SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

• US 20060112130A1
• Filed: 11/23/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Linda Lowson
• Original Assignee: Linda Lowson
• Inventors: Lowson, Linda
• Application Number:
  US11/164,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20060112130A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

A system and method that standardizes, automates, and facilitates the process of identifying, evaluating, selecting, and managing product and service resources for both individual and business resource users within specific industries. In one embodiment, this resource management system includes a web-based or other computer server with at least one database containing data related to product and service resources within a specific industry that can be searched and queried by the user, and at least one resource management system application that contains business rules and industry-specific or user-based criteria, qualitative and/or quantitative resource evaluation standards, and/or other guidelines or reference points, that, when applied to the product and service resource data, generates a resource-related selection, recommendation, rating, ranking, descriptive result, or other action or result that helps the user understand the resource options and the relative merits of the resource options for the user'"'"'s particular needs, based in large part upon resource criteria chosen by the user, so that the user can make intelligent, informed, efficient, and timely decisions in sourcing, selecting, and managing these product and service resources. In this embodiment, the combination of unbiased industry-specific database information, unbiased industry-specific criteria and/or evaluation standards, and industry-specific search and querying capabilities, accessible on demand by the user, provides the user with a more accurate, precise, higher quality result that is reliable, immediately actionable, and can save the user time, money, and undesirable product or service performance results and/or customer service experiences. In another embodiment, this resource management system may further include software components that provide interactive communication and/or transactional capabilities for users and/or providers of the product and service resources, thus further facilitating the resource management process for both resource users and resource providers in a specific industry.

Claims

1. A web-based and/or computer-implemented system and method, with industry-specific system and method templates, for standardizing, automating, and facilitating, in whole or in part, at least one of the identification, evaluation, selection, management, and administration of product and service resources;

and said system and method to comprise both functional technology components and database components; and

(A) said functional technology components to include at least one of the (i) web search and querying and/or database search and querying capabilities;

(ii) software components that combine business rules and/or analytic equations and/or industry-specific or user-based criteria, standards, best practices, or other relevant parameters or guidelines, that, when applied to the database, generate a result or action that relates to at least one of the identification, evaluation, selection, management, and/or administration of product and service resources; and

(iii) email, telecommunication, data transmission, audio and video transmission, transaction-based, security, networking, and other conventional software and/or hardware; and

(B) said database components to include at least one of the (i) information and analyses on product and service resources within a specific industry;

(ii) information and analyses on resource users within a specific industry;

(iii) information and analyses on customer markets within a specific industry;

(iv) information and analyses on trends, business practices, and/or market practices within a specific industry;

(v) resource provider and resource user feedback within a specific industry;

(vi) qualitative and/or quantitative resource evaluation standards and/or models for the specific industry; and

(vii) proprietary analyses of the foregoing database information, analyses, standards, and models, in whole or in part.

2. A web-based and/or computer-implemented system and method, with industry-specific system and method templates, for providing and facilitating, in whole or in part, at least one of the consulting, advisory, product development, advertising, marketing, sales, distribution, customer servicing, customer management, and similar services for product and service resource providers within a specific industry;

and said system and method to comprise both functional technology components and database components; and

(A) said functional technology components to include at least one of the (i) web search and querying and/or database search and querying capabilities;

(ii) software components that combine business rules and/or analytic equations and/or industry-specific or user-based criteria, standards, best practices, or other relevant parameters or guidelines, that, when applied to the database, generate a result or action that relates to at least one of the identification, evaluation, selection, management, and/or administration of product and service resources; and

(iii) email, telecommunication, data transmission, audio and video transmission, transaction-based, security, networking, and other conventional software and/or hardware; and

(B) said database components to include at least one of the (i) information and analyses on product and service resources within a specific industry;

(ii) information and analyses on resource users within a specific industry;

(iii) information and analyses on customer markets within a specific industry;

(iv) information and analyses on trends, business practices, and/or market practices within a specific industry;

(v) resource provider and resource user feedback within a specific industry;

(vi) qualitative and/or quantitative resource evaluation standards and/or models for the specific industry; and

(vii) proprietary analyses of the foregoing database information, analyses, standards, and models, in whole or in part.

3. A web-based and/or computer-implemented system and method, with industry-specific system and method templates, for facilitating, in whole or in part, at least one of the interactive communications, collaborative activities, and transactional activities between and among users and providers of product and service resources within a specific industry, and said interactive communications, collaborative activities, and transactional activities to include at least one of the (i) email communications, instant messaging, VoIP, audio/video communications, and/or other telecommunications capabilities (including, without limitation, wireless technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi);

(ii) educational, business networking, social, and/or cultural event activities;

(iii) purchase and fulfillment of product and service resources;

(iv) live auctions of product and/or service resources;

(v) customer servicing and customer management; and

(vi) contractual arrangements between and among resource users and resource providers; and

said system and method to comprise both functional technology components and database components; and

(A) said functional technology components to include at least one of the (i) web search and querying and/or database search and querying capabilities;

(ii) software components that combine business rules and/or analytic equations and/or industry-specific or user-based criteria, standards, best practices, or other relevant parameters or guidelines, that, when applied to the database, generate a result or action that relates to at least one of the identification, evaluation, selection, management, and/or administration of product and service resources; and

(iii) email, telecommunication, data transmission, audio and video transmission, transaction-based, security, networking, and other conventional software and/or hardware; and

(B) said database components to include at least one of the (i) information and analyses on product and service resources within a specific industry;

(ii) information and analyses on resource users within a specific industry;

(iii) information and analyses on customer markets within a specific industry;

(iv) information and analyses on trends, business practices, and/or market practices within a specific industry;

(v) resource provider and resource user feedback within a specific industry;

(vi) qualitative and/or quantitative resource evaluation standards and/or models for the specific industry; and

(vii) proprietary analyses of the foregoing database information, analyses, standards, and models, in whole or in part.