Abstract: Methods and systems for content aggregation and distribution are described. Video content may be received from a plurality of sources. The video content may be associated with metadata identifying items included within the video content. A video player may be provided which enables video content to be displayed on a user terminal, and a control may be provided enabling the user to quickly navigate to specific portions of the video content. A viewer of the video content may, in turn, author and provide additional video content. The video player may be embeddable.

Abstract: A bifurcatable mobile rock crusher and method of transporting the same comprising providing a first segment which is separately towable on the highway and providing a second segment which is separately towable on the highway, where each segment is configured to be combined into one unit and towed as a unit on the highway.

Abstract: Social networking spam is detected using usage profiles for social networking groups. A mapping module maps a social networking group with a number of members. A pattern module determines a pattern of publishing activity of the members in posting information on blogs of other of the members. A profiling module defines a group usage profile for the social networking group based on the pattern. Global usage profiles can also be created for the social networking environment. An identification module identifies when a new entry has been posted on a blog of a members of a social networking group. An analysis module analyzes the new entry in comparison to a group usage profile (or other profiles). A determination module determines whether the new entry deviates from the pattern of activity of the members based on the analysis. If the new entry deviates, a spam detection module detects that the new entry is spam.

Abstract: A decision support tool which takes a high-level view of supply and demand in the realm of labor resources and produces globally-optimal recommendations for assignment of practitioners to open seats. These assignments preferably optimize a utility function composed of different business metrics and can be customizable for different organizations and priorities.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including systems and computer program products, for a services architecture design that provides enterprise services having supply chain control functionality at the level of an enterprise application. The design includes a set of service operations, process components, and optionally deployment units. Suitable business objects are also described.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for determining staffing requirements or other resource requirements for a plurality of contact channels are disclosed. A contact volume forecast may be performed at a beginning of a season. The contact volume forecast may predict variability in contact volume over a plurality of time periods in the season for each of the contact channels. A resource plan may be determined based on the contact volume forecast. The resource plan may indicate an amount of resources required for each contact channel for each of the plurality of time periods in the season. For at least one time period, the resource plan may specify that resources are to be shifted into a first contact channel from one or more other contact channels.

Abstract: Gaming rewards are provided as an incentive for performing business goals. A business goal can be comprised of one or more tasks and a threshold for each task. When one or more participants perform tasks which satisfies the corresponding thresholds, a corresponding gaming reward is awarded to the participants. A business goal may require a single participant to satisfy a single task threshold, multiple participants to satisfy a threshold for one or more tasks, or a single participant to satisfy one or more thresholds for several tasks.

Abstract: A task management system is disclosed for providing shared task management among a variety of users and allows users to create and share task-lists and tasks. Users can invite others to join task-lists and can assign responsibility for tasks to other users. In various embodiments, the system implicitly sets permissions for every task-list and task, and these permissions are automatically changed or updated by the system in response to users interacting with the system. In another embodiment, users can explicitly set these permissions. Thus, the task management system is configured so that there is no single administrator of the system; rather each user may be an administrator of certain tasks and task-lists and thus set the related task and task-list permissions. Thus, the system is configured to operate in the absence of explicitly set permissions, but is also flexible to allow for users to change and modify permissions explicitly.

Abstract: Under the present invention, a call center study is planned and managed. Specifically, a call center study is first designed based on specific parameters such as customer segments, products, call types and population size. Thereafter, target values and assumed resource values are provided so that a target sample size and a required resources value can be computed. The call center study can then be planned based on the target sample size and required resources. As the study is being performed, calls will be tracked and monitored so that actual sample sizes can be determined. These values will be used to compute actual accuracy levels for the study, which will be compared to a previously provided target accuracy level. Based on this comparison, it can be decided whether the study should be terminated or continued.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for verifying business objects. In one exemplary aspect, the business object and a predetermined contract defining the business object are received. The received business object is verified based on one or more tests defined by the predetermined contract. Based on the results of the verification of the business object, an indication is provided of whether the business object complies with the predetermined contract.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system for validating a baseline of a project. A computing application executes routines to automatically identify baseline errors associated with one or more tasks and generate exception reports to facilitate correction of the errors. The baseline errors are identified via determinations of whether (1) a task has no resources assigned, (2) resources are assigned to a summary task, (3) a task has an invalid earned value method value, (4) a task or milestone was not baselined, (5) a task's baseline start date was manually updated, (6) a task's baseline finish date was manually updated, (7) a task's baseline cost (BAC) was manually increased, (8) a task's BAC was manually decreased, and (9) a task's budgeted cost of work performed is not equal to the task's BAC.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for a plan workbook is provided that comprises recording charter-scope data, management structure data, planning and control data, and supporting plans in the plan workbook for project management. The management structure data is based on the charter-scope data and comprises project management role data that identities individuals associated with the project management. The planning and control data is based on the management structure data and comprises a work breakdown structure (WBS). The supporting plans data is based on the planning and control data and comprises risk register data and variance report data. The method also comprises promoting project management by displaying the plan workbook.

Abstract: A global customer satisfaction system includes point-of-sale customer feedback terminals for receiving in-store customer feedback including satisfaction ratings and other customer feedback regarding participating vendors as the customer pays for purchases. The system also includes post-sale customer feedback terminals for receiving more detailed customer feedback regarding the vendors from members after the sales have been completed. The system also includes an aggregation and dissemination system for combining the ratings received form customers into global customer satisfaction ratings for participating vendors, and disseminating the customer satisfaction information through customer satisfaction qualified directories, which are organized or searchable by geographical, type of product or service offered by the participating vendors, and other factors.

Abstract: A location-based service includes detecting the relative motion of an on-site resource, detecting the absolute position of the on-site resource, and tracking the position of the on-site resource. The position is tracked by deriving a deduced position based on the detected relative motion and adjusting the deduced position as a function of and in response to the detected absolute position. According to one embodiment, the on-site resource can be a shopping cart and the tracking includes recording a travel pattern of the shopping cart as it moves through a site floor plan such that the travel pattern is reproducible. Preferably, the recorded travel pattern includes travel patterns within an aisle in the site floor plan such that the recorded patterns include travel along the length of the aisle and travel having components which are perpendicular to the length of the aisle.

Abstract: A system and method for managing a workflow are provided.

Abstract: A method is provided for meeting anticipated parts demands, by controlling substitute part inventory coverage based on percentage requirements. The method is characterized by substitution sets determined as a ratio of the current PN level. In one embodiment, current parts of specified type and substitute parts functionally equivalent to the current parts are respectively kept in inventory. This embodiment includes specifying a maximum percentage of demand for the current parts that is allowed to be filled using substitute parts. The number of additional parts needed to cover a demand is determined, when the demand specifies a total number of current parts exceeding the number thereof in inventory. A number of substitute parts is then assigned from inventory to cover the demand, up to a number that does not exceed the specified maximum percentage of the specified total number.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a method for quantitative alignment of business offerings with the expectations of a business prospect includes accessing a novelty indicator for an offering, the novelty indicator being based on one or more characteristics of the offering and rating an innovation level of the offering. The method further includes accessing an innovation perception indicator for a prospect of the offering, the innovation perception indicator providing an indication of how the prospect views innovation. The method further includes comparing the novelty indicator for the offering with the innovation perception indicator for the prospect to determine if the offering is aligned with the expectations of the prospect. In certain embodiments, the method includes generating a recommendation, possibly in the form of a report, based on the comparison of the novelty indicator for the offering and the innovation perception indicator for the prospect.

Abstract: A method of preparing a presentation instrument includes receiving, at a host computer system, an electronic transmission from an external customer. The external customer is an entity other than the operator of the host computer system. Transactions using the presentation instrument are processed by an entity other than the operator of the host computer system. The electronic transmission comprises information to define a decision rule. The method also includes receiving an electronic transmission from the external customer that comprises a decision information. The method further includes applying the decision rule to the decision information and, based on the application of the decision rule to the decision information, sending control signals to plastics production equipment that cause the presentation instrument to be prepared. The method also includes sending control signals to mail processing equipment to package the presentation instrument for transmission to a customer.

Abstract: Stored in a computer are scores related to answers given by human representatives of organizational units in response to defined questions. For the organizational units, total scores and weighted total scores are calculated. The weighted total scores are calculated by adding up weighted maximum scores assigned to the questions, the weighted maximum scores depending on the respective organizational unit and the respective question. Competence levels of the organizational units are calculated by scaling the total scores of the respective organizational unit to a scale of competence reaching from zero to a maximum competence. The maximum competence corresponds to the weighted total score calculated for the respective organizational unit. The computer generates a graphical representation of the competence levels for multiple organizational units of a particular organization.

Abstract: A system for periodic and real-time processing of accounts. The system operates in a bulk mode and an error mode. A bulk component concurrently processes a set of eligible accounts with a set of dependent tasks, and a removal component removes one or more accounts from the eligible accounts if an error is associated therewith. In bulk mode, each task fetches only the required set of accounts/subscriptions/payment instruments for processing. In error mode (retry/reprocess mode), if an account encounters an error for a task in the bulk mode, the account drops is removed from bulk mode and becomes ineligible for fetching in any future bulk-mode task processing. Error-mode processing tests and processes all tasks sequentially for an errored account until the account state is in par with the accounts being processed by bulk mode. Then the account is removed from error mode processing and is picked up appropriately by bulk-mode processing.