149 results about "Business objectives" patented technology

An electronic media distribution system which facilitates the distribution of media to consumers over a network, such as the Internet, while achieving commercial business objectives and protecting the intellectual property rights associated with the media being distributed. The system provides the infrastructure and support for various market participants to engage in buying, selling, finding and distributing music. The system provides an interface for consumers to locate, access and receive musical content over the Internet. The system facilitates continued control over the musical content sent to consumers by dynamically enforcing retailer agreements and restrictions governing the purchase, use, and distribution of the content. The system also provides a service to retailers and distributors in assisting with the management of sales and distribution of music over the Internet. Specifically, the system certifies and distributes retail offers for the content where the offers are dynamically updated by electronic contracts between the retailers and distributors of the music.

The present invention provides a dynamic pricing system that generates pricing recommendations for each product in each market. In particular, the system normalizes historic pricing and sales data, and then analyzes this historic data using parameters describing the user's business objectives to produce a pricing list to achieve these objectives. The system uses historical market data to forecast expected sales according to a market segment, product type, and a range of future dates and to determine the effects of price changes on the forecasted future sales. The system further calculates unit costs for the product. The system then estimates profits from sales at different prices by using the sales forecasts, adjusting these sales forecasts for changes in prices, and the costs determinations. The system optionally optimizes prices given current and projected inventory constraints and generates alerts notices according to pre-set conditions.

A decentralized load management and control system and method are provided herein. A plurality of loads in a system are associated with a multitude of respective networked load controllers. If energy demand exceeds optimum limits in operation then the networked load controllers collaborate to determine which load(s) will be shed based on an optimization algorithm that considers, inter alia, variable load priority and business objectives. Additionally and / or alternatively, if the metered energy demand is less than optimum, the load controllers can determine which loads to reconnect again based at least upon load priority and business objectives.

A user-friendly web-based team collaboration solution that provides diverse team members the opportunity to participate in synchronous and asynchronous activities through a teamspace. Using a single platform that integrates team collaboration with business process management, team activities may be implemented through ad-hoc tasks and business process management driven steps to accomplish specific business objectives. Using this single platform, collaboration artifacts may also be managed through a records management system, thus making team collaboration efforts available as records. Numerous method variations, as well as related systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

A way is provided for architecting a server-less office that delivers anywhere anytime computing support to an organization. The server-less office comprises a plurality of information technology IT components selected based on business objectives and constraints associated with the business function of the organization to work together to deliver computing support functions to a plurality of end users who no longer have local computing support and may only have thin clients on their desks. A pre-determined server-less architecture is imposed by the present invention by including at least four architectural groupings of IT components that the organization must map the objectives and constraints of its business functions onto for IT component selection purposes. A local group is included in this minimum set of groups so that unique processing needs can be satisfied that are not met by the imposed pre-determined server-less office architectural groupings.

A system and method for segmenting customer data that represents a plurality of customers for use in a customer interaction. The segmentation process groups customers with similar characteristics into segments. The segments may be used to classify customers according to a likelihood of the customers to accept a particular marketing offer. The segments may also be used as an analytic framework for customer portfolio management, product development, marketing strategy, and customer interaction capabilities. A multi-dimensional segmentation approach may be used to cross-segment a plurality of customers so that the customers included in the crossed segments can be profiled for more precise targeting of marketing offers. Customers may be segmented according to one or more data types stored in a data warehouse. The multi-dimensional segmentation approach may be applied to relationships between and among the data types to obtain a holistic view of what drives customer value. The segmentations may be driven by a business objective. This enables the segment analysis to be calibrated in the context of the stated business objective.

A system and method to automatically and dynamically optimize available resources to meet application data availability and business objectives. In one embodiment, a backup and data recovery system continually and dynamically adjust to the backup and recovery or restore process depending on the customer's environment, workload, and business objectives. Acceptable tolerance of downtime due to recovery and backup impacts the customer's business or system operation. From this high-level business requirement, the present system determines the backup and recovery plan details. The present system accepts application data availability policies based on business objectives, and devises, executes and refines a resource optimal backup and recovery strategy required to deliver the desired quality of service in the environments that have dynamically changing application workloads, business objectives, and hardware / software infrastructure technologies. In addition, the present system performs backups outside blocked windows to minimize the impact on the customer's system.

A computer implemented method and system for optimizing performance of a business IT infrastructure, wherein business objectives are obtained as input and the IT business infrastructure and / or business level components associated therewith are optimized according to the business objectives. In one embodiment, an objectives definition is created that defines business objectives and business rules determining how IT level metrics affect the business objectives and, optionally, service level agreements or other contract definitions based on the objectives definition. A runtime performance of the business objectives is determined during runtime of the business IT infrastructure by monitoring the business IT infrastructure, its compliance with the contract definitions, and the business objectives achieved by the business IT infrastructure. If a statistically significant change is detected between the runtime performance and a reference optimization of the business objectives, the business model is updated and the reference optimization of the business objectives is re-determined.

A system and method for improving the performance of a viral marketing program develops a plurality of trials of a viral marketing program having a business objective with each trial having a plurality of attributes at least one of which differs from an attribute of the other of the plurality of trials, exposes a first plurality of users to a first trial and a second plurality of users to a second trial, collects data indicative of the users response to the trial to which they were exposed that is reflective of the likelihood of the trial obtaining the business objective, compares the data to identify a trial more likely to achieve the business objective than a non-identified trial and continues to utilize the identified trial in the viral marketing program while ceasing use of a non-identified trial.

An Internet system for and method of automatic optimizing quantitative business objectives of sellers (advertisers) with synergistic pricing, promotions and advertisements, while simultaneously minimizing expenditure and discovery and optimizing allocation of advertising channels that optimize such objectives.

Systems and methods are disclosed for managing customers who are either entering into or presently in a significant business growth cycle. In one embodiment, a sales manager and an account manager may analyze a customer profile. The customer profile may be based on data collected from the respective customer. The account manager may then select an AGF customer based on at least the analysis, and identify at least one business objective of the AGF customer. The account manager may further develop an AGF growth plan including a solution to help the AGF customer achieve the at least one business objective. The account manager may deliver the solution to the AGF customer according to the AGF growth plan and determine a value of the delivered solution in helping the AGF customer achieve the at least one business objective.

Embodiments of an apparatus, method, and article of manufacture for controlling view navigation in a workflow environment are disclosed herein. View navigation is controlled by incorporating and utilizing a user-interact operation in a workflow editing application. A workflow process designer may define the user-interact operation from one or more pre-designed views provided for the particular business objectives associated with the workflow process. In one embodiment, users may be navigated to specific views to gather information necessary to the completion of the workflow process, or to facilitate the processing of information across the workflow process to accomplish the business objectives embodied in the workflow process.

Exemplary systems and methods for measurement of engagement are provided. In various embodiments, a method coprises receiving business objectives of a web site or online publisher on a server, tracking user frequency and user activities for a predetermine time, computing and ranking engagement scores with the web site based on the tracked user frequency as a function of user action categories for the predetermined time and business objectives, the user action categories being associated with the user activities, segmenting users based the engagement scores, and directing an advertisement to a user of at least one user segment.

A computer implemented method for an aviation system to manage, consistent with specified system business goals, the temporal assignment of airport gates for use by a plurality of aircraft which are to-be-serviced by specified ground resources, including ground personnel, equipment and supplies, so as to deliver and receive specified passengers, their baggage and cargo during a specified time period, based upon specified data pertaining to the aircraft, passengers and ground resources, includes the steps of: (a) collecting and storing the specified data, (b) processing the data to predict the trajectories of the aircraft, wherein these trajectories including the expected gate arrival time, required ground servicing period and projected departure time of each of the aircraft, (c) processing the data to predict the loads imposed on the ground resources and gates associated with the movement of the passengers, equipment and supplies in relation to the arrival and departure of the aircraft, (d) processing the data, trajectories and loads to identify the various possible ways to distribute the ground system resources and assign the gates so as to meet the time constraints of the predicted trajectories and loads, and (e) assigning to each of the plurality of aircraft a gate for use for a prescribed period, with these assignments being made in such a manner as to allow the aviation system to optimally meet its business goals.

A method to enable dynamic configuration of gaming terminals installed in one or a plurality of gaming premises whereby certified games, certified data files and certified support software components are activated in accordance with a predetermined schedule or automatically in response to the observed gaming activity. The method may include allocating an individual PKI certificate to each executable software component and each of its versions, binding the PKI certificate to the executable software, associating a distinctive policy for each certificate and then enforcing the software execution policies in accordance with the desired authorized game configuration and schedule. The PKI certificate's “Subject Name” (or “Issued to” field or “CommonName” field) may be a concatenation of the software component identification, its version number and optionally other identification characters. The method applies equally to other network connected gaming subsystems. The method enables a fine-grained and secure control of the authorized software components and thus the flexibility to securely configure the gaming system in accordance with a schedule or in a close-loop fashion in order to meet business objectives. In addition, a method to enable the certification authority to bind the certificates to the tested code is described.

A system and method for constructing a schedule that better achieves one or more business goals by generating a schedule optimized for at least one business goal comprising either a business objective or a business constraint. The present system and method, in addition to using information about the set of tasks, any information about constraints about the tasks, the available resources, the time to complete the tasks, all costs and any additional information in relation to the available resources, the present method, also uses information about the costs associated with the project, the sales revenues or fees earned by the project, customer satisfaction and alternative resources, in order to generate an optimized schedule meeting one or more defined business goals.

A computer network implemented system is provided for generating and displaying interactive map information, wherein the system includes: computing devices that are linked to a central server and configured to display wayfinding content and associated content. The central server includes an integrated wayfinding content management utility that enables updating of: (1) a wayfinding map for a particular location, (ii) one or more customer business objectives: and (iii) one or more rules for (A) establishing dynamically a user profile based on one or more wayfinding requests from a user, (B) generating one or more targeted messages for promoting the business objectives, and for (C) determining one or more display parameters for displaying the wayfinding content, and the targeted messages in connection with the wayfinding content, in a way that promotes the business objectives.

A system and method to automatically and dynamically optimize available resources to meet application data availability and business objectives. In one embodiment, a backup and data recovery system continually and dynamically adjust to the backup and recovery or restore process depending on the customer's environment, workload, and business objectives. Acceptable tolerance of downtime due to recovery and backup impacts the customer's business or system operation. From this high-level business requirement, the present system determines the backup and recovery plan details. The present system accepts application data availability policies based on business objectives, and devises, executes and refines a resource optimal backup and recovery strategy required to deliver the desired quality of service in the environments that have dynamically changing application workloads, business objectives, and hardware / software infrastructure technologies. In addition, the present system performs backups outside blocked windows to minimize the impact on the customer's system.

An improved supply chain management system and method is disclosed for assisting companies to improve the efficiency of supply chains. One embodiment includes a partial order planner to better handle the changes and uncertainties that inevitably occur in the real-world. One embodiment of the invention provides a supply chain management system that enables collaboration by exchanging business objectives and plans. An additional embodiment of the present invention includes an intent interpreter module that supports the implementation of intelligent decision support functionality in a graphical user interface.

The present invention relates to methods, systems, and computer readable media comprising instructions for generating a media plan for distributing one or more advertisements comprising an advertisement campaign. The method of the present invention comprises retrieving one or more advertiser specified business objectives for the advertisement campaign and retrieving an advertiser specified budget, as well as an advertiser specified budget allowance for the advertisement campaign. One or more relative values are identified for one or more advertising metrics based upon the one or more advertiser specified business objectives for the advertisement campaign. A score is generated for each of the one or more advertisements comprising the advertisement campaign based upon the one or more relative values and the one or more advertisements comprising the advertisement campaign are sorted based upon the generated scores. One or more of the advertisements are thereafter selected for inclusion in a media plan for distributing the advertisements until the advertiser specified budget has been exhausted. One or more additional advertisements are thereafter selected for inclusion in the media plan for distributing the advertisements until the advertiser specified budget allowance is exceeded or until the advertiser specified business objectives have been obtained.

The present invention is directed to systems, articles, and computer-implemented methods for assessing effectiveness of communication content and optimizing content distribution to enhance business objectives. Embodiments of the present invention are directed to computer-implemented methods for a computer-implemented method, comprising conducting an experiment using experimental content to determine effectiveness of communication content and executing, while conducting the experiment, a machine learning routine (MLR) using MLR content to enhance an effectiveness metric.

A business decision modeling system graphically models business decisions using a rule family structure that adheres to Decision Model principles. In tabular representations, for example, two-dimensional rule families have a heading and a body. The heading includes one or more condition fact types and one conclusion fact type. The body includes unique logic statements corresponding with the heading's fact types, with operators and operands indicating how the logic operates on conditions to determine conclusions. All tested conditions fact types must be true for the conclusion fact type to be true. No two rule families can have the same conclusion fact type, and the conclusion fact type of a first rule family can be a condition fact type of a second rule family. Logic statements are atomic and cannot be further decomposed. The semantic and business integrity of the business rules ensure high quality logic traceable to business objectives.

Systems and methods for inducing a change in a human physiological characteristic. The physiological characteristic may correspond to an emotional state of a dialogue participant. The dialogue participant may be an individual participating in a conversation. The outcome of the conversation may be related to a business objective, such as providing high quality call center services. A sensor may monitor the physiologic characteristic. A processor may relate the physiologic characteristic to an emotional state. The processor may provide feedback to the individual based on the emotional state. The feedback may be formulated to change the individual's emotional state.

A system and method for creating and executing a business model for domain specific decisions to compare possible alternative business solutions to maximize results is provided. A domain-specific return on investment (ROI) or financial measurements model and a calculator for buying and selling information technology based solutions targeted at improving overall business efficiency and effectiveness. This may include, for example, reducing lead time, improving probability of success, creating an innovative environment, enhancing corporate image, reducing cost and improving revenues, or the like. These business objectives may be connected to the capabilities provided by vendor solutions which might be based on technology, process, people, science, or the like, typically through concrete initiatives. Alternative solution components may be quantified and used to calculate financial impacts for various solution choices.

Systems and methods are presented for program management based on strategic business objectives (SBO) of an organization. One aspect of the inventive subject matter includes a method of tracking SBOs of a program including providing access to a SBO database that stores SBO objects, which are representative of the SBO's. The method further includes providing access to an SBO analysis engine coupled with the SBO database. The SBO analysis engine can be configured to identify one or more stakeholders responsible for achieving or assessing an objective associated with one or more SBO objects and retrieve SBO perception attributes from the stakeholders for the one or more SBO objects. The method can further include deriving a SBO perception drift for the SBO object as a function of the stakeholder's SBO perception attributes and the SBO attributes of the SBO object and presenting the SBO perception drift on an output device.

A system combines project management, learning management, and content management in an augmented reality game. Significant business objectives correspond to “Quests” where a Quest includes Missions and Tasks. In the augmented reality game, individual employees are scored for individual Tasks in a game in which individuals can compare their point standing with other players.

A computer implemented system analysis and design method for use in a complex business environment characterized by a set of tightly linked business processes captures in a framework a world view of a business decision and / or a business application software system. A world view is defined by business objectives, constraints, assumptions, data, and underlying model used in business decision and / or the application software system. The framework is used to specify and document each business decision and / or business application software system in the complex environment. A BDML (Business Decision Markup Language) is used to implement the framework for specifying the world view of a business decision and / or a business application software system. A BDML processor comprises a syntax processor that checks the syntax correctness and syntax consistency within an individual and between different documents written in BDML, a logic processor that checks logical consistency between different documents written in BDML, in terms of the business objectives, constraints, assumptions, data, and underlying model among the different documents, and a knowledge-based processor including a knowledge base of business decisions, common choices for their decision support models and commercially available decision support systems, the knowledge-based processor providing suggestions for a set of BDML documents to improve consistency using the knowledge base.

A methodology for business process analysis and optimization. This enables firms to analyze business processes using stochastic processing network models to estimate process key performance indicators. Based on these indicators, alternate process models can be further developed and analyzed, in order to optimize business objectives. The analysis methodology can be used for business process design (at design time) and for business process management (at run time).

Gaming rewards are provided as an incentive for performing business goals. A business goal can be comprised of one or more tasks and a threshold for each task. When one or more participants perform tasks which satisfies the corresponding thresholds, a corresponding gaming reward is awarded to the participants. A business goal may require a single participant to satisfy a single task threshold, multiple participants to satisfy a threshold for one or more tasks, or a single participant to satisfy one or more thresholds for several tasks.