Method and apparatus for pricing calculation

• US 8,775,309 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2011
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Chau, Victor, Hoople, Doug, Leung, Timothy, Nuttall, Kirsty, Ravuri, Muralidhar, Roper, Joshua M., Sovocool, Peter, Srinivasan, Balaji, Yee, Colette
• Primary Examiner(s): Maguire, Lindsay M.
• Application Number:
  US13/302,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20120095806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 705/40
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing a competitive bid from a provider comprising receiving billing data from a user, the billing data including provider information, location, and total bill amount. The method further comprising calculating a complex usage pattern based on the billing data and statistical data for the location. The method additionally comprising calculating a competitive bid for the user, based on the complex usage pattern and a pricing structure of the provider.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving billing data of a prospective customer at a processor, wherein

the billing data reflects service usage during a monthly period of a year, and

the service usage results from utilization of a service in a geographical location by the prospective customer;

converting, by the processor, a monthly bill amount of the billing data into an annualized bill amount using a statistically-determined multiplier, wherein

the statistically-determined multiplier is statistically determined from location-specific billing data of a plurality of existing customers in the geographical location, and

the statistically-determined multiplier is statistically determined by comparing

a relative bill amount paid by the plurality of existing customers for the service usage in the monthly period, and

a relative annual bill amount paid by the plurality of existing customers for the service usage in the year, and

the converting comprises

multiplying the monthly bill amount by the statistically-determined multiplier; and

generating, by the processor, a competitive bid for the prospective customer, wherein

the competitive bid is based on the annualized bill amount.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the statistically-determined multiplier represents a statistical relationship between

a plurality of monthly bill amounts for the utilization of the service by the plurality of existing customers during the monthly period, and

a plurality of annual bill amounts for the utilization of the service by the plurality of existing customers during the year.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein

the billing data of the prospective customer comprises:

information regarding a provider of the service and the geographic location of the service.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a competitive pricing report, wherein

the competitive pricing report indicates competitor rates in the geographical location, and

the competitor rates are obtained, at least in part, from the plurality of existing customers.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating an annual service usage, wherein

the calculating the annual service usage uses the annualized bill amount and a pricing structure of a competitor provider, and

the competitor provider provided the service to the prospective customer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the generating the competitive bid further comprises:

selecting a tariff for the prospective customer based on the billing data; and

calculating the competitive bid using the tariff and the annual service usage.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a plurality of competitive bids, wherein

each of the competitive bids differ from one another;

presenting the competitive bids to the prospective customer, wherein

each of the competitive bids comprises a plurality of attributes, and

the competitive bids are ordered according to the attributes that most closely match current preferences of the prospective customer; and

permitting the prospective customer to select from among the competitive bids.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a selection from the prospective customer, wherein

the selection indicates a selected bid of the competitive bids; and

enrolling the prospective customer in the selected bid.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a savings amount by comparing the competitive bid and the annualized bill amount; and

displaying the savings amount to the prospective customer, wherein the savings amount is displayed with the competitive bid.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein

the monthly bill amount comprises a first cost of service usage over a first period, and

the annualized bill amount comprises a second cost of service usage over a second period.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store instructions executable by the processor, the instructions configured to implement;

a user interface, wherein

the user interface is configured to receive billing data of a prospective customer,

the billing data reflects service usage during a monthly period of a year, and

the service usage results from utilization of a service in a geographical location by the prospective customer;

an annualized bill calculator, wherein

the annualized bill calculator is configured to convert a monthly bill amount of the billing data into an annualized bill amount using a statistically-determined multiplier, wherein

the statistically-determined multiplier is statistically determined from location-specific billing data of a plurality of existing customers in the geographical location, and

the statistically-determined multiplier is statistically determined by comparing

a relative bill amount paid by the plurality of existing customers for the service usage in the monthly period, and

a relative annual bill amount paid by the plurality of existing customers for the service usage in the year, and

the monthly bill amount is multiplied by the statistically-determined multiplier; and

a rate calculator, wherein

the rate calculator is configured to generate a competitive bid for the prospective customer, and

the competitive bid is based on the annualized bill amount.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further configured to implement:

reporting logic, wherein

the reporting logic is configured to generate a competitive pricing report,

the competitive pricing report indicates competitor rates in the geographical location of the service, and

the competitor rates are obtained, at least in part, from a plurality of existing customers that utilize the service.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further configured to implement:

an annual service usage calculator, wherein

the annual service usage calculator is configured to calculate an annual service usage from the annualized bill amount and a pricing structure of a competitor provider, and

the competitor provider provided the service to the prospective customer.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further configured to implement:

output logic, wherein

the output logic is configured to present a plurality of competitive bids to the prospective customer,

each of the competitive bids differ from one another, and

each of the competitive bids comprises a plurality of attributes; and

ordering logic, wherein

the ordering logic is configured to order each of the competitive bids according to the attributes that most closely match current preferences of the prospective customer.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions are further configured to implement:

an order management system, wherein

the order management system is configured to receive a selection from the prospective customer,

the selection indicates a selected bid of the competitive bids, and

the order management system is further configured to enroll the prospective customer in the selected bid.

16. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a network interface, coupled to the processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium, coupled to the processor and configured to store instructions executable by the processor, the instructions configured to implement a web interface, wherein

the web interface is configured to receive billing data of a prospective customer,

the billing data reflects service usage during a monthly period of a year, and

the service usage results from utilization of a service in a geographical location by a prospective customer, and

a pricing engine communicatively coupled to the web interface, wherein the pricing engine is configured to

convert a monthly bill amount of the billing data into an annualized bill amount using a statistically-determined multiplier, wherein

the statistically-determined multiplier is statistically determined from location-specific billing data of a plurality of existing customers in the geographical location, and

the statistically-determined multiplier is statistically determined by comparing

a relative bill amount paid by the plurality of existing customers for the service usage in the monthly period, and

a relative annual bill amount paid by the plurality of existing customers for the service usage in the year, and

the monthly bill amount is multiplied by the statistically-determined multiplier, and

generate a competitive bid for the prospective customer, wherein the competitive bid is based on the annualized bill amount.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further configured to implement

a call center interface, wherein

the call center interface is configured to provide a customer service representative with access to the pricing engine, and

the access is provided such that the prospective customer receives identical information from the customer service representative and the web interface.

18. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further configured to implement

a reporting front-end module, wherein

the reporting front-end module is configured to provide a competitive pricing report,

the competitive pricing report indicates competitor rates, and

the competitor rates are obtained, at least in part, from the plurality of existing customers that utilize the service.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein

the reporting front-end module is further configured to provide a transaction report,

the transaction report indicates whether a number of customers have changed from a previous provider to a current provider, and

the transaction report comprises a listing of the previous provider and the current provider for each of the customers.

20. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further configured to implement

an administrative front-end module, wherein

the administrative front-end module is configured to permit entry of a pricing structure of a plurality of providers.

21. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions executable on a processor, the computer readable storage medium storing the program instructions, wherein the program instructions are configured to implement:

a user interface, wherein

the user interface is configured to receive billing data of a prospective customer,

the billing data reflects service usage during a monthly period of a year, and

the service usage results from utilization of a service in a geographical location by the prospective customer;

an annualized bill calculator, wherein

the annualized bill calculator is configured to

convert a monthly bill amount of the billing data into an annualized bill amount using a statistically-determined multiplier, wherein

the statistically-determined multiplier is statistically determined from location-specific billing data of a plurality of existing customers in the geographical location, and

the statistically-determined multiplier is statistically determined by comparing

a relative bill amount paid by the plurality of existing customers for the service usage in the monthly period, and

a relative annual bill amount paid by the plurality of existing customers for the service usage in the year, and

the monthly bill amount is multiplied by the statistically-determined multiplier; and

a rate calculator, wherein

the rate calculator is configured to generate a competitive bid for the prospective customer, and

the competitive bid is based on the annualized bill amount.