Abstract: A system for deploying to a client accounting installation a general procurement and accounts payable application specifically configured for the client by an enterprise includes a database server for (1) maintaining on a storage device a database of templates describing procedures for assessing, preparing, developing, deploying and supporting the application, and for (2) serving these templates to team members operating web-enabled terminals for coordinating, recording and tracking team activities with respect to the application while generating a description for adapting a front end server and an accounting system server to the requirements of the client.

Abstract: A system and method for operating a reward points accumulation and redemption program wherein a user earns reward points from a plurality of independent reward points issuing entities, with each tracking the user's earned reward points in a user reward point account stored on a rewards server (such as a frequent flyer account or a credit card loyalty account). A trading server accumulates some or all of the user's earned reward points from the reward servers and credits the accumulated points into a single reward exchange account associated with the user. The user may then select an item for purchase with the accumulated reward points. The item is provided to the user in exchange for a subset or all of the reward points.

Abstract: A computer software application, graphical user interface, and method for entering information concerning a complex business situation, refining such information in a stepwise manner through the interface, generating a list of effective actions for addressing such a business situation, and storing such information in a knowledge base adapted for future query and reporting use of such a complex business situations is provided.

Abstract: A method for providing interface to an apparatus for optimizing a promotion plan for merchandising products, including utilizing a computer-based scenario/results processor within an optimization server to present a sequence of data entry templates to a user, whereby the user specifies an optimization scenario, the optimization server optimizing the promotion plan according to modeled market for the products and calculated demand chain costs for the products, where the calculated demand chain costs include fixed and variable costs for the products; and generating a plurality of optimization results templates and proving these templates to the user, wherein optimum promotion events and optimum supplier offers are presented.

Abstract: A technique for determining optimum prices of products. The apparatus includes a scenario/results processor, a demand engine, an activity based cost engine, and a price optimization engine. The scenario/results processor enables a user to prescribe an optimization scenario, and presents the optimum prices to the user, where the optimum prices are determined by execution of the optimization scenario. The demand engine models relationships between potential prices of the products and market demand for the products. The activity based cost engine estimates costs for the products based upon market demand. The price optimization engine employs the market demand and the demand chain costs to determine the optimum prices, where the optimum prices are a subset of the potential prices, and where the optimum prices maximize a merchandising performance figure of merit according to the optimization scenario.

Abstract: A system for scheduling time intervals for a plurality of users comprises a database associated with one or more server means for storing a profile for each potential invitee of the system. Each invitee profile comprises user profiles that have information regarding available and unavailable times for that user and the electronic mail address for the user and resource profiles having information about the available times for a particular resource such as a room or equipment. A request generator connected over a network to the one or more server generates a request for allocation of a time interval for one or more of the plurality of invitees. The system then provides a busy time determination device that gathers the profiles for the plurality of invitees that were requested by the request generating means and that are available in the databases and determines whether those invitees are available during the time interval requested by the request generating means.

Abstract: A method of analyzing a workload schedule compared to available resources is provided. Projects comprising a process with at least one task are identified. A work time for each task is determined, including a greatest hands-on work time task. An effort equivalence (EE) for each task is determined by normalizing each task work time to the greatest hands-on work time. The projects are arranged so each task is at least partially performed in one interval. An apportionment of EE's is determined, as well as a total EE (TEE) for each interval. Each TEE is compared to a historical maximum EE volume (HMEEV) to evaluate the workload schedule compared to the available resources. Where a TEE exceeds the HMEEV, the projects are modified to reapportion the TEE's for a more efficient utilization of available resources compared to the workload schedule. A related method, system, and computer program product are also provided.

Abstract: A method and system for analyzing a “detail” (the use of promotional materials in combination with a sales pitch), measures the effectiveness of a sales presentation and its ability to drive market share through a standardized, quantitative evaluation of the entire sale presentation and its related components. The method includes administering a two, different surveys. The first survey, the Detail Performance Monitor survey, comprises an “in the field” test of how respondents are responding to various marketing strategies by tracking subsequent behavioral data of the respondents and comparing the behavioral data to the survey results. The second survey, the Detail Assessment survey, comprises an “in the lab” test of how various marketing strategies affect respondent attitude towards a product by comparing respondent attitude before and after presentation of a simulated “detail” that represents the marketing strategy.

Abstract: A method and system for identifying and tracking persons using RFID-tagged items carried on the persons. Previous purchase records for each person who shops at a retail store are collected by POS terminals and stored in a transaction database. When a person carrying or wearing items having RFID tags enters the store or other designated area, a RFID tag scanner located therein scans the RFID tags on that person and reads the RFID tag information. The RFID tag information collected from the person is correlated with transaction records stored in the transaction database according to known correlation algorithms. Based on the results of the correlation, the exact identity of the person or certain characteristics about the person can be determined. This information is used to monitor the movement of the person through the store or other areas.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing incentives for oligopolistic collusion comprises making managerial compensation dependent on relative profits rather than absolute profits. Since the managers of the firms in the industry are thereby placed in a zero-sum game, their compensation will be totally insensitive to gains in absolute profits resulting from collusion.

Abstract: A system and method for modeling skills includes three main components: a definition of at least one object (40) specifying a subject matter, a definition of at least one action (42) which may be applied to the defined object (40), and a definition of at least one context (48) in which the defined object and action are used. The context may include tool/technique (72), hardware (74), condition (76), industry (78), current and/or past employer (80), and business rationale (82).

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.

Abstract: A system and method for efficiently, accurately, and inexpensively receiving, assigning, and tracking leads. A lead unit integrates and stores the sales leads. A lead control unit can interface with an administrative unit to provide active leads to a reseller unit. A reseller control unit can determine whether a user is permitted to select leads. Selected leads can be removed from the set of active leads for a predetermined time period. The user can process a selected lead and identify a result for the lead. The lead control unit can place a selected and processed lead into a processed lead set. The reseller control unit can generate reports about the user's active or processed leads.

Abstract: A computerized method for determining throughput includes generating a demand array of item orders and generating a supply array of manufacturing inventory. The method includes selecting an item order in the demand array, and; matching manufacturing inventory in the supply array with the selected item order. The method also includes assigning a throughput value to the selected item order based on the matched manufacturing inventory.

Abstract: Implementing an electronic calendar can include accessing a first electronic calendar owned by a first party, accessing a second electronic calendar owned by a second party, and presenting a view that combines at least one existing entry from within each of the first and second electronic calendars. Source information for each of the first and second electronic calendars may be electronically maintained. The combined view may be updated electronically to reflect a change to at least one of the existing entries from within at least one of the first and second electronic calendars. Electronic calendars may be accessed and overlaid without importing events, thus enabling simple updating. Event information may be imported and source or other attributes may be associated with imported information to enable updating and other sorting functions.

Abstract: A new system of analyzing advertising revenue derivation is provided that is particularly useful for predicting an amount of revenue that can be expected from advertisements placed in a business directory book having a certain geographic coverage. The system comprises estimating a preference factor of advertisers located in a first geographic area of placing advertisements in other geographic areas. This preference factor, along with other demographic data, is used to calculate a choice probability that advertisers will choose to place an advertisement in one business directory book over other competing books. A total amount of expected revenue for each particular geographic area within a metropolitan area is calculated. Finally, the total amount of expected revenue attributable to a particular business directory book is predicted based on the choice probability and the total amount of expected revenue for each geographic area.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method to support the coordination of geographically distributed printing and, in particular, identification of possibilities for distributing print jobs to other shops for production. The technique involves the forwarding of production schedules by a number of print shops to a central location, where they are accessible to other print shops and can be used as a resource for identifying possible collaboration partners for distributed production. The technique builds on the common understanding and similar representation in the print industry of the production schedule, a device which charts the plan assignment of print job to particular machines for some future period. The novelty of the present invention lies in the sharing of production schedules through forwarding them to a central location in order to support the coordination of distributed production printing.

Abstract: A method and system for managing complex construction projects by monitoring subcontractors in real time. Whenever a subcontractor realizes a need for a change in specification or anticipates any other reason that might delay completion of construction as scheduled, the subcontractor selects from a computerized menu the appropriate new status for the subcontractor's task and provides other information relevant to the changed situation. The status change is displayed on a display device, an electronic dashboard, so as to be easily noticed, the dashboard also providing one-click links to a display showing how widespread are the problems and a display for on-line review and approval of the status change by a manager or engineer in charge of the project, who notes the status change on the display and with whatever input may be provided by the other persons notified of the status change, decides the best course of action to keep the construction on schedule.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for weather and/or terrestrial vegetation-based water renovation and management forecasting are described herein. The system includes a water renovation and management forecast system that acts as an analysis engine, where the analysis engine executes a request for the evaluation of water. The system may also include a front end system that preferably provides a graphical user interface to the users of the present invention to access the water renovation and management forecast system. In addition, a database stores both past (i.e., history) and future (i.e., forecast) weather and/or terrestrial vegetation data that are used by the water renovation and management forecast system in the analysis of the water. Data in the database are passed in via the front end system, collected by the water renovation and management forecast system, or derived by the water renovation and management forecast system.

Abstract: Within each iteration of an iterative process: (1) a low-pass filter is applied to an actual sales volumes series to extract low frequency components representing a base sales volume series for the iteration; and (2) a locally optimal base sales volume series is determined. A globally optimal base sales volume series is selected from among the locally optimal base sales volume series, comprising an estimated base sales volume for each time period. One or more of the estimated base sales volumes is made available for use in connection with at least one business analysis.