54results about How to "Maximize profitability" patented technology

The present invention provides a promotion pricing system and a related model for producing a value evaluation and recommendation for promotion on a targeted product so as to analyze, evaluate, improve, and design promotions to meet a user's need. The promotion pricing system generates promotion price evaluations and recommendations for each product promotion related to a target product of a user along with associated competing products from the user and competitors. The user can be an individual, an organization, a corporation, an association or any entity providing, including activities related to making, selling, resale, offering for sale, distributing and other commercial conducts, products or service or both in the stream of commerce In the preferred embodiment, the promotion pricing system of the presenting invention is comprised of modularization of the necessary analytical steps along with specifications for these modules. These modules cooperate to implement statistical market response estimation that provide statistically stable, fact-based information on customer response to a promotions. The modules further allow data capture to leverages enterprise and supply chain data sources. The modules include a product segmentation module, an incentive translation module, a customer segmentation module, a data aggregation module, a model selection module, a calibration module, an evaluation module, a constraints generation module, a cost structure module, an optimization module, a market channel performance module, and an alert module.

A method of optimizing production of semiconductor devices on a wafer comprises steps of characterizing at least one effect of at least one manufacturing component on at least one optimization criterion; inputting user optimization data; and, based on the at least one effect and the user optimization data, performing optimization to determine a layout of semiconductor devices on the wafer that optimizes performance according to the user optimization data.

System and methods are described for assisting a contractor in managing information associated with a construction project. The amount of information relating to labor, materials, scheduling and billing and the number of individuals accessing the information can be overwhelmingly large for even a simple construction project. As such, the system and methods described are particularly useful for gathering, maintaining and disseminating the voluminous amount of information associated with a construction project. In one method, a drawing from a construction project is provided that has one or more intelligent objects. Information is then gathered relating to labor, materials and schedules for the project. The information is associated with the respective intelligent object and visually represented on the drawing. The drawing is displayed and certain aspects associated with the intelligent objects can be quickly identified. In addition, reports may be generated that quickly and efficiently organize information according to any number of user selected criteria. In some embodiments, emissive tags, such as RFID tags, associated with construction items are used in the data gathering process.

A computer program product stores computer instructions therein for instructing a computer to perform a process. The program product includes a recording medium readable by the computer, and computer instructions stored thereon instructing the computer to perform the process. The instructions and the process include determining and storing at least one enterprise attribute data, customer attribute data, shareholder attribute data and government attribute data, and implementing an enterprise computer simulation model that utilizes the attribute data and generates enterprise performance data. The enterprise simulation model evaluates the enterprise performance data with respect to the at least one of each other and predetermined criteria. The data from evaluated enterprise performance is then used for ranking, indexing, decision making, enterprise controlling and / or investment purposes, manually and / or electronically.

System and methods are described for assisting a contractor in managing information associated with a construction project. The amount of information relating to labor, materials, scheduling and billing and the number of individuals accessing the information can be overwhelmingly large for even a simple construction project. As such, the system and methods described are particularly useful for gathering, maintaining and disseminating the voluminous amount of information associated with a construction project. In one method, a drawing from a construction project is provided that has one or more intelligent objects. Information is then gathered relating to labor, materials and schedules for the project. The information is associated with the respective intelligent object and visually represented on the drawing. The drawing is displayed and certain aspects associated with the intelligent objects can be quickly identified. In addition, reports may be generated that quickly and efficiently organize information according to any number of user selected criteria.

Apparatus and methods for providing enhanced consumer access to information sources and controllable entities. An Access device can be a stand alone device such as a DVD player in which the DVD disk contains the back-end information network. Other Access devices obtain the back-end information network from remote sources. By way of a specific example, the consumer can then view a game and interactively select every television camera located at the game venue.

A method for managing inventory within a supply chain. The method is performed by providing forecasts of demand for items distributed within the supply chain, using the forecasts to establish base stocking levels and reorder points within the supply chain, and using the established base stocking levels and reorder points to position items within the supply chain so as to maximize efficiency and profitability when responding to an order for an item.

Methods and apparatus for tracking and evaluating the relative value, such as the net present value, of medical services provided to patients associated with third party payors (“TPPs”). Under various embodiments of the present invention, the relative value of medical services is considered in evaluating whether to enter into an agreement with a TPP, whether to accept a new patient, when and for how long to schedule a patient appointment, and how long a physician should meet with the patient. Methods and apparatus for improving the efficiency of a medical office are also disclosed whereby a physician may more effectively supply a patient with relevant information and provide prescriptions, record billing information, order supplies, and collect payment for services provided. Methods and apparatus for improving security within a medical office and reducing employee fraud are also disclosed.

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for providing communications services. One method receives a request for communications service. The request for communications service originates from a client communications device associated with a user and requests communications service from a service provider. An availability of at least one of i) a communications network operated by the service provider and ii) another communications network operated by another service provider is dynamically assessed in real-time. A best-value scenario of segmentation, dispersion, assemblage, and routing of electronic data is assessed to fulfill the request. The best-value scenario maximizes profitability for the service provider. The communications service is provided to fulfill the request according to the best-value scenario.

A system, method, and apparatus infrastructure provide real time wireless tracking of multiple initial data parameters transmitted from individual mobile receiving or system units installed in customer vehicles. A management network receives and decodes initial data parameters from respective receiving mobile units, matches and encodes the same according to stored predetermined customer specified format preferences, and transmits customer specified data streams to customers. An additional step correlates the received specified-data streams with additional public-supplied data or third-party contractually supplied data to provide an enhanced customer report enabling a number of reports; including a credibility determination between the public-supplied data and the received specified-data, a customer vehicle travel efficiency report, a safe operation vehicle report, and a vehicle operator effectiveness report. Each vehicle system unit is functionally enabled to secure transmission of a communication protocol over GSM, GPRS, CDMA, or other networks enabling seamless and secure functionality between wireless or wired data-links.

A system and method for managing access to a satellite-based transponder by a plurality of aircraft each having a mobile radio frequency (RF) system. The system employs a ground-based, central control system for managing access to the satellite-based transponder so that the aggregate power spectral density (PSD) of the RF signals of all the mobile systems does not exceed, at any time, limits established by regulatory agencies to prevent interference between satellite systems. This is accomplished by a dual control loop arrangement for monitoring the signal-to-noise ratio (Eb / No) of the RF signal transmitted by the satellite-based transponder. A ground-based control loop is used whereby a ground-based central controller monitors the Eb / No and transmits commands to the aircraft (via the satellite transponder) to maintain the Eb / No of the transmitted signal within a predetermined range. A fast scan angle compensation is used by the mobile system of the aircraft to implement another control loop to further adjust the transmit power. This control loop maintains the Eb / No of the signal transmitted to the satellite-based transponder at the commanded level inbetween updates from the ground-based central controller.

A system and method for analyzing the profitability of a company's products and services and then maximizing that profit is provided. A contribution margin per unit 138 is multiplied times the forecast in units per year 104. The product of this contribution margin per unit 138 times the forecast in units per year 104 is divided by the product of the total capacity hours per standard run 120 quantity and the planned production runs per year 106. The result is the contribution margin per capacity hour 150 which is also defined here as the capacity value analysis 150. The capacity value analysis 150 provides for determining product rationalization, and profitable growth determination, as well as a metric for profit optimization initiatives such as eliminating constraints, customer perceived value, design for manufacturability, reduced production frequency, and reduced setup time.

A predictive-control approach allows an electricity provider to monitor and proactively manage peak and off-peak residential intra-day electricity usage in an emerging smart energy grid using time-dependent dynamic pricing incentives. The daily load is modeled as time-shifted, but cost-differentiated and substitutable, copies of the continuously-consumed electricity resource, and a consumer-choice prediction model is constructed to forecast the corresponding intra-day shares of total daily load according to this model. This is embedded within an optimization framework for managing the daily electricity usage. A series of transformations are employed, including the reformulation-linearization technique (RLT) to obtain a Mixed-Integer Programming (MIP) model representation of the resulting nonlinear optimization problem. In addition, various regulatory and pricing constraints are incorporated in conjunction with the specified profit and capacity utilization objectives.

An aircraft fuselage includes an outer skin and at least one main deck separating an interior space of the aircraft fuselage longitudinally into a first space and a second space. At least one portion of the first space is divided into at least three longitudinal zones, and the at least three longitudinal zones include at least one central zone and at least two lateral zones. The at least one central zone is divided into three sectors, and the three sectors include a front sector, a central sector, and a rear sector. The at least two lateral zones include a first and second lateral zone configuration, the front sector includes a first and second front sector configuration, the central sector includes a first and second central sector configuration, and the rear sector includes a first and second rear sector configuration.

A method for end-to-end printing, including entering into service level agreements with each of a plurality of partner systems that enable customers to order personalized print products, wherein a service level agreement designates maximum delays for finishing customer print orders, receiving customer print orders forwarded from the plurality of partner systems, each print order specifying at least one personalized print product, serializing the print orders into a plurality of work items, each work item corresponding to a part of a personalized print product that is to be printed on printable material, dynamically assigning priorities to the work items, dynamically advancing the work items through a plurality of print processing states, wherein each processing state processes work items in order of their priorities.

A system and method for managing access to a satellite-based transponder by a plurality of aircraft each having a mobile radio frequency (RF) system. The system employs a ground-based, central control system for managing access to the satellite-based transponder so that the aggregate power spectral density (PSD) of the RF signals of all the mobile systems does not exceed, at any time, limits established by regulatory agencies to prevent interference between satellite systems. This is accomplished by a dual control loop arrangement for monitoring the signal-to-noise ratio (Eb / No) of the RF signal transmitted by the satellite-based transponder. A ground-based control loop is used whereby a ground-based central controller monitors the Eb / No and transmits commands to the aircraft (via the satellite transponder) to maintain the Eb / No of the transmitted signal within a predetermined range. A fast scan angle compensation is used by the mobile system of the aircraft to implement another control loop to further adjust the transmit power. This control loop maintains the Eb / No of the signal transmitted to the satellite-based transponder at the commanded level inbetween updates from the ground-based central controller.

A method and system is provided in an adaptive framework for modeling livestock growth. The adaptive framework processes input data relative to livestock growth in an ensemble of one or more models and an artificial intelligence layer configured to select the most appropriate or primary model to optimize, predict, and recommend livestock feed operations based upon environmental, physiological, location and time variables within such input data. The adaptive framework also optimizes workflow by pen and by producer, based upon historical performance, gender and breed and the management practices of the producer.

For challenge of an existing value driving data, information and knowledge life cycle evaluating method, the invention provides a value driving service software development method based on data map, information map and knowledge map framework aiming at the bidirectional evaluation and control over design action efficiency between the detailed design activity and service modeling, and belongs to the technical intersecting field of distributed computation and software engineering. On the basis of data maps, data observation and collection in software development activity demand analysis are analyzed. Information maps are used for solving the problem of incorrect information flow control and information loss in design activity. In demand modeling of the detailed design activity, and advantages, including completeness of demand expression and coverage range, of knowledge maps in demand expression compared with UML are elaborated.

A method for end-to-end printing, including entering into service level agreements with each of a plurality of partner systems that enable customers to order personalized print products, wherein a service level agreement designates maximum delays for finishing customer print orders, receiving customer print orders forwarded from the plurality of partner systems, each print order specifying at least one personalized print product, serializing the print orders into a plurality of work items, each work item corresponding to a part of a personalized print product that is to be printed on printable material, dynamically assigning priorities to the work items, dynamically advancing the work items through a plurality of print processing states, wherein each processing state processes work items in order of their priorities.

The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for analyzing the variable operating rate of a manufacturing process. The system contains information relating to procurement activity, manufacturing activity and sales and marketing activity.

A method and system for managing print jobs in a printing system, including assigning one or more printing resources including at least one printer to a print value stream, the print value stream capable of printing one or more parts from one or more print products, maintaining a prioritized queue of print jobs to be processed by the print value stream, dynamically updating a cadence rate that indicates the maximum number of print units to be printed by the print value stream during a specified period of time, and providing the print jobs from the prioritized queue in priority order to the print value stream at a rate so as not to exceed the cadence rate. The approach is related in principle to Takt Time or Taktzeit.

A method for forecasting future telecommunications network growth so as to maximize carrier profitability. The method being a service-driven network planning method for more accurately forecasting the future equipment needs of telecommunications carriers. A plurality of different service forecasts are utilized to create a network model. These forecasts are translated into bandwidth flows and modeled as they traverse the network. An amalgamation of these flows is translated into equipment needs and existing equipment is subtracted from the needs to result in a long-term equipment needs forecast. Financial metrics that model the carrier business plan are also employed to generate a forecasted profit and loss statement. With such a statement, long-term strategic issues that will impact carrier performance and profitability can be identified.

A system and method of operation for proactively grouping disparate mail items that are queued to be produced in a processing facility, wherein the system and method utilize a manufacturing completion schedule for virtually grouping the mail items before physical production occurs and the system and method maximizes profitability by discounting the mail items by applying appropriate discount mailing regulations for virtually grouping the mail items before physical production occurs.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system, method, or computer program product for recommending payment vehicles for a transaction based on social network data. Embodiments of the invention allow a customer to receive a recommended payment vehicle for a transaction with a merchant where the recommended payment vehicle is determined based on social network data. In this way, a payment recommendation may be based on one or more preferences of a trusted advisor, social network friend, family member, celebrity, or an aggregation of data related to how a group of individuals on a social network are selecting payment vehicles for various merchants. The invention may review this social network data and provide the customer with a payment vehicle recommendation for a transaction with a merchant.

In order to improve the economic benefit and obtain maximum values of benefit enhancement and strategic investment practice from efficiency enhancement and strategic investment practice, the invention discloses an element multi-dimensional frequency correlation calculation-based semantic modeling method for data mapping, information mapping and knowledge mapping frameworks, and belongs to the technological cross fields of distributed computation and software engineering. According to the method, data observation and collection in software development activity demand analysis are analyzed on the basis of data mappings, and structure frequencies, time frequencies and space frequencies of data are marked. According to the method, information mappings are used for recording the frequencies of interactions between entities, and the problems of incorrect information flow control and information loss in design activities are solved. In demand modeling of detailed design activities, the method disclosed by the invention states the advantage of knowledge mappings relative to UML in the aspect of demand expression, such as integrity and coverage area of semantic expressions in the demands.

On-line controlling of FCC hydrotreating is provided which uses near infrared (NIR) analysis to characterize cracking feed for parameters and the resulting characterization thereof. The NIR results can be used in FCC hydroteating software to control on-line unit yields and qualities.

The invention is an algorithm that allows a service provider to differentiate dialer traffic from conversational traffic and to divert the dialer traffic and / or to block or release it, enabling the routing of dialer calls only to those carriers that offer favorable rate conditions for dialer traffic and conversational calls to another larger superset of least cost routing carriers. Additionally, the invention allows the service provider to block the dialer type traffic, in which case the algorithm returns a “release-back” code.

By aiming at the challenge of an existing value-oriented or value-driven data, information and knowledge life cycle evaluation method, the invention puts forward a semantic modeling method capable of carrying out dynamic abstraction of processing framework resources on the basis of a data atlas, an information atlas and a knowledge atlas, and belongs to the cross field of distributed calculation and software engineering technologies. On the basis of the data atlas, data observation and collection in software development activity requirement analysis can be analyzed, and the structure frequency, the time frequency and the spatial frequency of the data are labelled. The information atlas is used for recording the frequency of interaction among entities, frequently interacting nodes are subjected to preliminary abstraction and integration according to internal cohesion, which is obtained by calculation, among the entities, and the structure frequency, the time frequency and the spatial frequency of the data are labelled and integrated into the structure frequency, the time frequency and the spatial frequency of a new entity. In the requirement modeling of a detailed design activity, the invention elaborates the advantages of the knowledge atlas than UML (Unified Modeling Language) on the aspects of requirement expression, including the integrity, the coverage range and the like of semantic expression contained in requirements.

A predictive-control approach allows an electricity provider to monitor and proactively manage peak and off-peak residential intra-day electricity usage in an emerging smart energy grid using time-dependent dynamic pricing incentives. The daily load is modeled as time-shifted, but cost-differentiated and substitutable, copies of the continuously-consumed electricity resource, and a consumer-choice prediction model is constructed to forecast the corresponding intra-day shares of total daily load according to this model. This is embedded within an optimization framework for managing the daily electricity usage. A series of transformations are employed, including the reformulation-linearization technique (RLT) to obtain a Mixed-Integer Programming (MIP) model representation of the resulting nonlinear optimization problem. In addition, various regulatory and pricing constraints are incorporated in conjunction with the specified profit and capacity utilization objectives.