System and method for modeling and analyzing strategic business decisions
First Claim
1. A method for supporting strategic business decision-making comprising:
- (a) prompting a user for entry of a plurality of input data corresponding to a business decision modeling framework, said input data comprising at least one decision option comprising at least one assumption describing at least one business entity, said assumption comprising at least one attribute, trend, relationship, and/or projected behavior;
(b) receiving said input data;
(c) simulating a plurality of outcomes under a plurality of scenarios over a period of time based on said input data; and
(d) analyzing said plurality of outcomes.
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Abstract
A set of modeling and analysis tools is provided to help companies make informed strategic decisions in complex, rapidly changing market environments. Outcomes of candidate decisions are simulated over time, under different evolutionary scenarios that reflect assumptions about trends in a market and the overall economy, and the likely behavior of individual businesses. Detailed analyses are then generated, both qualitative and quantitative, of the different outcomes, helping users to identify the decision option with the most attractive rewards and tolerable risks. Users may revisit prior decisions, by periodically updating models with current market data and refining behavioral assumptions based on observations. Users can then re-run the simulations and analyses to determine if decisions remain valid and optimal, or whether circumstances have changed sufficiently to warrant modifying initial strategies. Applications include supporting strategic decision-making pertaining to business issues such as B2B channel strategies, mergers & acquisitions, creating (or dropping) products, business units, or production capacity, and to strategic decision making in military, legislative, healthcare, environmental, political, and other non-business domains.
651 Citations
63 Claims
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1. A method for supporting strategic business decision-making comprising:
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(a) prompting a user for entry of a plurality of input data corresponding to a business decision modeling framework, said input data comprising at least one decision option comprising at least one assumption describing at least one business entity, said assumption comprising at least one attribute, trend, relationship, and/or projected behavior;
(b) receiving said input data;
(c) simulating a plurality of outcomes under a plurality of scenarios over a period of time based on said input data; and
(d) analyzing said plurality of outcomes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for supporting strategic business decision-making comprising:
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an object model wherein each said object comprises data and a behavior module;
said data comprising attributes of said object;
said behavior module comprising instructions for manipulating said attributes of said object;
a database for storing model data and/or scenario data, said scenario data corresponding to a plurality of scenarios; and
a simulation engine, said simulation engine manipulating said object model and said scenario data to generate a plurality of projected outcomes to decision options. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 38, 40)
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- 22. A system as claimed in claim 2l, wherein each said object corresponds to an actor or a business entity.
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41. A simulation engine for supporting strategic business decision-making comprising:
a parallel discrete event simulation shell comprising a module adapted to perform at least one distributed agent-based technique for simulating causal and intentional behaviors across populations of active model entities interacting with one another and their environment, a rule-based simulation engine and a Monte Carlo programming module, said Monte Carlo programming module being adapted to perform stochastic distributions of values over populations of market entities. - View Dependent Claims (42)
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43. A method for managing strategic decision outcomes comprising:
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receiving decision option data;
projecting outcomes of said decision option data under a plurality of scenarios; and
analyzing said outcomes, thereby providing decision outcome data;
wherein said decision outcome data represents at least one consequence corresponding to said decision option data, and wherein said at least one consequence comprises at least one positive consequence and/or reward corresponding to said decision option data. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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47. A method for supporting strategic business decision-making comprising:
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analyzing a plurality of outcomes of decision option data projected under a plurality of scenarios;
wherein said decision outcome data represents at least one consequence corresponding to said decision option data, and wherein said at least one consequence comprises at least one positive consequence and/or reward corresponding to said decision option data.
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48. A method for supporting decision-making comprising:
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(a) prompting a user for entry of a plurality of input data corresponding to a decision modeling framework, said input data comprising at least one decision option comprising at least one assumption describing at least one actor, said assumption comprising at least one attribute, trend, relationship, and/or projected behavior;
(b) receiving said input data;
(c) simulating a plurality of outcomes under a plurality of scenarios over a period of time based on said input data; and
(d) analyzing said plurality of outcomes.
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Specification