Abstract: A risk framework is described for computing risk. One or more persons may be grouped into classes of stakeholders. Different types of risk may be classified into risk categories. Within each risk category, events contributing to that type of risk may be determined and assigned a weight/severity value and a likelihood of occurrence value. Risk likelihood may be computed for each risk category by summing the products of weight/severity value and likelihood of occurrence value for each event within the risk category. A severity level may be determined and assigned with respect to each class of stakeholders regarding the risk categories, and a risk score may be computed for each stakeholder class and risk category combination. An aggregate risk likelihood may be computed by summing and/or weighting the risk likelihoods computed for each risk category.

Abstract: Techniques for statistically estimating a rating or other “figure of merit” for a user are disclosed. According to one such technique, a first quantity of submissions that were submitted by a user is determined. A second quantity of submissions that (a) were submitted by the user and (b) obtained a particular rating from a rating mechanism also is determined. A user rating for the user is determined based at least in part on the first quantity, the second quantity, and a factor that is independent of both the first quantity and the second quantity—such as the probability that an answer submitted by any answerer in a population will obtain the particular rating from the rating mechanism. The influence that the second quantity has on the user rating relative to the influence that the factor has on the user rating may depend at least in part on the first quantity.

Abstract: A method and system for the assessment of the office document production environment(s) in a facility, and more particularly to a client-based method and system that can be used to collect, analyze, model, optimize, and report on document output costs and efficiencies in an office environment.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a renege reducing hiring method. Other embodiments of the present invention provide a renege factor evaluation method. Other embodiments of the present invention provide an organizational renege reduction method. Other embodiments of the present invention provide a candidate renege prediction method in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. An still other embodiments of the present invention provide a psychometric analysis tool for predicting the renege rate.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a monthly cumulative prediction of pharmaceutical sales of a particular pharmaceutical, or group of pharmaceuticals, in a current month is disclosed. In particular, the technique of the present invention provides for extrapolating a sample of sales data for a given day across that entire day (114), extrapolating sales data for at least 14 prior days across an entire month (116); adjusting the monthly cumulative prediction by comparing past predicted values with past actual values (118); adjusting the monthly cumulative prediction to account for sales anomalies created by national or local holidays (120); and provides confidence intervals indicating the believed accuracy of the current monthly cumulative prediction (122).

Abstract: Defining service ownership for an SOA includes defining, in response to an event requiring a change in service ownership and in dependence upon data describing business functions within a business, a service domain. Embodiments also include reviewing the defined service domain for approval and upon approval of the defined service domain, identifying potential impact upon currently existing service domains caused by implementation of the defined service domain. Embodiments also include identifying a potential owner of the defined service domain in dependence upon a service type of the defined service domain and funding requirements of the service domain and presenting, to relevant stakeholders in the business, the potential owner of the defined service domain for approval. Upon approval of the potential owner of the defined service domain, embodiments include assigning the potential owner of the defined service domain responsibility for managing the defined service domain.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method for implementing an identity management system for an organization includes developing a process flow diagram, the process flow diagram including one or more icons representing at least one process step for each of the events included in an event group and one or more icons representing at least one process step for each of the functional entities in an entity group, and implementing at least one of the process steps represented in the process flow diagram. The event group includes a status change for a system user, a request for an audit report, and an implementation of a new software application. The entity group includes a human resources department, an information technologies department, and a facilities department.

Abstract: Process Brokering Services (PBS) are implemented though the concept of Adaptive Documents to facilitate electronic commerce (e-commerce). PBS provides a single point of process control over the various fragmented execution flows and brings together the elements for process integration (views, content, flows) in a unified, scalable architecture on an industry standard platform. The two principal functions of the PBS are brokering of multiple business processes encapsulated in various back-end systems including workflow engines and business applications, and aggregating content from multiple enterprise information systems in the business context and managing the shared access to this based on the roles of the participants. The dynamic services provided by PBS are accessible to clients through the PBS Interface.

Abstract: A system and method for anticipating consumer behavior and determining transaction incentives for influencing consumer behavior comprises a computer system and associated database for determining cross time correlations between transaction behavior, for applying the function derived from the correlations to consumer records to predict future consumer behavior, and for deciding on transaction incentives to offer the consumers based upon their predicted behavior.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for designing a supply chain distribution network. A network design tool may be configured to facilitates strategic decision making for a producer/distributor of a commodity products (e.g., molecular gas mixtures stored in cylinders) by incorporating transportation costs (i.e., operational decisions) into the strategic decision making process. Further, the network design tool may also integrate investment decision costs, which are usually considered ‘tactical decisions’, into the strategic decision process (e.g., which filling tools are assigned to which plant/hub location). The network design tool implements different algorithm approaches allowing a user to obtain optimal, near-optimal, and approximate solutions.

Abstract: A system, method and program product are provided for organizing a store into a department store having shops associated therewith. The method includes receiving a designation of at least one store as being a department store. The department stores of the enterprise defining a department store organizational level. A designation of at least one shop having a type and being a member of the department store is received. A shop organizational level is defined by each shop in the enterprise. The shop operates as a component of the associated department store.

Abstract: An overall average review rating for a product may be determined, based on user ratings that are associated with opinions of a product, within a dimension corresponding to a user trait. A segment variation score for each of a plurality of segments of the dimension may be determined. Each segment may correspond to one or more values of the user trait corresponding to the dimension. A total variation score may be determined for the dimension based on the segment variation scores determined for each of the plurality of segments of the dimension. The total variation score for the dimension may be compared to a polarization threshold to determine whether the dimension is polarized. Generated information may identify the product as having sentiment that is polarized.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is provided for optimizing scheduling and resource allocation for a workflow. The method includes receiving i) resource information representing resources available for allocation to the workflow and ii) one or more workflow constraints. The method determines one or more probable sequences for executing the workflow. Each probable sequence includes tasks usable to execute at least a portion of the workflow. Each task is assigned a probability of task execution. The method assigns a probability of sequence execution to each of the probable sequences based on the probability of task execution of the tasks forming the probable sequence. The method further determines an optimized scenario for scheduling the workflow based on the probable sequences. The optimized scenario can have an optimized probability of completion.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus, including software tangibly stored on a computer readable medium, involve a future deadline for completion of a project milestone. An estimate of an amount of time slippage associated with the future deadline is received. A probability of missing the future deadline is calculated based on the estimated amount of time slippage and an amount of time remaining until the future deadline.

Abstract: An improved method of selecting and planning the performance of various maintenance activities on a facility such as a nuclear power plant includes determining the net present value of a number of future net savings that are expected to result from performance of the maintenance activity at a given time, and selecting and planning the maintenance activities in a fashion that maximizes net present value. The method includes, for each of a number of components and a number of time periods, determining a change in the probability that a component will fail within a time period, with the change resulting from an assumption that a maintenance activity is performed. The change in probability is multiplied with the losses associated with a failure in order to determine a gross savings from which costs are subtracted to determine net savings.

Abstract: Described are methods and mechanisms for managing data within a calendaring framework. The method includes receiving task data, which is distributed into one or more tasks associated with a category, and receiving time slot data, which defines one or more time slots within the calendaring framework and associates each category with at least one time slot. The method additionally includes determining a location for each task within the one or more time slots that are associated with the same category based on a task prioritization value, and determining a location for each action item within the one or more time slots that are associated with the same category based on the task location determination, an action item prioritization value, and an estimated completion time. The method further includes populating the time slots within the calendaring framework with the action items based on the action item location determination.

Abstract: Provided are a synchronization control section that executes a current thread and a reference thread in parallel, a waiting time calculation section that calculates the time needed for the reference thread to reach a second synchronization point as a waiting time of the current thread when the reference thread does not reach the second synchronization point at a time when the current thread reaches a first synchronization point, a quality difference calculation section that estimates a quality difference between data that the current thread generates by referring to processing data at the second synchronization point of the reference thread and data that the current thread generates without referring to the processing data, and a synchronization determination section that determines whether to make the current thread wait until the reference thread reaches the second synchronization point depending on the waiting time and the magnitude of the quality difference.

Abstract: A system and method for providing search assistance over a communications network to an employer or a job seeker advertising positions at or applying to positions at higher education learning institutions. The method enables an employer to submit information about their open positions into categorized online system accessible to persons looking for employment in higher education. The categories are specially selected to reflect current market conditions in higher education. Employers utilize a specialized posting system to make their postings. Postings are viewed and polished prior to being made available to job seekers to ensure proper categorization, content, and completeness. Job seekers may view posted positions by entering search criteria into a search engine to produce a list of jobs matching the criteria. Job seekers may also browse listed positions by clicking through a series of categories that describe an academic discipline or administrative department.

Abstract: A system can create and manage a framework for integrating a plurality of business processes. The system can include a first tier module adapted for managing at least one internal function and at least one service of the plurality of business processes, wherein the business processes include respective predefined goals and objectives. The system can further include a second tier module adapted for managing business initiative solutions and establishing a capability to deploy and manage infrastructure based on the at least one function and at least one service of the plurality of business processes. Furthermore, the system can include a third tier module adapted for establishing an architecture according to the predefined goals and objectives of the plurality of business processes and an integration module adapted for linking the first tier module, the second tier module, the third tier module, or combinations thereof for creating and managing the framework.

Abstract: A method and system to automatically monitor business collaborations. Collaboration participants can formally express obligations about their expected behavior during the collaboration in business terms, then automatically monitor processes carrying out the collaboration using the formulated obligations. The method and system extends existing service oriented monitoring standards and architecture, specifically, with additional business oriented metrics and plug-in components that allow the monitoring system to calculate business parameters from measurements of multiple services.