METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SELECTING A SYNCHRONOUS OR ASYNCHRONOUS PROCESS TO DETERMINE A FORECAST

• US 20080086358A1
• Filed: 08/01/2007
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Chou, Evan, Fischer, Mark, Doshi, Kedar
• Granted Patent: US 8,131,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• 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 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for selecting a synchronous or asynchronous process to determine a forecast. These mechanisms and methods for such synchronous/asynchronous process selection can enable embodiments to determine forecasts for multiple users (e.g. with hierarchical relationships, etc.) over an arbitrary time interval. The ability of embodiments to provide forecasts that involve such a large amount of data in an effective way can enable forecasting that was otherwise infeasible due to resource limitations.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying at least one user for which a forecast is to be determined;

selecting one of a plurality processes for determining the forecast, the processes including a synchronous process and an asynchronous process; and

determining the forecast, utilizing the selected process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the forecast includes a sales forecast.

3. The method of claim 1, and further comprising identifying a hierarchy associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the forecast is determined, based on the hierarchy.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the hierarchy is user-defined.

6. The method of claim 1, and further comprising identifying at least one additional user associated with the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the forecast is determined, based on the at least one additional user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a plurality of the additional users are included in a list associated with the user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the list is user-defined.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the determination is made by identifying a first forecast associated with the user and a second forecast associated with the at least one additional user, and aggregating the first forecast and the second forecast.

11. The method of claim 1, and further comprising identifying an arbitrary time period.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the forecast is determined, based on the arbitrary time period.

13. The method of claim 1, and further comprising identifying a level of commitment.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the forecast is determined, based on the level of commitment.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the level of commitment includes at least one of a committed level, a best case level, an omitted level, a closed level, and a pipeline level.

16. The method of claim 1, and further comprising identifying at least one event.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the forecast is determined, based on the at least one event.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the forecast is determined by only recalculating one or more previous forecasts that are affected by the at least one event.

19. The method of claim 16, and further comprising identifying at least one additional event.

20. The method of claim 19, and further comprising determining whether the event is subsumed by the at least one additional event.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the forecast is determined based on only the at least one additional event, if it is determined that the event is subsumed by the at least one additional event.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein, if the synchronous process is selected, the forecast is determined by identifying a forecast difference amount, and applying the forecast difference amount to a previous forecast amount.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the processes are performed on data stored in a multi-tenant database system.

24. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

identifying at least one user for which a forecast is to be determined;

selecting one of a plurality processes for determining the forecast, the processes including a synchronous process and an asynchronous; and

determining the forecast, utilizing the selected process.

25. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

identifying at least one user for which a forecast is to be determined;

selecting one of a plurality processes for determining the forecast, the processes including a synchronous process and an asynchronous; and

determining the forecast, utilizing the selected process.

26. A method for transmitting code for use in a multi-tenant database system on a transmission medium, the method comprising:

transmitting code to identify a user for which a forecast is to be determined;

transmitting code to select one of a plurality processes for determining the forecast, the processes including a synchronous process and an asynchronous; and

transmitting code to determine the forecast.