System and method for generating a filtered product list from a master product list in a contract

Abstract

A system and method for generating a filtered product list from a master product list, and for electronically facilitating subsequent contractual activities executed pursuant to a contract. The contract comprises a Business Rules Book containing a set of rules from which specific rules may be selected for inclusion in the contract. A Terms and Conditions Set representing a unique set of instances of rules selected from the Business Rules Book is selected from a plurality of stored Terms and Conditions Sets. The seller and the buyer settle the provisions of the contract by agreeing to a mutually acceptable set of Terms and Conditions. The administering organization creates a Product List Filter specific to each seller or buyer, targeting products in which there is a mutual interest. The Business Rules Book, Terms and Conditions and Product List Filter are linked in a contract profile, to create a contract representing the agreement between the seller and the buyer, and the contract is locked. The Product List Filter allows the product list visible to the buyer or seller to be altered unilaterally by the administering organization, by modifications to the master product list.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A system for generating a filtered product list from a master product list, comprising a computer for: 
 implementing a selection metaphor to generate representation criteria comprising products selection criteria or products exclusion criteria, or both,    storing the representation criteria, and    generating the filtered product list from the representation criteria.    
     
     
         2 . The system as defined in  claim 1  in which the filtered product list is generated for a party to a contract by a product list filter linked to the contract.  
     
     
         3 . The system as defined in  claim 2  in which the product list comprises a product list identifier.  
     
     
         4 . The system as defined in  claim 3  in which the product list identifier is associated with at least one target buyer or seller.  
     
     
         5 . The system as defined in  claim 4  in which, in response to a request to view a product list from a target buyer or seller, the computer communicates the filtered product list associated with the target buyer or seller issuing the request.  
     
     
         6 . The system as defined in  claim 5  in which the filtered product list comprises a plurality of product list tiers, each tier comprising a subset of products contained in the filtered product list and being associated with a tier identifier.  
     
     
         7 . The system as defined in  claim 6  in which, in response to a request to view a product list tier from a target buyer or seller, the computer communicates the product list tier associated with the tier identifier referenced in the request.  
     
     
         8 . A method of generating a filtered product list from a master product list, comprising the steps of: 
 a. implementing a selection metaphor to generate representation criteria comprising products selection criteria or products exclusion criteria, or both,    b. storing the representation criteria, and    c. generating the filtered product list from the representation criteria.    
     
     
         9 . The method as defined in  claim 8  in which the filtered product list is generated for a party to a contract by a product list filter linked to the contract  
     
     
         10 . The method as defined in  claim 9 , including the step of assigning a product list identifier to the product list.  
     
     
         11 . The method as defined in  claim 10  including the step of associating the product list identifier with at least one target buyer or seller.  
     
     
         12 . The method as defined in  claim 11  including, in response to a request to view a product list from a target buyer or seller, the step of communicating the filtered product list associated with the target buyer or seller issuing the request.  
     
     
         13 . The method as defined in  claim 12  in which the filtered product list comprises a plurality of product list tiers, each tier comprising a subset of products contained in the filtered product list, including the step of associating each product list tier with a tier identifier.  
     
     
         14 . The method as defined in  claim 13  including, in response to a request to view a product list tier from a target buyer or seller, the step of communicating the product list tier associated with the tier identifier referenced in the request.  
     
     
         15 . A computer program product for use with a computer, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied in said medium for generating a filtered product list from a master product list, said computer program product having 
 a. computer readable program code for implementing a selection metaphor to generate representation criteria comprising products selection criteria or products exclusion criteria, or both,    b. computer readable program code for storing the representation criteria, and    c. computer readable program code for generating the filtered product list from the representation criteria.    
     
     
         16 . The computer program product as defined in  claim 15  in which the filtered product list is generated for a party to a contract by a product list filter linked to the contract  
     
     
         17 . The computer program product as defined in  claim 16 , including the step of assigning a product list identifier to the product list.  
     
     
         18 . The computer program product as defined in  claim 17  including the step of associating the product list identifier with at least one target buyer or seller.  
     
     
         19 . The computer program product as defined in  claim 18  including, in response to a request to view a product list from a target buyer or seller, the step of communicating the filtered product list associated with the target buyer or seller issuing the request.  
     
     
         20 . The computer program product as defined in  claim 19  in which the filtered product list comprises a plurality of product list tiers, each tier comprising a subset of products contained in the filtered product list, including the step of associating each product list tier with a tier identifier.  
     
     
         21 . The computer program product as defined in  claim 20  including, in response to a request to view a product list tier from a target buyer or seller, communicating the product list tier associated with the tier identifier referenced in the request.  
     
     
         22 . A processing system for generating a filtered product list from a master product list, comprising: 
 means for implementing a selection metaphor to generate representation criteria comprising products selection criteria or products exclusion criteria, or both,    means for storing the representation criteria, and    means for generating the filtered product list from the representation criteria.    
     
     
         23 . The system as defined in  claim 22  in which the filtered product list is generated for a party to a contract by a product list filter linked to the contract.  
     
     
         24 . The system as defined in  claim 23  in which the product list comprises a product list identifier.  
     
     
         25 . The system as defined in  claim 24  in which the product list identifier is associated with at least one target buyer or seller.  
     
     
         26 . The system as defined in  claim 25  in which, in response to a request to view a product list from a target buyer or seller, the filtered product list associated with the target buyer or seller issuing the request is communicated to the target buyer or seller.  
     
     
         27 . The system as defined in  claim 26  in which the filtered product list comprises a plurality of product list tiers, each tier comprising a subset of products contained in the filtered product list and being associated with a tier identifier.  
     
     
         28 . The system as defined in  claim 27  in which, in response to a request to view a product list tier from a target buyer or seller, the product list tier associated with the tier identifier referenced in the request is communicated to the target buyer or seller.  
     
     
         29 . A program product for use with a computer, having computer readable program code for generating a filtered product list from a master product list, the program product comprising: 
 a. computer readable program code for implementing a selection metaphor to generate representation criteria comprising products selection criteria or products exclusion criteria, or both,    b. computer readable program code for storing the representation criteria, and    c. computer readable program code for generating the filtered product list from the representation criteria.    
     
     
         30 . The program product as defined in  claim 29  in which the filtered product list is generated for a party to a contract by a product list filter linked to the contract  
     
     
         31 . The program product as defined in  claim 30 , including computer readable program code for assigning a product list identifier to the product list.  
     
     
         32 . The program product as defined in  claim 31  including computer readable program code for associating the product list identifier with at least one target buyer or seller.  
     
     
         33 . The program product as defined in  claim 32  including, computer readable program code for, in response to a request to view a product list from a target buyer or seller, communicating the filtered product list associated with the target buyer or seller issuing the request.  
     
     
         34 . The program product as defined in  claim 33  in which the filtered product list comprises a plurality of product list tiers, each tier comprising a subset of products contained in the filtered product list, including computer readable program code for associating each product list tier with a tier identifier.  
     
     
         35 . The program product as defined in  claim 34  including computer readable program code for, in response to a request to view a product list tier from a target buyer or seller, communicating the product list tier associated with the tier identifier referenced in the request.