Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for determining a quantity to be produced for each of two or more product types, where each product type is specified by one or more characteristics. An input specifying a desired distribution of the total quantity among the one or more characteristics is received. If the desired quantity to be produced of a product type is a non-integer value, the desired quantity is rounded to an integer to generate a final quantity to be produced for each product type. The final quantity preserves both a total quantity and the desired distribution of the total quantity among the one or more characteristics.

Abstract: A technique to obtain desirable product-specific outcomes is disclosed. An example of a method using the technique includes parameterizing a job to identify steps; defining a market as a job executor of the job; deconstructing the job to determine achievable outcomes at each step in the job; using outcome statements associated with the achievable outcomes as bases for segmentation; allocating customers into segments of customers with different unmet needs, revealing segment of opportunity; uncovering segments of customers that struggle to achieve desirable outcomes at one or more steps of the job; revealing an opportunity to help at least one customer achieve desirable outcomes related to a specific market; designing a product that helps the at least one customer achieve desirable outcomes.

Abstract: Software is disclosed that creates a way of controlling alterations to cell contents of a data flow network so they can easily be turned on and off as separate layers. These layers can then be grouped as scenarios. Scenarios allow different layers of formula changes to be easily added and removed from the model.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for automatically compensating an individual's credit risk score for macroeconomic data. In particular, various embodiments provide systems and methods to determine a macroeconomic risk score. In addition, various embodiments provide systems and methods to determine an adjusted credit risk score for an individual based on the individual's credit risk score and a macroeconomic risk score that serves as a scale adjuster to keep overall delinquency and/or loss rates in line as economic factors change.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for generating business decisions. Embodiments of this system and method receive customer transaction data and additional information (cumulatively referred to as ‘modeling data’). This data is utilized to generate a product decision tree which models consumer purchasing decisions as a tree structure. The product decision tree may be utilized by the system to analyze demand for a given leaf (product) in association with other related products. In some embodiments, customers are segmented into groupings of customers who have similar attributes, including similar shopping behaviors. Customer insights are generated for the customer segments. The customer insights and the product decision tree are used to generate business plans, which may then be provided to a store for implementation. These plans may include a product assortment plan, an everyday pricing plan, a promotional plan, and a markdown plan.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of determining an allocation plan for a cargo stowage problem of allocating a set of cargo items to a set of cargo item positions of a vessel, each cargo item position being suitable for receiving a cargo item. The method comprises constructing an expression indicative of one or more constraints to be satisfied by said allocation plan, constructing a cost function indicative of a cost of an updated allocation plan relative to a current allocation plan of said cargo stowage problem, iteratively updating a current allocation plan from an initial allocation plan to an updated allocation plan so as to decrease said cost function under said one or more constraints.

Abstract: Embodiments include systems and methods of detecting fraud. In particular, one embodiment includes a system and method of detecting fraud in transaction data such as payment card transaction data. For example, one embodiment includes a computerized method of detecting that comprises receiving data associated with a financial transaction and at least one transacting entity, wherein the data associated with the transacting entity comprises at least a portion of each of a plurality of historical transactions of the transacting entity, applying the data to at least one first model, generating a score based on the first model, and generating data indicative of fraud based at least partly on the score. Other embodiments include systems and methods of generating models for use in fraud detection systems.

Abstract: A risk management method and system for facilitating analysis and quantification of risk associated with politically exposed persons is disclosed. A computerized political risk management system maintains a database relating individuals to politically sensitive positions and world events. A rating system is used to assess risk based upon criteria such as a position held, historical data and/or interpretation of world events. The system can generate a risk quotient or other rating based upon a weighted algorithm applied to the criteria. The risk quotient is indicative of risk associated with an account. Actions commensurate with a risk quotient can be presented to an institution to help the institution properly manage risk associated with a politically exposed person. A log or other stored history can be created such that utilization of the system can mitigate adverse effects relating to a problematic account.

Abstract: A method and system for using an asset based business architecture having components to operate a business, implementing collaborative interactions between the components by using control structures granular to the level of the corresponding asset based components. To respond to a business opportunity components are assembled into a collaborative network, and the assembled components are configured to the business opportunity. Additional or modified control structures are employed in the collaborative network as needed. Preferably, the collaborative network operates in a business control domain. The components may be adapted from a component business model (CBM) map developed for an industry within which the business competes.

Abstract: There is provided a computer-implemented method of projecting the future cash flows of a pension scheme, comprising: receiving data representative of the members of the pension scheme; receiving data representative of a mortality assumption; calculating, using data processing apparatus, for each pension scheme member, a projection of the future cash flow liabilities of the pension scheme to that member on the basis of the pension scheme member data and by applying the mortality assumption data to the pension scheme member data; and generating, using data processing apparatus, data representative of a projected liability cash flow of the pension scheme to all of its members by aggregating the liabilities to each member.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products for performing a valuation of a contingent claim, such as a call or a put, are provided that initially determine the present value distribution of contingent future benefits that is attributable to the exercise of a contingent claim, such as according to a jump-diffusion model. The present value of an exercise price, such as a distribution of contingent future investments of a distribution of contingent future investments, required to exercise the contingent claim is also determined. An average of the difference between the present value distribution of contingent future benefits and the present value of the contingent future investment is determined. By utilizing appropriate discount rates, the benefits and investment can be effectively valued, which, in turn, permits the contingent claim project to be effectively valued in an intuitive manner.

Abstract: Changing a business process model involves several aspects: (1) given a set of change operations, dependencies and conflicts are encoded in dependency and conflict matrices; (2) given a change sequence for a process model M, the change sequence is broken up into subsequences such that operations from different subsequences are independent; (3) given a change sequence for a process model V1 and another change sequence for a process model V2, conflicts between operations in the different change sequences are determined; (4) the process structure tree can be used to localize dependency computations, yielding a more efficient approach to determining dependencies; and (5) the process structure tree can be used to localize conflict computations, yielding a more efficient approach to determining conflicts.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and method which allows the performance of an organization to be assessed with respect to data which is generated by the organization. The invention provides for the collation of data representing a number of functions of the organization, and, if necessary reformatting the same, and then processing of the same to generate results to represent the actual activities of the organisation or parts thereof and typically allow comparison with target valves.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system having a business aware framework for supporting situation awareness, which provides an RFID business event modeling system having a modeling function that allows a developer to easily define RFID business events required in developing RFID applications in conformance to EPC network standards so that the user can specify the steps of acquiring and processing data using the RFID technology and define whether to infer a situation, thereby conveniently using the invention for applications based on EPC and sensor data.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for root cause analysis and early warning of inventory problems. The system includes a server coupled with a database and configured to access the data describing inventory policy parameters of a supply chain network, the data describing one or more demand patterns and one or more replenishment patterns of the supply chain network, and the data describing the supply chain network comprising a plurality of entities, each entity configured to supply one or more items to satisfy a demand. The server is further configured to optimize the inventory policy parameters for each of the one or more items according to the one or more demand patterns and the one or more replenishment patterns and store the optimized inventory policy parameters in the database for each of the one or more items.

Abstract: A method and system to identify suitable installation sites for alternative fuel stations. The system uses geocoded data sets and other data pertaining to a particular geographic market to generate three models: (1) the system generates a market capacity model that indicates the total number of stations that could be sustained by the present and/or projected consumer demand for alternative fuel within the market; (2) the system generates a hotspot model that indicates the geographic variation of estimated demand for alternative fuel within the market; and (3) the system generates a trade area model that indicates which locations within the market are quickly accessible by a sufficiently high number of alternative fuel consumers. When combined, these three models permit a user of the system to identify and analyze those locations within the market that are most suitable as alternative fuel station sites.

Abstract: Systems and methods that provide for event driven downloading, via defining storage thresholds in an embedded historian (e.g. micro historian). Upon reaching predetermined thresholds (e.g., low/high water marks), stored data in the embedded historians can automatically down load to a central plant historian. An automatic download engine is provided that down loads historian data based on satisfaction of such conditions defined for the download. The download engine can further include a detector component, which detects whether a predetermined condition (e.g., associated with the storage capacity of the micro-historians have been met. Moreover, a notification component can notify the embedded historians that the data have been permanently persisted in the central historian.

Abstract: A method of and system for transforming data representative of an organization into a model that supports the management and optimization of one or more aspects of organization risk and value, the development and optimized delivery of standard and customized risk transfer products for one or more organizations, and the development, valuation and sale of securities for one or more organizations.

Abstract: A system generates a customer reference recommendation based on similarity to other customers. The system includes a customer data file including demographic data and purchasing pattern data for a plurality of customers, a first cluster model trained on the demographic data, and a second cluster model trained on the purchasing pattern data. A customer reference generator produces a customer reference recommendation based on cluster membership in the first and second cluster models in response to a query from a user interface.

Abstract: When unit images UP output for display on a screen of a display device 801 are arranged by a layout operation effected through an input device 802, procurement costs for frame units corresponding to the layout are calculated and output for display. Accordingly, for an exemplary case of newly introducing a unit system formed based on an arbitrary combination of a plurality of types of frame units vertically engaged and laterally arranged, the layout of the frame units can readily be examined, and also the procurement costs of thus-arranged frame units can readily be confirmed. A data processing device, configured to assist introduction of the unit system formed based on an arbitrary combination of a plurality of types of unit components, is provided.

Abstract: Various embodiments include methods and systems to support IT business decision making, including a data correlator and business, configuration, risk, and application management databases. The business management database contains information pertaining to services offered by IT and other IT business information. The configuration management database contains operational data including the resources required by IT's offered services. The risk management database contains operational constraints on the organization by external sources, such as industry practices or government regulations. The application management database contains information about projects and applications that are in development but not currently operational including resources required by IT's services now or in the future.

Abstract: In a computer-implemented method of contract execution, data about contracts is stored in a computer storage accessible to a processor of a computer along with data about a procurement plan and data about a purchase request that includes information about a first quantity of at least one good or service. The processor determines a second quantity of the one good or service and a second contract against which to complete the purchase request based on the procurement plan, the data about the contracts, at least one purchase made against one of the contracts, a trigger condition and associated effect, and the quantity of at least one good or service. In response to the second contract and the second quantity being approved, the processor causes a purchase order for the second quantity of the one good or service to be placed to the supplier associated with the second contract.

Abstract: Systems and methods for executing business processes over a network. In an exemplary embodiment of a method of executing business processes via a computer network, the method comprises the steps of creating and installing software resources available over a network, browsing a database of software resources using a process model builder to identify software resource definitions, loading the software resource definitions identified by the process model builder to create a business process model comprising the software resources from the database of software resources, mapping inputs and outputs of the database of software resources to allow the business process model to be executed, saving the business process model on a storage medium accessible by the network, and initiating a collaborative business process by loading the business process model into a process interpreter and executing the software resources defined within the business process model.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calculating a cost index in a communication network are described. In one embodiment, a plurality of cost factors associated with a first network operation mode is obtained. A plurality of second cost factors associated with a second network operation mode is subsequently obtained. A first cost index is then determined based on the plurality of cost factors associated with the first network operation mode. Likewise, a second cost index is determined based on the plurality of cost factors associated with the second network operation mode. Afterwards, the first cost index is compared to the second cost index to determine whether a recommendation for an implementation of the second operation mode is warranted.

Abstract: System for optimization of production with added value and for integration of the best business practices, which is characterized in that it includes two base modules of services application software, said first base being a central module A connected, for data extraction, with the organization information system or database for the anticipation of costs and for the control of the piloting, common to all the models, said second base being a peripheral module B of learning acceleration and to structuring of technical information actionable by the user, said second module B being an interface connected to the first module A by the connection C.

Abstract: In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a human resource management platform that includes applications targeted to solve a variety of human resource, compensation, and performance management problems. Applications of the human resource management platform include business applications such as performance driven compensation that may provide a single solution for driving employee performance and organizational success by automation of goal setting, performance measurement, and employee rewards by directly linking performance results to rewards.

Abstract: A systems, methods and computer program products are provided for modeling a monetary measure of a good, such as a cost or revenue associated with the good. A method begins by selecting at least one qualitative measure of maturity for at least one technology associated with the good, where each qualitative measure of maturity is associated with a distribution such that each technology is correspondingly associated with a distribution. Next, a monetary point is associated with each technology, and thereafter a monetary distribution is determined for each technology based upon a respective monetary point and a respective distribution. A plurality of monetary values are selected by randomly selecting the plurality of monetary values for each technology based upon a respective monetary distribution. Finally, the monetary measure for the good are modeled based upon the selected monetary values for each technology.

Abstract: A user interface and method are disclosed for facilitating analysis and/or planning of business operations. The user interface includes may include a plurality of user interface elements, at least some of which characterize associated components that may be employed to compute data. Stored account data is processed to generate base data for one or more selected accounts. The base data may be further processed by components associated with the user interface elements, such as by a method, key results area data, action plan data, and/or calendar data, to provide an impact value that results in the base data being adjusted accordingly.

Abstract: A system is provided comprising a risk engine coupled to a financial system that includes an account. The risk engine generates an account model corresponding to a user and events of the account. Generation of the account model uses event parameters of a previous event performed by the user in the account. The risk engine uses the account model to generate a first probability of observing event parameters assuming the user is conducting the next event. The risk engine uses a fraud model to generate a second probability of observing event parameters assuming a fraudster is conducting the next event. The risk engine generates a risk score, using the first and second probabilities, which indicates the relative likelihood the next event is performed by the user. The system includes a risk application comprising an analytical user interface that displays for any event the risk score and/or event parameters.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for predicting expected behavior of a user in an account. The systems and methods automatically generate a causal model corresponding to a user. The systems and methods estimate a plurality of components of the causal model using event parameters of a first set of events undertaken by the user in an account of the user. The systems and methods predict expected behavior of the user during a second set of events using the causal model.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for managing assets and asset support contracts for assets of a given entity.

Abstract: A computer system for determining an escalated estimated project cost and an estimated schedule for a project including a plurality of activities having a plurality of cost items. The computer system is operable to determine: a critical path for the project based on the amount of critical days to include on the critical path for each activity, a pre-escalation cost for each cost item of each activity, a pre-escalation cost for each activity, a pre-escalation total project cost, a cost escalation for each activity, a cost escalation for the project, and an escalated estimated cost of the project, and the computer system is operable to generate a report of the pre-escalation total project cost, the escalated estimated project cost, and the estimated project schedule based on the critical path.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for generating a new tariff and/or billing configuration for a tariff and/or billing plan on a computer based system using an entity framework for an hierarchical arrangement of entities, the hierarchical arrangement representing a tariff and/or billing configuration, with each entity representing one or more characteristics of the configuration. One method provides that the entity framework is populated by copying an existing entity and/or by generating a new entity.

Abstract: A binary tree structure for detecting inventory problems. A first embodiment detects on-hand inventory problems. A second embodiment detects inventory requirements problems. Both embodiments use a binary tree whose nodes store time values and delta values. The delta values represent inventory consumers or producers. The time values of trees used for inventory requirements problems are shifted in accordance with build-ahead times.

Abstract: Systems and methods for optimizing properties of objects within a scene or achieve a visual goal.

Abstract: A binary tree structure for detecting inventory problems. A first embodiment detects on-hand inventory problems. A second embodiment detects inventory requirements problems. Both embodiments use a binary tree whose nodes store time values and delta values. The delta values represent inventory consumers or producers. The time values of trees used for inventory requirements problems are shifted in accordance with build-ahead times.

Abstract: A computerized system and method of building a system of test components for an orderable healthcare procedure is provided. An orderable healthcare procedure is received and associated with a discrete ontology concept. An ontology is traversed for the discrete ontology concept to identify test components related to the discrete ontology concept. The test components related to the discrete ontology concept are identified.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for the aggregation, analysis, display and monetization of pricing data for commodities in general, and which may be particularly useful applied to vehicles are disclosed. Specifically, in certain embodiments, historical transaction data associated with a particular vehicle configuration may be obtained and processed to determine pricing data associated with the vehicle configuration. The historical transaction data or determined pricing data may then be presented in an intuitive manner.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for the aggregation, analysis, display and monetization of pricing data for commodities in general, and which may be particularly useful applied to vehicles are disclosed. Specifically, in certain embodiments, historical transaction data associated with a particular vehicle configuration may be obtained and processed to determine pricing data associated with the vehicle configuration. The historical transaction data or determined pricing data may then be presented in an intuitive manner.

Abstract: A method, system and device define a common enterprise framework that aligns many major architecture and process reference models in the prior art. The method utilizes loosely coupled arrangements of common building blocks for defining process stream flows, process stream flow interdependencies and process knowledge benchmarks for both structure and process maturity. The framework system and method facilitate assessment of process flow stream value and value tradeoffs that management may use for optimizing competitiveness value within enterprises and federations of enterprises.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus is for comparing a set of production fraud parameters with one or more sets of test or proposed fraud parameters run against prepaid card production data in a prepaid card analysis.

Abstract: A computer readable storage medium has stored therein a workflow-definition alteration program. The workflow-definition alteration program is for presenting a workflow definition including process procedures, policies, and constraints.

Abstract: A data warehouse system for managing performance of organizations is provided. The data warehouse system comprises a data model for storing data representing dimensions and measures applicable for multiple organizations, and a configuration unit for setting the placeholders such that the data model represents the particular organization. The data model has placeholders settable such that the data model represents a particular organization.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, system and computer program product for evaluating risk mitigation plan alternatives, to manage the risks related to a business process. A criteria model is defined, including one or more criteria against which the risk mitigation plan alternatives are evaluated. Weights are also assigned to the criteria. One or more risk assessors assign scores to the risk mitigation plan alternatives with reference to the criteria model, based on a predefined scale. Thereafter, the utility values of the risk mitigation plan alternatives are calculated, based on the weight and a probability assigned by a risk assessor, wherein the probability is a measure of the uncertainty in the score assigned to the criteria. The risk mitigation plan alternatives are evaluated, based on the utility values, and accordingly, an optimal risk-mitigation plan may be selected.

Abstract: A method for an operator to test tariff and/or billing configurations using a computer based system, the method being effected by a user interface, said method including the steps of creating through said computer based system one or more accounts from a selection of a first set of options by the operator from the user interface, allocating a service or services to each account from a selection of a second set of options by the operator from the user interface said allocated services being assigned to said accounts by said computer based system, adding at least one package or component to each account from a selection of a third set of options by the operator from the user interface said packages or components services being assigned to said accounts by said computer based system, associating at least one usage file to each account from a selection of a fourth set of options by the operator from the user interface said usage files being assigned to said accounts by said computer based system thereby providing