Project specific communications system and method

• US 6,581,040 B1
• Filed: 02/18/2000
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel B. Wright, Dann J. Flesher
• Original Assignee: Daniel B. Wright, Dann J. Flesher
• Inventors: Wright, Daniel B., Flesher, Dann J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAUNDERS, KEVIN D
• Application Number:
  US09/507,364
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/7, 705/8, 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/7.23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems for providing enhanced communications for the managing of projects, particularly to project communications involving multiple resource providers. The invention provides for a network accessed business system and database. The system permits parallel public, limited, and proprietary access to database information for the purpose of establishing and managing projects requiring multiple, and potentially competitive, resource providers. The invention specifically provides for the exchange of information required between project owners, project managers, and competitive, bidding resource providers necessary to assemble and manage both materiel and an effective project team.

Claims

1. A method for managing communications between resource providers and project owners, in a network based business system, comprising the steps of:

linking one or more project owners to a network;

linking a plurality of resource providers to a network;

linking one or more resource system databases with said project owners and said resource providers, on said network;

preparing specifications of a project by an owner of said project;

posting said specifications on said resource system database accessible from said network;

providing a means for a resource provider to select projects of interest;

providing a means for a resource provider to view specifications of a project of interest to said resource provider;

providing a means for a resource provider to assemble and submit bids on said project of interest, or a portion of said project of interest; and

allowing said project owner to evaluate and select a winning bidder for said project or project portion.

2. The method of managing communications of claim 1 in which the step of preparing said specifications further includes the steps of announcing a project, publishing its scope, and requesting proposals from architects, engineers, or designers for the development of detailed specifications, namely project plans, designs, and drawings.

3. The method of managing communications of claim 1 in which the step of linking resource providers further includes the step of linking first level resource providers and second level resource providers to said network.

4. The method of managing communications of claim 3 which further comprises the step of providing a means for said first level resource provider to divide a project into portions and post one or more of said portions for bidding by one or more second level resource providers.

5. The method of managing communications of claim 1 which further comprises the step of providing a means for resource providers to report plan errors or suggest plan changes and for project owners to report the adoption of and publication of changes to the project specifications, and to make said changes available to system users.

6. The method of managing communications of claim 1 in which the step of providing a means for a resource provider to select projects of interest further comprises the steps of entering resource capabilities of a resource provider in a resource provider template, and integrating said resource capabilities with resource requirements of one or more projects, and yielding a list of projects which fall within said resource capabilities of said resource provider.

7. The method of managing communications of claim 1 in which the step of preparing specifications of a project by an owner of said project further includes preparing specifications of a project by an owner and an architect in a project specification template.

8. The method of managing communications of claim 7 in which the step of preparing specifications of a project by an owner and an architect further includes step of preparing specifications of a project by an owner, an architect, a designer, and an engineer, in a project specification template.

9. The method of managing communications of claim 7 which further includes the step of entering background information of the architects, designers and engineers, and making said architect, designer, or engineer background information available to system participants or non-participants.

10. The method of managing communications of claim 1 in which the step of posting said specifications on said network further includes posting project requirements.

11. The method of managing communications of claim 1 which further comprises the step of dividing the project specifications into discreet portions so that each portion can be viewed and bid separately by resource providers.

12. The method of managing communications of claim 1 in which the step of linking resource providers further includes the step of linking zero level resource providers, first level resource providers, second level resource providers, and third level resource providers to said network, in which said first level resource providers provide resources to said project owner or zero level resource providers, said second level resource providers provide resources to said first level resource providers, and said third level resource providers provide resources to said second level resource providers.

13. The method of managing communications of claim 12 which further comprises the step of providing a means for said zero level resource provider to divide a project into portions and post one or more of said portions for bidding by one or more first level resource providers, and first level resource providers to divide a project into portions and post one or more of said portions for bidding by one or more second level resource providers, and providing a means for said second level resource providers to divide a project into portions and post one or more of said portions for bidding by one or more third level resource providers.

14. The method of managing communications of claim 13 which further comprises the step of providing a means of first, second, or third level resource providers to form a partnership for a project and to jointly bid on said project or portion of a project.

15. The method of managing communications of claim 1 which further comprises the step of entering background information on resource providers in a resource provider template relating to their ability to provide resources, and sending said resource provider template to said system databases.

16. The method of managing communications of claim 15 which further comprises making said resource provider background information available to non-system participants.

17. The method of managing communications of claim 15 which further comprises the step of evaluating said background information of resource providers by said project owners as part of evaluating a bid by said resource providers.

18. The method of managing communications of claim 13 which further comprises the step of providing quotes from vendors to first level, second level, and third level resource providers in response to requests for bids on resources.

19. The method of managing communications of claim 15 which further comprises the steps of entering background information by first, second, and third level resource providers and vendors relating to their ability to provide resources.

20. The method of managing communications of claim 19 which further comprises the step of evaluating said background information of bidding resource providers and vendors by said project owners and resource providers placing project portions out for bid, as part of evaluating a bid by said bidding resource providers and vendors.

21. The method of managing communications of claim 15 which further comprises the step of providing a list of resource providers with background information indicating capability to perform requirements of a project or a portion of a project, to project owners, or to first, second, or third level resource providers.

22. The method of managing communications of claim 15 which further comprises the step of using said background information of first, second, third level resource providers, and vendors as a template to screen projects, portions of projects, and bids which may be of interest to said first, second, third level resource providers, and vendors.

23. The method of managing communications of claim 22 which further comprises the step of providing multiple templates for first, second, third level resource providers, and vendors for advanced filtering of projects and portions of projects, for providing lists of projects of interest from said system database to system participants.

24. The method of managing communications of claim 23 which further comprises the step of providing multiple user modifiable templates for first, second, third level resource providers, and vendors for advanced filtering of projects and portions of projects, in which one or more of said user modifiable templates remain proprietary to said first, second, third level resource providers, and vendors.

25. The method of managing communications of claim 23 which further comprises the step of providing multiple user modifiable templates to first, second, third level resource providers, and vendors for advanced filtering of system databases, in which said user modifiable templates remain proprietary to said first, second, third level resource providers, and vendors.

26. The method of managing communications of claim 24 which further comprises the step of providing multiple user modifiable templates for first, second, third level resource providers, and vendors for advanced filtering of system databases, and providing a means for system participants to communicate with other system participants who may require goods or services to complete or bid on a project or a portion of project.

27. The method of managing communications of claim 15 which further comprises the step of providing a means of statusing a state of completion of bidding on a project or portion of a project, from first, second, third level resource providers, or vendors.

28. The method of managing communications of claim 13 which further comprises the step of providing bid date information and any modification of bid date.

29. The method of managing communications of claim 27 which further comprises the step of providing a list of qualified first level resource providers, as part of the statusing of said state of completion of a bid.

30. The method of managing communications of claim 27 which further comprises the step of providing a list of known or interested bidders for a portion of a project.

31. The method of managing communications of claim 27 which further comprises the step of providing a notice to bidders of lack of competitive bids for one or more portions of a project.

32. The method of managing communications of claim 31 which further comprises the step of providing a notice to bidders of lack of qualified bids for one or more portions of a project.

33. The method of managing communications of claim 15 which further comprises the step of pre-qualifying resource providers based on supplied background information before said resource providers can bid on projects or as a method of qualifying those bids after submittal.

34. The method of managing communications of claim 1 in which the step of providing a means for a resource provider to select projects of interest further comprises the steps of entering resource capabilities of a resource provider in a resource template which is sent to said resource system database, and integrating said resource capabilities with resource requirements of one or more projects, and yielding a list of projects which fall within said resource capabilities of said resource provider.

35. The method of managing communications of claim 34 in which the step of providing a means for a resource provider to select projects of interest further comprises the step of keeping portions of said resource template confidential from other participants in said network based business system.

36. The step of managing communications of claim 32 which further includes the steps of:

submitting information on the specifications of a project by said project owner in a specifications template;

submitting information on the resource providing capabilities of said first, second, or third level resource provider in a first resource capabilities template, which is sent to said resource system database;

submitting information on the resource providing capabilities of a first, second, or third level resource provider in a second resource capabilities template which is not sent to said resource system database;

submitting information on resource specifications by vendors including price and quality specifications in a vendor product template;

providing a means for comparing said vendor product template information with said first and second resource capabilities template information, and automatically sending said vendor product information to said resource provider; and

providing a means for posting a project by a resource provider for bid by one or more vendors.

37. A method for managing communications between resource providers, vendors, and project owners, in a network based business system, comprising the steps of:

linking one or more project owners to a network;

linking a plurality of first level resource providers to a network;

linking a plurality of second level resource providers to a network;

linking a plurality of third level resource providers to a network;

linking a plurality of vendors to a network;

linking one or more resource system databases with said project owners, resource providers and vendors, on said network;

preparing specifications of one or more projects by an owner of said projects;

posting said specifications on said network;

providing a means for a first level resource provider to select projects of interest;

providing a means for a first level resource provider to view details of a project of interest;

providing a means for said first level resource provider to divide a project into portions and post one or more of said portions for bidding by one or more second level resource providers, as second level projects;

providing a means for one or more second level resource providers to select second level projects of interest posted by said first level resource provider;

providing a means for a second level resource provider to view details of a second level project of interest;

providing a means for a second level resource provider to bid on said second level project of interest;

providing a means for said second level resource provider to divide a project into portions and post one or more of said portions for bidding by one or more third level resource providers, as third level projects;

providing a means for one or more third level resource providers to select third level projects of interest posted by said second level resource provider;

providing a means for a third level resource provider to view details of a third level project of interest;

providing a means for a third level resource provider to bid on said third level project of interest;

providing a means for said first or second or third level resource provider to divide a project into portions and post one or more of said portions for bidding by one or more vendors, as requests for proposals;

providing a means for one or more vendors to select requests for proposals of interest posted by said third level resource provider;

providing a means for a vendor to view details of requests for proposals;

providing a means for a vendor to bid on said requests for proposals;

providing a means for said first or second or third level resource provider to evaluate and select a winning bid from a vendor for the request for proposal;

providing a means for said third level resource provider to bid on said third level project;

providing a means for said second level resource provider to evaluate and select a winning bid from a third level provider on said third level project;

providing a means for said second level resource provider to bid on said second level project;

providing a means for said first level resource provider to evaluate and select a winning bid from a second level provider on said second level project;

providing a means for said first level resource provider to bid on said first level project; and

providing a means for said project owner to evaluate and select a winning bid from said first level resource provider.

38. The method of managing communications of claim 37 in which the step of preparing specifications of a project by an owner of said project further includes preparing specifications of a project by an owner and an architect.

39. The method of managing communications of claim 38 in which the step of preparing specifications of a project by an owner and an architect further includes step of preparing specifications of a project by an owner, an architect, and an engineer.

40. The method of managing communications of claim 37 in which the step of posting said specifications on said network further includes posting project details including project requirements and project drawings.

41. The method of managing communications of claim 37 which further comprises the step of dividing the project into discreet portions so that each portion can be viewed and bid separately.

42. The method of managing communications of claim 37 which further comprises the step of entering background information by resource providers relating to their ability to provide resources.

43. The method of managing communications of claim 42 which further comprises the step of evaluating said background information of resource providers by said project owners as part of evaluating a bid by said resource providers.

44. The method of managing communications of claim 37 which further comprises the step of providing quotes from vendors to first level, second level, and third level resource providers in response to requests for bids on resources.

45. The method of managing communications of claim 37 which further comprises the step of entering background information by first, second, and third level resource providers and vendors relating to their ability to provide resources.

46. The method of managing communications of claim 45 which further comprises the step of evaluating said background information of bidding resource providers and vendors by said project owners and resource providers placing project portions out for bid, as part of evaluating a bid by said bidding resource providers and vendors.

47. The step of managing communications of claim 37 which further includes the steps of:

submitting information on the specifications of a project by said project owner in a specifications template;

submitting information on the resource providing capabilities of a first, second, or third level resource provider in a first resource capabilities template, which is sent to said resource system database;

submitting information on the resource providing capabilities of a first, second, or third level resource provider in a second resource capabilities template which is not sent to said resource system database;

submitting information on resource specifications by vendors including price and quality specifications in a vendor product template;

providing a means for comparing said vendor product template information with said first and second resource capabilities template information, and automatically sending said vendor product information to said resource provider; and

providing a means for posting a project by a resource provider for bid by one or more vendors.

48. The step of managing communications of claim 37 which further includes the step of providing to said vendors a list of resource providers who are bidding on a project which has specifications which match information in a vendor product template.

49. The step of managing communications of claim 37 which further includes the step of providing to said resource providers a list of projects which have specifications which match information in said resource provider'"'"'s resource capabilities template.

50. The step of managing communications of claim 49 which further includes the step of providing said project owners and resource providers with alternative routes of communication for the protection of or secure and limited transfer of proprietary information necessary for the forming of partnerships, preparation of bids, and submittal of bids.