Abstract: A Methodology for identifying secondary concepts that are included in one or more documents in a collection of documents is disclosed. Training information is manually created from a subset of a collection of documents and used by a primary concept identification function to process textual information contained in the documents included in the collection of documents to identify primary concepts included in the collection of documents. Each of the primary concepts included in the collection of documents is used as input to a secondary concept identification function which results in the identification of secondary concepts included in each of the primary concepts. A query is generated and used as input to both the primary and secondary concept identification functions and the result of both the operation of both of these functions on the query is compared to the identified secondary concepts.

Abstract: A contract characteristic identification application includes a user interface, a plurality of contract characteristic definitions, a natural language processing module and a characteristic identification function. At least one contract characteristic is defined and evaluated and the text of at least one contract is entering into the application. A document evaluation function included in the natural language processing module operates to evaluate the contents of the text of the contract against the defined contract characteristic and returns a listing of contract text that is closest to the defined contract characteristic of interest.

Abstract: An sourcing event management system includes a presentation layer, a business logic layer, an infrastructure layer and storage and operates to facilitate the creation of a bidding scenario, the opening of a bidding process, reception of bids from suppliers, the closing of the bidding process and the analysis of the bids received from the suppliers to determine an optimal bid award schedule. The sourcing event management system also includes a modified mathematical model that is solved, subject to constraints selected by a buyer and to variables specified by the buyer, to determine how the constraints can be modified to further optimize the bid award schedule.

Abstract: Prospective suppliers competing in an auction format to fulfill a requisition receive assistance in responding to the requisition over a computer network. A plurality of bids responsive to the requisition are received from at least one prospective supplier. At least one initial winning bid is selected from the received bids that at least partially satisfies the requisition. Using the received plurality of bids, at least one proposed bid is determined that, if adopted by a prospective supplier, would constitute a new winning bid. The proposed bid is made available to at least one prospective supplier that had not previously submitted a winning bid.

Abstract: Prospective suppliers competing in an auction format to fulfill a requisition receive assistance in responding to the requisition over a computer network. A plurality of bids responsive to the requisition are received from at least one prospective supplier. At least one initial winning bid is selected from the received bids that at least partially satisfies the requisition. Using the received plurality of bids, at least one proposed bid is determined that, if adopted by a prospective supplier, would constitute a new winning bid. The proposed bid is made available to at least one prospective supplier that had not previously submitted a winning bid.