Abstract: Redistributing parts includes defining locations. An actual inventory of parts is established among the locations, and a desired allocation of the parts is established among the locations. A demand for the parts at each location is determined using the actual inventory and the desired allocation. Paths are determined, where a path transfers an excess part from one location to another location. A transfer function describing a cost of transferring the excess part along the paths is generated. The transfer function is optimized to achieve the desired allocation of the excess parts at a minimum cost.

Abstract: A process for modeling at least a portion of a workflow includes accessing a computer data structure to represent an acyclic directed graph (10) including multiple nodes (12) and one or more edges (14), each edge (14) linking two adjacent nodes (12). The value of a function at a selected node (12) is requested, the value of the function at the selected node (12) depending on values of the function at one or more adjacent nodes (12) lying in a first direction from the selected node (12). If a cached value of the function at the selected node (12) is not assured to be valid, then the value of the function at the selected node (12) is recomputed based on the values of the function at the one or more adjacent nodes (12) and then returned. If the cached value is assured to be valid, then the cached value is returned without recomputing the value of the function at the selected node (12).

Abstract: A method for distributed inventory management includes receiving information regarding a number of participants in a value chain and information regarding one or more items relevant in the value chain. The method also includes modeling relationships between two or more of the participants based on the received information and modeling the one or more items based on the received information. Furthermore, the method includes receiving inventory data from the participants relating to the one or more items, processing the inventory data based on the models of the relationships and the items to generate inventory information related to one or more of the participants, and communicating the generated inventory information to one or more of the participants. The inventory information at least partially includes information regarding inventory data of participants other than those participants to which the inventory information is communicated.

Abstract: In one embodiment, optimizing inventory includes accessing service level band sets. Each service level band set is associated with a policy group, and includes service level bands. Each service level band of a service level band set has a service level priority with respect to any other service level bands of the same service level band set. An inventory band set is determined for each service level band set. Each inventory band set includes inventory bands, where each inventory band satisfies a corresponding service level band assuming an unconstrained network. Each inventory band of an inventory band set has an inventory priority with respect to any other inventory bands of the same inventory band set. A feasible supply chain plan that satisfies the inventory band sets is generated in order of the inventory priorities until a constrained network is depleted.

Abstract: Redistributing parts includes defining locations. An actual inventory of parts is established among the locations, and a desired allocation of the parts is established among the locations. A demand for the parts at each location is determined using the actual inventory and the desired allocation. Paths are determined, where a path transfers an excess part from one location to another location. A transfer function describing a cost of transferring the excess part along the paths is generated. The transfer function is optimized to achieve the desired allocation of the excess parts at a minimum cost.

Abstract: In one embodiment, optimizing inventory includes accessing service level band sets. Each service level band set is associated with a policy group, and includes service level bands. Each service level band of a service level band set has a service level priority with respect to any other service level bands of the same service level band set. An inventory band set is determined for each service level band set. Each inventory band set includes inventory bands, where each inventory band satisfies a corresponding service level band assuming an unconstrained network. Each inventory band of an inventory band set has an inventory priority with respect to any other inventory bands of the same inventory band set. A feasible supply chain plan that satisfies the inventory band sets is generated in order of the inventory priorities until a constrained network is depleted.

Abstract: An electronic marketplace includes one or more computers supporting a market. There are fewer participants on a first side of the market than on a second side. Participants on the first side have a greater market capacity than market participants on the second side. Offers on the first side are inaccessible and offers on the second side are accessible to the participants. Offers are received from participants on the first side and participants on the second side. Each offer includes an offered price and an offered quantity. Any offers on the first side that include equal offered prices and any offers on the second side that include equal offered prices are prioritized according to a prioritization scheme, which determines the order in which they are matched with other offers. A first offer on the first side is matched with a second offer on the second side according to a relationship between offered prices associated with the first and second offers, and a strike price is determined based on the relationship.

Abstract: Determining a policy parameter for an entity of a supply chain includes establishing attributes of the entities of the supply chain. Attribute segments are established for each attribute, where an attribute segment includes one or more values of the corresponding attribute. Rules are formulated using the attribute segments to define policy groups, and policy parameters are assigned to each policy group. A policy group corresponding to an entity is identified in accordance with the rules. The policy parameters assigned to the identified policy group are determined and selected for the entity.

Abstract: Redistributing parts includes defining locations. An actual inventory of parts is established among the locations, and a desired allocation of the parts is established among the locations. A demand for the parts at each location is determined using the actual inventory and the desired allocation. Paths are determined, where a path transfers an excess part from one location to another location. A transfer function describing a cost of transferring the excess part along the paths is generated. The transfer function is optimized to achieve the desired allocation of the excess parts at a minimum cost.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system stores profiles for parties to the negotiation, each profile specifying values for one or more parameters negotiated, the values reflecting a desirable outcome of the negotiation for the associated party. A matching server accesses an offer from a first party containing values for one or more of the parameters negotiated and computes a distance between the offer values and the profile values of a second party. If the distance is acceptably small, the server causes the offer to be accepted by the second party to conclude the negotiation. If the distance is not acceptably small, the server automatically modifies one or more values in the offer such that the distances between the modified offer and the profiles of the first and second parties are acceptably small simultaneously and causes the modified offer to be accepted by the first and second parties to conclude the automatic negotiation.

Abstract: A product that is uniquely identifiable according to a globally unique identifier (GUID)(100) includes a class identifier (CID)(110) that uniquely identifies at least one product class in which the product is categorized (along with a plurality of other products) within a class hierarchy of a global content directory (42). The product class defines one or more attributes of the products categorized in the class. The product also includes a product identifier (PID)(120) that uniquely identifies the particular product from among the plurality of products categorized in the product class uniquely identified by the CID (110). The CID (110) and PID (120) collectively provide the GUID (100), which may be specified or determined to facilitate a commercial transaction involving the product.

Abstract: A method of valuing products based on demand probabilities. Products are designed by identifying product components, and combining the components in various combinations to provide standard and non-standard products. Components are valued using an algorithm that considers demand probability as well as known prices of standard products. The component values are added to determine product values and may be used to make pricing and order fulfillment decisions.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a cost savings analysis system includes one or more software components. The software components collectively receive from a user one or more first inputs specifying a cost savings goal and one or more second inputs specifying a technique for generating a baseline price. The software components collectively access historical transaction data within one or more databases needed to generate a baseline price according to the specified technique, generate the baseline price, determine a variation between the generated baseline price and an actual price for each of one or more transactions corresponding to the specified cost savings goal, and compare the determined variations for the one or more transactions with the specified cost savings goal to conduct a baseline cost savings analysis.

Abstract: Determining a policy parameter for an entity of a supply chain includes establishing attributes of the entities of the supply chain. Attribute segments are established for each attribute, where an attribute segment includes one or more values of the corresponding attribute. Rules are formulated using the attribute segments to define policy groups, and policy parameters are assigned to each policy group. A policy group corresponding to an entity is identified in accordance with the rules. The policy parameters assigned to the identified policy group are determined and selected for the entity.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system (10) for conducting automatic negotiations stores profiles for parties (12, 14) to the negotiation, each profile specifying values for one or more parameters being negotiated, the values reflecting a desirable outcome of the negotiation for the associated party (12, 14). A matching server (16) accesses an offer from a first party (12, 14) containing values for one or more of the parameters being negotiated and computes a distance between the offer values and the profile values of a second party (12, 14). If the distance is acceptably small, the matching server (16) causes the offer to be accepted by the second party (14, 12) to conclude the negotiation.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a system and method for matching buyers and sellers in a marketplace accepts limit bids and offers into a central system. Periodically, an optimizing algorithm is executed to match buyers and sellers. The algorithm utilizes techniques to maximize global utility. After buyers and sellers are matched, a transaction price is calculated for each pairing. The transaction price is selected to ensure that each participant executes the transaction at that participant's best effective transaction price.

Abstract: An electronic commerce system (10) includes a shared product data repository (34) that includes static product data for one or more products. The static product data is associated with dynamic product data stored in one or more seller databases (32). The system also includes a global content directory (42) that includes a plurality of product classes organized in a hierarchy. Each product class categorizes a number of products and is associated with one or more attributes of the products categorized in the product class. At least one of the product classes has one or more associated pointers that identify the shared product data repository (34). The system further includes a search interface (45) that communicates a search query to the shared product data repository (34) to search static product data stored in the shared product data repository (34) identified by one of the pointers.

Abstract: An electronic commerce system includes one or more databases operable to store product data for one or more products. The system also includes a master global content directory that includes a plurality of product classes organized in a hierarchy, the product class categorizing the products and associated with one or more attributes of the products. At least one of the product classes has one or more associated product pointers that identify one or more of the databases. The system further includes one or more secondary content directories including one or more classes mapping back to the product classes in the master global content directory and the classes having associated class pointers that identify product classes in the master global content directory. The system also includes a search interface that communicates a search query to one or more of the databases to search product data.

Abstract: A system for providing third-party certification of content in an electronic commerce transaction includes one or more servers operating on one or more computers. The one or more servers receive a first set of attribute values from a first party, the first set of attribute values being associated with one or more products that are the subject of an electronic commerce transaction between the first party and a second party. The one or more servers verify that the first set of attribute values matches, at least in part, a second set of attribute values maintained by the second party, the second set of attribute values being associated with the one or more products that are the subject of the electronic commerce transaction between the first party and the second party.

Abstract: A request for quote (RFQ) engine (10) includes a data and metrics designer (22) that generates, in response to input from a user, a data and metrics model (42) for an RFQ template using a data and metrics meta-model (32). The RFQ engine (10) also includes a state transition designer (24) that generates, in response to input from the user, a state transition model (44) for the RFQ template using a state transition meta-model (34). Furthermore, the RFQ engine (10) includes a workflow designer (26) that generates, in response to input from the user, a user interface workflow (46) for the RFQ template using a workflow meta-model (36). In addition, the RFQ engine includes an execution engine (40) that executes the RFQ template that includes the data and metrics model (42) generated by the data and metrics designer (22), the state transition model (44) generated by the state transition designer (24), and the user interface workflow (46) generated by the workflow designer (26).