Method Of Controlling Product Inventory

Abstract

A business method and system for executing the method that involves gathering merchandise orders at a show in the home of a hostess. The method compiles the merchandise orders while maintaining a relationship between each individual order and information pertaining to the guest making the order. The guest information maintains an association with the order throughout the method such that each order made at the show may be individually packaged and labeled, obviating the need for the hostess to sort the ordered items upon receiving them from a warehouse. The system stores records of all purchased items and maintains a running inventory of each item, accessible by the consultants so they may warn customers of potentially low inventories. The database also facilitates returns and exchanges of purchased items.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of tracking data related to sales transactions initiated at shows in the homes of a hostesses comprising:
 receiving order forms from a plurality of hostesses and guests at the shows, the order forms having data including:   customer name;   customer address;   customer order;   customer order, the customer order including one or more merchandise items;   storing the data from the order forms in a database;   comparing the customer order against a running available inventory for each of the one or more merchandise items;   subtracting the one or more merchandise items from the running available inventory.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein storing the data from the order forms in a database comprises entering the data into the database from a remote location. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein comparing the customer order against a running available inventory for each of the one or more merchandise items comprises sending a warning message to the remote location if the inventory is low or empty for a given merchandise item. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising establishing a lower inventory limit for each merchandise item available for sale at said shows and generating a watch list, accessible remotely, comprising those merchandise items having an inventory at or below said lower inventory limit. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising generating a sold out list, accessible remotely, comprising merchandise items for sale at said shows having an inventory of zero. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein generating a watch list further comprises providing data pertaining to each merchandise item regarding whether said item will be available in the future. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein providing data pertaining to each merchandise item regarding whether said item will be available in the future comprises providing a date when said item is expected to be in stock. 
     
     
         8 . A method of processing a return of a merchandise item purchased at a show in the home of a hostess comprising:
 accessing a database from a remote location, the database storing a plurality of sales transaction records from a plurality of shows;   identifying a customer order form;   selecting a merchandise item from the order form to be returned;   generating a shipping label at the remote location usable to send a package containing the merchandise item to a predetermined destination;   receiving the package at the predetermined location;   crediting an account listed on the customer order form for the item.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein identifying a customer order form comprises entering a customer order number into a database search tool. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising entering into the database a return condition code indicating whether the returned item has been used. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising updating a running inventory of merchandise items in the event that the condition code indicates the returned item is unused. 
     
     
         12 . A system for effecting sales transactions initiated at a show in the home of a hostess comprising:
 a client;   a server;   a database;   a network allowing data flow communication between the client, the server, and the database;   wherein the server is configured to perform the following steps:   receiving customer orders from the client, said customer orders including at least one merchandise item order;   storing said customer order in the database;   subtracting the at least one merchandise item order from a running inventory of available merchandise items.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the network comprises the internet. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the network comprises an intranet. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the server is further configured to receive customer return data from the client, said customer return data including at least one merchandise item return request. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the server is further configured to add the at least one merchandise item return request to the running inventory of available merchandise items in the event that the client indicates the merchandise item is unused. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the server is further configured to receive customer exchange data from the client, said customer exchange data including at least one merchandise exchange request indicating an item to be sent by the customer and an item to be sent to the customer. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the server is further configured to add the item to be sent by the customer to the running inventory of available merchandise items in the event that the client indicates the merchandise item is unused. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  wherein the server is further configured to subtract the item to be sent to the customer from the running inventory of available merchandise items. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 12  wherein said running inventory is accessible remotely by a consultant.