METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRACKING AND ANALYZING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF PRODUCING PAPER
First Claim
1. A method of quantifying an environmental impact of a supplier, the method comprising:
- (a) enabling a supplier to input first environmental data for a first environmental impact category, second environmental impact data for a second environmental impact category, and associated permission data granting permission to at least one potential purchaser;
(b) enabling the supplier to indicate an up-stream entity;
(c) enabling the up-stream entity to input up-stream environmental data;
(d) generating a normalized data set for the supplier based on at least one normalization curve, the first environmental data, and the second environmental data;
(e) generating a normalized up-stream data set for the supplier, the normalized up-stream data set being based on the up-stream environmental data;
(f) enabling the potential purchaser to indicate a first relative weight for the first environmental impact category and a second relative weight for the second environmental impact category; and
(g) if the associated permission data for the supplier grants permission to the potential purchaser;
(i) calculating a supplier outcome score based on the first relative weight, the second relative weight, and the normalized data set,(ii) calculating an up-stream outcome score based on the first relative weight, the second relative weight, and the normalized up-stream data set,(iii) displaying the supplier outcome score, and(iv) displaying the up-stream outcome score.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and methods are disclosed for enabling a purchaser to make informed, customized purchasing decisions about a plurality of suppliers based on environmental impact data entered by the suppliers. The system enables a supplier to input data about the environmental impact of production process. The system enables the supplier to grant access permission to the input data to one or more purchasers. The system applies a normalization curve to normalize the data. The system also enables the supplier to identify up-stream production entities. The system enables the up-stream production entities to anonymously input environmental impact data. A purchaser enters a plurality of weight values indicating the relative importance of the environmental impact factors. Based on the inputted data by the suppliers and the up-stream production entities, and based on the weight values, the system provides at least one customized supplier environmental impact score to the purchaser.
18 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method of quantifying an environmental impact of a supplier, the method comprising:
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(a) enabling a supplier to input first environmental data for a first environmental impact category, second environmental impact data for a second environmental impact category, and associated permission data granting permission to at least one potential purchaser; (b) enabling the supplier to indicate an up-stream entity; (c) enabling the up-stream entity to input up-stream environmental data; (d) generating a normalized data set for the supplier based on at least one normalization curve, the first environmental data, and the second environmental data; (e) generating a normalized up-stream data set for the supplier, the normalized up-stream data set being based on the up-stream environmental data; (f) enabling the potential purchaser to indicate a first relative weight for the first environmental impact category and a second relative weight for the second environmental impact category; and (g) if the associated permission data for the supplier grants permission to the potential purchaser; (i) calculating a supplier outcome score based on the first relative weight, the second relative weight, and the normalized data set, (ii) calculating an up-stream outcome score based on the first relative weight, the second relative weight, and the normalized up-stream data set, (iii) displaying the supplier outcome score, and (iv) displaying the up-stream outcome score. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of quantifying an environmental impact of a supplier, the method comprising:
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(a) enabling a supplier to input first environmental data for a first environmental impact category, a second environmental impact data for a second environmental impact category, and associated permission data granting permission to at least one potential purchaser; (b) enabling the supplier to indicate an up-stream entity; (c) enabling the up-stream entity to input up-stream environmental data; (d) generating a normalized data set for the supplier, the normalized data set being based on the first environmental data, the second environmental data, and the up-stream environmental data; (e) enabling the potential purchaser to indicate a first relative weight for the first environmental impact category and a second relative weight for the second environmental impact category; and (f) if the permission data associated with the supplier grants permission to the potential purchaser; (i) calculating an outcome score based on the first relative weight, the second relative weight, and the normalized data set, and (ii) displaying the outcome score. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. An environmental impact determination system comprising:
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at least one network interface device; at least one processor; and at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one network interface device to; (a) enable a supplier to input first environmental data for a first environmental impact category, second environmental impact data for a second environmental impact category, and associated permission data granting permission to at least one potential purchaser, (b) enable an up-stream entity to input up-stream environmental data, (c) generate a normalized data set for the supplier based on at least one normalization curve, the first environmental data, and the second environmental data, (d) generate a normalized up-stream data set for the supplier, the normalized up-stream data set being based on the up-stream environmental data, (e) enable the potential purchaser to indicate a first relative weight for the first environmental impact category and a second relative weight for the second environmental impact category, and (f) if the associated permission data for the supplier grants permission to the potential purchaser; (i) calculate a supplier outcome score based on the first relative weight, the second relative weight, and the normalized data set, (ii) calculate an up-stream outcome score based on the first relative weight, the second relative weight, and the normalized up-stream data set, (iii) display the supplier outcome score, and (iv) display the up-stream outcome score. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. An environmental impact determination system comprising:
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at least one network interface device; at least one processor; and at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one network interface device to (a) enable a supplier to input first environmental data for a first environmental impact category, a second environmental impact data for a second environmental impact category, and associated permission data granting permission to at least one potential purchaser; (b) enable the supplier to indicate an up-stream entity; (c) enable the up-stream entity to input up-stream environmental data; (d) generate a normalized data set for the supplier, the normalized data set being based on the first environmental data, the second environmental data, and the up-stream environmental data; (e) enable the potential purchaser to indicate a first relative weight for the first environmental impact category and a second relative weight for the second environmental impact category; and (f) if the permission data associated with the supplier grants permission to the potential purchaser; (i) calculate an outcome score based on the first relative weight, the second relative weight, and the normalized data set, and (ii) display the outcome score. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification