WO2001097103A2

WO2001097103A2 - Support matrix for communication and method used to operate a trading centre by means of the same

Info

Publication number: WO2001097103A2
Application number: PCT/EP2001/006706
Authority: WO
Inventors: Frank Wieczorek
Original assignee: Frank Wieczorek
Priority date: 2000-06-13
Filing date: 2001-06-13
Publication date: 2001-12-20
Also published as: DE10028187A1; DE10028187C2; EP1290611A1

Description

Communication support matrix and method using it to operate a trading venue

description

The invention relates to a matrix for supporting communication and a method using it for operating a trading venue, preferably on the Internet.

More and more companies are currently moving to do at least part of their business over the Internet. In this context, particular attention should be drawn to electronic business (e-commerce). This increasingly moves away from the classic pure distribution approach by offering additional services. In particular, reference should be made here to electronic trading venues in which service companies can be interposed via a coordination point (clearing board) via electronic data exchange (EDI), also for communication between two business partners (B2B). However, it has not hitherto been possible in the prior art to be able to choose between different trading models on an electronic trading venue, which severely limits trading.

The object of the present invention is to provide a matrix for supporting communication and a method and operation of a trading venue using this, via which an electronic trade can be handled with the greatest possible diversity.

The object according to the invention is achieved on the one hand by a matrix to support communication, the matrix being at least four-dimensional, each matrix dimension comprising at least one selection list and the selection lists at least one first initiator list, a second market segment list, one third product list and a fourth trading model list.

It can be provided that each selection list comprises a plurality of elements which can be individually marked for selection or deselection, each marking of one of the elements preferably being storable and / or retrievable. It is also proposed according to the invention that each element is scalable.

Furthermore, it is proposed according to the invention that at least one of buyers and / or sellers can be selected via the elements of the initiator list.

Furthermore, it can be provided that at least one market segment can be selected via the elements of the market segment list, such as in the field of chemistry in the form of the pharmaceutical industry, food industry, detergent industry, lubricant industry and / or the like.

The invention also proposes that at least one product group and / or one product can be selected via the elements of the product list, such as in the field of chemistry in the form of oleochemicals, petrochemicals, inorganic chemicals, fine chemicals and / or other chemicals ,

It is further proposed according to the invention that at least one trading model can be selected via the elements of the trading model list, such as an auction, comprising an actual-time auction and / or supported auction, a bulletin board, a direct business relationship and / or the like.

Further developments of the invention are characterized by at least one service list, over the elements of which a service provider can be selected, in particular for an administrative and / or logistical activity.

It can be provided that a processing company, a transport company, a logistics company, a transfer company, a packaging company, a bank, an insurance company, a laboratory and / or the like can be selected as a service provider. Furthermore, it is proposed according to the invention that the service list can be selected via the trade model list or represents a fifth dimension of the matrix.

Special embodiments of the invention are characterized by at least one company list, preferably selectable via the market segment list, the product list, the trade model list and / or the service list.

Embodiments are also provided according to the invention, which are characterized by at least one list of product specifications, via the elements of which product specifications can be selected, such as quantity, quality, packaging and / or the like.

It can be provided that the product specification list can be selected from the product list.

The task relating to the method is achieved according to the invention using a matrix according to the invention on the other hand in that the matrix is provided by an operator, the matrix is retrieved by an initiator, preferably via the Internet, and the retrieved matrix by the initiator, preferably the workplace of the initiator is processed, the processed matrix is sent to the operator, preferably via the Internet, and the matrix sent is processed by the operator.

It can be provided that the operator includes an internet platform operator and / or at least one service provider.

Furthermore, it is proposed according to the invention that at least a first element of the selection lists is selected by the initiator, at least a second element of the selection lists is deselected by the initiator and / or at least a third element of the selection lists is / are not processed by the initiator, whereby the trade from the operator to the first element introduced, the operator does not lead the trade to the second element and / or the third element is or is included in the trade.

Finally, it is provided according to the invention that anonymity of the initiator is optionally ensured by the operator.

The invention is therefore based on the knowledge that at least four degrees of freedom are necessary in a particularly electronic handling of a trading transaction in order to be able to represent the trading transactions customary on the conventional market, with an initiator, at least one market segment, at least via the degrees of freedom a product and at least one trading model should be selectable and the degrees of freedom are correlated, i.e. mutually inter alia can condition or exclude. A distinction can be made, for example, between four different trading models, namely an actual time auction, a general auction, a supported auction and a bulletin board, namely as follows:

Further features and advantages of the invention result from the following description, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are explained individually with the aid of schematic drawings. It shows:

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a structure for realizing an inventive

process; FIG. 2 shows a flow chart for the sequence of a method according to the invention;

Figure 3 shows three dimensions of a matrix according to the invention; and

Figure 4 shows the structure of an Internet home page for implementing a method according to the invention.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, a distinction is made in a method according to the invention between one side of an operator B and one side of an initiator I. The term “operator” is understood to mean at least one internet platform operator in the case of a so-called hosting solution and a clearing board in the case of offering services in addition to the actual distribution business. The clearing board takes over services such as transport organization, credit limit monitoring, credit insurance, payment processing, appointment scheduling, preparation of papers, e.g. in the form of safety data sheets, certificates of origin, certificates of analysis, and the like, therefore conducts transactions, in particular with a transport and logistics company, a bank, an insurance company and a laboratory, between an initiator and the business partner addressed by the initiator in the event that a transaction is actually carried out. A buyer, seller or buyer and seller (trader) can be considered as the initiator.

The clearing board communicates via the workstations la, lb, lc with the server 2 of the internet platform operator, who in turn operates a dedicated line 5 to a web server 101 via a firewall 3 and a router 4. Direct communication, for example, between a buyer 10 and a seller 20 on the initiator I side is possible via the web server 10 and the Internet 100. All communication preferably takes place electronically, namely via XML and in Bizztalk.

FIG. 2 illustrates the functionality of a method according to the invention in the implementation of a marketplace structure, whereby a database query enables an initiator to have a personal look at his marketplace at any time, in seconds, using a specially designed goods / business program, such as in the form of a ERP solution (Enterprise Resourcing Program solution).

The sequence of a method according to the invention shown in FIG. 2 is as follows: An initiator indicates by means of a readiness request that he wants to communicate with the operator. The operator then receives a registration mask from the operator, taking into account special initiator parameters, auction details, exclusion criteria, bid details, a transaction history or the like, which the initiator must now process by entering data. After processing by the initiator, a trading mask is provided on the operator side, so that the initiator can enter certain trading requests, which in turn leads to the operator creating a personalized marketplace as the end result.

The communication just described between initiator and operator runs, as shown in Figure 2, via an SQL eb, through which a permanent, bidirectional data comparison with an operator database, e.g. ERP database, is updated. The ERP database can therefore access a variety of current information, such as product information, segment information, trading model information, rules, calculation models, etc.

Overall, the method according to the invention is thus characterized by a division of the logic into two, namely the establishment of an initiator side or input side and an operator side or check side. The initiator makes his entries on the input page and sends them to the operator, i.e. the check page. The content of the input page, the selection options and the labeling currently come from a database at the time of retrieval. The check page accepts the entries from the entry page and checks whether these entries are permissible, a check being carried out for plausibility, the initiator's creditworthiness, the entry format, completeness and the like. If the entries are permitted, the corresponding information is processed further and written to the database. Otherwise, error messages are displayed, so that it is ensured that the database is only filled with consistent data, so that incorrect entries have no negative effects on the database.

If, for example, a buyer in the chemical sector wants to acquire special chemicals, he can first select a special market segment, the detergent industry being selected from the pharmaceutical, food, detergent and lubricant industries according to FIG. In a second Step, the purchaser can specify a desired product, such as from the field of oleochemicals, petrochemicals, inorganic chemicals, fine chemicals or residual items, the fine chemicals having been selected in accordance with FIG. 3. For the first time, the matrix according to the invention also enables the buyer to choose between different trading models, such as, for example, between an actual-time auction, a conventional auction, a supported auction and a bulletin board, the buyer having selected an auction supported by the operator according to FIG. 3 , The operator will therefore run the trading business and offer the services listed above.

Alternatively, a potential purchaser could have a request for a specialty chemical from the field of oleochemistry, which is not immediately required, placed on an electronic bulletin board stating the validity in time. A chemical intermediate product could be bought by a potential buyer by selecting a conventional reverse auction by comparing several bids from different sellers. This extreme flexibility in handling commercial transactions, which is only given as an example, coupled with the focus on different market segments and products supports customer loyalty, since the buyer is not forced to contact different e-business providers. The complete business transaction is considerably simplified in the case of a supported auction and using a clearing board. The operator not only provides an electronic trading center, but also takes on numerous logistical and administrative activities and enables the management of business relationships electronically.

FIG. 4 shows an operator's website. Information about the operator can be called up on this website and, of course, commercial transactions can be carried out via the matrix according to the invention by selecting and / or deselecting certain elements from the selection lists representing the degrees of freedom of the matrix. The Internet home page shown in FIG. 4 also makes it possible to contact a clearing board to take on logistical and / or administrative tasks.

The selection of the elements from the selection lists of the matrix according to the invention by the initiator preferably takes place on the initiator side (front end), so that even if there is temporarily no connection between the initiator I side and the user side. driver B is present, an element selection can take place, which is communicated with the next connection from the initiator I side to the operator B side.

It should also be pointed out that the matrix according to the invention not only speeds up and facilitates trading due to its list structure or table structure, but also speeds up and facilitates evaluation thereof, which enables optimization of user guidance and market analysis.

The matrix according to the invention and the method according to the invention can of course not only be used in the field of chemistry.

The features of the invention disclosed in the above description, in the drawings and in the claims can be essential both individually and in any combination for realizing the invention in its various embodiments.

Claims

Expectations

1. Matrix for supporting communication, the matrix being at least four-dimensional, each matrix dimension comprising at least one selection list and the selection lists at least a first initiator list, a second market segment list, a third product list and one fourth trading model list include.

2. Matrix according to claim 1, characterized in that each selection list comprises a plurality of elements which can be individually marked for selection or deselection, each marking of one of the elements preferably being storable and / or retrievable.

3. Matrix according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each element is scalable.

4. Matrix according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least between the buyer and / or seller can be selected via the elements of the initiator list.

5. Matrix according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one market segment can be selected via the elements of the market segment list, such as in the field of chemistry in the form of the pharmaceutical industry, food industry, detergent industry, lubricant industry and / or the like.

6. Matrix according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one product group and / or a product is or can be selected via the elements of the product list, as in the field of chemistry in the form of oleochemicals, pe- trochemicals, inorganic chemicals, fine chemicals and / or other chemicals.

7. Matrix according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one trading model can be selected via the elements of the trading model list, such as an auction, comprising an actual-time auction and / or supported auction, a bulletin board, a direct one Business relationship and / or the like.

8. Matrix according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by at least one service list, via the elements of which a service provider, in particular for an administrative and / or logistic activity, can be selected.

9. Matrix according to claim 8, characterized in that a service provider, a handling company, a transport company, a logistics company, a transfer company, a packaging company, a bank, an insurance company, a laboratory and / or the like can be selected.

10. Matrix according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the service list can be selected via the trade model list or represents a fifth dimension of the matrix.

11. Matrix according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by at least one company list, preferably selectable via the market segment list, the product list, the trading model list and / or the service list.

12. Matrix according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by at least one product specification list, via the elements of which product specifications can be selected, such as quantity, quality, packaging and / or the like.

13. Matrix according spoke 12, characterized in that the product specification list can be selected from the product list.

14. A method for operating a trading venue using a matrix according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the matrix is provided by an operator, the matrix is retrieved by an initiator, preferably via the Internet, the retrieved matrix by the initiator, is preferably processed at the initiator's work station, the processed matrix is sent to the operator, preferably via the Internet, and the dispatched matrix is processed by the operator.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that the operator comprises an Internet platform operator and / or at least one service company.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that at least a first element of the selection lists is selected by the initiator, at least a second element of the selection lists is deselected by the initiator and / or at least a third element of the selection lists is not selected by the initiator is or are processed, whereby the trade leads from the operator to the first element, the trade does not lead from the operator to the second element and / or the third element is or are included in the trade.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that anonymity of the initiator is optionally ensured by the operator.