System And Method For Determining Trailing Data Adjustment Factors

• US 20090287538A1
• Filed: 04/09/2009
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IMS Software Services Ltd. (IQVIA Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IMS Software Services Ltd. (IQVIA Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Copeland, Kennon, Wynne, Brian, Boardman, Chris
• Application Number:
  US12/421,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20090287538A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• 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 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage

Abstract

Timely projections of product sales for a reporting time period are obtained by combining actual sales data received from reporting stores and estimated sales data for non-reporting stores. The projections are adjusted to account for trailing data, which may be reported after the end of the subject time period.

Claims

1-2. -2. (canceled)

3. A method for forecasting market demand for a product in a universe of stores over a subject time interval, the universe of stores comprising sample stores and non-sample stores, the method executed on a computer arrangement, the method comprising:

generating estimates of product transactions in the universe of stores for the subject time interval based on historical data on purchases and sales of the products in the universe of stores;

receiving data from reporting stores on actual product transactions during the subject time interval;

applying trailing data factors to the reported actual product transactions data to account for actual product transactions that are not timely received during the subject time interval; and

updating estimates of product transactions based on received data to which the trailing data factors have been applied.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the trailing factors are defined globally for the universe of stores.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein a trailing data factor for a particular outlet is calculated based on the average of trailing data for a number of prior weeks.

6-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A computer-readable medium for forecasting market demand for a product in a universe of stores over a subject time interval, the universe of stores comprising sample stores and non-sample stores, the computer-readable medium comprising instructions operable to direct a processing unit to perform the steps comprising:

generating estimates of product transactions in the universe of stores for the subject time interval based on historical data on purchases and sales of the products in the universe of stores;

receiving data from reporting stores on actual product transactions during the subject time interval;

applying trailing data factors to the reported actual product transactions data to account for actual product transactions that are not timely received during the subject time interval; and

updating estimates of product transactions based on received data to which the trailing data factors have been applied.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the trailing factors are defined globally for the universe of stores.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein a trailing data factor for a particular outlet is calculated based on the average of trailing data for a number of prior weeks.

11. A system for forecasting market demand for a product in a universe of stores over a subject time interval, the universe of stores comprising sample stores and non-sample stores, the system comprising a processing arrangement configured to perform the steps comprising:

generating estimates of product transactions in the universe of stores for the subject time interval based on historical data on purchases and sales of the products in the universe of stores;

receiving data from reporting stores on actual product transactions during the subject time interval;

applying trailing data factors to the reported actual product transactions data to account for actual product transactions that are not timely received during the subject time interval; and

updating estimates of product transactions based on received data to which the trailing data factors have been applied.

12. The computer arrangement of claim 11 wherein the trailing factors are defined globally for the universe of stores.

13. The computer arrangement of claim 11 wherein a trailing data factor for a particular outlet is calculated based on the average of trailing data for a number of prior weeks.