Abstract: A particular case is matched to further cases, where the matching is based on plural attributes contained in the particular case and in the further cases, wherein one of the plural attributes relates to a flow of activities taken to address the respective case.

Abstract: A customized process template is generated for an organization by customizing an abstract process template of a process for the organization. A discovered process model is generated based on enactment traces of the process. A suggestion for refining the process is generated based at least in part on the discovered process model.

Abstract: Methods, computer-readable media, and systems are provided for displaying project relationships. One method for displaying project relationships includes providing a plurality of nodes (104A-F, 204, 204W-Z, 304W) on an electronic display, each node (104A-F, 204, 204W-Z, 304W) representing a project. The plurality of nodes (104A-F, 204, 204W-Z, 304W) are arranged about the electronic display according to a number of forces acting on each node (104A-F, 204, 204W-Z, 304W). The number of forces includes a constant attractive force (212) between each of the plurality of nodes (104A-F, 204, 204W-Z, 304W) and an origin position (201, 301) of the electronic display, a repulsive force (110, 210) between each pair of nodes (104A-F, 204, 204W-Z, 304W) proportional to the distance therebetween, and an attractive force between connected nodes (104A-F, 204, 204W-Z, 304W) proportional to the measure of similarity. A connection (106-1, 106-2, 106-3, 206-1, . . . , 206-7, 206-10, 306-5, . . .

Abstract: Determining vectors for a set of project features and determining an indication of health of some aspect of the project using a classifier trained for the set of project features is useful in assessing project health. Classifiers can be trained for such methods by determining a set of training elements for one or more projects of a data set, and training the classifier using the set of training elements. Each training element comprises a feature vector for a particular project at a particular time interval and a health classification deemed to be correct for that particular project at that particular time interval.

Abstract: A method and system for project and portfolio management is disclosed. The method may include tagging one or more data records of projects of a plurality of projects with one or more tags, and displaying on a display device the one or more tagged data records with information relating to said one or more tags. A computer program product is also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods, computer-readable media, and systems are provided for resource matching. One computer-implemented method for resource matching includes logically arranging a plurality of relationships between a number of tasks and a quantity of resources for performing tasks into a multi-dimensional augmenting tree order by establishing an un-matched task from a multi-dimensional bipartite graph matching solution is established as a root node, adding additional edges and nodes beginning from the root node with an un-matched edge and alternating between matched and un-matched edges until a color-unmatched resource is a leaf node, modifying the multi-dimensional augmenting tree order by un-matching matched edges and matching un-matched edges, and determining a quantity of matched edges for the modified multi-dimensional augmenting tree order. The relationships correspond to edges of the multi-dimensional bipartite graph matching solution between nodes, representing tasks, and resources respectively.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention pertain to prioritizing services based on business objectives is described. According to one embodiment, a probability of a service violation occurring within a predetermined time period is determined based on a service level jeopardy threshold being exceeded. The probability of a service violation corresponds to an incident. An alignment of the service level violation with a business objective is computed based on the probability of the service level violation. The incident is prioritized based on the alignment.

Abstract: A system comprises a processor and a display coupled to the processor. The processor causes the display to output graphical representations of workgroups based on workgroup data, and the processor accepts as input a constraint to a particular workgroup via manipulation of the particular workgroup's graphical representation. The processor also causes the display to output updated graphical representations of the workgroups based on application of the constraint to the workgroup data.

Abstract: In an embodiment, the invention provides a method of prioritizing problems in IT services. The method comprises determining a plurality of N problems. An incident cost, a workaround cost, an expected resolution cost, and a total cost for each of the N problems is determined. A priority is assigned to each of the N problems such that each priority has an expected resolution time. The priorities are assigned such that the total cost for fixing all N problems is lower than any other selection of priorities.

Abstract: A method of participating by a purchaser in a plurality of negotiations for purchasable items, where an item may be a good or a service, in order to obtain one of a plurality of alternative collections of complementary purchasable items, comprising maintaining a probabilistic model of said negotiations and making bids or offers to increase the probability of success in negotiations for purchasable items in one of said alternative collections determined from current states of said negotiations and said probabilistic model as providing a largest expectation of value to the purchaser.

Abstract: A conversation definition language (CDL) is disclosed that programmers may use to define sequences of interactions for communicating with a web service to facilitate use of the web service. CDL enables web services provided by different entities to engage in flexible and autonomous interactions. Using CDL, services can communicate by exchanging messages, and the message exchanges are expected to follow a specific pattern (i.e., a conversation). CDL is used to define the conversation, such that a service may expect a particular message in response to transmitting a particular message. CDL includes document type descriptions, interactions and transitions for describing a conversation. The document type descriptions describe the messages that may be exchanged. The interactions describe the type of actions (e.g., receive and/or transmit a message) that may be performed, and the transitions describe the possible sequences of the interactions.

Abstract: Embodiments in accordance with the present invention include methods and systems for managing information technology systems. A method includes monitoring, with a computer system, service operations of a service provider; detecting, with the computer system, a failure; diagnosing, with the computer system, the failure to determine a cause of the failure; and analyzing, with the computer system, the cause to determine a cost-based analysis to remedy the cause of the failure, the cost-based analysis including (i) terms and conditions specified in plural Service Level Agreements (SLAs) between the service provider and customers and (ii) both tangible and intangible costs to the service provider to remedy the cause of the failure.

Abstract: Automated negotiation with multiple sellers in order to buy a quantity of a good or service, can be achieved by determining two or more alternative options for purchasing the quantity; setting a target price for purchasing the quantity and hence target prices for each negotiation required to complete each alternative option; providing the target price for each negotiation to a party carrying out said negotiation; receiving information on the progress of each negotiation, redetermining the target prices and providing redetermined target prices for at least some of the negotiations to the party carrying out that negotiation; and detecting a completion condition and providing information to the party carrying out any negotiation still in progress for terminating that negotiation.

Abstract: A method, implementable with suitable apparatus, for providing automated assistance for negotiation to acquire a quantity of a good or service from a seller comprises receiving a target price for acquiring the quantity; determining an attitude towards the seller, wherein the attitude represents a likelihood of acquiring the quantity for no more than the target price; and providing the attitude for use in a negotiation process. A method, implementable with suitable apparatus, of automatic negotiation to acquire a quantity of a good or service from a seller, comprises receiving a target price for acquiring the quantity and determining at least one rule for making a further offer to the seller based on the target price and on information received in negotiations with that seller.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for use in making a purchase decision regarding purchase of a plurality of units of a good or service from a plurality of potential suppliers (14) at one or more purchasing times, the apparatus being arranged to determine, estimate or otherwise obtain one or more outcomes for each purchasing time based on one or more quantities of units (16) of the good or service potentially or actually required to be purchased at the purchasing time and/or predicted fluctuations of price of said good or service during said purchase period and access details (10) of terms under which said good or service may be purchased from each of the potential suppliers (14).

Abstract: Apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a contract repository (200) in which details of each of a plurality of contracts established with a supplier of a good or service is stored. Similarly, each of a plurality of purchase orders (30) submitted by one or more buyers are stored in a purchase order repository 300. A subsystem (1) for linking purchase orders (30) to contracts (20) and for aggregating information is provided.

Abstract: A method of determining a bidding strategy for the simultaneous purchase of at least one individual service component (34) from one or more forward auctions (22a,22b), and the provision of a composite service (36) requested by a reverse auction (20), is described. The method comprises: identifying forward auctions (22a,22b) selling the at least one individual service component (34); identifying a reverse auction (20) requesting a composite service (36) comprising the at least one service component (34); determining a plurality of possible combinations of the identified forward (22a,22b) and reverse auctions (20); estimating the expected benefit of bidding in each of the plurality of possible combination of auctions (20,22a,22b) by use of likelihood models (44), wherein each likelihood model (44) establishes the likelihood of a particular bid succeeding in a given auction; and selecting the combination of auctions to increase the expected benefit for use as the bidding strategy.

Abstract: A computerised method for measuring compatibility among negotiation proposals of participants which communicate using an electronic communications network comprises the steps of: submitting proposals to a centralised negotiation processor from the participants; returning information on compatible or near-compatible proposals to each participant from a centralised negotiation processor; locally measuring compatibility of the returned proposals based on the participant's preferences over the parameters being negotiated using a local compatibility measurer; and ranking the returned proposals based on the local measurements of compatibility of the proposals.

Abstract: When determining the utility score of a contract under negotiation for an automated negotiating engine, it is useful to have a “fuzzy” region of uncertainty of utility score. This provides flexibility in the negotiating rounds. By supplying a confidence level and optionally supplying information about the proposer (for example whether the proposer is friendly or not) it is possible to trim the “fuzzy” range of utility score to provide less flexibility and a more certain outcome.

Abstract: A computerised method for improving security in multi-party multivariate negotiation between negotiating participants which communicate using an electronic communications network comprises the steps of: submitting proposals from the participants to the centralised negotiation processor via the electronic communications network; returning compatible proposals to each participant from the centralised negotiation processor; locally assigning a utility score to each compatible proposal based on the participant's preferences over the parameters being negotiated; and submitting the assigned utility scores for the compatible proposals to the centralised negotiation processor from each participant.