On demand selection of marketing offers in response to inbound communications

• US 20060253309A1
• Filed: 05/03/2005
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Selby, David A., Ramsey, Mark S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,881,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A database system and method for ordering on demand a plurality of marketing offers for offering to a candidate in response to an inbound communication from the candidate. The database system comprises a first database structure storing a first list identifying marketing offers, a second database structure storing a second list of candidates, and a database manager software application stored on a computer readable medium. The database manager software application comprises an on demand optimization tool. The on demand optimization tool is for optimizing and sorting, the marketing offers from the first list with for a first candidate from the second list in response to an inbound communication from the first candidate.

Claims

1. A database system, comprising:

a first database structure storing a first list identifying marketing offers;

a second database structure storing a second list of candidates; and

a database manager software application stored on a computer readable medium, wherein said database manager software application comprises an on demand optimization tool, and wherein said on demand optimization tool is for optimizing and sorting said marketing offers from said first list for a first candidate from said second list in response to an inbound communication from said first candidate.

2. The database system of claim 1, wherein said first database structure further stores a third list of value scores, wherein each value score from said third list is associated with a marketing offer from said first list, wherein said database manager software application further comprises an on demand computing tool for computing a ranking score on demand for each of said marketing offers from said first list for said first candidate from said second list in response to said inbound communication from said first candidate, wherein each of said ranking scores are computed as a function of a value score from said third list with respect to it'"'"'s associated marketing offer from said first list for said first candidate, and wherein said marketing offers from said first list are optimized and sorted for said first candidate by optimizing and sorting by said on demand optimization tool, said ranking scores for each of said marketing offers.

3. The database system of claim 2, wherein said computing tool is for computing on demand acceptance probability scores for said marketing offers from said first list for said first candidate in response to said inbound communication, and wherein each of said ranking scores are computed as a function said value score from said third list with respect to it'"'"'s associated marketing offer and an acceptance probability score from said acceptance probability scores for said associated marketing offer.

4. The database system of claim 3, wherein each of said acceptance probability scores are computed on demand based on a reason for said inbound communication from said first candidate.

5. The database system of claim 1, wherein said on demand optimization tool is for generating a priority list comprising said sorted marketing offers, and wherein said priority list prioritizes an order in which to offer each of said marketing offers from said first list to said first candidate upon receiving said inbound communication.

6. The database system of claim 1, wherein said on demand optimization tool is for generating a priority list comprising a first group of marketing offers from said sorted marketing offers that fall within a specified set of constraints, and wherein said priority list prioritizes an order in which to offer each of said marketing offers from said first group of marketing offers to said first candidate upon receiving said inbound communication.

7. The database system of claim 6, wherein said specified set of constraints comprise timing conflicts related to offering all of said marketing offers from said first list.

8. The database system of claim 6, wherein said specified set of constraints comprise budget constraints related to offering all of said marketing offers from said first list.

9. The database system of claim 1, wherein said second list of candidates comprises existing customers of an entity that is offering said marketing offers from said first list.

10. The database system of claim 1, wherein said marketing offers are sorted and optimized essentially simultaneously.

11. The database system of claim 1, wherein each marketing offer is selected from the group consisting of a product offer and a service offer.

12. The database system of claim 1, wherein said optimizing and said sorting are based on a reason for said inbound communication from said first candidate.

13. The database system of claim 1, further comprising a third database structure storing a fourth list of risk factors, wherein said factors are associated with a marketing offers from said first list for said first candidate, and wherein said optimizing and said sorting are based said risk factors.

14. A selection method, comprising:

providing a database system comprising a database manager software application stored on a computer readable medium, a first database structure storing a first list identifying a plurality of marketing offers, and second database structures storing a second list of candidates, wherein said database manager software application comprises an on demand optimization tool;

optimizing, by said on demand optimization tool, said marketing offers from said first list for a first candidate from said second list in response to an inbound communication from said first candidate; and

sorting, by said on demand optimization tool, said marketing offers from said first list for said first candidate from said second list in response to said inbound communication from said first candidate.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said first database structure further stores a third list of value scores, wherein each value score from said third list is associated with a marketing offer from said first list, wherein said database manager software application further comprises an on demand computing tool;

and wherein said method further comprises;

computing by said computing tool, a ranking score on demand for each of said marketing offers from said first list for said first candidate from said second list in response to said inbound communication from said first candidate, wherein each of said ranking scores are computed as a function of a value score from said third list with respect to it'"'"'s associated marketing offer from said first list for said first candidate, and wherein said marketing offers from said first list are optimized and sorted for said first candidate by optimizing and sorting by said on demand optimization tool, said ranking scores for each of said marketing offers.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising computing by said computing tool, acceptance probability scores on demand for said marketing offers from said first list for said first candidate in response to said inbound communication, and wherein each of said ranking scores are computed as a function said value score from said third list with respect to it'"'"'s associated marketing offer and an acceptance probability score from said acceptance probability scores for said associated marketing offer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein each of said acceptance probability scores are computed on demand based on a reason for said inbound communication from said first candidate

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating by the on demand optimization tool, a priority list comprising said sorted marketing offers, wherein said priority list prioritizes an order in which to offer each of said marketing offers from said first list to said first candidate upon receiving said inbound communication.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating by the on demand optimization tool, a priority list comprising a first group of marketing offers from said sorted marketing offers that fall within a specified set of constraints, wherein said priority list prioritizes an order in which to offer each of said marketing offers from said first group of marketing offers to said first candidate upon receiving said inbound communication.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said specified set of constraints comprise timing conflicts related to offering all of said marketing offers from said first list.

21. The method system of claim 19, wherein said specified set of constraints comprise budget constraints related to offering all of said marketing offers from said first list.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein said second list of candidates comprises existing customers of an entity that is offering said marketing offers from said first list.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein said marketing offers are sorted and optimized essentially simultaneously.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein each marketing offer is selected from the group consisting of a product offer and a service offer.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein said optimizing and said sorting are additionally based on a reason for said inbound communication from said first candidate.

26. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing a third database structure storing a fourth list of risk factors;

applying by the on demand optimization tool, said risk factors to respective marketing offers from said first list for said first candidate; and

optimizing and said sorting by said on demand optimization tool, said marketing offers based on said risk factors.

27. A process for integrating computing infrastructure, comprising integrating

computer-readable code into a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system comprises a database system comprising a database manager software application stored on a computer readable medium, a first database structure storing a first list identifying a plurality of marketing offers, and second database structures storing a second list of candidates, wherein said database manager software application comprises an on demand optimization tool, and wherein the code in combination with the computing system is adapted to implement a method for performing the steps of:

optimizing, by said on demand optimization tool, said marketing offers from said first list

for a first candidate from said second list in response to an inbound communication from said first candidate; and

sorting, by said on demand optimization tool, said marketing offers from said first list with respect to said first candidate from said second list in response to said inbound communication from said first candidate.

28. The process of claim 27, wherein said first database structure further stores a third list of value scores, wherein each value score from said third list is associated with a marketing offer from said first list, wherein said database manager software application further comprises an on demand computing tool;

and wherein said method further comprises;

computing by said computing tool, a ranking score on demand for each of said marketing offers from said first list for said first candidate from said second list in response to said inbound communication from said first candidate, wherein each of said ranking scores are computed as a function of a value score from said third list with respect to it'"'"'s associated marketing offer from said first list for said first candidate, and wherein said marketing offers from said first list are optimized and sorted for said first candidate by optimizing and sorting by said on demand optimization tool, said ranking scores for each of said marketing offers.

29. The process of claim 28, wherein said method further comprises computing by said computing tool, acceptance probability scores on demand for said marketing offers from said first list for said first candidate in response to said inbound communication, and wherein each of said ranking scores are computed as a function said value score from said third list with respect to it'"'"'s associated marketing offer and an acceptance probability score from said acceptance probability scores for said associated marketing offer.

30. The process of claim 29, wherein each of said acceptance probability scores are computed on demand based on a reason for said inbound communication from said first candidate.

31. The process of claim 27, wherein said method further comprises generating by the on demand optimization tool, a priority list comprising said sorted marketing offers, and wherein said priority list prioritizes an order in which to offer each of said marketing offers from said first list to said first candidate upon receiving said inbound communication.

32. The process of claim 27, wherein said method further comprises generating by the on demand optimization tool, a priority list comprising a first group of marketing offers from said sorted marketing offers that fall within a specified set of constraints, wherein said priority list prioritizes an order in which to offer each of said marketing offers from said first group of marketing offers to said first candidate upon receiving said inbound communication.

33. The process of claim 32, wherein said specified set of constraints comprise timing conflicts related to offering all of said marketing offers from said first list.

34. The process of claim 32, wherein said specified set of constraints comprise budget constraints related to offering all of said marketing offers from said first list.

35. The process of claim 27, wherein said second list of candidates comprises existing customers of an entity that is offering said plurality of marketing offers.

36. The process of claim 27, wherein said marketing offers are sorted and optimized essentially simultaneously.

37. The process of claim 27, wherein each marketing offer is selected from the group consisting of a product offer and a service offer.

38. The process of claim 27, wherein said method further comprises optimizing and said sorting said ranking scores additionally based on a reason for said inbound communication from said first candidate.

39. The process of claim 27, wherein the database system further comprises a third database structure storing a fourth list of risk factors, and wherein said method further comprises:

applying by the on demand optimization tool, said risk factors to respective marketing offer from said first list for said first candidate; and

optimizing and said sorting by said on demand optimization tool, said marketing offers based on said risk factors.

40. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code comprising an algorithm adapted to implement a method for ordering on demand a plurality of marketing offers within a database system, said database system comprising a database manager software application stored on a computer readable medium, a first database structure storing a first list identifying a plurality of marketing offers, and second database structures storing a second list of candidates, wherein said database manager software application comprises an on demand optimization tool, said method comprising the steps of:

optimizing, by said on demand optimization tool, said marketing offers from said first list for a first candidate from said second list in response to an inbound communication from said first candidate; and

sorting, by said on demand optimization tool, said marketing offers from said first list for said first candidate from said second list in response to said inbound communication from said first candidate.

41. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein said first database structure further stores a third list of value scores, wherein each value score from said third list is associated with a marketing offer from said first list, wherein said database manager software application further comprises an on demand computing tool;

and wherein said method further comprises;

computing by said computing tool, a ranking score on demand for each of said marketing offers from said first list for said first candidate from said second list in response to said inbound communication from said first candidate, wherein each of said ranking scores are computed as a function of a value score from said third list with respect to it'"'"'s associated marketing offer from said first list for said first candidate, and wherein said marketing offers from said first list are optimized and sorted for said first candidate by optimizing and sorting by said on demand optimization tool, said ranking scores for each of said marketing offers.

42. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein said method further comprises computing by said computing tool, acceptance probability scores on demand for said marketing offers from said first list for said first candidate in response to said inbound communication, and wherein each of said ranking scores are computed as a function said value score from said third list with respect to it'"'"'s associated marketing offer and an acceptance probability score from said acceptance probability scores for said associated marketing offer.

43. The computer program product of claim 42, wherein each of said acceptance probability scores are computed on demand based on a reason for said inbound communication from said first candidate.

44. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein said method further comprises generating by the on demand optimization tool, a priority list comprising said sorted marketing offers, and wherein said priority list prioritizes an order in which to offer each of said marketing offers from said first list to said first candidate upon receiving said inbound communication.

45. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein said method further comprises generating by the on demand optimization tool, a priority list comprising a first group of marketing offers from said sorted marketing offers that fall within a specified set of constraints, wherein said priority list prioritizes an order in which to offer each of said marketing offers from said first group of marketing offers to said first candidate upon receiving said inbound communication.

46. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein said specified set of constraints comprise timing conflicts related to offering all of said marketing offers from said first list.

47. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein said specified set of constraints comprise budget constraints related to offering all of said marketing offers from said first list.

48. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein said second list of candidates comprises existing customers of an entity that is offering said marketing offers from said first list.

49. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein said marketing offers are sorted and optimized essentially simultaneously.

50. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein each marketing offer is selected from the group consisting of a product offer and a service offer.

51. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein said method further comprises optimizing and said sorting said ranking scores additionally based on a reason for said inbound communication from said first candidate.

52. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein the database system further comprises a third database structure storing a fourth list of risk factors, and wherein said method further comprises:

applying by the on demand optimization tool, said risk factors to respective marketing offer from said first list for said first candidate; and

optimizing and said sorting by said on demand optimization tool, said marketing offers based on said risk factors.