a repeat order management system 108. 20A-B is a screen diagram of a first preference evaluation interface 222 for the repeat order management system of FIG. 2, and FIGS. 21A-B are a first preferred package / template interface 220 for the repeat order management system of FIG. 22 is a screen diagram of a second preference confirmation / modification interface 226 for the repeat order management system of FIG.

The system described in this application can be used to establish and manage repeat orders for products / services provided by an e-commerce vendor.

Claims (102)

In a method of facilitating electronic commerce through an order management system 108, the order management system 108 includes one or more server computers 704 associated with a merchant 104A, B, wherein the one or more servers Computer 704 communicates with a browser system located at remote client computer 102, the method comprising: a) the order management system 108 receiving a first request for a first suggested order from the remote client computer 102, wherein the first presented order is: One or more first presented products / services of the plurality of products / services, a first presented recurrence for each of the one or more first presented products / services, and a first suggested quantity The plurality of products / services are each associated with a product web page (or service web page) 702 for an e-commerce system, the product web page (or service web page) being stored by the one or more server computers. Accessible from a website associated with the merchant, wherein the first presented order further includes a reminder specification for a reminder message; Stage, b) generating a first profile by the order management system, wherein the first profile includes the first presenting order, the first presenting order, once in accordance with the first presenting iteration Repeating automatically, and the reminder message is automatically transmitted one or more times according to the reminder specification E-commerce promotion method comprising a. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first presentation iteration further comprises a first iteration period, wherein the first presentation order is repeated when the first iteration period has elapsed. The method of claim 1, c) the order management system receiving a confirmation of acceptance of the first presented order before the first profile generation step Method further comprising a. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of products / services are sold under a multi-stage sales system. The method of claim 1, c) according to the first profile, processing of the first presented order to the user by the seller occurs Method further comprising a. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is c) adjusting the balance of the first presented quantity and the first presented iteration to equalize the distribution of subsequent iterations of the first presented order. And further comprising a step. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein said balancing step equalizes the distribution of costs per iteration of said first presented order. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the balancing step equalizes the distribution of incentive rewards per iteration of the first presented order. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first products / services is comprised of at least one designated group of products or services. The method of claim 1, d) receiving one or more modifications to the first profile, and e) modifying the first profile based on one or more modifications received in step d). Method further comprising a. delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete

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