Method and Apparatus for Consumer Procurement Aggregation

Abstract

A method, system and computer program for accumulating information relating to product demand and consumption for each of a plurality of end users by a buying group representing a single purchase in bulk to disintermediate the supply chain, accumulating the received product demand into a predictive demand schedule by an expert service provider, and transmitting the accumulated predictive product demand schedule to a manufacturer / original source of the product by the expert service provider. Product availability information based upon the accumulated predictive product demand is received from the manufacturer / original source of the product, and is provided to the plurality of end users. One or more product orders are received, the product is ordered from the manufacturer / original source of the product, all aspects of the supply chain being managed by the expert service provider, and the product is shipped to one or more of the plurality of end users.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 372,324 filed Feb. 13, 2012 to Joseph Fedele, titled “Method and Apparatus for Procurement Aggregation”, the entire contents thereof being incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for aggregation of procurement of products and services at a much lower cost than individual enterprises can accomplish solely or conjunctively and more particularly to a method and apparatus for the disintermediation and aggregation of purchasing and acquisition of products and services for various (or all) industries in a way that provides efficient procurement of those products and services.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Individual Enterprises are constantly seeking ways to increase efficiencies and reduce expenses in positive economic periods and especially in poor economic periods. This drive for efficien...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention provides a system for sharing information in a supply chain to reduce the length of the chain, improve logistics, and provide valuable demand information to producers and logistics enterprises. The system employs disintermediation to remove all middlemen between manufacturer and end user, reducing costs and improving efficiency. The invention also allows for the creation of industry-specific buying cooperatives to reduce costs for all enterprises in a particular industry. The system also streamlines the procurement process and improves product quality by reducing delivery time and handings. The invention provides a platform for individual enterprises to aggregate their demand and negotiate better deals with suppliers, while also allowing logistical experts to handle fulfillment logistics. Overall, the invention optimizes the supply chain, reduces costs, and improves product quality.

Problems solved by technology

An individual enterprise's operators are limited in their ways of mitigating costs, and many reductions in cost tend to create additional problems.

For instance, reducing an enterprise's labor expense essentially diminishes service and negatively impacts the quality of product and / or service that an enterprise offers.

An enterprise's attempt to cut quality and services and / or increasing prices challenges its value propositions and can cause a decline or discontinuation of use or satisfaction.

First, the core competency of management in these industries is predicated on delivering the ultimate in consumer (constituency) satisfaction and not in efficient procurement methodologies.

Second, even skilled and experienced procurement managers cannot simply bypass the mainstream supply chain.

This supply chain contributes to the multiple-layered redundant infrastructure, occupancy, operating and distribution costs that are unavoidable to the end users (hotels, clubs, resorts, cruise lines, hospitals, colleges and universities, banks and financial institutions, governments, states, communities and a host of other entities) under the current systems.

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