METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CAPACITY- AND VALUE-BASED PRICING MODEL FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

• US 20080313101A1
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wynter, Laura, Helander, Mary E., Wardell, Clarence L. III
• Granted Patent: US 8,326,772 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

A method and structure for pricing a good or service to a customer includes a calculator that executes a pricing model that includes a dimension of a utility of the good or service to the customer.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a calculator for pricing a good or a service to a customer, said calculator executing a pricing model that includes a dimension of a utility of said good or said service to said customer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said utility is based upon a sensitivity of said customer to at least one of a delay and a price.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said utility comprises an adjustment of a stand-alone value of said good or said service, said stand-alone value comprising a value of said good or said service absent external factors including time, delivery, and competition.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pricing model further comprises dimensions for:

price;

probability of acceptance in a current period; and

expected number of active engagements.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, said pricing model further comprising a capability to consider bundled goods or services solutions.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver to receive data for said pricing model; and

a graphical user interface to permit a user to control said calculator and to display a result of said pricing model.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pricing model involves a service, and input data for said pricing model is received from a database that is integrated for information for an entirety of an organization offering said service.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said integrated information is automatically inputted to said database.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an output of said pricing model comprises a set of prices for a predetermined number of time periods.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said calculator comprises an optimization subroutine for maximizing an objective function of said pricing model.

11. A computerized method for pricing a good or a service to a customer, said method comprising:

executing a pricing model that includes a dimension of a utility of said good or said service to said customer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said utility is based upon a sensitivity of said customer to at least one of a delay and a price.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said utility comprises an adjustment of a stand-alone value of said good or service, said stand-alone value comprising a value of said good or said service absent external factors including time, delivery, and competition.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said pricing model further comprises dimensions for:

price;

probability of acceptance in a current period; and

expected number of active engagements.

15. The method of claim 11, said pricing model further comprising a capability to

consider bundled goods or services solutions.

16. A machine-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method of pricing a good or a service to a customer, said method comprising:

executing a pricing model that includes a dimension of a utility of said good or said service to said customer.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein said utility is based upon a sensitivity of said customer to at least one of a delay and a price.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein said utility comprises an adjustment of a stand-alone value of said good or said service, said stand-alone value comprising a value of said good or said service absent external factors including time, delivery, and competition.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein said pricing model further comprises dimensions for:

price;

probability of acceptance in a current period; and

expected number of active engagements.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, said pricing model further comprising a

capability to consider bundled goods or services solutions.