Abstract: A method of managing supplier intelligence is provided. The method includes collecting procurement data from a plurality of data sources. The procurement data includes information regarding a plurality of business divisions of a business entity. The method further includes generating spend formulas for each business division for determining spending associated with each business division. The method further includes generating a set of supplier intelligence business rules that interrelate at least one spend formula associated with a first one of the business divisions with at least one spend formula associated with a second one of the business divisions. The method further includes automatically analyzing a portion of the procurement data based on the supplier intelligence business rules to determine the financial effects of a decision made by the first business division on the second business division.

Abstract: A method of managing contracts is provided. The method includes storing a storing a plurality of electronic contracts including unstructured text. The method further includes determining one or more linguistic patterns associated with a business parameter and generating linguistic rules based on the one or more linguistic patterns. The method further includes extracting particular information regarding the business parameter from the plurality of contracts using one or more of the linguistic rules. The method further includes generating a visual output based on at least a portion of the extracted information.

Abstract: A method of managing spending is provided. The method includes collecting procurement data from a plurality of data sources which may have associated source-specific product catalogs. The method further includes storing a global catalog specifying mapping relationships between source-specific product attributes specified by the source-specific product catalogs and generic attributes specified by the global catalog. The method further includes mapping the source-specific attributes associated with particular products to corresponding generic attributes based on the mapping relationships. The method further includes analyzing a portion of the collected procurement data, including identifying information regarding products associated with the particular procurement events based on the generic attributes associated with the products. The method further includes automatically generating a visual output based on the analysis of the collected procurement data.

Abstract: A method of managing supplier intelligence is provided. The method includes collecting procurement data from a plurality of data sources. The procurement data includes information regarding a plurality of business divisions of a business entity. The method further includes generating spend formulas for each business division for determining spending associated with each business division. The method further includes generating a set of supplier intelligence business rules that interrelate at least one spend formula associated with a first one of the business divisions with at least one spend formula associated with a second one of the business divisions. The method further includes automatically analyzing a portion of the procurement data based on the supplier intelligence business rules to determine the financial effects of a decision made by the first business division on the second business division.

Abstract: A method of managing contracts is provided. The method includes storing a storing a plurality of electronic contracts including unstructured text. The method further includes determining one or more linguistic patterns associated with a business parameter and generating linguistic rules based on the one or more linguistic patterns. The method further includes extracting particular information regarding the business parameter from the plurality of contracts using one or more of the linguistic rules. The method further includes generating a visual output based on at least a portion of the extracted information.

Abstract: A method of managing compliance with strategic business rules is provided. The method includes storing procurement data concerning historical procurement events in a procurement data warehouse. The method further includes storing one or more business compliance rules specifying conditions for a particular procurement event to be compliant. The method further includes automatically analyzing a portion of the procurement data related to the particular procurement event to determine whether or not the particular procurement event is compliant according to the one or more business compliance rules. The method further includes automatically generating a visual output based on whether or not the particular procurement event is determined compliant.

Abstract: A method of managing contracts is provided. The method includes storing a plurality of electronic contracts including unstructured textual data. The method further includes determining one or more linguistic patterns associated with a business parameter and generating linguistic rules based on the one or more linguistic patterns. The method further includes using text mining tools to extract information regarding the business parameter from the unstructured textual data using one or more of the linguistic rules. The method further includes generating a visual output based on at least a portion of the extracted information.