SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING A MARKET BY PROJECTING DEMAND AND IDENTIFYING SUPPLY

摘要

Inventory data of vehicles is collected from each of a group of dealers (8, 10, 12, 14) within a region on a recurring basis. A dealer profile specifying business rules for managing the inventory is obtained or produced for each dealer. A supply of products is determined by collecting inventory data from suppliers, such as automobile leasing companies (16, 18) and dealers with surplus inventory (8, 10, 12, 14). The demand for products is determined by comparison of the dealer profile for each vehicle category to the actual inventory for the corresponding vehicle category and/or to the sales history for the product. The data collected and produced is aggregated for all of the dealers to generate a composite representation of the demand for each vehicle category. For each vehicle category having a substantive supply and demand, a market is identified (4) and those dealers who have a significant demand for the products in the market category are invited to participate in the identified market.