Abstract: A process model lean notation provides an easy to understand way to categorize the process elements of a process using a process definition grammar. Process model lean notation allows an organization to rapidly identify the process elements of a process and the interactions between the process elements, and produces a process categorization that includes an ordered sequence of the process elements. A process categorization provides a structured presentation of the process elements and clearly indicates for each process element the task accomplished, the actor responsible for and/or performing the task, the tool that may be used to perform the task, and the work product that may result by performing the task.

Abstract: A process for increasing profits of a business engaged in the purchase of large numbers of products and/or products of volatile pricing from numerous vendors that operates to identify pricing errors, preferably typically before payment, by automatically reviewing all invoices typically in the order they are received to determine a best system price for each line item of each invoice by reference to pricing factors such as volume discount, seasonal pricing, price protection, commodity pricing, competition pricing, and cash discount recorded in memory for the subject item and reference to payment history data, accounts payable data and invoice data. From the pricing factors and associated data, a best system price is determined and compared to the invoice price for the item so that pricing errors are automatically uncovered and, if appropriate, flagged to identify the same as an exception for warning or notification.

Abstract: Biographic data associated with a user is received. Biometric data associated with the user is also received. External data associated with the biographic data and the biometric data is received and a determination is made as to a level of access to grant the user based on the external data. One or more settings associated with a smartcard are configured based on the level of access.

Abstract: The hierarchical relationships between objects in different levels of an object structure (such as a contract) are stored as elements in two-dimensional matrix representations. In general, the matrix representations facilitate queries, clustering of like objects and contracts, and comparisons that identify common objects and contracts.

Abstract: Methods, computer-readable media, and apparatuses process data for an employee requisition, in which a contracted company may assume responsibility for supporting portions of the requisition process by filtering candidates. Consequently, only qualified candidates for a specified job assignment are interviewed by the contracting company (client). By looking at requisitions that are in process and focusing on whether or not they have achieved an expected threshold of activity, a requisition system can predict bottlenecks in the process before the requisition is filled. An interprocess report organizes and acts on data to provide a management team a prediction of how a recruitment team will perform by individual recruiter and requisition level. In addition, actions are identified that the manager can initiate to correct issues early in the requisition process in order to reduce an impact on the client as per a service level agreement.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method of updating, by a mobile device (106), the value of a digital voucher having an initial value, comprising: receiving, by said mobile device from a remote server (102), said digital voucher having said initial value; receiving, by a processing unit of said mobile device, at least one input parameter; calculating, by said processing unit, a new value of said digital voucher based on said at least one input parameter; and displaying said new value on a display of said mobile device.

Abstract: Technician control, in which a control system is configured to control scheduling and dispatch operations for work orders being handled by technicians. Multiple technician devices are each associated with one or more technicians, are configured to communicate, over a network, with the control system, and also are configured to provide output in response to communications that are received from the control system and that are related to the scheduling and dispatch operations performed by the control system. A set of scheduling configuration options may be pre-defined and user input weighting at least one of the scheduling configuration options relative to other of the scheduling configuration options may be received. A scheduling application used by the control system to perform scheduling operations may be configured based on configuration data that reflects the weighting and scheduling operations may be performed using the configured scheduling application.

Abstract: A product assortment planning system determines scaled performance metric values for an assortment of products. The system includes a data store storing performance metric values for an assortment of products including a target assortment of products and a source assortment of products, an equivalization unit and a scaling unit. The equivalization unit equivalizes the performance metric values for the source assortment of products. The scaling unit determines incrementality assumptions. The incrementality assumptions are an estimation of an amount of cannibalization that occurs for the target assortment of products as a result of combining the source assortment of products with the target assortment of products. Scaled performance metric values are calculated for each product in the assortment of products based on the equivalized performance metric values and the incrementality assumptions.

Abstract: An Object Customization and Management (OCM) system is configured to identify an object for creating a website based on a business objective. The OCM system includes a customizing module configured to determine qualitative attribute categories for a plurality of objects operable to be used in websites. The module assigns the plurality of objects to the qualitative attribute categories. The OCM system also includes a data management module configured to receive a request for one of the plurality of objects to be used to achieve the business objective. This module also matches the business objective with one of the qualitative attribute categories, and selects an object in the matched qualitative attribute category for the request.

Abstract: A method for implementing a closed-loop business process management lifecycle. The method comprising producing at least one to-be process model during a process analysis phase. Storing a copy of the at least one to-be process model. Automating the at least one to-be process model during a process automation phase. Producing data logs by applications implementing the automated to-be process models. Data mining the produced data logs during a process monitoring phase, to produce emerging to-be process models and updated to-be process models of automated to-be process models. Storing the emerging to-be process models and the updated to-be process models; and selecting ones of the stored emerging and updated to-be process models to provide to a new process analysis phase.

Abstract: A behavior sets system facilitates the dynamic generation of field and rule behavior sets for an insurance policy and claims processing computer system. The behavior sets system includes various modules and graphical user interfaces that provide a streamlined mechanism for creating new behavior sets of field and rule behaviors for the insurance processing architecture. The behavior sets system may include various levels of usability that distinguish between an advanced user of the behavior sets system and basic user that uses the generated field and rule behavior sets. The behavior sets system may also include graphical user interfaces directed to adding, editing, removing, or maintaining the behavior of fields and rules for the insurance policy and claims processing computer system.

Abstract: A method includes identifying a document structure instance that includes structure components. A selected structure component is chosen from the structure components. The method includes generating, with a processor, a hierarchical graph based on the selected structure component. The hierarchical graph includes classes, a class definition relationship, and an instance identifier that identifies the selected structure component. The hierarchical graph is output.

Abstract: A mobile provisioning tool system including a software provisioning tool application. The mobile provisioning tool system includes mobile devices capable of conducting wireless communication with wireless access points. A carrier network is connected with the wireless access points and a customer network that includes at least one business application. A provisioning tool application is located on a provisioning server. The provisioning tool application includes a CRM Rep component and an IT Admin component. A software provisioning tool application allows the provisioning workstation to automatically install mobile business services and configure network configuration settings on the mobile device.

Abstract: A decision management system simulates a communications network service deployment using business and technology changeable parameters, a base case model, a network cost model and a bandwidth model. The simulations may be performed for different sets of changeable parameters to generate multiple candidate solutions. These solutions are analyzed to identify a solution for deploying the communications network service.

Abstract: A method of determining a future market scenario for an industry that includes obtaining subjective data from experts in an industry, combining the subjective data and determining from the combined subjective data which market scenario will apply to the industry in the future.

Abstract: A high performance capability assessment model helps a utility industry business meet the challenges of the global marketplace. As a result, the utility industry business can achieve the clarity, consistency, and well-defined execution of core processes that reduce inefficiencies and waste that result from unnecessary process complexity and exceptions. In addition, the high performance capability assessment model helps the utility industry business to identify specific areas in which improvements may be made and understand how to make the improvements, and establishes levels of capability along the way to reaching an ultimate capability goal.

Abstract: A document to be segmented is converted into a common representation format, if necessary. Parsing of the document results in a document model that is analyzed based on at least one structure-dependent function to identify segments within the document. In one embodiment, the structure-dependent function may comprise a template, or a best-fit template of a plurality of templates, used for comparison with the document model. In other embodiments, the structure-dependent function may comprise table of contents information, font properties within the document model and/or an average segment size determined according to previously identified segments in one or more additional documents that are related to the document under consideration. Semantic-content dependent functions may be applied to further refine the analysis by identifying sub-segments within the extracted segments, or by identifying segments that may be properly merged according to the similarity of their respective semantic content.

Abstract: A system for integrating service management systems includes an interface and a processor. The processor may be operative to monitor a first service management system to detect a first system event, and monitor a second service management system to detect a second system event. The processor may retrieve first information from the first database, transform first information into a second system request message, and provide second system request message to the second service management system, responsive to detecting the first system event. The processor may retrieve a data update from second database, transform the data update into a first system update message, and provide the first system update message to the first service management system, responsive to detecting the second system event. The processor may replicate the first database in globally distributed databases, when the first system event corresponds to replication of the first database.

Abstract: Methods and systems for testing and analyzing integrated voice response systems are provided. Computer devices are used to simulate caller responses or inputs to components of the integrated voice response systems. The computer devices receive responses from the components. The responses may be in the form of VXML and grammar files that are used to implement call flow logic. The responses may to analyzed to evaluate the performance of the components and/or call flow logic.

Abstract: A system and method for testing an application includes modules capable of reading data from one or more data tables and providing the data as input to the application. The input data is correlated by test case, so that each module may provide different input data for each test case. The system also includes a controller that executes the modules. The controller is capable of determining an execution order for the modules by reading a flow table. The flow table correlates each test case with one or more modules, and further correlates each module within the test case with an execution order. The system may read results that the application generates in response to the input data, and correlate the results with the test case and module in a results table. The results table may also contain expected results, and the system may compare the actual results with the expected results to determine whether the application is functioning properly.