Method and system for vendor-neutral subcontractor enablement

• US 8,756,145 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2008
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, Makropoulos, Konstantinos, Martin, Bryan J., Seaman, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Akintola, Olabode
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRANFORD, MICHAEL D
• Application Number:
  US12/025,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20090198536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,325 Days
• Field of Search: 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• 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 implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code, includes receiving information in support of a bid and determining if value-add eligibility criteria is met. Additionally, the method includes calculating a bid price based on the information if the value-add eligibility criteria is met, updating a record indicating the bid price and tracking additions and changes to the record.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code, comprising:

receiving information in support of a bid made by a vendor for a product or service provided by a supplier for eventual resale by the vendor to a target client, using a processor of the computer infrastructure, the information in support of the bid including value-add eligibility documentation that satisfies predetermined value-add eligibility criteria of the supplier, the value-add eligibility criteria includes services and support required by or beneficial to the target client;

determining if the value-add eligibility criteria of the supplier is met by comparing the received value-add eligibility documentation to the predetermined value-add eligibility criteria and determining whether a threshold amount of the predetermined value-add eligibility criteria has been satisfied by the received value-add eligibility documentation using the processor of the computer infrastructure;

if the value-add eligibility criteria is met, calculating a bid price based on the information using the processor of the computer infrastructure;

updating a record indicating the bid price using the processor of the computer infrastructure; and

tracking additions and changes to the record using the processor of the computer infrastructure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the information comprises translating the information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a uniform interface for vendors to submit or modify the information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating the bid price comprises:

determining a standard pricing; and

determining a special pricing, which is a pricing less than the standard pricing.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining if multiple vendors are competing for a same sales opportunity;

determining if each of the multiple vendors would like to receive the special pricing;

receiving documentation from each of the multiple vendors that would like to receive the special pricing that supports each vendor'"'"'s reason for entitlement to the special pricing; and

executing a bid value calculation to determine the bid price for each of the multiple vendors,

wherein the information received in support of the bid documentation includes the documents received in support of each vendor'"'"'s reason for entitlement to the special pricing.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the executing the bid value calculation comprises determining an influence and contribution of each of the multiple vendors towards a successful sale and deployment for the same sales opportunity.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining the influence and the contribution comprises determining at least one of completed sales differentiators, activities and documents for each of the vendors based on the information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the completed sales differentiators, activities and documents comprise at least one of:

a record opened date;

a completed configuration review;

a completed system assurance review;

an architecture overview document;

an architecture detail document;

an architecture diagram; and

a client letter.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining the influence and the contribution further comprises:

assigning a point value to each of the completed sales differentiators, activities and documents;

adding the assigned point value towards a total bid value calculation score of a vendor for each of the completed sales differentiators, activities and documents; and

at an end of a predetermined bid process period, determining the total bid value calculation score for each of the vendors.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a vendor having a highest total bid value calculation score at the end of the bid process is a winner of a bid value calculation.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

offering the winner of the bid value calculation a special pricing; and

offering non-winners of the bid value calculation a standard pricing.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein, if the total bid value calculation score for each of a plurality of vendors is within a predetermined range, performing an audit prior to determining a winner of the bid value calculation.

13. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining that the vendor requested the special pricing;

determining that the vendor is eligible for the special pricing;

determining the bid made by the vendor is a winner;

offering the winner the special pricing, which is less than the standard pricing, and adding an indication of the special pricing to a bid certification tool record of the winner; and

offering other vendors that meet the value-add eligibility criteria the standard pricing and adding an indication of the standard pricing to a bid certification tool record of each of the other vendors.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request to participate in a sales opportunity;

and providing an opportunity number.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein meeting the threshold amount of the predetermined value-add eligibility criteria comprises one of:

meeting all of the value-add eligibility criteria;

meeting key criteria of the value-add eligibility criteria; and

meeting a predefined percentage of the value-add eligibility criteria.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the bid certification record in a database.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports the computer infrastructure that performs the steps of claim 1.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein steps of claim 1 are provided by a service provider on a subscription, advertising, and/or fee basis.

19. A system, comprising:

a bid certification tool vendor interface configured to provide a uniform interface to add or modify information in a bid certification tool record in support of a bid made by a vendor for a product or service provided by a supplier for eventual resale by the vendor to a target client, the information in support of the bid including value-add eligibility documentation that satisfies predetermined value-add eligibility criteria of the supplier, the value-add eligibility criteria includes services and support required by or beneficial to the target client;

a form loader tool configured to translate the information, when necessary, prior to adding the information to the bid certification tool record;

a value-add eligibility determination tool configured to determine whether the value-add eligibility criteria of the supplier is met by comparing the received value-add eligibility documentation to the predetermined value-add eligibility criteria and determining whether a threshold amount of the predetermined value-add eligibility criteria has been satisfied by the received value-add eligibility documentation;

a bid pricer tool providing an interface with a pricing tool configured to determine a standard price based on the information; and

a bid value calculation tool configured to determine a bid value calculation score based on the information and update the bid certification tool record to indicate a special pricing.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a history tracking tool configured to track additions and modifications to the bid certification tool record.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising a computer infrastructure operable to implement the bid certification tool vendor interface, the form loader tool, the value-add eligibility determination tool, the bid pricer tool, the bid value calculation tool, and the history tracking tool.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports the computer infrastructure.

23. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer program product includes at least one component to:

receive information in support of a bid made by a vendor for a product or service provided by a supplier for eventual resale by the vendor to a target client, in a bid certification tool record, the information in support of the bid including value-add eligibility documentation that satisfies predetermined value-add eligibility criteria of the supplier, the value-add eligibility criteria includes services and support required by or beneficial to the target client;

determine if the value-add eligibility criteria of the supplier is met by comparing the received value-add eligibility documentation to the predetermined value-add eligibility criteria and determining whether a threshold amount of the predetermined value-add eligibility criteria has been satisfied by the received value-add eligibility documentation;

calculate a bid price based on the information if the value-add eligibility criteria is met;

update the bid certification tool record indicating the bid price; and

track additions and modifications to the bid certification tool record.

24. A method comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure operable to;

receive by a processor information in support of a bid made by a vendor for a product or service provided by a supplier for eventual resale by the vendor to a target client, in a bid certification tool record, the information in support of the bid including value-add eligibility documentation that satisfies predetermined value-add eligibility criteria of the supplier, the value-add eligibility criteria includes services and support required by or beneficial to the target client;

determine by the processor if the value-add eligibility criteria of the supplier is met by comparing the received value-add eligibility documentation to the predetermined value-add eligibility criteria and determining whether a threshold amount of the predetermined value-add eligibility criteria has been satisfied by the received value-add eligibility documentation;

calculate by the processor a bid price based on the information if the value-add eligibility criteria is met;

update by the processor the bid certification tool record indicating the bid price; and

track by the processor additions and modifications to the bid certification tool record.