Needs-based mapping and processing engine

• US 20110145230A1
• Filed: 05/18/2010
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Strategyn Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Strategyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Ulwick, Anthony W., Eskey, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,666,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/728
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data

Abstract

A mechanism is disclosed that dramatically minimizes the time it takes to gather needs, dramatically minimizes the expense it takes to gather those needs, and ensures those statements are formulated in manner that comply with a set of rules designed to ensure the right inputs are used in downstream strategy formulation, marketing, product development, and related company workflows. In addition, the mechanism may or may not minimize the time it takes for a company to acquire the capability to uncover these needs statements.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a query formulation engine for generating electronically stored information (ESI) queries;

an ESI engine, coupled to the query formulation engine, for generating candidate ESI;

a needs gathering engine, coupled to the ESI engine, for storing needs;

a job map formulation engine;

a needs generation engine, coupled to the job map formulation engine, for generating a needs hierarchy;

wherein, in operation,

the query formulation engine uses rules to generate market tags and provides the ESI queries to the ESI engine;

the ESI engine uses feedback, a search/content data store, and the ESI queries to identify candidate ESI;

the needs gathering engine uses rules and the candidate ESI to store needs;

the job map formulation engine uses the needs to generate a job map;

the needs generation engine uses the needs, job map, and rules to generate a needs hierarchy, wherein the needs hierarchy can be used in downstream workflows.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the needs gathering engine generates refinement data, further comprising:

a query modification engine, coupled to the needs gathering engine, for using rules and the refinement data to generate the feedback.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a gap identification engine for using identified gaps to generate the feedback.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a relevance determination engine, coupled to the job formulation engine, for using the market tags for relevance-based refinement of the needs.

5. A method comprising:

formulating electronically stored information (ESI) queries and market tags;

using the ESI queries to gather candidate ESI;

using rules to transform the candidate ESI into universal data structures that include needs statements;

determining relevance of the needs statements using the market tags;

organizing the universal data structures in accordance with relevance of the needs statements;

formulating a job map from the needs statements, as organized for relevance;

generating a needs hierarchy from the job map, rules, and the needs statements, as organized for relevance;

using the needs hierarchy in downstream workflows.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising selecting a market.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

modifying the ESI queries using refinement data associated with processing the candidate ESI;

providing feedback for further ESI gathering using the refinement data and rules.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying gaps in the needs statements of the universal data structures;

providing feedback for further ESI gathering using the identified gaps.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

tagging market definitions;

storing the market tags.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

deduplicating the ESI queries;

storing the ESI queries.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

selecting one or more search engines or content repositories;

sending the ESI queries to the one or more search engines;

receiving replies from the search engines;

retrieving ESI from the replies;

transforming the ESI into the universal data structure format;

deduplicating the ESI;

storing the ESI.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising translating the ESI queries for a subset of the search engines.

13. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

tagging a document;

identifying verb-object clauses;

parsing the clauses;

identifying relationships between the clauses;

recognizing clause types for each of the clauses;

extracting needs statements from the clauses;

applying netting rules;

storing the needs statements in universal data structures.

14. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining relevance of ESI to a target model;

storing a measure of relevance;

prioritizing ESI by relevance;

purging irrelevant ESI and associated needs statements;

deduplicating needs statements.

15. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

formulating queries to uncover a job map;

sending the queries to a needs data store;

receiving replies from the needs data store;

formulating candidate job maps;

storing the candidate job maps;

receiving a candidate job map selection;

storing the selected job map.

16. The method of claim 5, wherein the needs hierarchy is a final needs hierarchy, further comprising:

formulating queries to uncover a needs hierarchy;

sending queries to a needs data store;

receiving replies from the needs data store;

populating the needs hierarchy;

storing the populated needs hierarchy;

identifying gaps in the populated needs hierarchy;

determine the final needs hierarchy;

storing the final needs hierarchy.

17. A method comprising:

deriving a formulated need from source material;

establishing a relationship between the formulated need and the source material from which the need was derived;

transforming the source material into a universal data structure that includes a needs statement associated with the formulated need;

formulating a job map using the needs statement;

generating a needs hierarchy using the job map;

using the needs hierarchy in a downstream workflow.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising gathering technical, customer, and contextual reasons why the formulated need may be under-served, over-served, or appropriately served.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising gathering a list of solutions for the formulated need.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining relevance of the formulated need.