Methods and systems for integrating promotion planning with promotion execution

1 . A method for integrating promotion planning with promotion execution, comprising:

creating a trade promotion object reflecting a potential trade promotion;

creating a promotion condition record for condition information reflecting a price discount corresponding to the potential trade promotion, the promotion condition record including an identifier corresponding to the trade promotion object; and

sending the promotion condition record to a backend system that tracks promotion condition records to determine liabilities owed to retailers.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving deal information prior to creating the trade promotion object.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein creating the trade promotion object comprises:

receiving input from a user indicating a selected deal from the deal information;

receiving data pertaining to the potential trade promotion; and

creating the trade promotion object using the received data.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the received data includes promotable group, geographic information, time period, and the condition information.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the received data further includes at least one of promotion type, tactics, and buying pattern type.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

requesting approval for the potential trade promotion; and

receiving approval information corresponding to the potential trade promotion.

7 . The method of claim 6 , the requesting comprising:

changing a status of the potential trade promotion to a status reflecting that the trade promotion is ready to be reviewed for approval.

8 . The method of claim 7 , the requesting further comprising:

uploading the potential trade promotion to a server.

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein approval information reflects whether the potential trade promotion has been accepted or rejected.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending occurs after a status associated with the potential trade promotion is changed to a status reflecting that a retailer corresponding to the potential trade promotion commits to the potential trade promotion.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the backend system receives information pertaining to an order for a product for a retailer, accesses a promotion condition record that corresponds to a trade promotion related to the order, and updates a payment document pertaining to the retailer using condition information from the accessed promotion condition record.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the payment document is one of an invoice, a credit memo, and a debt memo.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the backend system updates accrual information corresponding to a rebate.

14 . A method for integrating promotion planning with promotion execution, comprising:

receiving deal information;

receiving input from a user indicating a selected deal from the deal information;

creating a trade promotion object reflecting a potential trade promotion from the selected deal;

creating a promotion condition record for condition information reflecting a price discount corresponding to the potential trade promotion, the promotion condition record including an identifier corresponding to the trade promotion object; and

sending the promotion condition record to a backend system that tracks promotion condition records to determine liabilities owed to retailers.

15 . An apparatus for integrating promotion planning with promotion execution, comprising:

means for creating a trade promotion object reflecting a potential trade promotion;

means for creating a promotion condition record for condition information reflecting a price discount corresponding to the potential trade promotion, the promotion condition record including an identifier corresponding to the trade promotion object; and

means for sending the promotion condition record to a backend system that tracks promotion condition records to determine liabilities owed to retailers.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising:

means for receiving deal information prior to creating the trade promotion object.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the means for creating the trade promotion object comprises:

means for receiving input from a user indicating a selected deal from the deal information;

means for receiving data pertaining to the potential trade promotion; and

means for creating the trade promotion object using the received data.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the received data includes promotable group, geographic information, time period, and the condition information.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the received data further includes at least one of promotion type, tactics, and buying pattern type.

20 . The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising:

means for requesting approval for the potential trade promotion; and

means for receiving approval information corresponding to the potential trade promotion.

21 . The apparatus of claim 20 , the means for requesting comprising:

means for changing a status of the potential trade promotion to a status reflecting that the trade promotion is ready to be reviewed for approval.

22 . The apparatus of claim 21 , the means for requesting further comprising:

means for uploading the potential trade promotion to a server.

23 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein approval information reflects whether the potential trade promotion has been accepted or rejected.

24 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the sending occurs after a status associated with the potential trade promotion is changed to a status reflecting that a retailer corresponding to the potential trade promotion commits to the potential trade promotion.

25 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the backend system receives information pertaining to an order for a product for a retailer, accesses a promotion condition record that corresponds to a trade promotion related to the order, and updates a payment document pertaining to the retailer using condition information from the accessed promotion condition record.

26 . The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the payment document is one of an invoice, a credit memo, and a debt memo.

27 . The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the backend system updates accrual information corresponding to a rebate.

28 . An apparatus for integrating promotion planning with promotion execution, comprising:

means for receiving deal information;

means for receiving input from a user indicating a selected deal from the deal information;

means for creating a trade promotion object reflecting a potential trade promotion from the selected deal;

means for creating a promotion condition record for condition information reflecting a price discount corresponding to the potential trade promotion, the promotion condition record including an identifier corresponding to the trade promotion object; and

means for sending the promotion condition record to a backend system that tracks promotion condition records to determine liabilities owed to retailers.

29 . A computer-readable medium containing instructions for performing a method for integrating promotion planning with promotion execution, the method comprising:

creating a trade promotion object reflecting a potential trade promotion;

creating a promotion condition record for condition information reflecting a price discount corresponding to the potential trade promotion, the promotion condition record including an identifier corresponding to the trade promotion object; and

sending the promotion condition record to a backend system that tracks promotion condition records to determine liabilities owed to retailers.

30 . The computer-readable medium of claim 29 , further comprising:

receiving deal information prior to creating the trade promotion object.

31 . The computer-readable medium of claim 30 , wherein creating the trade promotion object comprises:

receiving input from a user indicating a selected deal from the deal information;

receiving data pertaining to the potential trade promotion; and

creating the trade promotion object using the received data.

32 . The computer-readable medium of claim 31 , wherein the received data includes promotable group, geographic information, time period, and the condition information.

33 . The computer-readable medium of claim 32 , wherein the received data further includes at least one of promotion type, tactics, and buying pattern type.

34 . The computer-readable medium of claim 29 , further comprising:

requesting approval for the potential trade promotion; and

receiving approval information corresponding to the potential trade promotion.

35 . The computer-readable medium of claim 34 , the requesting comprising:

changing a status of the potential trade promotion to a status reflecting that the trade promotion is ready to be reviewed for approval.

36 . The computer-readable medium of claim 35 , the requesting further comprising:

uploading the potential trade promotion to a server.

37 . The computer-readable medium of claim 34 , wherein approval information reflects whether the potential trade promotion has been accepted or rejected.

38 . The computer-readable medium of claim 29 , wherein the sending occurs after a status associated with the potential trade promotion is changed to a status reflecting that a retailer corresponding to the potential trade promotion commits to the potential trade promotion.

39 . The computer-readable medium of claim 29 , wherein the backend system receives information pertaining to an order for a product for a retailer, accesses a promotion condition record that corresponds to a trade promotion related to the order, and updates a payment document pertaining to the retailer using condition information from the accessed promotion condition record.

40 . The computer-readable medium of claim 39 , wherein the payment document is one of an invoice, a credit memo, and a debt memo.

41 . The computer-readable medium of claim 39 , wherein the backend system updates accrual information corresponding to a rebate.

42 . A computer-readable medium containing instructions for performing a method for integrating promotion planning with promotion execution, the method comprising:

receiving deal information;

receiving input from a user indicating a selected deal from the deal information;

creating a trade promotion object reflecting a potential trade promotion from the selected deal;

creating a promotion condition record for condition information reflecting a price discount corresponding to the potential trade promotion, the promotion condition record including an identifier corresponding to the trade promotion object; and

sending the promotion condition record to a backend system that tracks promotion condition records to determine liabilities owed to retailers.

43 . An apparatus for integrating promotion planning with promotion execution, comprising:

a memory having a program that creates a trade promotion object reflecting a potential trade promotion; creates a promotion condition record for condition information reflecting a price discount corresponding to the potential trade promotion, the promotion condition record including an identifier corresponding to the trade promotion object; and sends the promotion condition record to a backend system that tracks promotion condition records to determine liabilities owed to retailers; and

a processor that runs the program.

44 . An apparatus for integrating promotion planning with promotion execution, comprising:

a memory having a program that receives deal information; receives input from a user indicating a selected deal from the deal information; creates a trade promotion object reflecting a potential trade promotion from the selected deal; creates a promotion condition record for condition information reflecting a price discount corresponding to the potential trade promotion, the promotion condition record including an identifier corresponding to the trade promotion object; and sends the promotion condition record to a backend system that tracks promotion condition records to determine liabilities owed to retailers; and

a processor that runs the program.