Abstract: Mechanisms are provided to facilitate buying and selling products utilizing social pricing. Sellers initiate sale of a product with volume discounts for a limited time. In other words, the more people that buy a product, the lower the price for the group. Buyers have a real incentive to become prosumers that not only purchase a product but also promote purchase by others. A social pricing system brokers interaction between sellers and buyer groups, and provisions mechanisms to aid promotion of products by consumers utilizing social networks and other online activities.

Abstract: Electronic processing and management of electronic project data is facilitated. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, project data including incentives data is processed for a plurality of different projects, using authentication to control data communication and access. Incentive-related data fields are automatically updated upon the receipt of project data, and authenticated users are provided access to the data in real-time.

Abstract: A hosted web service is provided to enable the legitimate sharing and reselling digital music among subscribers to the web service by leveraging the teachings of the first sale doctrine of copyright law. By maintaining a single copy of properly purchased song within the system that can be only accessed by one subscriber at a time, the web service preserves the rights of the copyright holder of the digital music while encouraging a community sharing.

Abstract: A system and method in a virtual universe system for tagging objects in one virtual world so that avatars in other virtual worlds can search for, review, purchase, and exchange real goods and virtual objects. In a virtual universe having more than one virtual world, an object in one virtual world may be tagged with a seller identification, an advertising location, an item type, and details of the item. The object may then be externalized to other virtual worlds within the virtual universe for searching.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for use by a buyer for a store includes a software application computer that is provided to the buyer at a buyer show. The application displays product features and pricing information and receives product order information from the buyer. The application displays information regarding sales of the products by the store. After completing an order, the application submits the order, and prints or transmits confirmation copies. The buyer leaves the computer the show prior to departing. A virtual shopping cart is displayed on the computer into which goods are placed prior to submittal of the order. Multiple shopping carts can be opened by the user with differing shipping priorities and different shipping destinations for each cart. Multiple shopping carts can be used while the user is browsing an on-line catalog of products to be ordered.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein can produce and present sustainable price information to help dealers to price vehicles for sustainability and facilitate consumers in making purchase decisions. In one approach, a sustainable price range for a specific vehicle configuration may be based on an average profit margin (APM) determined utilizing historical sale prices and an estimated actual dealer cost. Other approaches may utilize some or all of the following steps: determine APM and build a model of distribution of profit margins by APM, build a model to adjust APM by certain variables, identify sustainable levels for the inventory, production, and incentives variables feeding into the APM model, plug those in to get the averages for those sustainable levels, identify sustainable percentile cutoffs for a given profit margin, then use this relationship with the now identified sustainable levels as inputs to find the overall sustainable profit margin.

Abstract: Certain embodiments disclosed herein provide devices, systems, and methods of using location-based virtual audience feedback to estimate interest in an attraction at one or more venues. Certain embodiments provide devices, systems, and methods of using location-based virtual audience feedback and/or other audience data to estimate interest in a plurality of attractions or other items of interest at a particular venue.

Abstract: A learning module of an information retrieval system is configured to automatically learn distinctive characteristics used by different web sites when presenting data variables of interest. The learned information can then be used to identify data variables of interest on arbitrary web pages of the web sites. In one embodiment, the learning process is guided by feeds provided by the web sites that list values for data variables of interest, and by web pages also provided by the web sites. The values of the feeds enable the learning module to identify candidate portions of the web pages that may represent a data variable of interest. Weights are computed for different values of various properties of the candidate portions, aggregated over all the analyzed pages, and used to identify one of the candidate portions as being the best candidates.

Abstract: A computer implemented approach to facilitate multi-phase bid evaluation. In one embodiment, a digital processing system receives information packets (corresponding to bids) from different suppliers containing information elements associated with one of a sequence of phases. On receiving an indication (from a buyer) that a specific phase of the bidding is to be evaluated starting at a time instance, the system allows the buyer access of elements associated with the specific phase only after the time instance, while allowing access to elements associated with a previous phase (occurring prior to the specific phase in the sequence of phases) even before the time instance. In a scenario where the suppliers who have successfully qualified in the previous phase are received, the system allows access of elements associated with the specific phase corresponding only to the qualified suppliers in response to the indication.

Abstract: Computer systems and methods are disclosed for improving professional services delivery, such as services in a data management environment. In certain examples, computer systems comprise portals for transmitting and receiving information from parties involved in the performance and receipt of professional services. For instance, a first portal can receive data (e.g., from sales personnel) descriptive of a customer's product environment. A manager module populates a record with the data, and a second portal provides the customer with access to the record for review, correction and/or validation prior to the generation of a Statement of Work or other like project description. The second portal can also request additional information from the customer regarding the product environment. The manager module compares the data received through the first portal with the customer-entered information to identify and/or address discrepancies between the sets of data and customize the generation of the Statement of Work.

Abstract: A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. In some operations, software creates, updates, or otherwise processes information related to a goods tag, a production bill of material hierarchy, and/or a release order template business object.

Abstract: Systems and methods for analyzing projects in a business entity including multiple groups and multiple levels of decision making authority are provided. Project identification data that identifies a particular project is received. A project categorization of the project is performed to categorize the project based on one or more of the size, general risks, and complexity of the project. An anti-corruption risk assessment of the project is performed to categorize an anti-corruption risk associated with the project. A group-specific risk assessment of the project is performed to categorize a risk associated with the project relevant to one of the multiple groups of the business entity.

Abstract: Each work item from a group of work items is categorized as either complex or intense, and a unique work requirement statement is derived for each work item based on whether it is complex or intense. A unique resource value statement is assigned to different human resources. Past performances of the human resources are analyzed against completed work items in order to adjust the unique resource value statement, thus creating updated human resource value statements. An optimized work requirement statement is created by recalculating the unique work requirement statement for each work item based on the updated human resource value statements. A schedule for automated allocation of human resources to functional areas of an enterprise activity environment and scheduling of work items to the functional areas is formulated based on the optimized requirement statement for each work item in the group of work items.

Abstract: Various systems and methods that may relate to referral and/or delivery services are described. Some embodiments may include communication using a payment processing device. Various other embodiments are described.

Abstract: A method and system tor determining the relative priority of items moving in a predefined process flow, wherein the method comprises selecting a particular item that is in a predefined process flow, utilizing transaction data that was provided at regular Reporting Intervals and at Reporting Points, providing a planned movement of the selected item along the predefined process flow, processing the transaction data to determine the item's actual movement along the predefined process flow, determining the difference between the actual movement and the planned movement, providing a total planned Time Buffer for the movement of the item along the predefined process flow, using the determined difference to compute the actual amount of downstream Time Buffer Remaining in relation to the total planned Time Buffer, and utilizing the differences between actual and planned completions at both the Reporting Point and Item level to focus local improvements in relation to global outcomes.

Abstract: Mechanisms are provided to facilitate buying and selling products utilizing social pricing. Sellers initiate sale of a product with volume discounts for a limited time. In other words, the more people that buy a product, the lower the price for the group. Buyers have a real incentive to become prosumers that not only purchase a product but also promote purchase by others. A social pricing system brokers interaction between sellers and buyer groups, and provisions mechanisms to aid promotion of products by consumers utilizing social networks and other online activities.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system for monetizing internet content. In an embodiment, the system includes an internet content provider providing online content and an online section with the online content for containing an expression of at least one reader's posted thoughts or opinion. The online section is capable of having posted thereto the expression of the at least one reader's thoughts or opinion in a free default format or a fee-paid distinctive format. The system also has a processor for executing the computer executable instructions and a memory for storing at least the computer executable instructions.

Abstract: An accumulated use time measuring method for cargo handling vehicles and a cargo handling vehicle both enable accurate continuation of the use time till a display unit containing a time measuring device is replaced even if the time measuring device fails and prevention of false alteration after shipping while infallibly resetting the time measuring device to zero when the time measure device is shipped from the factory. The function units such as a display unit and a control unit of the cargo handling vehicle each include a time measuring device and a storage device. A synchronization mode in which the difference between the accumulated use times of both devices is made the same and a synchronization inhibition mode in which the accumulated use times are not changed and the time measurement is continued are provided.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are provided for workforce planning models. Technologies are described to manage human capital decisions. Decision making models and related tools are described that support the development and implementation of workforce strategies, programs and policies. In one model, resources may be allocated to specific practices (policies, programs, initiatives, organizational culture) used to attract and retain valued employees. Resources may be increased or decreased until the optimal allocation of resources is found that is most likely to enable the achievement of specific goals (e.g., attraction, retention, readiness, and representation).

Abstract: A computer implemented method, system, and/or computer program product optimize a shared service delivery system. A model of an existing shared service delivery system is created. Capacity of the existing shared service delivery system is defined according to required resources for existing projects, new projects, and proposed projects. Existing cells of practitioners in the existing shared service delivery system are identified, and any gaps or gluts of capacity in the existing cells of practitioners are identified according to a general predetermined resource requirement for the shared service delivery system.