Abstract: Sales associated with service providers are increased using an opportunistic approach based on an unexpected change in a schedule or services (time, location). Windows of opportunity (time, physical location) are automatically identified, and once such a window of opportunity is detected, the people affected directly from the change of a schedule are identified. This information is then used by service providers to act quickly in order to enhance sales. Both service providers and consumers setup a personalized profile in a database, and the system uses a matching process to match related service providers to the consumers' preferences.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 24, 2001
Date of Patent:
March 18, 2008
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Abstract: A system and method for organizational risk based on personnel planning factors is provided. Each employee has an employee profile data area that is used to store planning data and actual data corresponding to the employee. Planning data includes risk analysis data, compensation data, and development planning data. Actual data includes current compensation data and performance data. Inhibitors and motivators corresponding to employees is used to determine a flight risk that pertains to the employee. A contribution level, corresponding to the employee's contribution to the organization, is analyzed along with the flight risk to determine a risk quadrant that is assigned to the employee. Managers can select a risk quadrant and obtain information about common inhibitors and motivators. Incentive data, such as stock options, compensation, and awards, is planned in light of an employee's risk quadrant in order to motivate high contributors to remain with the organization.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 29, 2001
Date of Patent:
January 29, 2008
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
Michael Joseph Calderaro, Robert John Castro, Corrine Glavin Krumenacker, Lynn P. Lepore, William Daniel Ordway, Jr., Patricia E. Vickers, Catherine Marshall Baritell, Ann Haigler Spivey
Abstract: A system for providing an analysis of use in managing risk, the system including: a knowledge base, for maintaining generic risk records each including a plurality of different fields; a data store of profiles, for maintaining profile risk records associated with a particular profile, each profile risk record including the same plurality of fields as a generic risk record; and a risk processor, for updating generic risk records based on profile risk records in the data store of profiles. The knowledge base includes generic risk records with field values that can be refined over time so as to be useful in providing a more accurate risk assessment in any particular profile. Some of the risk record fields are measuring fields input by the user, and some are calculated fields calculated by the system, and the system allows different modes of analysis in which the fields that are the measuring fields differ.
Abstract: A method is disclosed for generating customer leads for use by dealers attempting to sell a product, for example a loan product. The method is implemented on a system and includes providing a database of customer information, predicting a propensity for one or more customers within the database to respond to an offer, predicting when the customers will respond to the offer, generating a potential customer list, and providing the potential customer list to one or more dealers.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 6, 2001
Date of Patent:
December 4, 2007
Assignee:
General Electric Capital Corporation
Inventors:
Oumar Nabe, David J. Fogarty, Ian R. Bell, Balwinder S. Samra
Abstract: A system and method for assessing demographic data accuracy from third party data vendors is provided. Third party demographic data is compared to self-reported demographic data; hence compared to data presumed to be accurate. Analysis is done on the comparison to determine the accuracy of the data and if bias exists in the results for a particular demographic population or geographic region. Demographic data from many third parties can be analyzed in the same way, and the results can be compared to each other to determine which third party has the most accurate demographic data elements.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 30, 2001
Date of Patent:
March 27, 2007
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
Steven Harold Cary, Bruce William Fogarty
Abstract: A method for evaluating and quantifying the risk, performance and potential of a business is disclosed. Experiential data generated by the business' activities is extracted and used as source data in evaluating the business. Experiential data includes both qualitative and quantitative information compiled from operating systems, databases, interviews, paper-based files and financial records. Business activities are measured individually and then collectively to understand the business as a whole. A set of metrics and a series of algorithms are used to measure the risk, performance and potential of the business drawing from the outset on the experiential data collected and a comparison to industry best practices.
Abstract: The present invention provides a method of and apparatus for associating a retail performance metric with individual entries within a transaction and/or time type categories. The retail performance metric is determined by recording the time the system waited for and received an input. The retail performance metric type is determined as a function of the input received by the system. A retail performance metric is recorded as a function of the time the system waited for and received an input and includes a reference to the specific event causing the RPM and/or the time type category of the input.
Abstract: Obsolete and unwanted computer and other products are demanufactured according to a method of recovering the largest revenue. An optimum level of disassembly and parts removal is determined based on strategies involving outright sale, sale of parts, disassembly costs, and commodity recovery. Critical parts are identified and regulatory requirements are included.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 14, 2000
Date of Patent:
May 30, 2006
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
Edward J. Grenchus, Jr., Robert A. Keene, Charles R. Nobs
Abstract: A method and apparatus is described for determining the probability that an item will be available at a particular location at an expected time of transaction for the item. Variances for both reported and unreported sales rates of the item may be calculated. Probability distributions may be generated for these sales rates and a convolution performed to obtain the probability that the item will be available at the expected time of transaction.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 6, 2001
Date of Patent:
April 11, 2006
Assignee:
FMS, Inc.
Inventors:
Stephen A. Smith, Kevin G. Hoar, David B. Callender
Abstract: A system for management of an integrated communications provider comprising a means of automatically retrieving customer service records and preparing sales proposals therefrom. The invention further comprises components for pre-ordering management functions, circuit management, design management, service management, and gateway to incumbent local exchange carriers and trading partners. The system incorporates features that automate comparisons between existing services and proposal services, alarming of failures of confirmations, optimizing on-net and off-net services, creation of cutover reports and issuance of service requests to local exchange carriers and trading partners.