Method and system for supplier prioritization

• US 7,146,331 B1
• Filed: 01/17/2002
• Issued: 12/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ariba Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Ariba Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Young, Erik P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg, Yogesh C.
• Application Number:
  US10/052,064
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/26.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A method and system for selecting potential bidders or suppliers for a current electronic auction by using quantitative models to create a prioritized list of potential suppliers. A prioritization software analyzes a supplier'"'"'s bidding participation history and bidding competitiveness history from the bidding data collected for all prior auctions in which the supplier participated or was requested by the auction coordinator to participate. Using the prior bid data, the software generates a participation score and a competitiveness score for the supplier. The participation and competitiveness scores may be combined to generate a combined score. All potential suppliers may be prioritized based on any of these scores individually or a combination of two or more of these scores. The prioritization list generated using quantitative values instead of subjective values minimizes the amount of unnecessary calls to potential suppliers and maximizes the likelihood that a called supplier will place a competitive bid in the current auction, thereby increasing the bidding yield per supplier selected.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a group of bidders for a current bidding event to auction a lot having one or more items, said method comprising:

identifying a prior bidding event having occurred before said current bidding event, wherein said prior bidding event includes a plurality of contact events for each bidder participating in said prior bidding event;

further identifying one or more participating bidders for said prior bidding event;

quantifying participation of each identified bidder in each of said plurality of contact events for said prior bidding event, thereby generating a corresponding participation score for each said identified bidder;

prioritizing using prioritizing software the identified bidders in a first descending order based on said corresponding participation score, thereby generating a first prioritized list of bidders;

selecting said group of bidders for said current bidding event from said first prioritized list of bidders;

further identifying each bid-in event for said prior bidding event, wherein each said bid-in event is one of said plurality of contact events and relates to bids received from one or more identified bidders during said prior bidding event;

obtaining a corresponding rank for each said identified bidder for each said bid-in event in which said identified bidder has participated;

quantifying each corresponding rank for each said identified bidder for each said bid-in event in which said identified bidder has participated, thereby generating a corresponding competitiveness score for each said identified bidder;

prioritizing using prioritizing software the identified bidders in a second descending order based on said corresponding competitiveness score, thereby generating a second prioritized list of bidders; and

selecting said group of bidders for said current bidding event from at least one of said first prioritized list of bidders and said second prioritized list of bidders.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting said group of bidders from at least one of said first and said second prioritized lists of bidders includes one of the following:

selecting a predetermined number of top bidders from at least one of said first and said second prioritized lists of bidders as said group of bidders for said current bidding event; and

selecting a user-specified number of top bidders from at least one of said first and said second prioritized lists of bidders as said group of bidders for said current bidding event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying each said bid-in event includes

identifying each said bid-in event for each lot that was placed on auction during said prior bidding event,

wherein obtaining said corresponding rank includes obtaining said corresponding rank for each said identified bidder for each said bid-in event for each said lot identified for said prior bidding event, and

wherein quantifying each said corresponding rank includes quantifying each said corresponding rank for each said identified bidder for each said bid-in event for each said lot identified for said prior bidding event.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a corresponding combined score for each said identified bidder using said corresponding participation score and competitiveness score;

prioritizing the identified bidders in a third descending order based on said corresponding combined score, thereby generating a third prioritized list of bidders; and

selecting said group of bidders for said current bidding event from said third prioritized list of bidders.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each said combined score is generated using the following formula:

combined score=√

{square root over ((participation score)²+(competiveness score)²)}{square root over ((participation score)²+(competiveness score)²)}.

6. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions to select a group of bidders for a current bidding event to auction a lot having one or more items, wherein said instructions, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to:

search a first electronic database containing an information about one or more bidding events having occurred before said current bidding event to identify a prior bidding event therefrom, wherein said prior bidding event includes a plurality of contact events for each bidder participating in said prior bidding event;

search a second electronic database using said information about said identified prior bidding event to identify one or more participating bidders for said prior bidding event, wherein said second electronic database contains identity information for all bidders corresponding to said one or more bidding events from said first electronic database;

quantify participation of each identified bidder in each of said plurality of contact events for said prior bidding event, thereby generating a corresponding participation score for each said identified bidder;

prioritize the identified bidders in a first descending order based on said corresponding participation score, thereby generating a first prioritized list of bidders;

select said group of bidders for said current bidding event from said first prioritized list of bidders;

identify each bid-in event for said prior bidding event, wherein each said bid-in event is one of said plurality of contact events and relates to bids received from one or more identified bidders during said prior bidding event;

obtain a corresponding rank for each said identified bidder for each said bid-in event in which said identified bidder has participated;

quantify each corresponding rank for each said identified bidder for each said bid-in event in which said identified bidder has participated, thereby generating a corresponding competitiveness score for each said identified bidder;

prioritize the identified bidders in a second descending order based on said corresponding competitiveness score, thereby generating a second prioritized list of bidders; and

select said group of bidders for said current bidding event from at least one of said first prioritized list of bidders and said second prioritized list of bidders.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein said instructions, when executed by said processor, further cause said processor to:

generate a corresponding combined score for each said identified bidder using said corresponding participation score and competitiveness score;

prioritize the identified bidders in a third descending order based on said corresponding combined score, thereby generating a third prioritized list of bidders; and

select said group of bidders for said current bidding event from said third prioritized list of bidders.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein said instructions, when executed by said processor, further cause said processor to display at least one of the following on an electronic display terminal:

at least one list of bidders from said first prioritized list of bidders, and said second prioritized list of bidders;

said group of bidders selected from at least one of said first prioritized list of bidders, and said second prioritized list of bidders; and

at least one of said corresponding participation score, and said corresponding competitiveness score for each said identified bidder.