Method and system for virtual inventory management

Abstract

Methods and systems for virtually managing product inventory from an application on a smart device through at least one of a bar code scanning feature, an integration of a virtual toolbox component and a shopping cart component, and a checkout selection option to request a purchase order associated with a user token authorization.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for virtually managing a product inventory from an application on a smart device, the method comprising:
 receiving a login to the application on a graphical user interface (GUI) of the smart device by a user, wherein the application includes a virtual toolbox;   receiving a user token authorization based on the login;   selecting a product from a list of products to generate a selected product associated with the user token authorization, wherein the list of products is presented via the virtual toolbox, the list of products generated by at least one of:
 a product search option in the virtual toolbox, the virtual toolbox configured to store one or more products from the product inventory; 
 an online catalog option via the virtual toolbox; or 
 a bar code scanning feature of the virtual toolbox configured to scan a bar code of an associated product; 
   adding an order quantity of the selected product associated with the user token authorization to a virtual shopping cart as an order, wherein the order quantity is based at least in part on a maximum stock level;   wherein the virtual shopping cart is configured for integration with the virtual toolbox such that selection of the selected product from the virtual toolbox is configured to generate an option to auto-populate the virtual shopping cart with the selected product; and   processing the order.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving detail of a current inventory level associated with the selected product; and   generating a recommended order quantity as the order quantity based on the maximum stock level and the current inventory level.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the maximum stock level associated with the selected product is configured to be input by a user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the maximum stock level associated with the selected product is configured to be retrieved from storage in a memory of the smart device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the current inventory level associated with the selected product is configured to be input by a user. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the current inventory level associated with the selected product is configured to be retrieved from storage in a memory of the smart device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 adding the selected product to the virtual toolbox of the application when the selected product is not found within the virtual toolbox.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selecting a checkout option prior to processing the order.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selecting a purchase order approval option to receive a purchase order approval prior to processing the order.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 selecting a purchase order approval contact;   sending a purchase order approval request to the purchase order approval contact;   receiving the purchase order approval associated with the user token authorization from the purchase order approval contact.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 selecting a checkout option by one of the user and the purchase order approval contact prior to processing the order, wherein the checkout option is based on the purchase order approval associated with the user token authorization.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selecting an option to receive detail of the selected product on the GUI, wherein the detail comprises at least one of a product name, a product part number, a product image, and a product price; and   displaying the at least one of a product name, a product part number, a product image, and a product price via the virtual toolbox on the smart device.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying a usage history of the selected product in the virtual toolbox.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying a 3D model of the selected product in the virtual toolbox.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 adding the selected product to the virtual toolbox of the application when the selected product is not found within the virtual toolbox.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bar code associated with the product is etched into a surface of the selected product. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bar code associated with the product is placed on a surface of the selected product as an adhesive label. 
     
     
         18 . A system for virtually managing a product inventory from an application on a mobile smart device, the system comprising:
 a server; and   the mobile smart device comprising:   a processor communicatively coupled to the server; and   a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor and through the application, cause the processor to:   receive a login to the application on a graphical user interface (GUI) of the smart device by a user, wherein the application includes a virtual toolbox;   receive a user token authorization based on the login;   select a product from a list of products to generate a selected product associated with the user token authorization, wherein the list of products is presented via the virtual toolbox, the list of products generated by at least one of:
 a product search option in the virtual toolbox, the virtual toolbox configured to store one or more products from the product inventory; 
 an online catalog option via the virtual toolbox; or 
 a bar code scanning feature of the virtual toolbox configured to scan a bar code of an associated product; 
   add an order quantity of the selected product associated with the user token authorization to a virtual shopping cart as an order, wherein the order quantity is based at least in part on a maximum stock level;   wherein the virtual shopping cart is configured for integration with the virtual toolbox such that selection of the selected product from the virtual toolbox is configured to generate an option to auto-populate the virtual shopping cart with the selected product; and   process the order.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , further comprising instructions that cause the processor to:
 receive detail of a current inventory level associated with the selected product; and   generate a recommended order quantity as the order quantity based on the maximum stock level and the current inventory level.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the current inventory level associated with the selected product is configured to be input by a user.