Real-time Determination of a Service Cost

• US 20170221112A1
• Filed: 01/28/2016
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pathology Associates Medical Laboratories, LLC (Laboratory Corporation Of America Holdings)
• Original Assignee: Pathology Associates Medical Laboratories, LLC (Laboratory Corporation Of America Holdings)
• Inventors: Swanson, Mathew Norman, Byers, Timothy Scott, LaVoie, Mark Thomas, Soom, Stephen Skylar, Filice, Stephanie Cecelia
• Granted Patent: US 10,762,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/59 based on real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/84 Types of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/844 Message, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/852 Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/853 Calculate maximum communication time or volume

Abstract

This disclosure describes, in part, systems and techniques for retrieving complex data from multiple data sources corresponding to a current cost of consumable materials and a current cost of labor used to provide a service. Once retrieved, the system may determine a total current cost of the consumable materials and a total current cost of the labor. Furthermore, the system may use the total current cost of the consumable materials and the total current cost of the labor to determine an overall current cost of the service. The system may simultaneously provide an overall current cost of multiple services.

Claims

1. A system for determining a current total cost of a service, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising;

receiving a request to determine the current total cost of the service;

accessing first data based at least in part on the request, the first data associated with a current material cost of at least one consumable material associated with the service;

accessing second data based at least in part on the request, the second data associated with a current labor cost of with the service;

determining the current total cost of the service based at least in part on the first data and the second data;

determining that a cost difference between the current total cost and a previous total cost exceed a predetermined threshold; and

causing presentation of a user interface to notify that the cost difference exceeds the predetermined threshold.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the current material cost comprises at least one of a current acquisition cost of supplies used to perform the service or a cost of an amount of supplies used to calibrate instruments used to perform the service.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, the act further comprising:

receiving, via the user interface, a request to modify the current total cost of the service based at least in part on the cost difference exceeding the predetermined threshold;

submitting the request to modify the current total cost for approval;

receiving an indication of approval of the request to modify the current total cost; and

updating the current total cost of the service based at least in part on the cost difference exceeding the predetermined threshold.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, the acts further comprise determining the current labor cost based at least in part on an amount of time to complete a number of the services over a predetermined time, divided by the number of the services completed over the predetermined time.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface includes at least one of:

a description of the service;

an approved total cost of the service;

a percentage increase of the current total cost of the service over a previous total cost of the service;

a percentage decrease of the current total cost of the service over a previous total cost of the service;

a cost of the service over a predetermined period of time;

an amount of time since the previous total cost of the service was determined;

or

a current inventory level of at least one consumable material associated with the service.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, the acts further comprising:

determining third data, the third data associated with a number of services previously performed over a predetermined period of time;

and wherein determining the current total cost of the service is based at least in part on the first data, the second data, and the third data.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, the acts further comprising:

communicating with one or more instruments associated with the service to;

cause at least one of the one or more instruments to become active based at least in part on the current total cost exceeding the predetermined threshold;

or

cause at least one of the one or more instruments to become inactive based at least in part on the current total cost exceeding the predetermined threshold.

8. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

collecting data from one or more data sources, the data associated with at least one of (i) a material cost associated with a first service and a second service over a predetermined period of time, (ii) a labor cost associated the first service and the second service over the predetermined period of time, or (iii) a number of the first service and the second service completed over the predetermined period of time;

determining, for each of the first service and the second service, a total average cost of the respective service over the predetermined period of time based at least in part on the data;

determining a first change in the total average cost of the first service over the predetermined period of time compared to a previous first total average cost of the first service over a previous predetermined period of time;

determining a second change in the total average cost of the second service over the predetermined period of time compared to a previous second total average cost of the second service over the previous predetermined period of time;

causing display of the total average cost of the first service and the second services on a user interface; and

causing display of the first change and the second change on the user interface.

9. One or more non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 8, the act further comprising:

determining that the first change exceeds a predetermined threshold;

causing presentation of an alert notification on the user interface based at least in part on the first change exceeding the predetermined threshold; and

receiving a request to modify a current cost of the first service based at least in part on the first change exceeding the predetermined threshold.

10. One or more non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 8, the act further comprising:

determining that the second change exceeds a predetermined threshold;

causing presentation of an alert notification on the user interface based at least in part on the second change exceeding the predetermined threshold; and

receiving a request to modify a current cost of the second service based at least in part on the second change exceeding the predetermined threshold.

11. One or more non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 8, the act further comprising:

determining that at least one of the first change or the second change exceeds a predetermined threshold;

causing presentation of an alert notification on the user interface based at least in part on whether the first change or the second change exceeds the predetermined threshold; and

receiving a request to modify a current cost of the first service or the second service based at least in part on whether the first change or the second change exceeds the predetermined threshold.

12. One or more non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 8, wherein the data is further associated with instrument costs associated with one or more instruments used to complete the first service and the second service over the predetermined period of time.

13. One or more non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 8, wherein the predetermined period of time is seven days.

14. One or more non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 8, wherein the data is associated with the material cost associated with the first service and the second service, and the data accounts for material waste in completing the first service and the second service.

15. A computer-implemented method of adjusting a total cost of a service, the method comprising:

under control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions, receiving first data from a first data source, the first data indicating labor costs of the service;

receiving second data from a second data source, the second data indicating material costs of the service;

determining a total labor cost of the service based at least on the first data;

determine a total material cost of the service based at least on the second data;

determining the total cost of the service based at least in part on the total labor cost and the total material cost;

determining that the total cost of the service is different than a previous total cost of the service by a predetermined amount;

causing presentation of a user interface to notify that the total cost of the service is different than the previous total cost by the predetermined amount; and

receiving an indication, via the user interface, to update a price of the service.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

sending instructions to one or more computing devices to at least one of;

order one or more materials for performing the service;

cause one or more instruments associated with the service to become active to perform the service;

or

cause one or more instruments associated with the service to become inactive to cease performance of the service.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the predetermined amount is a percentage difference or a numerical difference.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein causing presentation of the user interface includes sending a link by at least one of an email, a short message service (SMS) or a multimedia message service (MMS).

19. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

receiving user input regarding the labor costs or the material costs;

and wherein determining the total cost of the service is based at least in part on the user input.

20. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

determining the previous total cost of the service based at least in part on a number of services previously ordered over a predetermined period of time.