SYSTEM AND METHOD OF STRATEGIC COALITION BUILDING AND MATCHING FOR BUSINESS SERVICES

• US 20090327147A1
• Filed: 06/26/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2008
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dube, Parijat, Wynter, Laura, Subbian, Karthik
• Application Number:
  US12/147,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20090327147A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A computerized method (and apparatus) for coalition formation. One or more coalitional and/or service constraints are received and a feedback mechanism is provided for the coalition formation, as based on the coalitional and/or service constraints.

Claims

1. A computerized method for coalition formation, said method comprising:

receiving one or more coalitional and/or service constraints; and

providing a feedback mechanism for said coalition formation, as based on modifying at least one of said one or more coalitional and/or service constraints.

2. The method of claim 1, said feedback mechanism comprising a capability for at least one of a coalition expansion and a coalition reduction compared to a coalition that would have resulted from said one or more coalitional and/or service constraints.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said one or more coalitional and/or service constraints are proposed by a potential buyer or seller, and said feedback mechanism comprises selectively proposing to relax at least one of said one or more initially proposed coalitional and/or service constraints.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a determination of said selectively proposing to relax coalitional and/or service constraints comprises:

performing a sensitivity analysis to calculate marginal benefits of one or more constraints of a current coalition or a currently-proposed coalition;

determining which marginal changes would be optimal to perform; and

reporting said determined optimal marginal changes.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said coalition formation is selectively based on one of a plurality of alternative formulations, said method further comprising:

receiving an input from a user to select which of said alternative formulations are to be implemented for formulating a proposed coalition.

6. The method of claim 1, as comprising a service provided by a computer on a network, said computer providing a capability for coalition formation among buyers and sellers with a service of a potential coalition expansion and/or reduction.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said feedback mechanism selectively iterates said selectively proposing to relax coalitional and/or service constraints.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said coalitional and/or service constraints comprise heterogeneous-parameter-based coalition definitions.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a Coalition Service Provider (CSP) makes available a service for said coalition formation for buyers and sellers, said CPS selectively providing CSP-originated incentives for restructuring said coalition.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said coalitional and/or service constraints selectively include seller-specific buyer-side coalition constraints, wherein coalition and service attributes defined by a buyer can be seller-specific.

11. A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a computerized method of claim 1.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, as comprising one of:

machine-readable code on a hard drive of a computer serving as a server on a network for downloading said machine-readable code to another computer on said network or a hard drive of a computer in preparation for executing said computerized method;

machine-readable code on a computer currently executing said computerized method; and

a

standalone diskette storing said machine-readable code, said standalone diskette capable of being inserted into a drive of a computer for downloading said machine-readable code onto said computer.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory to store one or more coalitional and/or service constraints; and

a calculator to provide a feedback mechanism for a coalition formation, as based on said one or more coalitional and/or service constraints.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said feedback mechanism comprises a capability for at least one of a coalition expansion and a coalition reduction, and wherein said one or more coalitional and/or service constraints are proposed by a potential buyer or seller, and said feedback mechanism comprises selectively relaxing at least one of said one or more coalitional and/or service constraints initially proposed by the buyer or seller.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said selectively relaxing comprises:

performing a sensitivity analysis to calculate marginal benefits of one or more constraints of an existing coalition or proposed coalition;

determining which marginal changes would be optimal to perform; and

reporting said determined optimal marginal changes.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a receiver to receive an input from a user to select which of alternative formulations are to be implemented for formulating a proposed coalition.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, as comprising a computer on a network, said computer providing a capability for coalition formation among buyers and sellers with a capability for coalition expansion and/or reduction.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said feedback mechanism selectively iterates said selectively relaxing of coalitional and/or service constraints.