System and method of generating service plans for refrigeration systems

• US 7,813,960 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2005
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hussmann Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hussmann Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kovar, Richard P., Ellis, Casey P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart; Matthew S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Iwarere; Oluseye
• Application Number:
  US11/173,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20070005460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,929 Days
• Field of Search: 705/3, 705/24, 379/1.01
• US Class Current: 705/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H

Abstract

A service plan system includes a computer program with a plurality of modules operable to generate service plans for refrigeration systems customers. The service plans offer multiple coverage levels, as well as various co-pay options (e.g., lower monthly fixed payment with higher event co-pay or higher monthly fixed payment with lower event co-pay) with increased controllable variable cost (e.g., high event co-pay). The different coverage levels provide options to the customer to select the program that provides the greatest opportunity for overall savings, while requiring active program participation by the service provider and the customer to maximize potential savings.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of generating a service plan for a refrigeration system customer, the method comprising:

acquiring customer type data, customer location data, and customer service history data;

analyzing the customer type data, customer location data, and customer service history data;

generating, by a computer system, a refrigeration system service plan report showing simultaneously first and second monthly fee amounts payable by the customer, and respective first and second event co-pay amounts, where the first and second monthly fee payment amounts are different from one another;

determining, based on input to the computer system received from the customer, a reduced number of service calls for the refrigeration system;

analyzing the service plan report; and

generating, by the computer system, a service plan analysis report including a controllable variable service cost amount based on at least one of the first and second monthly fee amounts payable by the customer, and a total potential savings amount based on the reduced number of service calls for the refrigeration system.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the reduced number of service calls comprises one service event per year.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the reduced number of service calls comprises one service event per month per year.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the customer includes a plurality of entities.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the reduced number of service calls comprises one service event per year for each entity.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the reduced number of service calls comprises one service event per month per year for each entity.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the monthly fee varies based on customer cash flow cycles.

8. A computer program embodied by a computer readable medium capable of being executed by a computer, the computer program operable to generate a service plan for a refrigeration system customer, the computer program comprising:

instructions to acquire customer type data, customer location data, and customer service history data;

instructions to analyze first and second monthly fee amounts payable by the customer, and respective first and second event co-pay amounts based on the customer type data, customer location data, and customer service history data;

instructions to determine, based on input received from the customer, a reduced number of service calls for the refrigeration system; and

instructions to simultaneously display a plurality of refrigeration system service plans based on the first and second monthly fee amounts payable by the customer, where the first and second monthly fee amounts are different from one another, and respective first and second event co-pay amounts, each refrigeration system service plan providing a controllable variable service cost amount based on the first and second monthly fee amounts payable by the customer, and a total potential savings amount based on the customer type data and the reduced number of service calls for the refrigeration system.

9. The computer program of claim 8, wherein the reduced number of service calls comprises one service event per year.

10. The computer program of claim 8, wherein the reduced number of service calls comprises one service event per month per year.

11. The computer program of claim 8 wherein the customer includes a plurality of entities.

12. The computer program of claim 11 further comprising instructions to generate a single invoice for the customer.

13. The computer program of claim 11 wherein the different monthly fee amount and the different event co-pay amount in each service plan is further based on the number of entities participating in the service plan.

14. The computer program of claim 11 further comprising instructions to generate a service plan analysis report including a controllable variable service cost amount and a total potential savings amount.

15. The computer program of claim 14, wherein the reduced number of service calls comprises one service event per year for each entity.

16. The computer program of claim 14, wherein the reduced number of service calls comprises one service event per month per year for each entity.

17. A service plan generation system for refrigeration system customers, the service plan generation system comprising:

a computer running a customer type module, a service history module, a location module, a service plan coverage module, and an analysis module;

the customer type module operable to acquire data related to customer type;

the service history module operable to acquire data related to the customer'"'"'s service history;

the location module operable to acquire data related to the customer'"'"'s location;

the service plan coverage module operable to receive the data from the customer type module, the service history module, and the location module and to generate a service plan report listing simultaneously first and second monthly fee amounts payable by the customers, and respective first and second event co-pay amounts, the first monthly fee being different from the second monthly fee; and

the analysis module operable to analyze the service plan report and to generate a service plan analysis report including a controllable variable service cost amount based on the first and second monthly fee amounts payable by the customer, and a total potential savings amount, based on a reduced number of service calls with input received from the customer.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising a participation module operable to acquire a number of entities participating in the service plan.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the service plan report is based on the data received from the customer type module, the service history module, the location module, and the number of entities.