Methods and apparatus for allocating, costing, and pricing organizational resources

• US 6,965,867 B1
• Filed: 12/13/1999
• Issued: 11/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joel Jameson
• Original Assignee: Joel Jameson
• Inventors: Jameson, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US09/645,998
• Time in Patent Office: 2,164 Days
• Field of Search: 700/90, 700/97, 700/99, 700/100, 705/7, 705/8, 705/9, 705/400
• US Class Current: 705/7.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

This invention is a means both to allocate all types of resources for commercial, governmental, or non-profit organizations and to price such resources. A linear programming process makes fulfillment allocations used to produce product units. A Resource-conduit process governs the linear programming process, uses two-sided shadow prices, and makes aperture allocations to allow Potential-demand to become Realized-demand. A strict opportunity cost perspective is employed, and the cost of buyable resources is deemed to be the opportunity cost of tying up cash. Resource available quantities, product resource requirements, and Potential-demand as a statistical distribution are specified in a database. The invention reads the database, performs optimization, and then writes allocation directives to the database. Also determined and written to the database are resource marginal (incremental) values and product marginal costs. The database can be viewed and edited through the invention'"'"'s Graphical User Interface. Monte Carlo simulation, along with generation of supply and demand schedules, is included to facilitate analysis, explore “what if,” and interact with the user to develop product offering, product pricing, and resource allocation strategies and tactics.

Claims

1. A computer system having a memory for storing data for access by an application program being executed on said computer system for allocating organizational resources, comprising:

(a) a rcMat matrix data structure stored in said memory, said rcMat matrix data structure used by said application program and including;

organization resource-utilizing groups;

said organization resource-utilizing groups utilizing at least some of the resources available to an organization;

said rcMat matrix of organization resource-utilizing groups comprising m rows and nRes columns;

said number m is at least two;

said number nRes is at least one;

said nRes columns of said rcMat matrix containing a plurality of organization resource-utilizing groups;

said rows of said rcMat matrix containing a plurality of said organization resource-utilizing groups;

at least some of said organization resource-utilizing groups containing resource allocations; and

(b) said application program including code segments for accessing said rcMat matrix to retrieve said resource allocations of said organization resource-utilizing groups to allocate at least some organizational resources.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein said application program further comprises at least one of the following, a result therefrom being used for allocating organizational resources:

(a) a code segment for calculating effectiveness for said organization resource-utilizing groups;

(b) a code segment for calculating rowEffectiveness for at least some of said rows of said rcMat matrix;

(c) a code segment for calculating Realized-demand for at least some of said rows of said rcMat matrix;

(d) a code segment for valuing allocations contained in said organization resource-utilizing groups;

(e) a code segment for determining group-marginal-cost-subtract for said organization resource-utilizing groups;

(f) a code segment for determining group-marginal-value-add for said organization resource-utilizing groups;

(g) a code segment for performing a linear programming process.

3. A computer system comprising

(a) means for storing a rcMat matrix of organization resource-utilizing groups;

said organization resource-utilizing groups utilizing at least some of the resources available to an organization;

said rcMat matrix of or ation resource-utilizing groups comprising m rows and nRes columns;

said number m is at least two;

said number nRes is at least one;

said nRes columns of said rcMat matrix containing a plurality of organization resource-utilizing groups;

said rows of said rcMat matrix containing a plurality of said organization resource-utilizing groups; and

(b) means for performing a Resource-conduit process, said Resource-conduit process accessing said rcMat matrix, for allocating at least some of said resources available to said organization to said organization resource-utilizing groups.

4. A computer system comprising:

(a) means for storing a rcMat matrix of organization resource-utilizing groups;

said organization resource-utilizing groups utilizing at least some of the resources available to an organization;

said rcMat matrix of organization resource-utilizing groups comprising m rows and nRes columns;

said number m is at least two;

said number nRes is at least one;

said nRes columns of said rcMat matrix containing a plurality of organization resource-utilizing groups;

said rows of said rcMat matrix containing a plurality of said organization resource-utilizing groups; and

(b) means for performing a Resource-conduit process, said Resource-conduit process accessing said rcMat matrix, for allocating at least some of said resources available to said organization to said organization resource-utilizing groups;

said Resource-conduit process comprising at least one of the following;

(i) means for initializing said rcMat matrix and said organization resource-utilizing groups of said rcMat matrix;

(ii) means for valuing allocations contained in said organization resource-utilizing groups of said rcMat matrix;

(iii) means for generating a bOrg vector;

(iv) means for performing a linear programming process.

5. The computer system according to claim 4, wherein said means for storing said rcMat matrix further stores at least one of the following:

(a) a potential demand vector;

(b) a sumWICash vector,

(c) a resQuant vector,

(d) a twpGroupSub and a twpGroupAdd vector;

(e) a rwpDest, rwpSour, rwOldAlloc, and a rwOldMC vector,

(f) a dpTie matrix and a dpTieSubBlk vector.

6. The computer system according to claim 4, wherein said means for performing a Resource-conduit process for allocating at least some of said resources available to said organization to said organization resource-utilizing groups comprises at least one of the following:

(a) means for performing an Axis-walk process;

(b) means for performing a Top-walk process;

(c) means for performing a Lateral-walk process;

(d) means for performing a Ridge-walk process;

(e) means for performing an Explode-walk process;

(f) means for performing a Rand-mode process;

(g) means for performing a Genetic-mode process;

(h) means for performing a Finalitzation process;

(i) means for determining updated values for said bOrg vector.

7. A computer system for optimally making Fulfillment-allocations, comprising:

(a) means for storing a rcMat matrix of organization resource-utilizing groups;

said organization resource-utilizing groups utilizing at least some of the resources available to an organization;

said rcMat matrix of organization resource-utilizing groups comprising m rows and nRes columns;

said number m is at least two;

said number nRes is at least one;

said nRes columns of said rcMat matrix containing a plurality of organization resource-utilizing groups;

said rows of said rcMat matrix containing a plurality of said organization resource-utilizing groups;

(b) means for performing a linear programming process for making at least some of said Fulfillment-allocations; and

(c) means for performing a Resource-conduit process, said Resource-conduit process accessing both said rcMat matrix and calculations of said linear programmed process, for making at least some of said Fulfillment-allocations.

8. A computer system having thereon an application program for determining the marginal value of a resource, wherein said resource is potentially used in each of a plurality of scenarios, and said marginal value is used in allocating said resource, said application program comprising:

(a) a code segment for accessing said plurality of scenarios;

(b) a code segment for performing a linear programming process to optimize resource allocations in each said scenario;

(c) a code segment for determining the marginal value of said resource;

(d) a code segment to pass said determined marginal value of said resource to a subsequent computer program routine for allocating said resource available to said organization.

9. A computer system for indirectly allocating organizational resources, comprising:

(a) means for accessing a plurality of scenarios;

(b) means for performing a linear programming process to optimize resource allocations of each said scenario;

(c) means for determining at least one marginal value of at least one resource in each optimized scenario;

(d) means for calculating a mathematical-mean of said at least one marginal value of said at least one resource in each said optimized scenario;

(e) means for calculating a mathematical-product of a quantity corresponding to said at least one resource by said mathematical-mean; and

(f) means for comparing said mathematical-product to a value to be received and, based upon a result of said comparing means, indirectly allocating organizational resources.

10. A computer-implemented method for allocating organizational resources comprising code segments for:

(a) creating and storing a rcMat matrix data structure that includes organization resource-utilizing groups;

said organization resource-utilizing groups utilizing at least some of the resources available to an organization;

said rcMat matrix of organization resource-utilizing groups comprising m rows and nRes columns;

said number m is at least two;

said number nRes is at least one;

said nRes columns of said rcMat matrix containing a plurality of organization resource-utilizing groups;

said rows of said rcMat matrix containing a plurality of said organization resource-utilizing groups;

at least some of said organization resource-utilizing groups containing resource allocations; and

(b) retrieving said resource allocations of said organization resource-utilizing groups to allocate at least some organizational resources.

11. The computer-implemented method for allocating organizational resources according to claim 10, further comprising code segments for performing at least one of the following, and for using a result therefrom to allocate at least some organizational resources:

(a) calculating effectiveness for said organization resource-utilizing groups;

(b) calculating rowEffectiveness for at least some of said rows of said rcMat matrix;

(c) calculating Realized-demand for at least some of said rows of said rcMat matrix;

(d) valuing allocations contained in said organization resource-utilizing groups;

(e) determining group-marginal-cost-subtract for said organization resource-utilizing groups;

(f) determining group-marginal-value-add for said organization resource-utilizing groups;

(g) performing a linear programming process.

12. A method comprising:

(a) storing a rcMat matrix of organization resource-utilizing groups;

said organization resource-utilizing groups utilizing at least some of the resources available to an organization;

said rcMat matrix of organization resource-utilizing groups comprising m rows and nRes columns;

said number m is at least two;

said number nRes is at least one;

said nRes columns of said rcMat matrix containing a plurality of organization resource-utilizing groups;

said rows of said rcMat matrix containing a plurality of said organization resource-utilizing groups; and

(b) performing a Resource-conduit process, said Resource-conduit process accessing said rcMat matrix, for allocating at least some of said resources available to said organization to said organization resource-utilizing groups.

13. A method comprising:

(a) storing a rcMat matrix of organization resource-utilizing groups;

said organization resource-utilizing groups utilizing at least some of the resources available to an organization;

said rcMat matrix of organization resource-utilizing groups comprising m rows and nRes columns;

said number m is at least two;

said number nRes is at least one;

said nRes columns of said rcMat matrix containing a plurality of organization resource-utilizing groups;

said rows of said rcMat matrix containing a plurality of said organization resource-utilizing groups; and

(b) performing a Resource-conduit process, said Resource-conduit process accessing said rcMat matrix, for allocating at least some of said resources available to said organization to said organization resource utilizing groups;

said Resource-conduit process comprising at least one of the following;

(i) initializing said rcMat matrix and said organization resource-utilizing groups of said rcMat matrix;

(ii) valuing allocations contained in said organization resource-utilizing groups of said rcMat matrix;

(iii) generating a bOrg vector;

(iv) performing a linear programming process.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said act of storing said rcMat matrix fisher includes storing at least one of the following:

(a) a potentialDemand vector;

(b) a sumWICash vector;

(c) a resQuant vector;

(d) a twpGroupSub and a twpGroupAdd vector;

(e) a rwpDest, rwpSour, rwOldAlloc, and a rwOldMC vector;

(f) a dpTie matrix and a dpTieSubBlk vector.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein said step for performing a Resource-conduit process for allocating at least some of said resources available to said organization to said organization resource-utilizing groups comprises at least one of the following:

(a) performing an Axis-walk process;

(b) performing a Top-walk process;

(c) performing a Lateral-walk process;

(d) performing a Ridge-walk process;

(e) performing an Explode-walk process;

(f) performing a Rand-mode process;

(g) performing a Genetic-mode process;

(h) performing a Finalization process;

(i) determining updated values for said bOrg vector.

16. A method for optimally making Fulfillment-allocations, comprising:

(a) storing a rcMat matrix of organization resource-utilizing groups;

said organization resource-utilizing groups utilizing at least some of the resources available to an organization;

said rcMat matrix of organization resource-utilizing groups comprising m rows and nRes columns;

said number m is at least two;

said number nRes is at least one;

said nRes columns of said rcMat matrix containing a plurality of organization resource-utilizing groups;

said rows of said rcMat matrix containing a plurality of said organization resource-utilizing groups;

(b) performing a linear programming process for making at least some of said Fulfillment-allocations; and

(c) performing a Resource-conduit process, said Resource-conduit process accessing both said rcMat matrix and calculations of said linear programming process, for making at least some of said Fulfillment-allocations.

17. A computer-implemented method for determining the marginal value of a resource, wherein said resource is potentially used in each of a plurality of scenarios, and said marginal value is used in allocating said resource, said computer-implemented embodied on a computer system and comprising code segments for:

(a) accessing said plurality of scenarios;

(b) performing a linear programming process to optimize resource allocations in each said scenario;

(c) determining the marginal value of said resource;

(d) passing said determined marginal value of said resource to a subsequent computer program routine for allocating said resource available to said organization.

18. A computer-implemented method for indirectly allocating organizational resources, said computer-implemented method comprising code segments for:

(a) accessing a plurality of scenarios;

(b) performing a linear programming process to optimize resource allocations of each said scenario;

(c) determining at least one marginal value of at least one resource in each optimized scenario;

(d) calculating a mathematical-mean of said at least one marginal value of said at least one resource in each said optimized scenario;

(e) calculating a mathematical-product of a quantity corresponding to said at least one resource by said mathematical-mean; and

(f) comparing said mathematical-product to a value to be received and, based upon a result of said comparison, indirectly allocating organizational resources.

19. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a rcMat matrix data structure comprising:

m rows and nRes columns of data, wherein said m is a number having a value of at least two and said nRes is a number having a value of at least one;

the nRes columns of said rcMat matrix data structure including data representing a plurality of organization resource-utilizing groups;

the m rows of said rcMat matrix data structure including data representing a plurality of organization resource-utilizing groups;

wherein at least some of said organization resource-utilizing groups contain resource allocations, and wherein said organization resource-utilizing groups utilizing at least some of the resources available to an organization; and

a computer-readable executable program stored on said computer-readable medium to utilize said rcMat matrix to allocate organizational resources available to said organization stored within said rcMat matrix to said organization resource-utilizing groups.