ON-LINE SALES CHAIN INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORTING MULTIPLE DIFFERING BRIDGING TRANSACTIONS WITH SELLER SYSTEMS
A sales system supports sales between a plurality of buyers and a plurality of sellers in a communication network. A sales server has a seller interface used by both a first seller and a second seller respectively via a first seller's computer and a second seller's computer to register availability for sale of a first product and a second product. The sales server, based upon received buyer input from an identified buyer via a buyer computer that includes buyer orders for the first product and the second product dispenses a first sales order to the first seller's computer for the first product and a second sales order to the second seller's computer for the second product. The sales server provides instructions to the first seller's computer for fulfillment of the first sales order and to the second sales computer for the fulfillment of the second sales order.
1 . A first computing system of a first entity that acts as a first link in a sales chain, the first computing system supporting interaction with a second link in the sales chain, the second link being a second computing system of a second entity, the first link and the second link being related to at least one sales offering, the second computing system having a database, the first entity and the second entity being independent business concerns, the first computing system comprising:
a first service that interacts with a bridging module of the second computing system to support access to content within the database; and
a second service that interacts with an application program interface of the second computing system, the application program interface supporting a set of predefined functions carried out on the second computing system.
2 . The first computing system of claim 1 , wherein the first service interacts with the bridging module to obtain sales related information regarding the at least one sales offering.
3 . The first computing system of claim 2 , wherein the set of predefined functions comprises an offering of a promotion related to the at least one sales offering.
4 . The first computing system of claim 3 , wherein the offering of the promotion is based on the sales related information.
5 . The first computing system of claim 4 , wherein the sales related information comprises a quantity of sales of the at least one sales offering.
6 . The first computing system of claim 1 , wherein the first service interacts with the bridging module to obtain sales related information regarding the at least one sales offering, and wherein the set of predefined functions comprises a modification of a promotion related to the at least one sales offering.
7 . The first computing system of claim 6 , wherein the modification of the promotion is based on the sales related information.
8 . The first computing system of claim 7 , wherein the sales related information comprises a quantity of sales of the at least one sales offering.
9 . The first computing system of claim 1 , wherein the first service interacts with the bridging module to obtain sales related information regarding the at least one sales offering, and the set of predefined functions comprises an adjustment in the sales related information.
10 . The first computing system of claim 9 , wherein adjustment in the sales related information comprises a modification to a price of the at least one sales offering.
11 . The first computing system of claim 10 , wherein the modification to the price of the at least one sales offering is based on a quantity of sales of the at least one sales offering.
12 . A first computing system of a first entity that acts as a first link in a sales chain, the first computing system supporting interaction with a second link in the sales chain, the second link being a second computing system of a second entity, the first link and the second link being related to a sales offering, the second computing system having a database that stores sales offering related data, the first entity and the second entity being independent business concerns, the first computing system comprising:
a first service that interacts with a bridging module of the second computing system to support access to the sales offering related data from the database;
a second service that examines the sales offering related data; and
the first service, based at least in part on the examination by the second service, modifies at least a portion of the sales offering related data via the bridging module.
13 . The first computing system of claim 12 , wherein the modification the at least a portion of the sales offering related data comprises offering a promotion related to the sales offering.
14 . The first computing system of claim 13 , wherein the offering of the promotion is based on the sales offering related data.
15 . The first computing system of claim 14 , wherein the sales offering related data comprises a quantity of sales of the sales offering.
16 . The first computing system of claim 12 , wherein the modification of the at least a portion of the sales offering related data comprises a modification of a promotion related to the sales offering.
17 . The first computing system of claim 16 , wherein the modification of the promotion is based on the sales offering related data.
18 . The first computing system of claim 17 , wherein the sales offering related data comprises a quantity of sales of the sales offering.
19 . The first computing system of claim 12 , wherein the modification of the at least a portion of the sales offering related data comprises a modification to a price of the sales offering.
20 . The first computing system of claim 19 , wherein the modification to the price of the at least a portion of the sales offering related data is based on a quantity of sales of the at least one sales offering.
21 . A method used by a first computing system of a first of a plurality of entities, the plurality of entities including at least one of each of a manufacturer, a distributor and a retailer, the plurality of entities being involved in a sales chain, the method comprising:
interacting with a second computing system of a second of the plurality of entities via a first bridging module of the second computing system, the interaction involving a promotion data associated with a product sales offering; and
interacting with a third computing system of a third of the plurality of entities via a second bridging module of the third computing system, the interaction involving the promotion data associated with the product sales offering.
22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein one or both of the interacting with the second computing system and the interacting with the third computing system comprises offering a promotion corresponding to the promotion data.
23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein one or both of the interacting with the second computing system and the interacting with the third computing system comprises modifying the promotion data associated with the product sales offering.
24 . The method of claim 21 , wherein one or both of the interacting with the second computing system and the interacting with the third computing system comprises modifying the promotion data associated with the product sales offering.
25 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the interacting with the second computing system comprises determining activity related to the promotion data associated with the product sales offering, and the interacting with the third computing system comprises modifying the promotion data based on the determined activity.