Sustainability ratings for legal entities with data inspection

• US 8,255,271 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Reuters Enterprise Centre GmbH (The Woodbridge Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Reuters Global Resources
• Inventors: Ohnemus, Peter, Steffensen, Henrik, Habegger, Dominique
• Primary Examiner(s): Meinecke Diaz, Susanna M
• Application Number:
  US11/865,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20080059457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 705/11, 705/7.38
• US Class Current: 705/7.38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A computer implemented rating system for rating a company using at least one non-economic factor stored in a database populated with hierarchical data and metadata. The system displays at least a portion of the hierarchical data and a formula that generates a sustainability score, the sustainability score defining a rating of the company incorporating the at least one non-economic factor. The user can input at weightings into the system which associates each weighting with a respective non-economic factor. A processor computes the sustainability score using the formula by mathematically applying each associated user-input weighting to the respective non-economic factor. The system displays the sustainability score, and, in response to a user interaction, displays at least a portion of the hierarchical data including the metadata. The hierarchical data can include a second level of data which is used to compute the first level by applying weightings in a formula.

Claims

1. A computer for implementing a rating system, the computer having access to a database populated with data concerning at least one non-economic factor for a company, the computer comprising:

means for enabling a user to input at least one weighting;

means for transparently displaying at least a formula, the at least one weighting, and a portion of the data that generates a sustainability score, the formula being displayed in a manner that demonstrates how the sustainability score is computed;

means for associating each user-input weighting with a respective non-economic factor

a page viewable by a user and configured to display a layout and wording of questions used to elicit the data, a link to a source of the data, a manner in which the data was provided, a time during which the data was provided; and

a processor configured to compute the sustainability score using the formula, the formula mathematically applying each associated user-input weighting to the respective non-economic factor,

wherein the displaying means outputs the sustainability score, the sustainability score defining a rating of the company incorporating the at least one non-economic factor, and, in response to a user interaction, the processor is configured to cause the display, by the display means, of at least a portion of the data used by the formula;

wherein at least one of the questions originated from an inquiry identified as having arisen from a public comment; and

wherein the system is configured, in scenarios where the data is deficient, to examine a rule base to determine (a) a default response to at least one of the questions and (b) how the default response is combined into the sustainability score.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sustainability score comprises at least a composite of each associated user-input weighting to the respective non-economic factor as a result of the application of the formula, and wherein each respective non-economic factor comprises weighted individual ratings.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the individual ratings of each respective non-economic factor includes data having disparate units of measurement, the system further comprising a scoring means for producing a common scale among the data having disparate units of measurement.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the scoring means is further configured to determine a Z-score of the data to be scored and the scoring is performed using the Z-score.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the formula is displayed in a manner that enables an evaluation of at least one of an objectivity and a reliability of the sustainability score.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the user is selectively allowed to modify at least one of the formula, the portion of the data, and the at least one weighting in accordance with a level of authority.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sustainability score comprises a transparency measurement, the transparency measurement being computed by comparing available information to unavailable information.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the sustainability score comprises an exposure measurement that reflects one or more outliers within the data that pose a problem.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the sustainability score comprises a momentum measurement that reflects performance of the company over time.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the user is selectively allowed to configure the system to deviate from the formula.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the default response is at least one of affirmative and negative.

12. A computer for implementing a rating system, the computer having access to a database populated with data concerning at least one non-economic factor for a company, the computer comprising:

an interface configured to enable input of at least one weighting, to transparently display at least a formula, the at least one weighting, and a portion of the data in a manner that demonstrates how a sustainability score is computed, to associate each user-input weighting with a respective non-economic factor; and

a page viewable by a user and configured to display a layout and wording of questions used to elicit the data, a link to a source of the data, a manner in which the data was provided, a time during which the data was provided;

a processor configured to compute the sustainability score using the formula in conjunction with any user-input weighting and the data,

wherein the interface is further capable of outputting the sustainability score, the sustainability score defining a rating of the company incorporating the at least one non-economic factor;

wherein at least one of the questions originated from an inquiry identified as having arisen from a public comment; and

wherein the system is configured, in scenarios where the data is deficient, to examine a rule base to determine (a) a default response to at least one of the questions and (b) how the default response is combined into the sustainability score.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the sustainability score comprises at least a composite of each associated user-input weighting to the respective non-economic factor as a result of the application of the formula, and wherein each respective non-economic factor comprises weighted individual ratings.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the individual ratings of each respective non-economic factor includes data having disparate units of measurement, and the processor is further configured to produce a common scale among the data having disparate units of measurement.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a Z-score of the data to be scored, and the scoring step is performed using the Z-score.

16. In a computer-implemented rating system having access to a database populated with data concerning at least one non-economic factor for a company, a method for rating the company comprising:

providing an interface for displaying at least a portion of the data;

receiving from a user at least one weighting through the interface;

associating each said weighting with a respective data concerning the at least one non-economic factor;

computing a single sustainability score with a processor using a formula that applies at least one non-zero weighting to the one non-economic factor;

outputting the sustainability score through the interface;

transparently displaying in the interface at least the formula, the at least one weighting, a layout and wording of questions used to elicit the data, a link to a source of the data, a manner in which the data was provided, a time during which the data was provided, and the portion of the data in a manner that demonstrates how the sustainability score is computed;

examining a rule base to determine (a) a default response to at least one of the questions and (b) how the default response is combined into the sustainability score and

providing, in response to a user interaction with the displayed data, further data concerning the portion of the data;

wherein at least one of the questions originated from an inquiry identified as having arisen from a public comment.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the single sustainability score comprises a composite of a plurality of non-economic factors, and wherein each associated user-received weighting weights the respective data concerning the respective non-economic factor, the method further comprising:

computing the non-economic factor using the user-received weightings.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the respective data concerning the respective non-economic factor have disparate units of measurement, the method further comprising scoring the non-economic factor so as to produce a common scale among the data having disparate units of measurement.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising, prior to scoring the data, determining a Z-score of the data to be scored, wherein the scoring step is performed using the Z-score.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the display of data in the interface includes information concerning the date the displayed data was collected.