METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CREATIVE COLLABORATIVE MARKETPLACES

• US 20100145863A1
• Filed: 12/10/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Rao, Venkatesh Guru
• Application Number:
  US12/331,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20100145863A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A method of conducting a multi-level transaction includes receiving a primary call for proposals, publicizing the primary call for proposals, receiving one or more primary bids by a computing system with respect to the primary call for proposals, receiving one or more secondary calls for proposals for each primary bid, receiving one or more secondary bids by the computing system with respect to the one or more secondary calls for proposals, automatically determining an estimated cost of fulfillment for each primary bid, receiving a selection of a primary bid based on at least the estimated costs of fulfillment for the primary bids, and displaying the selection of the primary bid. Each secondary call for proposals includes a job request associated with the primary bid. The estimated cost of fulfillment is based on a cost of fulfillment associated with the primary bid and one or more secondary call costs of fulfillment.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a multi-level transaction, the method comprising:

receiving a primary call for proposals pertaining to a job request;

publicizing the primary call for proposals;

receiving, by a computing system, one or more primary bids with respect to the primary call for proposals, wherein each primary bid corresponds to a provider;

for each primary bid;

receiving one or more secondary calls for proposals, wherein each secondary call for proposals includes a sub-job request associated with the primary bid;

receiving, by the computing system, one or more secondary bids with respect to the one or more secondary calls for proposals;

wherein each secondary bid corresponds to a sub-provider, and

automatically determining, by the computing system, an estimated cost of fulfillment for each primary bid by;

receiving an estimate of a retained portion of the job request, wherein the retained portion is performed by the corresponding provider,

receiving an estimate associated with each winning bid for each secondary call for proposals, and

automatically determining the estimated cost of fulfillment based on the estimate of the retained portion and the estimate for each secondary call for proposals;

receiving a selection of a primary bid based on at least the estimated costs of fulfillment for the primary bids; and

displaying, on a display device, the selection of the primary bid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a secondary call cost of fulfillment is based on a cost of fulfillment associated with each secondary bid corresponding to a secondary call for proposals.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for each secondary bid, receiving one or more child calls for proposals, wherein each child call for proposals includes a job request associated with the secondary bid; and

receiving, by a computing system, one or more child bids with respect to the one or more child calls for proposals.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein publicizing the primary call for proposals comprises requesting participation from one or more selected providers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein publicizing the primary call for proposals comprises providing an auction notification via an automated alert system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein publicizing the primary call for proposals comprises providing an auction notification via a qualifications engine.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an estimated cost of fulfillment comprises:

receiving an average of one or more estimated costs associated with the one or more secondary bids; and

determining the estimated cost of fulfillment based on the estimate of the retained portion and the one or more estimated costs associated with the one or more secondary bids.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an estimated cost of fulfillment comprises:

receiving a maximum estimated cost of one or more estimated costs associated with the one or more secondary bids;

receiving a minimum estimated cost of one or more estimated costs associated with the one or more secondary bids; and

automatically determining a range of the estimated cost of fulfillment comprising a maximum cost and a minimum cost,

wherein the maximum cost comprises a sum of the estimate of the retained portion and the maximum estimated cost for each secondary bid, and

wherein the minimum cost comprises a sum of the estimate of the retained portion and the minimum estimated cost for each secondary bid.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an adjustment to a secondary bid;

automatically adjusting the estimated cost of fulfillment based on the adjustment; and

providing a dynamic update of the estimated cost of fulfillment.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing a rejected bid for a secondary bid from the one or more primary bids for the transaction.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising:

reactivating the rejected bid.

4. The method of claim I, wherein publicizing the primary call for proposals comprises providing a public broadcast call.

8. (canceled)

14. A system for conducting a multi-level transaction, comprising:

a processor in communication with an output device; and

a computer-readable storage medium in communication with the processor, wherein the computer-readable storage medium includes one or more programming instructions for;

receiving a primary call for proposals pertaining to a job request,

publicizing the primary call for proposals,

receiving one or more primary bids with respect to the primary call for proposals, wherein each primary bid corresponds to a provider,

for each primary bid;

receiving one or more secondary calls for proposals wherein each secondary call for proposals includes a sub-job request associated with the primary bid,

receiving one or more secondary bids with respect to the one or more secondary calls for proposals, wherein each secondary bid corresponds to a sub-provider,

determining an estimated cost of fulfillment for the primary bid by;

receiving an estimate of a retained portion of the job request, wherein the retained portion is performed by the corresponding provider,

receiving an estimate associated with each winning bid for each secondary call for proposals, and

automatically determining the estimated cost of fulfillment based on the estimate of the retained portion and the estimate for each secondary call for proposals, and

receiving a selection of one of the one or more primary bids based on at least the estimated costs of fulfillment.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more programming instructions for determining an estimated cost of fulfillment comprise one or more programming instructions for:

receiving an average of one or more estimated costs associated with the one or more secondary bids; and

determining the estimated cost of fulfillment based on the estimate of the retained portion and the one or more estimated costs associated with the one or more secondary bids.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more programming instructions for determining an estimated cost of fulfillment comprise one or more programming instructions for:

receiving a maximum estimated cost of one or more estimated costs associated with the one or more secondary bids;

receiving a minimum estimated cost of one or more estimated costs associated with the one or more secondary bids; and

automatically determining a range of the estimated cost of fulfillment comprising a maximum cost and a minimum cost,

wherein the maximum cost comprises a sum of the estimate of the retained portion and the maximum estimated cost for each secondary bid, and

wherein the minimum cost comprises a sum of the estimate of the retained portion and the minimum estimated cost for each secondary bid.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising one or more programming instructions for:

automatically adjusting the estimated cost of fulfillment based on the adjustment; and

providing a dynamic update of the estimated cost of fulfillment.

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising one or more programming instructions for removing a rejected bid for a secondary bid from the one or more primary bids for the transaction.

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)