Abstract: An information management system includes a work standard creation subsystem, a standard manhour database, a standard manhour setting subsystem, and a work assignment subsystem. The information management system downloads a work standard group with manhour data from the standard manhour setting subsystem and divisionally composes the work standards of the work standard group to a plurality of stations on the basis of a composition condition input by the user into the work assignment subsystem.

Abstract: A process and system for integrating information stored in at least two disparate databases. The stored information includes consumer transactional information. According to the process and system, at least one qualitative variable which is common to each database is identified, and then transformed into one or more quantitative variables. The consumer transactional information in each database is then converted into converted information in terms of the quantitative variables. Thereafter, an integrated database is formed for predicting consumer behavior by combining the converted information from the disparate databases.

Abstract: A workflow system (FIG. 1) employs a selection engine (114) that attempts to match work items (100) with resources (104) in such a way that it brings the most value to all of the stakeholders in the workflow. Under resource or work-item surplus conditions (FIG. 4 or 5), the selection engine determines either those available resources that possess skills needed by an available work item or those available work items that need skills possessed by an available resource, for each determined resource determines both a business value (RSBV) of having that resource service the work item and either a value (RTV) to that resource of servicing the work item or a value (WTV) to that work item of being serviced by the resource, and then selects the resource that has a best combined value of the business value and the value to the resource or work item.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and related system for assisting and expediting an organization's development of a more mature product. A preferred embodiment of the method comprises the managing of an organization developing the product, whereby the organizational management comprises managing personnel of the organization and implementing a product improvement process. The method may further comprise managing a project for developing the product and managing the delivery of the product. Furthermore, actions undertaken during the organizational management affects implementation of the project and delivery managements, and the actions undertaken during the project and delivery managements likewise affect implementation of the organizational management. This method may be implemented using a combination of both electronic hardware and software and may be implemented locally or over a network such as an intranet or the Internet.

Abstract: This invention relates to a user-driven system, apparatus, and method for generating and sharing knowledge over a computer network. More particularly, this invention relates to a system, apparatus, and method for permitting users of a computer network to procure on-line consulting services.

Abstract: A flexible interface and a method for employing the same are provided for interconnecting a client program with a workflow server running a workflow management system having workflow-type functionality. The interface includes a set of predefined protocol user interface pages including at least one control page. At least one first workflow platform-dependent object is provided for accessing the workflow functionality. At least one second workflow platform-independent object is provided for providing data to the first workflow platform-dependent object. At least one server program is provided that is callable by the control page to access the workflow functionality by invoking at least one of the first workflow platform-dependent object and the second workflow platform-independent object to promote data translation and exchange between the client program and the workflow management system.

Abstract: This invention relates to a user-driven system, apparatus, and method for generating and sharing knowledge over a computer network. More particularly, this invention relates to a system, apparatus, and method for permitting users of a computer network to procure on-line consulting services.

Abstract: A global positioning system (GPS) is used to detect locations (dynamic locations) associated with meeting participants and the proximity between participants is used to create one or more location clusters. Next, the availability of suitable meeting locations (static locations) are identified and an optimum meeting location, given the participant clusters and their proximity to the available meeting locations, is determined. Additionally, the center of mass associated with each of the clusters is also used to determine optimal meeting locations. Lastly, participants are notified regarding the optimized location for the meeting.

Abstract: Within a method for monitoring for a business a secondary characteristic of a supplier which supplies the business, there is first provided a reporting database resident within a computer. The reporting database has a minimum of one field coded for a secondary characteristic of a supplier which supplies a business. There is then entered into the reporting database within the minimum of one field coded for the secondary characteristic data directed towards the secondary characteristic. There is then generated from the data directed towards the secondary characteristic a report. Finally, there is then transmitted to the business which is supplied by the supplier the report. The method is particularly useful for monitoring and controlling sub-supplier secondary characteristics of a transportation vehicle manufacturing business.

Abstract: A method and system for data mining is disclosed in which the premise and/or conclusion of an association rule can include overall attributes of an entire basket (e.g., its total dollar value). The items contained in a single aggregate sale (e.g., all of the purchased items in a particular market basket, referred to herein as a “market basket grouping”) are characterized according to predetermined attributes. Each attribute is identified and an “imaginary item” is included in the data for each market basket grouping which possesses an identified attribute. When the data is subjected to traditional association analysis, the imaginary items are included in the analysis and may be utilized to identify frequent itemsets that are typically found in market basket groupings having the identified characteristics.

Abstract: A closed loop system is presented for selecting samples for labeling so that they can be used to generate classifiers. The sampling is done in phases. In each phase a subset of samples are chosen using information collected in previous phases and the classification model that has been generated up to that point. The total number of samples and the number of phases can be chosen by the user.

Abstract: An automated management system for monitoring and controlling distribution and storage of money tills, and linking tracking of employee productivity to time in receipt of a till. The system comprises a cabinet, a control panel, and a personal computer. The cabinet is mounted through a wall to provide an interface having a front side accessible from a first area and a rear side accessible from a second area, such as a cash room. The interior cabinet space is divided into till compartments that are accessible from both the front and rear of the cabinet. Tills are loaded and removed from the rear by cash room personnel and from the front by cashiers. The system is operable to anticipate, based upon work schedules, needed till types or amounts; compile and maintain useful associated records, including employee productivity and link to other systems to further improve efficiency.

Abstract: Revision of a part specification document, such as a drawing, a part specification, or a bill of materials, prompts execution of an automated notification process. A unique part number associated with the revised part specification document is employed in searching open purchasing documents for purchase orders or request for quotes containing the part number. Electronic mail addresses for outside supplier contacts are kept in the database and linked to the supplier master of the open purchasing documents containing the part number. An electronic mail notification of the part specification document revision is generated and transmitted to each electronic mail address identified as being associated with an open purchasing document containing the subject part number.

Abstract: The customer segmentation software according to the present invention automatically finds or creates profiles of prototypical customers in a large e-commerce database. The software matches all existing customer data in the database to one or more of the prototypical customers. The resulting customer segmentation is an effective summarization of the database and is useful for a range of business applications. Applications of the customer segmentation system include the development of customized web sites, the creation of targeted promotional offers and the prediction of consumer behavior.

Abstract: Predictive modeling of consumer financial behavior, including determination of likely responses to particular marketing efforts, is provided by application of consumer transaction data to predictive models associated with merchant segments. The merchant segments are derived from the consumer transaction data based on co-occurrences of merchants in sequences of transactions. Merchant vectors represent specific merchants, and are aligned in a vector space as a function of the degree to which the merchants co-occur more or less frequently than expected. Consumer vectors are developed within the vector space, to represent interests of particular consumers by virtue of relative vector positions of consumer and merchant vectors. Various techniques, including clustering, supervised segmentation, and nearest-neighbor analysis, are applied separately or in combination to generate improved predictions of consumer behavior.