Product catalog management system and method

Abstract

A product catalog management system and method is provided for managing product data associated with a plurality of products. In one embodiment, the system comprises a processor, a product information database for storing product data associated with a plurality of products therein, a workflow design module for allowing creation of a workflow diagram for processing product data for storage in the product information database. The product catalog management system also includes a task management module that facilitates generation of a plurality of tasks for processing product data according to the workflow diagram, and a task assignment module adapted to assign the generated task for processing product data for completion.

1 . A product catalog management system for managing product data associated with a plurality of products, said system comprising: 
 a processor;    a product information database in electronic communication with said processor for storing product data associated with a plurality of products therein;    a workflow design module in electronic communication with said processor for creating a workflow diagram for processing product data for storage in said product information database;    a task management module in electronic communication with said workflow design module that facilitates generation of a plurality of tasks for processing product data according to said workflow diagram; and    a task assignment module in electronic communication with said task management module, said task assignment module adapted to assign a generated task for processing product data for completion.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said product information database includes a plurality of product templates, each product template corresponding to a product category and having a plurality of product attribute fields.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein said product data stored in said product information database includes a plurality of instantiated product templates, each instantiated product template being associated to a particular product, and having attribute fields that are populated with attributes of the particular product.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein said attributes includes a standard description with at least make and model of said particular product, and at least one of an image of said particular product, text describing said particular product, and technical specifications of said particular product.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein processing of product data assigned in said task is at least one of entry of product data into said product information database, verification of product data, comparison of products, writing a review of a product, associating products together, and translating product data into an another language.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 3 , further including an interface module adapted to allow an analyst to interface with said system to complete said assigned task.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an editor module adapted to allow creation and editing of said plurality of product templates.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said workflow design module includes a graphical user interface with a plurality of user selectable graphical objects for creating said workflow diagram.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said task assignment module assigns said generated task to an analyst, and said system further includes a terminal in electronic communication with said task assignment module that is accessed by the analyst to process said product data to complete said assigned task.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein said terminal is accessed by said identified analyst to at least one of enter product data, to verify product data, to compare products, to write a review of a product, associate products together, and translate product data into another language.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising an analyst database having qualification information regarding a plurality of analysts, wherein said task assignment module is further adapted to assign a generated task to an analyst at least partially based on qualification information.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said task assignment module further restricts access of the assigned analyst to product data in said product information database required to complete said assigned task.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein said task management module assigns a task type name to said generated tasks that identifies type of product data processing required to complete said generated task.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further including an interface module with a plurality of plug-ins associated with task type names, and wherein said interface module provides a user interface to said terminal customized by a plug-in based on said assigned task to facilitate processing of said product data.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein said terminal is remotely located from said task assignment module, and is in electronic communication with said task assignment module via a wide area network.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , further including a tools module including at least one of a normalization tool that normalizes or suggests normal values of an attribute for a product template, and a value determination tool that calculates values of product data for a product template.  
     
     
         17 . A product catalog management system for managing product data associated with a plurality of products, said system comprising: 
 a processor; and    a product information database in electronic communication with said processor for storing product data associated with a plurality of products therein, said product information database including a plurality of product templates, each product template corresponding to a product category and having a plurality of product attribute fields, and a plurality of instantiated product templates, each of said instantiated product templates being associated to a particular product, with said product attribute fields being populated with attributes of the particular product.    
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein processing of product data assigned in said task is at least one of entry of product data into said product information database, verification of product data, comparison of products, writing a review of a product, associating products together, and translating product data into an another language.  
     
     
         19 . A method of managing product data associated with a plurality of products, said method comprising: 
 providing a product information database for storing product data associated with a plurality of products therein;    creating a workflow diagram for processing product data for storage in said product information database;    generating a plurality of tasks for processing product data according to said workflow diagram; and    assigning said generated task for processing product data for completion.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said product information database includes a plurality of product templates, each product template corresponding to a product category and having a plurality of product attribute fields.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said product data stored in said product information database includes a plurality of instantiated product templates, each instantiated product template being associated to a particular product, and having attribute fields that are populated with attributes of the particular product.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said attributes includes a standard description with at least make and model of said particular product, and at least one of an image of said particular product, text describing said particular product, and technical specifications of said particular product.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein processing of product data assigned in said task is at least one of entry of product data into said product information database, verification of product data, comparison of products, writing a review of a product, associating products together, and translating product data into another language.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further including providing an interface module to allow an analyst to interface with said system to complete said assigned task.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising providing an analyst database having qualification information regarding a plurality of analysts, and assigning a generated task to an analyst at least partially based on qualification information.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further including restricting access of the assigned analyst to product data in said product information database required to complete said assigned task.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , further including assigning a task type name to said generated tasks that identifies type of product data processing required to complete said generated task, and providing user interface incorporating a plug-in program to the analyst to facilitate processing of said product data by the analyst.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further including normalizing or suggesting normal values of an attribute for a product template, or calculating values of product data for a product template.  
     
     
         29 . A computer readable media having computer executable instructions for managing product data associated with a plurality of products, said computer readable media comprising: 
 computer executable instructions for providing a product information database for storing product data associated with a plurality of products therein;    computer executable instructions for allowing creation of a workflow diagram for processing product data to store in said product information database;    computer executable instructions for generating a plurality of tasks for processing product data according to said workflow diagram; and    computer executable instructions for assigning said generated task for processing product data for completion.    
     
     
         30 . The computer readable media of  claim 29 , wherein said product information database includes a plurality of product templates, each product template corresponding to a product category and having a plurality of product attribute fields.  
     
     
         31 . The computer readable media of  claim 30 , wherein said product data stored in said product information database includes a plurality of instantiated product templates, each instantiated product template being associated to a particular product, and having attribute fields that are populated with attributes of the particular product.  
     
     
         32 . The computer readable media of  claim 31 , wherein said attributes includes a standard description with at least make and model of said particular product, and at least one of an image of said particular product, text describing said particular product, and technical specifications of said particular product.  
     
     
         33 . The computer readable media of  claim 29 , wherein said computer executable instructions for processing of product data assigned in said task is instructions for at least one of entering of product data into said product information database verification of product data, comparison of products, writing a review of a product, associating products together, and translating product data into another language.  
     
     
         34 . The computer readable media of  claim 31 , further including computer executable instructions for providing an interface module that allows an analyst to complete said assigned task.  
     
     
         35 . The computer readable media of  claim 29 , further comprising computer executable instructions for providing an analyst database for storing qualification information regarding a plurality of analysts, and computer executable instructions for assigning a generated task to an analyst at least partially based on qualification information.  
     
     
         36 . The computer readable media of  claim 35 , further including computer executable instructions for restricting access of the assigned analyst to product data in said product information database required to complete said assigned task.  
     
     
         37 . The computer readable media of  claim 35 , further including computer executable instructions for assigning a task type name to said generated tasks that identifies type of product data processing required to complete said generated task, and computer executable instructions for providing a plug-in to the analyst corresponding to the task type name of the assigned task to facilitate processing of said product data by the analyst.  
     
     
         38 . The computer readable media of  claim 37 , further including computer executable instructions for normalizing or suggesting normal values of an attribute for a product template, or calculating values of product data for a product template.