WO2009048988A2

WO2009048988A2 - System and method for providing and managing a customizable individualized victuals preparation and delivery service

Info

Publication number: WO2009048988A2
Application number: PCT/US2008/079255
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mark Newhouse; Bryan Janeczko
Original assignee: Nutrisystem Fresh, Inc.
Priority date: 2007-10-08
Filing date: 2008-10-08
Publication date: 2009-04-16
Also published as: WO2009048988A3

Abstract

The system and method of the present invention are directed to managing and providing periodic subscription-based victuals preparation and delivery services to customers thereof, while enabling the customers to selectively alter and/or manage pending planned victuals deliveries without necessarily sacrificing or decreasing the health, nutrition, and weight- management benefits thereof. Advantageously, the inventive system and method also provide customers with configurable subscription options, both with respect to the type of subscription plan purchased (e.g., relating to meal types, quantities, frequency of deliveries, pending order change and cancellation options, etc.), as well as with respect to type of subscriber account (individual, group, and third party). The inventive system and method also comprise an intelligent automated menu-building component, operable to (1 ) generate a pool of available menu selections that are individualized for each subscriber or subscriber group, for each delivery day of their corresponding subscription plan cycle, and to (2) automatically select a default menu choice for each prepared meal category, based at least in part on the subscriber's expressed and/or implied preferences. Additionally, the present invention also provides a system and method for developing new victuals offerings, having an increased probability of favorable acceptance by the subscribers.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING AND MANAGING A

CUSTOMIZABLE INDIVIDUALIZED VICTUALS PREPARATION AND DELIVERY SERVICE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a system and method for providing periodic subscription-based victuals preparation and delivery services to customers thereof, and more particularly to systems and methods for implementing, operating, and managing periodic victuals provision services to a plurality of customers, in accordance with predetermined selectively configurable schedules, subject to selective management and/or modification by the customers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For decades, "take-out" food - fully or near-fully prepared meals available through a restaurant or other food retailer - have been quite popular alternatives to home cooking. While for a very long time "take-out" food was most often viewed and consumed as an occasional treat, in recent years, for a number of reasons discussed further below, large segments of the population have begun to rely on such prepared meals, rather than on home cooking, as their primary source of sustenance. This trend has been particularly and increasingly prevalent among young couples and families where more and more often both spouses work, and who are frequently too exhausted to cook dinner, and also among professionais working long hours, and unwilling or unable to regularly cook for themselves. The trend has only grown in popularity as these same segments of the population have enjoyed a growth in disposable income, and have expressed the willingness to spend it purchasing prepared meals for themselves and their families.

Sn addition to "lack of time to cook" and "availability of greater disposable income", a number of additional key factors further drive the demand for fresh, prepared meals that are an alternative to meals cooked in the home:

• Lack of desire or energy to cook

• Im practicality of cooking for a single person • Lack of skill to cook (the culinary skills of the vast majority of the younger segment of the population typically top out at the ability to boil water for pasta, making a sandwich, or on occasion, preparing eggs)

• Lack of ability to cook (e.g., ύue to special dietary requirements, infirmities, etc.) • Better use of limited personal time in not having to clean up after meal preparation and consumption, especially considering that most purchased ready-to~eat meals are provided in disposable containers

While for a fong time the vast majority of available "take-out" food was relegated to highly standardized products that emphasized convenience over other value attributes, consumers are also now demanding, in equal measure:

• customized meals that include the specific foods and ingredients they wish to eat and exclude those they wish to avoid;

♦ the meal quality one would expect of true home cooking or restaurant dining where the meals are prepared and served ά Ia minute; • prepared meals that provide optimal nutrition (Relentless media attention on competing diet and nutrition programs, coupled with heightened awareness and concern about the epidemic of obesity and resulting health issues has promoted consumer interest in and commitment to greater overall wellness that incorporates, exercise, nutrition and other fundamental lifestyle choices. Choosing Υeady- to-eat" meals that support the goal to "eat healthy" is part of this consumer behavior);

• and still, convenience, Given these demand drivers many new entrants in prepared foods - from new curbside takeout options offered by traditional table service restaurants and new prepared meals sections in traditional grocery supermarkets - are entering the category. However many of these solutions only partially meet the full set of demand drivers for today s consumer. First, while there are many grab-and-go options from the grocery and restaurant channels, the ability to customize these items is generally limited. Many products are cooked and packaged without consulting the consumer on how they would like their items prepared.

Second, the importance of customization becomes even more important in the context of providing optimal nutrition, because here consumers need options that carefully and consistently provide certain foods and not others while hitting certain nutritional benchmarks over time (number of calories, amount of fat, sodium, etc.). Moreover, while certain ready-to-eat healthy offerings are relatively readily available (such as packaged lunches), finding a variety of other types of healthy and tasty meals (such as breakfasts, dinners, and snacks} on a regular basis quickly becomes a daunting task, esp. for consumers outside of major metropolitan areas. The consumers are then in a "catch-22": forced to return to their own meai preparation if they want to eat consistently meals that support optima! nutrition, but sacrificing the convenience of prepared meals which they also demand.

Third, the need for convenience is only somewhat met by providing prepared and pre-packaged items that the consumer then needs to pick-up. Many consumers are looking for an option to order once or occasionally and then have items delivered directly to them on an ongoing basis, thereby saving the time of physicaily having to go shop for items and on an ongoing basis, or re-order items that they know in advance they wtli need.

A number of attempts have been made to address the above-described challenges. Sn particular, one type of solution has proven extremely popular - a number of companies offer scheduled deliveries of several prepared meals one or more times a week, prepared and packaged in such a way that the customer can easily prepare the meal for consumption by heating it, or in certain cases, can eat it outright (e.g., if the meal is a salad).

Over time, the above offerings have evolved into full subscription- based meal preparation and delivery services, where after paying a per-day fee for a certain minimum period of time, a customer can receive a full set of daily meals (e.g., breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks). Typically, customers can sign up for meal programs / packages of different quality and quantity levels that are accordingly priced, In most cases, higher priced meal programs offer a greater variation of provided meals over a period of time, with the lower priced offerings, repeating the same meals more frequently. Companies offering meal preparation and delivery service packages have also taken advantage of the proliferation of inexpensive and readily available access to the Internet and have provided their customers with the ability to look at current and future menus and renew, cancel, or change their meal programs to higher or lower level. While a number of companies with such subscription-based meal programs have achieved a reasonable level of success, their offerings still suffer from a number of very serious drawbacks which prevent them from ever achieving a very high level of market penetration. Specifically, while they claim to have variety in meals over a predetermined period of time, most such companies only offer a single predetermined set of menu selections on any given day, or over a period of days, such that a customer who receives a delivery of meals for a three day period gets three different sets of meals and can decide which meals to eat which day. However, if the customer does not like certain foods or menu items, they are not given any choice except not to eat that meai. Also, in such cases, a customer cannot decide to cancel all meals for a particular day (if they are traveling), and cannot cancel specific meals (if for example they are going out to dinner).

In an attempt to address this problem, one subscription-based meai preparation and delivery company has offered a service where the customer can preview upcoming menus for a certain number of days forward, and, if they see a particular menu item they do not like, they can go through a process that involves selecting an alternate substitute meal from the entire pool of ALL different available meals items from that company (which exceeds a hundred different menu items) as a substitute. White this approach may appear to address the issues of inflexibility and Sack of customer choice plaguing the competitive offerings, it suffers from several flaws, one being very serious.

First, while many customers who chose to utilize a subscription-based periodic meal preparation and deiivery service are not happy about having predetermined planned menus with no choice of alternate meals, quite a few customers also would not be pleased to be forced to choose among over a hundred alternate menu items if there is a planned menu item they do not like. One of the goals of using such a subscription service is convenience, however with the above-described approach, the customer is forced to either regularly accept the planned menu items (which means giving up variety and flexibility) or to be faced with the daunting and time-consuming task of reviewing the company's entire poo! of offerings and then selecting a substitute meal from the vast number of alternate choices. This flaw becomes particularly frustrating for the customer if they want to change several menu items - they would have to repeatedly suffer through this process. To make matters even worse, the alternate menu choices are presented on the company's website as a scrollable "drop-down menu" where only the menu item names are listed. This means if the customer wants to get more information about an alternate item, he must select the item and activate web-page controls to view the item description, thereafter being required to take additional steps to go back to reviewing the full menu - an even more frustrating experience, which likely leads most customers to resign to accept the proffered menu choices rather than go through so much trouble to change them. However, the greatest drawback of this company's menu-item substitution approach is that while the company expounds its carefully constructed menus that maximize health benefits and weight loss, they simultaneously allow a customer to completely disrupt the health benefits and other advantages derived from careful coordination of different menu items and quantities and types of ingredients and preparation techniques used therein, by selecting whatever meal items the customers fee! like from the overall set of possible meal offerings In essence, a customer willing to put the effort required in locating French toast from the menu pool item, can essentially elect to have three servings of it as three of their four meals, as opposed to having a well-balanced daily meal set.

Sn addition, all previously known prepared meal delivery services only offer subscription-based delivery of prepared menu-based meals. Customers wanting any other consumable items, e.g. beverages, fresh fruit, vegetables, etc. must either rely on having to shop in conventional supermarkets or place specific periodic orders for such items from supermarkets that offer online ordering and delivery.

Finally, while certain companies offer "family plans" for meal subscriptions, such offerings are limited to simple aggregation of separately available menus and simultaneous delivery of multiple meal sets. None offer any tools or techniques for controlling individual modification of subscribed meal plans by members of a subscribed household. Furthermore, none of the currently available meal provision subscription services enable subscriptions by third parties for the benefit of multiple other individuals or groups. For example, a corporation cannot obtain a meal subscription for the benefit of the employees in one or more of their offices.

It would thus be desirable to provide a system and method for implementing, operating, and managing periodic subscription-based victuais preparation and delivery services to customers thereof, while enabling the customers to selectiveiy alter and/or manage pending planned victuais deliveries without sacrificing or decreasing the health, nutritional, and weight- management benefits thereof. It would additionally be desirable to provide a subscήption-based meal preparation and delivery services system and method, having advantageous configurable subscription options both with respect to the type of subscription plan {meal types, quantities, frequency of deliverers, change and cancellation options), as well as with respect to type of subscriber account (individual, group, and/or third party). St would further be desirable to provide a subscription-based meal preparation and delivery service system and method, having an intelligent automated menu-building component, operable to (1 ) generate a pool of available menu selections that are individualized for each subscriber or subscriber group, for each delivery day of their corresponding subscription plan cycle, and to (2) automatically select a default menu choice for each prepared meal category, based at least in part on the subscriber's expressed and/or implied preferences. It would moreover be desirable to provide a system and method for developing new victuais offerings, having an increased probability of favorable acceptance by the subscribers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION QF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding or similar elements throughout the various figures:

FIG, 1A is a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an infrastructure of the inventive periodic victuals provision service;

FIG, 1 B is a schematic diagram of an aiternate embodiment of an infrastructure of the inventive periodic victuals provision service, implementing a hybrid periodic victuals provision subscription plan in which shelf stable meals are supplemented by periodic deliveries of freshly prepared meals;

FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram of the core components of the inventive periodic victuals provision (PVP) service provider's system utilized in the nove! infrastructure of FiG. 1 A;

FIGs. 2A-2B are process flow diagrams of several alternate embodiments of the subscriber account set-up and plan configuration process that may be implemented in, and utilized in conjunction with, the PVP service provider system of FSGs. 1A, 1C:

FIGs. 3A-3C are process flow diagrams of various embodiments of subscriber account set-up sub-processes, for different types of subscriber accounts, and different novel PVP plan configuration sub-processes of the subscriber account set-up and plan configuration processes of FlGs, 2A, 2 B that may be implemented in, and utilized in conjunction with, the PVP service provider system of FlGs, 1A, 1C;

FIGs. 4A-4C are schematic diagrams of the data infrastructure and various information elements that may be included in different types of subscriber accounts, administered by the PVP service provider system of FSGs. 1A, 1C;

FlGs, 5A-5B are process flow diagrams of exemplary embodiments of different types of PVP Plan Service Operations, that are handled at least in part by the PVP service provider system of FtGs. 1A, 1C;

FSG. 5C is a process flow diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a subscriber account set-up and PVP Plan configuration process for implementing the novel infrastructure embodiment of FSG. 1 B;

FiGs. 6A-BG are process flow diagrams of an exemplary embodiment of a Prepared Meais Management Process, utilized in conjunction with one or more exemplary embodiments of different types of PVP Plans, that is handled at feast in part by the PVP service provider system of FSGs. 1 A, 1C;

FSG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary subscriber graphical user interface (GU!) showing the informational and interactive GUI regions and controls that may be made available to subscribers to enable subscribers to access the PVP system of FSGs. 1A, 1C and to view, configure and manage various aspects of their account and their PVP Plan;

FSG. 8A is a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the interactive view region of the novel Subscriber GUI of FIG. 7, shown by way of example in a Monthly calendar view, that enables subscribers to at least view and manage their account information and their PVP plan, by interacting therewith;

FSG. 8B is a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment of the interactive view region of the novel Subscriber GUI of FSG. 7, shown by way of example in a Weekly calendar view, that enables subscribers to at least view and manage their account information and their PVP plan, by interacting therewith;

FIGs. 9A to 9D show schematic diagrams of various exemplary embodiments of different types and structures of victuals information that may be made available to the subscribers through the interactive view region of the novel Subscriber GU! of FSG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the novel Subscriber GUI of FIG. 7, shown by way of exampie in a Day Control view in which the subscribers are abie Io manage their account and their PVP ρian(s); and

FSG. 11 is a process flow diagram of a New Menu Product Development Process that may be implemented in, and utilized in conjunction with, the PVP service provider system of FIGs. 1A, 1C.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The system and method of the present invention are directed to managing and providing periodic subscription-based victuals preparation and delivery services to customers thereof, while enabling the customers to selectiveiy alter and/or manage pending planned victuals deliveries without necessarily sacrificing or decreasing the health, nutrition, and weight- management benefits thereof. Advantageously, the inventive system and method also provide customers with configurable subscription options, both with respect to the type of subscription plan purchased (e.g., relating to meal types, quantities, frequency of deliveries, pending order change and cancellation options, etc.), as well as wrth respect to type of subscriber account (individual, group, and third party).

The inventive system and method also comprise an intelligent automated menu-building component, operable to (1 ) generate a pool of available menu selections that are individualized for each subscriber or subscriber group, for each delivery day of thetr corresponding subscription plan cycle, and to (2) automatically select a default menu choice for each prepared meal category, based at least in part on the subscribers expressed and/or implied preferences. Additionally, the present invention also provides a system and method for developing new victuals offerings, having an increased probability of favorable acceptance by the subscribers.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The system and method of the present invention remedy the disadvantages of previously known subscription services for schedule-based delivery of prepared meals, by providing a nove! period victuals provision subscription service in at least one advantageous embodiment, that comprises at least a portion of the following features;

(1 ) providing customers with configurable periodic victuals provision (PVP) services subscription options, both with respect to the type of subscription plan purchased (e.g., relating to victuals types, quantities, frequency of deliverers, pending order change and cancellation options, etc), as well as with respect to type of subscnber account {individual, group, and third party);

(2) generating/determining a poo! of available menu selections that are individualized for each subscriber or subscriber group, for each delivery day of their corresponding subscription plan cycle:

(3) automatically selecting a default menu choice for each prepared meal category, based at least in part on each subscriber's expressed and/or inferred preferences (which may be readily determined from information provided by the subscriber, and/or from system-collected data relating to the subscriber's prior interactions with the inventive PVP system and method, and (4) enabling customers of its PVP services, to selectively alter (e.g., from the default selections provided thereto) and/or manage pending planned victuals deliveries without sacrificing or decreasing the health, nutrition, and weight-management benefits thereof.

Furthermore, an alternate embodiment of the inventive system and method, also provides novel techniques for developing new victuals offerings, having an increased probability of favorable acceptance by the subscribers. It should be noted that while the various exemplary embodiments of the inventive system and method are described with reference to "prepared meals", and/or to "healthy meals", it should be understood that the nove! and advantageous inventive principles and techniques disclosed herein can be readily configured, adapted, and/or applied to subscription-based periodic provision of any victuals, such as " ready-to-cook" meals, shelf stable meals (such as those that may be offered by weight loss and/or nutrition management subscription programs, groceries (fresh fruit, vegetables, etc.), bakery items, beverages, sundries, and the like, without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Referring now to FIG. 1A, an exemplary embodiment of a subscription- based periodic victuals provision infrastructure of the present invention, is shown as a PVP infrastructure 10. The PVP infrastructure 10 includes a victuals service ("VS") provider 12, that provides a subscription-based service, delivering victuals (such as prepared meals), through delivery services 16 (e.g., delivery trucks / vans) to various types of subscribers 14 (which may be individual subscribers (e.g., 28a to 28c), or optionally group subscriber {e.g., 30a, 30b), and/or one or more 3^rd party subscribers 32, comprising one or more subscriber groups 34a to 34c. Various possible types of subscribers 14 are described in greater detail below in connection with FIGs. 3A to 4C. The VS provider 12 includes a service provider system 18 (described by way of example in greater detail below in connection with FIG, 1 B)₁ which at least partially governs at least a portion of the operations of the VS provider 12, and which may also include internal victuals sourcing 20 (and/or optional externa! victuals sourcing 22 ~ e.g., a third party contracted entity) for creating (e.g., cooking), and/or otherwise obtaining (e.g., purchasing from wholesalers) victuals, such as freshly prepared meals, for periodic delivery to the various subscribers 14, for example, in accordance with specific terms and conditions agreed upon between VS provider 12 and each subscriber.

The delivery services 16 include the infrastructure for assembling, sorting and packaging victuals to be delivered, and then delivering the victuals to the appropriate subscribers via delivery vehicles within predetermined geographic areas. As is noted above, the subscribers 14 may include individual subscribers 28a~28c, group subscribers 30a, 30b (i.e., two or more individuals desiring to receive PVP services together (e.g., a family, or business offices), and may also include 3^rd party subscribers) 32 {i.e., an entity (such as a corporation) that obtains multiple subscriptions for two or more subscriber groups 34a-34c).

Referring now to FSG. 1B, an alternate exemplary embodiment of a subscription-based periodic victuals provision infrastructure of the present invention, is shown as a PVP infrastructure 10b. It should be noted, that PVP subscription pfans that include daily deliveries of multiple freshly prepared meals (such as the plans described in conjunction with various embodiments of the present invention), can be quite expensive. However, the most commonly available alternative involve monthly subscription plans with shelf- stable means being delivered to subscribers on a monthly basis (i.e., a month's worth of meals with each delivery). While such arrangements are relatively inexpensive, there is no substitute for even occasional freshly prepared meal. Therefore, advantageously, the novel PVP infrastructure 1 Qb enables implementation of a hybrid (or "combination") PVP subscription plan in which the majority of the meais in the plan (e.g., for 5 or 6 days out of each week) are shelf stable meals 38 delivered on a monthly (or other periodic) basis from a primary subscription service provider 36 (which may optionally offer other deliverable provisions 26c) through a primary delivery service 16a, which may be a conventional mail or courier service, while for one or two days of each week, the subscriber is provided with freshly prepared meals 24c from a secondary service provider (e.g., such as the victuals service provider 12 of FIG. 1A, which may optionally offer other deliverable provisions 26a) through local designated delivery services 16 (see FIG. 1),

Unlike the shelf-stable meals 24c, the freshly prepared meals 24c are delivered shortly after being prepared, on the designated day (or days) of the week. Thus, any combination plan subscriber (or group subscriber 40a to 42b, would consume the shelf stable meals 38 during 5-8 days of the week, but wouid receive and consume freshly prepared meals 24c during the remaining 1 or 2 days of the week. However, even with one or two days of freshly prepared meals 24c per week, the shelf stable meals 38 on other days require that subscribers 40a to 44b supplement their diet with purchased food 44 (e.g., fresh fruit, vegetables). An exemplary embodiment of a process of setting up and configuring a hybrid subscriber account is shown in FiG. 5C.

Referring to FIG, 1C, an exemplary embodiment of the service provider system 18 is shown as an exemplary victuals service provider system 50. The victuals service provider system 50 preferably includes at least a portion of the following components and features, (but may also include additional or alternate components or features as may be necessary for its optima! performance):

The victuals service provider system 50, comprises a service provider control system 52 for controlling its operations, and databases 54 for organizing and storing various sets of relevant information. The service provider control system may include, but is not limited to, at least a portion of the following components:

• Data Processing & Storage

• (Servers, etc.)

• Communications {Network, Messaging, Etc.) • Subscriber Account Management

• Administration / Reporting

• Order Fulfillment

• Product Development

• Delivery • Management • Accounting / Billing

• Victuals Sourcing interface

• Additional Systems

The databases 54, may include, but are not limited to, at least a portion of the following components:

• Service Provider Database(s) (various)

• Individual Subscriber Database

• Group Subscriber Database • Third Party Subscriber Database

• Promotional / Reward / 3rd Party Benefit (for enabling certain subscribers to gain rewards and/or other benefits from their affiliation with a particular third party (such as being an employee of a particular corporation, or being a tenant in a luxury building.

• Victuals-related Information Database

• Additional Databases)

While various embodiments of processes conducted, and of types of data collected and utilized in the operation of VS provider 12, within the inventive PVP infrastructure 10, are shown in various figures and described in greater detail below, at its simplest implementation, the inventive PVP infrastructure 10 may operate as follows, by way of example;

(1 ) a subscriber 14 (e.g., any of the subscribers 28a to 56d of FIG, 1C) contacts the VS provider 12 either electronically (e.g., via website, email, instant messaging, or the like) and opens a subscription account therewith (the account determines quantities and types of meals ordered by the subscriber on a recurring basis without future modification by the subscriber or administrator, a duration of their plan cycle, a deiivery schedule therefor, and also includes information about the subscriber {e.g., see FSGs. 2A through 4C));

(2) the VS provider 12 publishes a new menu on a periodic (e g., weekly} basis, with many different choices, and generates a poo! of available menu selections for each meal type (breakfast, iunch, dinner, etc.) for each subscriber or subscriber group, for each delivery day of their corresponding subscription plan cycle;

(3) periodically, for each subscriber, the service provider system 18 of FSG. 1 (or system 50 of FSG. 1C), preferably automatically selects a default menu choice for each prepared meal category, based at least in part on each subscriber's expressed and/or inferred preferences (which may be readily determined from information provided by the subscriber, and/or from system- collected data relating to the subscriber's prior interactions with the inventive PVP system and method), and then generates a set of items to be delivered in accordance with the subscriber's account information (e.g., stated delivery preferences). Subscribers can then access their planned delivery schedules (e.g., via a website and/or a mobile device, or by calling VS provider 12 customer service via telephone, or the like, and selectively modify their delivery schedules or otherwise manage their accounts (e.g., change address, food restrictions, or dietary objectives);

(4) Orders are preferably automatically aggregated, by service provider system 18 or 50 from the individual customer accounts into a unified production order that specifies by item how many of which meal selections need to be produced that day. Preferabiy, meal seiections are produced according to product specifications that includes, but is not limited to:

^« Ingredient components including raw and cooked weights » Method of preparation for each component

^■ Method of assembly, including packaging

■ Label Contents;

(5) Finished meal selections are then stored at an appropriate temperature until assembled for delivery to subscriber 14 (for example in insulated reusable cooler bags); and

(6) Deliveries are then made directly to the subscriber's indicated delivery address through the delivery services 16, The inventive service provider system 18, 50 and supporting infrastructure may include, but are not limited to, the following additional features / functionalities: • Order Creation/Menu item Assignment o Define the parameters for a daily or flexible subscription used to write pending orders and pending deliveries for that account o Allow subscribers to define the quantity of meals by mea! occasion to be delivered on any active delivery day of the week for their delivery area o When a new menu is activated, write pending orders/deli varies for each account based on subscription parameters at the account level

• Order/Delivery Modification o Full subscription: Allow subscribers to modify pending deliveries and apply remedies for a cancelled delivery, either by adding additional deliveries or maintaining a system of credits in the user's account o Flexible subscription: Allow subscribers to modify deliveries prior to their activation and dynamically show changes in order subtotal, tax and delivery charges

• Order Processing o Assign delivery charges based on minimum order values by delivery location o Flexible Subscription: Set time rules when pending orders are activated and automatically process payment

• Production/Delivery Reports o Aggregate orders into a unified production order for a given production shift; o Assign individual items from a given production report to packing slips for each individual delivery

Referring now to FSGs. 2A to 4C, exemplary embodiments of a Subscriber Account Set-Up and Plan Configuration Process 150, along with various embodiments of sub-processes and data structures are shown as series of steps 152 to 294, may of which may be optional, as is noted below. Sn the various FIGs, 2A to 2C (and in other drawings figures that follow), drawing elements shown in dashed lines represent optionai components and/or process steps, which may or may not be implemented as a matter of design choice, without departing from the spirit of the invention. The process 150 is preferably performed by the service provider system 18, interacting with the subscribers ) 14, and enables a subscriber to seiect the type of account (individual, group, or third party), as well to as seiect a desired victuals provision plan, Referring now to FtG. 2A, during the process 150, the subscriber first selects an account type, and participates in the corresponding set up sub- process:

(1 ) standard - for a single subscriber - (sub-process 156 (with steps 200-204), FtGs, 2A, 3A, during which the subscriber provides subscriber data 500 comprising subscriber core account information 502 and subscriber preferences / goals / misc. info 504 (see FIG, 4A));

(2) group - for multiple subscribers within a social/workplace group (e.g., family, roommates, co-workers in a particular office, support staff of a church, etc.) - (sub-process 188 (with steps 240-246), FiGs. 2B, 3B, during which the subscriber provides group subscriber data 600 (see FiG. 4B)); or

(3) third (3^rd) party - for an entity that manages multiple subscriber groups (e.g., a company seeking PVP subscriptions for a number of its offices, with each office being treated as a subscribed group, but with the overall account being managed by the managing entity authorized representative - (sub-process

180 (with steps 270-276), FIGs. 2B, 3C, during which the subscriber provides at least the 3^rd party subscriber data 700 (see FIG. 4C)).

Once the account type is selected, the subscriber then selects a desired PVP subscription plan - from one or more different plans. (While only two examples of subscription plans are shown - full and flexible - it should be understood that additional and/or alternate PVP subscription plans are contemplated by the present invention.)

By way of example only, the Table 1 below shows a comparison drawn between sample components of an exemplary full subscription plan and an exemplary flexible subscription plan,

Table 1 (Exemplary)

Depending on the account type, the chosen subscription piaπs may be configured as follows: o For standard account subscribers, referring to FiG, 2A and 3 A, the full subscription plan is configured at a sub-process 160 (with steps 210-214), whiie the flexible subscription plan is configured at a sub- process 164 (with steps 220-224); o For group account subscribers, referring to FIG, 2B and 3B the fuli subscription plan is configured at a sub-process 172 (with steps 250-254), while the flexible subscription plan is configured at a sub- process 178 (with steps 280-264); and o For 3^!ύ party account subscribers, referring to FIG, 2B and 3C the full subscription plan is configured at a sub-process 420, whiie the flexible subscription plan is configured at a sub-process 440,

Referring now to FiG. 5A₅ an exemplary embodiment of a full plan service operation process 800, that may be readily implemented in accordance with the present invention, is shown. The process 800, comprising steps 802-832, (of which steps 808, 810, 816, and 822-828 are optional), advantageously enables a satisfied subscriber to continue enjoying their subscription, or to readily change it to a flexible plan or terminate if. Referring now to FIG, 58 , similarly, an exemplary full plan service operation process 900_t is shown, comprising steps 902 to 928 {of which steps 906, 916-922, and 926 are optional). Process 900 enables a satisfied subscriber to continue enjoying their subscription, or to readily change it to a flexible plan, or terminate it. Referring now to FSG. 5C, an exemplary hybrid pian account set- up and plan configuration process 950 is shown, comprising steps 952 to 964 (of which steps 954, 958c, and 962 are optional). As described above in connection with FIG, 1 B, a hybrid PVP subscnption plan that is set up and configured through execution of the process 950, enables current or new subscribers to a conventional sheif stable mea! plan (e.g., where the shelf- stable meals are delivered once a month and are meant to be consumed over that period until the next delivery), to add one or two days of freshly prepared meal deliveries per week from a secondary victuals subscription service provider, thus giving such subscribers a certain degree of variety and the periodic "home" or "restauranf-cooked experience, while keeping the overcal! cost of their PVP subscription plan relatively low as compared to the cost of a PVP plan that provides for daily or freshly prepared meal deliveries.

Referring now to FIGs. 6A-8B, an exemplary embodiment of a prepared meals management process 1000 is shown. The process 1000, comprising steps 1002 to 1040, (of which steps 1016, 1022-1026, and 1040 are optional) is performed in conjunction with implementation of one or more exemplary embodiments of different types of PVP Plans, and is handled at least in part by the PVP service provider system 18, 50 of FSGs. 1 A, 1C;

Referring now to FIGs. 7 to 9D, various embodiments of an exemplary subscriber graphical user interface (GUI) showing the informational and interactive GUI regions and controls that may be made available to subscribers, to enable subscribers to access the service provider system 18,

50 of FtGs, 1A, 1C, and to view, configure, and manage various aspects of their account and their subscribed plan (e.g., full or flexible); Referring to FtG, 7, the Subscriber GUI 1200 is shown, and while it has a number of optional regions for displaying information and/or for providing various controls (controls / regions 1202-1210), the key feature of the GUI 1200 is the region for Subscriber Interactive Victuals Delivery Plan & Selection Management (Interface region 1250}, which allows the subscriber to readily and easily explore their plan options, and to make any desired modifications thereto.

An exemplary "monthly view of a subscription plan cycle" is shown as an interface region 1300 in FiG. 8A. in the region 1300, by way of example, two weeks of a plan cycle going forward are shown (each "Victuals Info" element displaying at least a partial list of available menu selections), and may be browsed by the subscriber in various views, from monthly (region 1300, FIG. 8A) to weekly (region 1400, FSG. 8B)

Referring now to FIGs. 9A to 9D, various exemplary embodiments of different types and structures for presenting victuals information that may be made available to the subscribers through the interactive view region of the novel Subscriber GUI of FIG. 7. Victuals information 1500 to 1540 show different variations of victual items ("menu items" in FSGs, 9B and 9C), while FIG. 9D shows victual information 1560 in which the victuals to be delivered unάm the subscriber's plan are not prepared meals, but are in fact fruit, vegetables, and other food and drink-related items.

Referring now to FSG. 10, an exemplary embodiment of the novel Subscriber GUI of FSG. 7, shown by way of example as a Subscriber GUI 1600 in a Day Control view in which the subscribers are able to manage their account and their PVP subscription ρlan(s), for example by either accepting the menu options recommended by the service provider system (shown on GUI 1600 as filled boxes), or by making alternate choices.

Finally, referring now to FSG. 1 1 , a New Menu Product Development

Process 1700, comprising steps 1702 to 1718, {of which steps 1706 and 1718 are optional), that may be implemented in, and utiϋzed in conjunction with, the PVP service provider system 18, 50 of FiGs. 1A, 1C is shown by way of example.

Thus, while there have been shown and described and pointed out fundamentai novei features of the inventive system and method as applied to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices and methods iiiustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skiiied in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For exampie, it is expressiy intended that aii combinations of those eiements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the ciaims appended hereto.

Claims

We Claim: , A method for subscription-based periodic victuals provision service operable to provide victuals to a plurality of subscribers, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing customers with configurable periodic victuals provision (PVP) services subscription options, said options comprising at least one of a type of subscription plan purchased (full, flexible, etck and type of subscriber account (individual, group, and third party);

(b) for each plural subscriber, for each delivery day of their subscription plan, generating/determining a pool of available menu selections that are individualized for each plurai subscriber or group thereof;

(c) automatically selecting a default menu choice for each prepared meal category, based at least in part on each plural subscriber's expressed and/or inferred preferences; and

(d) enabling at ieast one of the plural subscribers to customers of its PVP services, to selectively alter and/or manage pending planned victuals deliveries, without having to make permanent changes to their subscription plan, and without necessarily sacrificing or decreasing the health, nutrition, and weight- management benefits thereof,