KR20030031542A - System enabled to update the marketing information in real time and business method using the system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A system for updating sales promotion information in real time and a sales method using the same are provided to change or update the sales promotion information through the operation of a main server in real time without upgrading a POS(Point-Of-Sale) terminal. CONSTITUTION: The main server(19) stores the sale promotion information including buyer information, point accumulation information, discount information, bonus goods providing information and advertisement contents. An inputting device(13) includes a barcode reader recognizing the information for goods or services, and the buyer information, a keyboard and a mouse. A wireless terminal(17) receives the sales promotion information of the bought goods or services, and the buyer information by connecting to the inputting device(13). The main server(19) transmits the updated information to the wireless terminal(17) and the wireless terminal(17) applies benefit to the goods or the services and the buyer based on the received information.

Description

System that can update promotion information in real time and sales method using such system {System enabled to update the marketing information in real time and business method using the system}

POS (Point of Sales) is a more advanced form of cash register currently used in hypermarkets and restaurant supermarkets. It can also refer to a device that can be stored and managed.

POS terminals can be connected to product information input devices such as bar code readers, keyboards, mice or scanners, or peripherals such as printers, scales, bar code labelers and hand terminals, as required.

Using this POS system, the seller can quickly and accurately calculate sales and settle time, efficiently manage buyers and manage stores, and easily identify stocks of goods and simplify the ordering system. Most of these stores are using this force system.

In addition, by inputting sales strategy information such as various discount information or event information to the POS terminal, it also serves as a medium for using the business strategy, such as sales promotion by providing the appropriate discount information and advertising content to the buyer at the cash register.

1 shows a block diagram of a force system used in a large discount mart as an example of a force system. POS terminals are installed not only at the cash register but also at the commodity inventory management unit to grasp the current stocks and stocks of the commodities.

Depending on the size of the mart, several to several tens of force terminals 12a-12n are installed at the checkout counter, and input devices 13a-13m such as a barcode reader, a keyboard, a mouse, or a scanner are connected to each other. Similarly, several POS terminals 15a and 15b are installed in the inventory management unit to grasp and manage the inventory amount, and input devices 15a and 15b such as a barcode reader, a keyboard, a mouse or a scanner are also connected thereto.

FIG. 2 illustrates a connection relationship between an input device such as a bar code reader, a keyboard, a mouse or a scanner and a force terminal in the conventional force system, and the input device merely serves to transfer the read information to the force terminal.

However, the cost of equipment required to build a system that shows discounts, advertisements, or point information to customers by using such a force is high, and the cost required to improve existing systems is also high. In addition, there is a problem that it takes a lot of cost and time to update the various stored information stored in the force, in particular discount information or event information that needs to be updated continuously.

On the other hand, the information provided to the buyer by the system and method of the present invention includes not only information about discounts and advertisements, but also information on earning points by aka OK Cashbag service of SK Corporation.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2001-0094624 (Invention name: Point earning product purchase service system and method, Applicant: SK Co., Ltd.), when a buyer purchases a product or service, the buyer is a member of the OK Cashback service and If the store also provides OK Cashbag service subscription company, the system provides a system and method that can be used with cash at the OK Cashbag service member stores provided by SK Corporation by earning a certain percentage of the purchase amount as points.

The point system of the OK Cashbag service is not limited to one store or business or a single product, unlike conventional discount coupons or gift offers, but applies to all businesses or stores and products that subscribe to the service. It is characterized in that the information is recorded or maintained in the main service of the service provider (Esuke Co., Ltd.) to the buyer.

In order to provide the buyer with promotional information such as discount information, advertisement contents, or points earning information on the purchased goods, the information stored in the POS terminal, that is, when, which buyer, and what information will be provided to the buyer at the cash register of the store. To be updated continuously, there is a problem that costs of tens to millions of won per POS terminal to build or operate such a POS system. In particular, large stores such as large discount marts will use POS terminals up to several tens, in which case it will cost tens of thousands of won to upgrade POS terminals.

In addition, such a force terminal upgrade not only takes a long time, but also requires a lot of work and effort.

It is unreasonable to spend this enormous amount of money on a regular basis to keep up with the company's sales strategy, which is constantly updated.

In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a system and method capable of updating promotion information in real time only by upgrading contents of a main server.

1 is a block diagram showing a conventional force system.

2 is a block diagram illustrating a connection relationship between a conventional POS terminal and an input device such as a barcode reader, a keyboard, a mouse, or a scanner.

3 is a block diagram of a force system equipped with a wireless terminal according to the present invention.

4 is a block diagram of a force system equipped with a wireless terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a flowchart of a selling method using the system according to the present invention.

※ Description of the main components of the drawings

11: main processor 12, 14: force terminal

13,15: input device

16: Cacheback service main server

In the present specification, the promotional information includes all information provided by the marketing company to the customer for promotion of sales, such as discount information, advertisement contents, or point accumulation information.

In addition, the buyer information shall include personal information such as the age, gender, and birthday of the buyer.

The system according to the invention,

A main server for storing promotion information including buyer information and point accumulation information, discount information, bonus product providing information, and advertisement contents;

An input device including a barcode reader, a keyboard, and a mouse for recognizing information on a product or service and buyer information; And

A wireless terminal connected to the input device to receive promotion information and purchaser information of a purchased product or service, and wirelessly connected to the main server;

The main server transmits newly input information to the wireless terminal, and the wireless terminal applies a benefit to a corresponding product or service and a buyer based on the received information.

The method according to the invention,

Inputting new promotion information into the main server including point earning information, discount information, and bonus product providing information;

Updating, by the main server, promotion information stored in an input device including a bar code reader, a keyboard, a mouse and a scanner and a wireless terminal connected to a branch line branched from a connection cable of a force terminal;

Recognizing, by the input device, information on a sale product or service and a buyer at a counter;

Determining whether the corresponding product or service and the buyer are to provide the information; And

In the case of a benefit object, the information corresponding to the sale product or service is provided to the buyer among the updated promotional information.

3 shows a block diagram of a system for providing promotional information to a buyer in real time without having to upgrade a POS terminal according to the present invention.

A line is branched from the connection cable between the input device 33 such as a barcode reader, keyboard, mouse or scanner and the POS terminal 32, and the product or service read by the input device such as a barcode reader, keyboard, mouse or scanner. Information and information about the cardholder are transmitted to the wireless terminal 34 as well as the force terminal 32.

The cash back service main server 36 updates the wireless terminal with discounts or point accumulation information and advertisement contents according to goods or services and buyer information in real time, and the wireless terminal according to the updated information discounts or points for the calculated products. The accumulated information is provided to the buyer through the LCD window or the printer 35. The buyer will see the advertisement provided or receive discounts or points.

The information included in the cashback service main server 36 includes information on goods or services, information on a buyer such as age, gender, and birthday, and the above-described promotion information.

As an embodiment of the sales process by the system of the present invention, suppose, for example, that there are two coffee makers A and B, and wish to increase the sales volume of the coffee company B through the OK cashback service.

In the conventional POS system, since such sales strategy information must be input for each POS terminal, a huge cost and time were required as described above.

However, in the system and method according to the present invention, if such information is input only to the main server 36 (for example, the cacheback service main server), the main server 36 transmits the information to each of the force terminals as shown in FIG. The terminal is updated, and this information is input to the wireless terminal.

After the information is entered, discounts or points will be earned at the same time as the purchase according to the information. If person X pays at the cash register with company A's coffee, and the barcode recognizes company A's coffee, the wireless terminal will display the message “10% discount or 500 points if you buy company B's coffee”. It outputs through the printer 35, X cancels Coffee of Company A, and selects Coffee of Company B.

If you want to change the contents of the advertisement, discount rate, credit points or applicable products, if you enter the same contents in the cashback service main server again, the contents of the wireless terminal 34 is updated, and new discount or point accumulation information is applied from that point on. Is executed.

The wireless terminal 34 according to the present invention may use a dedicated wireless terminal manufactured for such a purpose, or may input and use appropriate software to an existing PDA, a mobile phone, or a device capable of wireless communication.

In an embodiment according to the present invention, a connection between an input device such as a barcode reader, a keyboard, a mouse or a scanner and a wireless terminal may be wireless. In this case, the wireless terminal may directly exchange data with the input device wirelessly without branching from the cable from the input device. In addition, when using a wireless input device such as a wireless barcode reader, it is also possible to wirelessly connect to a wireless terminal and a force terminal.

4 shows a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The input device and the force terminal are wirelessly connected, and the wireless terminal also receives information about the product and the purchaser wirelessly directly from the input device.

Meanwhile, FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of selling promotional information by using the updated information and selling a product or service to a buyer using the updated information.

In step S51, the service provider (eg, ok cashback business team) inputs new sales strategy information or promotion information (discounts, point accumulation, etc.) to the main server (eg, ok cashback main server).

In S52, the main server wirelessly updates the information stored in the wireless terminal with the new information.

In S53, the input device recognizes the goods or services purchased by the buyer and the buyer information (for example, by a cashback service affiliated credit card or a membership card).

In S54, it is determined whether the goods or services purchased by the wireless terminal and the purchaser are subject to promotion information provision.

In the case of providing the promotional information, that is, a buyer of a gender or age determined to be a discount or point accumulation or a marketing target, in step S55, the wireless terminal provides the information to the buyer through the LCD or the printer.

If the promotional information is not provided, a discount or point accumulation is not applied at S57 and the purchasing process is terminated.

In S56, the advertisement contents are displayed or a discount is applied or points are accumulated according to the information provided in S55.

According to the system and method according to the present invention, a service provider (eg, OK Cashbag Business Team) can apply sales strategy information established by a manufacturer at a very low cost in real time in stores such as marts.

In addition, it is possible to drastically reduce the effort and manpower required to input information directly for each force terminal.

In addition, since the sales strategy can be applied in real time and checked in real time, various sales strategies can be used.

Claims (6)

A main server for storing promotion information including buyer information and point accumulation information, discount information, bonus product providing information, and advertisement contents; An input device including a barcode reader, a keyboard, and a mouse for recognizing information on a product or service and buyer information; And A wireless terminal connected to the input device to receive promotion information and purchaser information of a purchased product or service, and wirelessly connected to the main server; The main server transmits newly input information to the wireless terminal, and the wireless terminal applies a benefit to a corresponding product or service and a buyer based on the received information. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a force terminal connected to the input device through a cable. And the wireless terminal is connected to a branch line from a cable between the input device and the force terminal. The system of claim 1, wherein the input device and the wireless terminal are wirelessly connected. The system of any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an LCD window connected to the wireless terminal. 4. The real-time information providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a printer connected to the wireless terminal. Inputting new promotion information into the main server including point earning information, discount information, and bonus product providing information; Updating, by the main server, promotion information stored in an input device including a bar code reader, a keyboard, a mouse and a scanner and a wireless terminal connected to a branch line branched from a connection cable of a force terminal; Recognizing, by the input device, information on a sale product or service and a buyer at a counter; Determining whether the corresponding product or service and the buyer are to provide the information; And In the case of a benefit target, the method comprising the step of providing the buyer with information corresponding to the sale product or service among the updated promotional information.