Automated system for adapting market data and evaluating the market value of items

• US 9,418,371 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2015
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Buymetrics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Buymetrics Incorporated
• Inventors: Hansen, Valerie
• Primary Examiner(s): Niquette, Robert R
• Application Number:
  US14/740,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20150278839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/08 Sorting, i.e. grouping record carriers in numerical or other ordered sequence according to the classification of at least some of the information they carry by merging two or more sets of carriers in ordered sequence G06F7/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/201 Price look-up processing, e.g. updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 : Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 : Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 : Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 : Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 : Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A system including a remotely-located service provider server receives or retrieves price data sets responsive to one or more product specification data sets. A metrics application invokes an evaluation service that causes the metrics application to obtain metric data including market reference price data for items responsive to attributes of an item identified in a price data set. Attributes for each responsive item are evaluated to dynamically discover relations within the attribute data. One or more adjustment values are generated and applied to the market reference price data for a responsive item that differs from the item identified in the price data set, transforming the market reference price data into transaction-specific market reference price metric data values that are used to generate one or more evaluation metrics. At least a subset of the price data sets and the one or more evaluation metrics are communicated to a buyer-agent computing device.

Claims

1. In a networked service provider environment usable via system-managed user interfaces, a system having a governing logic application for managing market reference data that operates independently from, yet in coordination with, a separate production application, the system comprising:

a remotely-located service provider server comprising;

a network interface;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, implement a plurality of applications including;

a metric server adapter; and

a metrics application; and

a processor in communication with the network interface and the computer-readable medium, wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions stored on the computer-readable medium;

wherein;

the metric server adapter is a governing logic application programmed to autonomously manage at least one evaluation service and a plurality of predefined instructions for managing metric data, including a buyer-agent'"'"'s customized instructions or industry-specific instructions, to dynamically define transaction-specific instructions for adapting metric data, and to coordinate a conditional execution of the transaction-specific instructions by the metrics application, wherein one or more of the predefined instructions are preassociated with attributes predefined for an item and/or one or more parameter values, the parameter values representing attributes or conditions that are variable for specific items or transactions, and wherein the predefined instructions are stored in a memory accessible to the service provider server;

the metrics application is a production application programmed to control invocation of the at least one evaluation service and, in coordination with the metric server adapter, to conditionally execute one or more of the transaction-specific instructions for adapting metric data and generate one or more evaluation metrics that pertain to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service, and to manage one or more user interfaces that facilitate communications with the remotely-located service provider server; and

in operation, upon receiving a triggering request from an application running on a buyer-agent controlled computing device, the metrics application provides at least one user interface that identifies the buyer-agent initiating the at least one evaluation service, and configures the service provider server to;

receive, from the buyer-agent controlled computing device, via a system-managed user interface, one or more product specification data sets, wherein each product specification data set identifies at least one item that is defined by a plurality of attributes having attribute data that includes two or more parameter values, or a plurality of items that differ in accordance with at least one parameter value; and

receive or retrieve a plurality of price data sets responsive to at least one item identified in the one or more product specification data sets, wherein the metrics application configures the service provider server to automatically (1) communicate, via the network interface, at least one request for quote (RFQ) for one or more items to at least one seller-agent computing device on behalf of the buyer-agent, and to receive, from the at least one seller-agent computing device via the network interface, one or more price data sets responsive to at least one item identified in the RFQ, and/or (2) filter one or more buyer-agent pre-negotiated programs, contracts, catalogs, or offers previously exposed to the service provider server to retrieve one or more price data sets responsive to at least one item identified in the one or more product specification data sets, wherein each received or retrieved price data set identifies at least one item that is defined by a plurality of attributes having attribute data that includes at least one parameter value and price data for the at least one item, and wherein at least one item identified in a received or retrieved price data set differs by at least one parameter value from the at least one item as identified in the product specification data set and/or another received price data set;

wherein receipt or retrieval of at least one price data set responsive to at least one item identified in the one or more product specification data sets triggers the metrics application to automatically invoke the at least one evaluation service, and wherein invoking the at least one evaluation service causes the metrics application to;

obtain metric data from at least one data source accessible to the service provider server for each price data set, wherein the obtained metric data represents market reference data for at least one item having attributes that are responsive to attributes of the at least one item as identified in the price data set and represents market reference price data of a particular time or period of time, and wherein each responsive item in the metric data is defined by a plurality of attributes having attribute data that includes at least one parameter value;

evaluate the plurality of attributes defined for each responsive item in the metric data relative to the plurality of attributes for the respective item as identified in the price data set to dynamically discover relations within the attribute data, wherein discovery of one or more relationships comprising a difference in the attribute data triggers an automatic disclosure of the one or more relationships to the metric server adapter, wherein the discovered relationships enable the metric server adapter to contextually determine which of the predefined instructions that pertain to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service are applicable to the responsive item in the metric data, wherein the metric server adapter uses the attributes and one or more parameter values identified for the respective item in the price data set with predefined instructions determined to be applicable to the responsive item in the metric data to dynamically define transaction-specific instructions for adapting the metric data for the respective item;

normalize the metric data by conditionally executing, in coordination with the metric server adapter, the transaction-specific instructions for adapting metric data as defined by the metric server adapter for each responsive item in the metric data for the respective item, wherein execution of at least one transaction-specific instruction causes one or more adjustment values to be generated and applied to the market reference price data for at least one responsive item that differs by at least one parameter value from the respective item as identified in the price data set, transforming the market reference price data for the at least one responsive item, and automatically producing one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values for the respective item as identified in each price data set in the plurality of received or retrieved price data sets; and

generate one or more evaluation metrics that pertain to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service for the at least one item as identified in each price data set in the plurality of received or retrieved price data sets, wherein each evaluation metric is based, at least in part, on the one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values produced for the respective item as identified in each price data set;

wherein the metrics application is further programmed to manage at least one user interface that, in operation, triggers an event, via the network interface, which causes the application running on the buyer-agent controlled computing device to be activated and configured for a data exchange, and configures the service provider server to communicate at least a subset of the plurality of received or retrieved price data sets and one or more of the evaluation metrics generated for the at least one item as identified in each communicated price data set, including one or more price data sets having an item that differs by at least one parameter value, and to execute movement of the data, via the network interface, to at least the application running on the buyer-agent controlled computing device from which the one or more product specification data sets were received.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the metrics application is separate from the metric server adapter, and wherein coordinated operation of the metrics application with the metric server adapter enables the metrics application to algorithmically process the attribute data to dynamically identify at least one relationship comprising a difference within the attribute data, including a new or previously unknown relationship, and to produce the one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values, in coordination with the metric server adapter, without relying on a pre-constructed model having a predefined relationship that remains fixed within the model and outputs predictable results.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more transaction-specific instructions causes the metrics application to obtain metric data from two or more different data sources.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the parameter values represent variable attributes including a grade, a rating measure, a species, an item type, a brand, a quantity, a size, a unit of measure, a tally, a location, a method of delivery, a delivery date, a time of service, a warranty, a payment term, or a transaction type.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the metrics application is further programmed to manage at least one user interface that, in operation, enables a buyer-agent computing device to predefine, for exclusive use by a buyer-agent associated with the buyer-agent computing device, at least one instruction for managing metric data or to modify at least one previously predefined instruction for managing metric data, and further causes the metric server adapter to store the at least one predefined or modified instruction in a memory accessible to the service provider server for retrieval when the at least one evaluation service is invoked by the metrics application, wherein coordinated operation of the metrics application with the metric server adapter enables the metric server adapter to define transaction-specific instructions for adapting metric data that pertain to the buyer agent and the at least one invoked evaluation service, and wherein, in operation, a conditional execution of the transaction-specific instructions by the metrics application provides an evaluation service that is customized for the buyer agent without custom-coding computer-executable instructions that comprise the metrics application.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the metrics application is further programmed to manage at least one user interface that, in operation, enables a buyer-agent computing device to predefine one or more instructions for managing metric data and to preassociate the one or more instructions with attributes of an item, a parameter value, a metric, a metric data source, a vendor, a purchasing/pool group, an event, and/or one or more other instructions, and to store the predefined and preassociated instructions in a memory accessible to the service provider server for retrieval by the metric server adapter when the at least one evaluation service is invoked by the metrics application, and wherein the buyer-agent instructions are predefined and preassociated by the buyer-agent computing device without regard to the item or items identified in any specific received or retrieved price data set.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the metrics application is further programmed to manage at least one user interface that, in operation, prompts a buyer-agent controlled computing device to define one or more attributes and/or parameter values to be associated with an item identified in the product specification data set and/or to manage at least one interface that, in operation, enables a buyer-agent computing device to predefine one or more attributes and/or parameter values to be associated with an item and to store the one or more predefined attributes and/or parameter values in association with the item, wherein the stored attributes and/or parameter values are automatically associated with the item by the metric server adapter when the at least one evaluation service is invoked by the metrics application.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein execution of at least one predefined instruction that pertains to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service causes the metric server adapter to define at least one transaction-specific instruction that causes the metrics application to filter, for inclusion or exclusion, the one or more responsive items in the metric data using one or more predefined control values, criteria, or parameters, and to use only a filtered segment of the metric data to produce the one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values for the at least one item identified in the price data set.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more transaction-specific instructions causes the metrics application to use only metric data resulting from a purchase or executed contract to produce the one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values for the at least one item identified in the price data set.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more transaction-specific instructions causes the metrics application to obtain only metric data resulting from a computer-based interaction and/or to use only electronically-created metric data to produce the one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values for the at least one item identified in the price data set, wherein the electronically-created metric data does not include human-reported transaction data or transaction data that was manually transcribed into a digital format.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more transaction-specific instructions causes the metrics application to generate at least one adjustment value corresponding to at least one parameter value that differs from the parameter value of the respective item identified in the price data set using one or more predefined algorithms that were preassociated with the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service, including a least squares or curve-fit algorithm, wherein the at least one adjustment value serves to minimize a difference between the responsive item with the differing parameter and (1) an average of the market reference price data of responsive items in the metric data for the respective item at the particular time or period of time, or (2) an average of market reference price data generated from a control group of items that are responsive to the parameter value of the respective item identified in the price data set, and wherein the at least one adjustment value is applied to the market reference price data associated with the responsive item with the differing parameter value in the metric data.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more transaction-specific instructions causes the metrics application to convert data defined by a unit-of-measure into a standardized or common unit of measure and to produce the one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values for the at least one item identified in the price data set using data possessing consistent units of measure, and wherein the transformation of the market reference price data for the at least one responsive item occurs independent of the unit-of-measure conversion of the data.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more transaction-specific instructions causes the metrics application to generate at least one evaluation metric comprising a comparison value, wherein the value of the difference between the price data associated with the at least one item identified in the price data set and one or more of the transaction-specific market reference price data values produced for the at least one item is divided by the one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values produced for the at least one item identified in the price data set, to generate the at least one comparison value representing a ratio or percent of difference.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution one or more transaction-specific instructions causes the metrics application to automatically query one or more databases or data sources accessible to the service provider server or to monitor one or more data streams to obtain metric data for one or more items responsive to attributes of the at least one item identified in the price data set.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the metrics application is further programmed to manage at least one user interface that, in operation, facilitates data communication in XML format, enabling the metrics application to dynamically change, dynamically route, and/or pre-configure the data for movement of the data in an integrated data exchange.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the metric server adapter is programmed to coordinate a conditional execution of transaction-specific instructions for adapting metric data by the metrics application, including:

one or more formulas operationally combining data values and using variables relating to a plurality of items, attributes, parameters, events, or metric data sources;

or

a combination of instructions relating to a plurality of items, attributes, parameters, events, metric data sources, metric data, transaction-specific market reference price data values, or evaluation metrics, the conditional execution of which is priority weighted, sequential, recursive, or subject to another method of control defined by the metric server adapter;

or

a combined evaluation service that includes one or more transaction-specific instructions for adapting metric data, wherein at least one transaction-specific instruction is further combined with at least one other transaction-specific instruction that specifies employing a process step, action, function, utility or subroutine, or wherein at least one evaluation service is combined with at least one other evaluation service, wherein the conditional execution of the combined evaluation service is priority weighted, sequential, recursive, or subject to another method of control defined by the metric server adapter.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more transaction-specific instructions causes the metrics application to dynamically apply all of the transaction specific instructions determined applicable to the responsive item in the metric data, including one or more transaction-specific instructions that specify validation rules and/or predefined statistical criteria, and to only produce the one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values for the at least one item when all adjustments resulting from the transaction-specific instructions have been applied and the one or more transaction-specific instructions specifying validation rules and/or predefined statistical criteria have been satisfied.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the metrics application is further programmed to manage one or more user interfaces that, in operation, configure the service provider server to communicate for alternate or simultaneous visual display at least a subset of the received or retrieved price data sets and the one or more evaluation metrics generated for the at least one item to at least the remotely located buyer-agent controlled computing device from which the one or more product specification data sets were received, and wherein the one or more user interfaces facilitate interactions that enable the buyer-agent to expose underlying data in one or more layers of detail, to display additional data in one or more simultaneously displayed pop-up windows, to display linked information, or to display the same data in a different form or from one or more different sources of metric data or as determined at a different period of time.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the metrics application is further programmed to manage one or more user interfaces that, in operation, enable the remotely-located service provider server to facilitate communications, including a dynamic negotiation between the buyer-agent computing device and at least one seller-agent computing device that provided a price data set responsive to at least one item identified in the product specification data set, wherein at least one additional price data set is received, via a system-managed user interface, from the at least one seller-agent computing device in response to a counter-offer initiated by the buyer-agent computing device and communicated, via a system-managed user interface, to the at least one seller-agent computing device, wherein the metrics application automatically produces one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values and generates one or more evaluation metrics for at least one item as identified in the at least one additional price data set before communicating the additional price data set and the one or more evaluation metrics, via a system-managed user interface, to the buyer-agent controlled computing device, and wherein the dynamic negotiation continues via the one or more system-managed user interfaces, until an offer or counter-offer is accepted or the dynamic negotiation is terminated.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein facilitating communications includes managing one or more user interfaces that, in operation, enable the streaming of voice communications, via the remotely-located service provider server, between the buyer-agent computing device and the at least one seller-agent computing device.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more transaction-specific instructions causes the metrics application to evaluate the metric data for collective satisfaction of one or more predefined instructions that specify validation rules and/or statistical criteria and to only produce the one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values for the at least one item identified in the price data set using metric data that satisfies the predefined validation rules and/or statistical criteria, wherein at least one of the predefined instructions specifies validation rules and/or statistical criteria that cause the metrics application to collectively evaluate the metric data for at least one of:

total volume of responsive item data in units per item per period of time specified;

a measure of the frequency/liquidity of responsive items in the metric data;

concentration/fragmentation of the responsive items in the metric data by the type of transaction;

or concentration/fragmentation of the responsive items in the metric data by the source of the metric data, and wherein the plurality of responsive items in the metric data are either determined to satisfy the one or more validation rules and/or statistical criteria and are used or are determined to not satisfy the validation rules and/or statistical criteria and are excluded from use.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more transaction-specific instructions causes the metrics application to generate the one or more evaluation metrics for the at least one item identified in a price data set within a specified period of time from receipt of the price data set by the service provider server, or with sufficient speed that the price data set and the one or more evaluation metrics generated for the at least one item as identified in the price data set are communicated to the buyer-agent computing device in near real-time, wherein near real-time can vary by the environment of the transaction and is statistically measurable as occurring before the offer to sell as represented by the price data set is no longer actionable.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more transaction-specific instructions causes the metrics application to obtain updated market reference price data from at least one source of metric data accessible to the service provider server, wherein the updated metric data is for one or more items responsive to attributes of at least one item previously identified in a received or retrieved price data set and comprises more-current market reference price data for the at least one item and/or excludes previously-obtained metric data that is no longer responsive to the at least one item or no longer represents market reference price data associated with the at least one item at a particular time or period of time, and further causes the metrics application, in coordination with the metric server adapter, to produce at least one more-current transaction-specific market reference price data value for the at least one item identified in the price data set using the more-current metric data and to generate one or more updated evaluation metrics for the at least one item as identified in the price data set continuously, at a predefined time, over a predefined interval of time, or upon occurrence of a predefined event, wherein an interval of time can include a continuously sliding interval of time that represents the most current period of time.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the price data for the at least one item identified in at least one received price data set is specified as a formula in which the price is to be derived at one or more pre-defined times in the future based, at least in part, on one or more market-prices that are to be reported or one or more metric values that are to be generated at the one or more pre-defined times in the future, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service causes the metrics application to automatically obtain the one or more reported market prices or to generate the one or more metric values at the one or more pre-defined times and to use the obtained or generated values to derive, in accordance with the specified formula, the price data for the at least one item identified in the price data set, and further causes the metrics application to produce one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values for the at least one item at the one or more pre-defined times identified in the price data set and to generate one or more evaluation metrics for the at least one item based, at least in part, on the one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values produced for the at least one item, and to manage at least one user interface that, in operation, configures the service provider server to communicate, via the network interface, the price data derived for the at least one item identified in the price data set and the one or more evaluation metrics generated for the at least one item in the price data set to at least the application running on the buyer-agent controlled computing device from which the product specification data set was received.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service causes the metric server adapter to define at least one transaction-specific instruction that causes the metrics application to obtain metric data for at least one alternate item, wherein the alternate item is a substitute item and/or differs by at least one parameter value from the at least one item identified in the price data set, and further causes the metrics application to produce one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values for the at least one item identified in the price data set using metric data responsive to attributes of the at least one alternate item.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the metrics application is further programmed to manage at least one user interface that, in operation, facilitates an integrated data exchange between at least one application running on a remote computing device under control of the buyer-agent and the processor of the service provider server, and/or facilitates an integrated data exchange with at least one other computing device in communication with the service provider server, and to execute movement of data in the integrated data exchange via the network interface, wherein the integrated data exchange does not include a pre-mapped or pre-structured electronic data interchange (EDI) transmission.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the metrics application is further programmed to impute one or more item attributes or parameter values using one or more mathematical or statistical processes applied using at least one known attribute or parameter value of the at least one item identified in the product specification data set or a received price data set and/or one or more instructions previously received from a computing device under control of the buyer-agent.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more transaction-specific instructions causes the metrics application to expose to at least one tracking system at least a subset of the data received or generated by the service provider server, wherein the exposed data is defined by a time or period of time.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the remotely-located service provider server is accessible, via one or more system-managed user interfaces, to the buyer-agent computing device without specialized application software on the buyer-agent computing device and without a need to synchronize buyer-agent data across multiple computing devices used by the buyer-agent.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein the metrics application is further programmed to manage one or more user interfaces that, in operation, control at least one preprogrammed application or utility or function running on the service provider server or the buyer-agent controlled computing device that pertain to the at least one evaluation service invoked by the metrics application, and to execute movement of data in an integrated data exchange between the service provider server and the at least one preprogrammed application or utility or function.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more transaction-specific instructions does not cause the metrics application to:

(1) compare the attributes of the at least one item as identified in a received or retrieved price data set with the attributes of the at least one item as identified in another received or retrieved price data set;

(2) compare the price data of the at least one item identified in a price data set to a last cost, historic cost, or an average cost for the item that was previously paid by the buyer-agent;

(3) estimate an available supply of the item in relation to an estimated demand for the item to identify a price level at which the item is most likely to be bought or sold in the marketplace;

or (4) use a pre-constructed model, with pre-defined relations, to produce one or more transaction-specific market-reference price data values.

32. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one price data set identifies a plurality of items that vary by at least one parameter value and are to be collectively evaluated as a bundled item, or wherein at least one item identified in a price data set is a combined item that represents a packaged product or transaction, a tally, or an assembly of one or more component parts defined by a plurality of attributes having attribute data that includes at least one parameter value.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein the metrics application is programmed to manage one or more user interfaces that, in operation, facilitate integrated electronic communications between the buyer-agent controlled computing device and at least one seller-agent controlled computing device, wherein the integrated electronic communications comprise at least one of a chat window, streamed voice communications, e-mail, or notes or text.

34. In a networked service provider environment usable via system-managed user interfaces, a system having a governing logic application for managing market reference data that operates independently from, yet in coordination with, a separate production application, the system comprising:

a remotely-located service provider server comprising;

a network interface;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, implement a plurality of applications including;

a metric server adapter; and

a metrics application; and

a processor in communication with the network interface and the computer-readable medium, wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions stored on the computer-readable medium;

wherein;

the metric server adapter is a governing logic application programmed to autonomously manage at least one evaluation service and a plurality of predefined instructions for managing metric data, including a buyer-agent'"'"'s customized instructions or industry-specific instructions, to dynamically define transaction-specific instructions for adapting metric data, and to coordinate a conditional execution of the transaction-specific instructions by the metrics application, wherein one or more of the predefined instructions are preassociated with attributes predefined for an item and/or one or more parameter values, the parameter values representing attributes or conditions that are variable for specific items or transactions, and wherein the predefined instructions are stored in a memory accessible to the service provider server;

the metrics application is a production application programmed to control invocation of the at least one evaluation service and, in coordination with the metric server adapter, to conditionally execute one or more of the transaction-specific instructions for adapting metric data and generate one or more evaluation metrics that pertain to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service, and to manage one or more user interfaces that facilitate communications with the remotely-located service provider server; and

in operation, upon receiving a triggering request from an application running on a buyer-agent controlled computing device, the metrics application provides at least one user interface that identifies the buyer-agent initiating the at least one evaluation service, and configures the service provider server to;

receive, from the buyer-agent controlled computing device, via a system-managed user interface, one or more product specification data sets, wherein each product specification data set identifies at least one item that is defined by a plurality of attributes having attribute data that includes two or more parameter values, or a plurality of items that differ in accordance with at least one parameter value; and

receive or retrieve a plurality of price data sets responsive to at least one item identified in the one or more product specification data sets, wherein the metrics application configures the service provider server to automatically (1) communicate, via the network interface, at least one request for quote (RFQ) for one or more items to at least one seller-agent computing device on behalf of the buyer-agent, and to receive, from the at least one seller-agent computing device via the network interface, one or more price data sets responsive to at least one item identified in the RFQ, and/or (2) filter one or more buyer-agent pre-negotiated programs, contracts, catalogs, or offers previously exposed to the service provider server to retrieve one or more price data sets responsive to at least one item identified in the one or more product specification data sets, wherein each received or retrieved price data set identifies at least one item that is defined by a plurality of attributes having attribute data that includes at least one parameter value and price data for the at least one item, and wherein at least one item identified in a received or retrieved price data set differs by at least one parameter value from the at least one item as identified in the product specification data set and/or another received price data set; and

wherein receipt or retrieval of at least one price data set responsive to at least one item identified in the one or more product specification data sets triggers the metrics application to automatically invoke the at least one evaluation service, and wherein invoking the at least one evaluation service causes the metrics application to;

obtain metric data from at least one data source accessible to the service provider server for each price data set, wherein the obtained metric data represents market reference data for at least one item having attributes that are responsive to attributes of the at least one item as identified in the price data set and represents market reference price data of a particular time or period of time, and wherein each responsive item in the metric data is defined by a plurality of attributes having attribute data that includes at least one parameter value;

evaluate the plurality of attributes defined for each responsive item in the metric data relative to the plurality of attributes for the respective item as identified in the price data set to dynamically discover relations within the attribute data, wherein discovery of one or more relationships comprising a difference in the attribute data triggers an automatic disclosure of the one or more relationships to the metric server adapter, wherein the discovered relationships enable the metric server adapter to contextually determine which of the predefined instructions that pertain to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service are applicable to the responsive item in the metric data, wherein the metric server adapter uses the attributes and one or more parameter values identified for the respective item in the price data set with predefined instructions determined to be applicable to the responsive item in the metric data to dynamically define transaction-specific instructions for adapting the metric data for the respective item;

normalize the metric data by conditionally executing, in coordination with the metric server adapter, the transaction-specific instructions for adapting metric data as defined by the metric server adapter for each responsive item in the metric data for the respective item, wherein execution of at least one transaction-specific instruction causes one or more adjustment values to be generated and applied to the market reference price data for at least one responsive item that differs by at least one parameter value from the respective item as identified in the price data set, transforming the market reference price data for the at least one responsive item, and automatically producing one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values for the respective item as identified in each price data set in the plurality of received or retrieved price data sets; and

generate one or more relative value metrics that pertain to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service for the at least one item as identified in each price data set in the plurality of received or retrieved price data sets, wherein each relative value metric is based, at least in part, on the one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values produced for the respective item as identified in each price data set, and wherein each relative value metric comprises a ratio or index value that compares the price data for the at least one item identified in the price data set in relation to the one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values produced for the at least one item;

wherein the metrics application is further programmed to manage at least one user interface that, in operation, triggers an event, via the network interface, which causes the application running on the buyer-agent controlled computing device to be activated and configured for a data exchange, and configures the service provider server to communicate at least a subset of the received or retrieved price data sets and one or more of the relative value metrics generated for the at least one item as identified in each communicated price data set, including one or more price data sets having an item that differs by at least one parameter value, and to execute movement of the data, via the network interface, to at least the application running on the buyer-agent controlled computing device from which the one or more product specification data sets were received.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more transaction-specific instructions causes the metrics application to rank or sort the plurality of received price data sets by the one or more relative value metrics generated for the at least one item as identified in each price data set and to control the order and/or number of price data sets communicated to the buyer-agent controlled computing device.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein a price data set with a lowest relative value metric for the at least one item represents an optimal market value for the at least one item among the plurality of received or retrieved price data sets.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein at least one of the plurality of received or retrieved price data sets identifies at least one item that is not a perfect substitute for the item as identified in another received or retrieved price data set in that the at least one item is an alternate item or an item that differs by one or more parameter values from the item as identified in the other received or retrieved price data set, and wherein the one or more relative value metrics generated for the at least one item as identified in each of the plurality of price data sets provide the buyer-agent an objective measure with which to compare the item or items across the plurality of received or retrieved price data sets, including the one or more price data sets that identify an alternate item or an item that differs by at least one parameter value.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service causes the metric server adapter to define at least one transaction-specific instruction that causes the metrics application to obtain metric data from two or more different data sources.

39. The system of claim 34, wherein the remotely-located service provider server is accessible, via one or more system-managed user interfaces, to the buyer-agent computing device without specialized application software on the buyer-agent computing device and without a need to synchronize buyer-agent data across multiple computing devices used by the buyer-agent.

40. The system of claim 34, wherein the metrics application is further programmed to manage one or more user interfaces that, in operation, configure the service provider server to communicate for alternate or simultaneous visual display at least a subset of the received or retrieved price data sets and the one or more relative value metrics generated for the at least one item to at least the remotely located buyer agent controlled computing device from which the one or more product specification data sets were received, and wherein the one or more interfaces facilitate interactions that enable the buyer-agent to expose underlying data in one or more layers of detail, to display additional data in one or more simultaneously displayed pop-up windows, to display linked information, or to display the same data in a different form or from one or more different sources of metric data or as determined at a different period of time.

41. The system of claim 34, wherein the parameter values represent variable attributes including a grade, a rating measure, a species, an item type, a brand, a quantity, a size, a unit of measure, a tally, a location, a method of delivery, a delivery date, a time of service, a warranty, a payment term, or a transaction type.

42. The system of claim 34, wherein the metrics application is further programmed to manage at least one user interface that, in operation, prompts a buyer-agent controlled computing device to define one or more attributes to be associated with an item identified in the product specification data set and/or to manage at least one user interface that, in operation, enables a buyer-agent controlled computing device to predefine one or more attributes and/or parameter values to be associated with an item and to store the one or more defined or predefined attributes and/or parameter values in association with the item, wherein the stored attributes and/or parameter values are automatically associated with the item by the metric server adapter when the at least one evaluation service is invoked by the metrics application.

43. The system of claim 34, wherein the metrics application is further programmed to manage at least one user interface that, in operation, enables a buyer-agent computing device to predefine, for exclusive use by a buyer-agent associated with the buyer-agent computing device, at least one instruction for managing metric data or to modify at least one previously predefined instruction for managing metric data, and further causes the metric server adapter to store the at least one predefined or modified instruction in a memory accessible to the service provider server for retrieval when the at least one evaluation service is invoked by the metrics application, wherein coordinated operation of the metrics application with the metric server adapter enables the metric server adapter to define transaction-specific instructions that pertain to the buyer agent and the at least one invoked evaluation service, and wherein, in operation, a conditional execution of the transaction-specific instructions by the metrics application provides an evaluation service that is customized for the buyer-agent without custom-coding computer-executable instructions that comprise the metrics application.

44. The system of claim 34, wherein the metrics application is further programmed to manage at least one user interface that, in operation, enables a buyer-agent computing device to predefine one or more instructions for managing metric data and to preassociate the one or more instructions with attributes of an item, a parameter value, a metric, a metric data source, a vendor, a purchasing pool/group, an event, and/or one or more other instructions, wherein the predefined and preassociated instructions are stored in a memory accessible to the metric server adapter for retrieval when the at least one evaluation service is invoked by the metrics application, and wherein the buyer-agent instructions are predefined and preassociated by the buyer-agent computing device without regard to the item or items as identified in any specific received or retrieved price data set.

45. The system of claim 34, wherein the metrics application is separate from the metric server adapter, and wherein coordinated operation of the metrics application with the metric server adapter enables the metrics application to algorithmically process the attribute data to dynamically identify at least one relationship comprising a difference within the attribute data, including a new or previously unknown relationship, and to produce the one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values, in coordination with the metric server adapter, without relying on a pre-constructed model having a predefined relationship that remains fixed within the model and outputs predictable results.

46. The system of claim 34, wherein the metrics application is further programmed to manage at least one user interface that, in operation, facilitates data communication XML format, enabling the metrics application to dynamically change, dynamically route, and/or pre-configure the data for movement of the data in an integrated data exchange.

47. The system of claim 34, wherein the metric server adapter is programmed to coordinate a conditional execution of transaction-specific instructions for adapting metric data by the metrics application, including:

one or more formulas operationally combining data values and using variables relating to a plurality of items, attributes, parameters, events, or metric data sources;

or

a combination of instructions relating to a plurality of items, attributes, parameters, events, metric data sources, metric data, transaction-specific market reference price data values, or relative value metrics, the conditional execution of which is priority weighted, sequential, recursive, or subject to another method of control defined by the metric server adapter;

or

a combined evaluation service, wherein the at least one evaluation service is further combined with at least one other evaluation service or at least one transaction-specific instruction that specifies the execution of a pre-coded process step, action, function, utility or subroutine, running on the service provider server or another computing device in communication with the service provider server, wherein the conditional execution of the combined evaluation service is priority weighted, sequential, recursive, or subject to another method of control defined by the metric server adapter.

48. The system of claim 34, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service causes the metric server adapter to define at least one transaction-specific instruction that causes the metrics application to generate the one or more relative value metrics for the at least one item identified in a price data set within a specified period of time from receipt of the price data set by the service provider server, or with sufficient speed that the price data set and the one or more relative value metrics generated for the at least one item identified in the price data set are communicated to the buyer-agent controlled computing device in near real-time, wherein near real-time can vary by the environment of the transaction and is statistically measurable as occurring before the offer to sell as represented by the price data set is no longer actionable.

49. The system of claim 34, wherein the metrics application is programmed to manage one or more user interfaces that, in operation, enable at least one seller-agent and/or third-party intermediary to stream or expose, without prompting by the service provider server, one or more price data sets representing actionable offers-to-sell one or more items, or one or more catalogs or price lists that identify actionable price data for one or more items, via the network interface, to the service provider server.

50. The system of claim 34, wherein the metrics application is programmed to manage at least one user interface that, in operation, enables a seller-agent responding to a system generated request for quote (RFQ) to modify the at least one item and/or one or more of the parameter values defined for the at least one item in the RFQ and to enter price data for the at least one modified item.

51. The system of claim 34, wherein the metrics application is further programmed to manage one or more user interfaces that, in operation, enable the remotely-located service provider server to facilitate communications, including a dynamic negotiation between the buyer-agent controlled computing device and at least one seller-agent computing device that provided a price data set responsive to at least one item identified in the product specification data set, wherein at least one additional price data set is received, via a system-managed user interface, from the at least one seller-agent computing device in response to a counter-offer initiated by the buyer-agent controlled computing device, wherein the metrics application, in coordination with the metric server adapter, automatically produces one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values and generates one or more relative value metrics for at least one item as identified in the at least one additional price data set before communicating, via a system-managed user interface, the at least one additional price data set and the one or more relative value metrics generated for the at least one item to the remotely located buyer-agent controlled computing device from which the product specification data set was received, and wherein the dynamic negotiation continues via one or more system-managed user-interfaces, until an offer or counter-offer is accepted or the dynamic negotiation is terminated.

52. The system of claim 34, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution one or more transaction-specific instructions causes the metrics application to automatically query one or more databases or data sources accessible to the service provider server or to monitor one or more data streams to obtain metric data for one or more items responsive to attributes of the at least one item identified in the price data set.

53. The system of claim 34, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more transaction-specific instructions causes the metrics application to use only metric data resulting from a purchase or executed contract to produce the one or more relative value metrics for the respective item identified in the price data set.

54. The system of claim 34, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more transaction-specific instructions causes the metrics application to obtain only metric data resulting from a computer-based interaction and/or to use only electronically-created metric data to produce the one or more transaction-specific market-reference price data values for the respective item as identified in the price data set, wherein the electronically-created metric data does not include human-reported transaction data or transaction data that was manually transcribed into a digital format.

55. The system of claim 34, where the metrics application is programmed to manage at least one user interface that, in operation, facilitates an integrated data exchange, via the network interface, on behalf of the buyer-agent wherein at least one purchase notice is automatically transmitted to the at least one seller-agent computing device that provided at least one price data set with a lowest relative value metric for at least one item identified in the one or more product specification data sets received from the buyer-agent controlled computing device.

56. The system of claim 34, wherein invocation of at least one subsequent evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to at least one subsequently invoked evaluation service causes the metric server adapter to define at least one transaction-specific instruction that causes the metrics application to generate at least one predefined performance measure, wherein the one or more of the transaction-specific market reference price data values produced for the at least one item as identified in the price data set or one or more of the relative value metrics generated for the at least one item is a predefined data element that is automatically input into at least one predefined algorithm associated with the at least one subsequent evaluation service to generate, at least in part, the predefined performance measure, and to manage at least one user interface to communicate, via the network interface, the at least one performance measure to the buyer-agent controlled computing device and/or one or more outputs that were predefined in one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one subsequent evaluation service.

57. The system of claim 34, wherein at least one price data set identifies a plurality of items that vary by at least one parameter value and are to be collectively evaluated as a bundled item, or wherein at least one item identified in a price data set is a combined item that represents a packaged product or transaction, a tally, or an assembly of one or more component parts defined by a plurality of attributes having attribute data that includes at least one parameter value.

58. In a networked service provider environment usable via system-managed user interfaces, a system having a governing logic application for managing market reference data that operates independently from, yet in coordination with, a separate production application, the system comprising:

a remotely-located service provider server comprising;

a network interface;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, implement a plurality of applications including;

a metric server adapter; and

a metrics application; and

a processor in communication with the network interface and the computer-readable medium, wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions stored in the computer-readable medium;

wherein;

the metric server adapter is a governing logic application programmed to autonomously manage at least one evaluation service and a plurality of predefined instructions for managing metric data, including a buyer-agent'"'"'s customized instructions or industry-specific instructions, to dynamically define transaction-specific instructions for adapting metric data, and to coordinate a conditional execution of the transaction-specific instructions by the metrics application, wherein one or more of the predefined instructions are preassociated with attributes predefined for an item and/or one or more parameter values, the parameter values representing attributes or conditions that are variable for specific items or transactions, and wherein the predefined instructions are stored in a memory accessible to the service provider server;

the metrics application is a production application programmed to control invocation of the at least one evaluation service and, in coordination with the metric server adapter, to conditionally execute one or more of the transaction-specific instructions for adapting metric data and generate one or more evaluation metrics that pertain to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service, and to manage one or more user interfaces that facilitate communications with the remotely-located service provider server; and

in operation, upon receiving a triggering request from an application running on a buyer-agent controlled computing device, the metrics application provides at least one user interface that identifies the buyer-agent initiating the at least one evaluation service, and configures the service provider server to;

receive, from the buyer-agent controlled computing device, via a system-managed user interface, one or more product specification data sets, wherein each product specification data set identifies at least one item defined by a plurality of attributes having attribute data that includes two or more parameter values, or a plurality of items that differ in accordance with at least one parameter value; and

receive or retrieve a plurality of price data sets responsive to at least one item identified in the one or more product specification data sets, wherein the metrics application configures the service provider server to automatically (1) communicate, via the network interface, at least one request for quote (RFQ) for one or more items to at least one seller-agent computing device on behalf of the buyer-agent, and to receive, from the at least one seller-agent computing device via the network interface, one or more price data sets responsive to at least one item identified in the RFQ, and/or (2) filter one or more buyer-agent pre-negotiated programs, contracts, catalogs, or offers previously exposed to the service provider server to retrieve one or more price data sets responsive to at least one item identified in the one or more product specification data sets, wherein each received or retrieved price data set identifies at least one item that is defined by a plurality of attributes having attribute data that includes at least one parameter value and price data for the at least one item, and wherein at least one item identified in a received or retrieved price data set differs by at least one parameter value from the at least one item as identified in the product specification data set and/or another received price data set; and

wherein receipt or retrieval of at least one price data set responsive to at least one item identified in the one or more product specification data sets triggers the metrics application to automatically invoke the at least one evaluation service, wherein invoking the at least one evaluation service causes the metrics application to;

obtain metric data from at least one data source accessible to the service provider server for each price data set, wherein the obtained metric data represents market reference data for at least one item having attributes that are responsive to attributes of the at least one item as identified in the price data set and represents market reference price data of a particular time or period of time, and wherein each responsive item in the metric data is defined by a plurality of attributes having attribute data that includes at least one parameter value;

evaluate the plurality of attributes defined for each responsive item in the metric data relative to the plurality of attributes for the respective item as identified in the price data set to dynamically discover relations within the attribute data, wherein discovery of one or more relationships comprising a difference in the attribute data triggers an automatic disclosure of the one or more relationships to the metric server adapter, wherein the discovered relationships enable the metric server adapter to contextually determine which of the predefined instructions that pertain to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service are applicable to the responsive item in the metric data, wherein the metric server adapter uses the attributes and one or more parameter values identified for the respective item in the price data set with predefined instructions determined to be applicable to the responsive item in the metric data to dynamically define transaction-specific instructions for adapting the metric data for the respective item;

normalize the metric data by conditionally executing, in coordination with the metric server adapter, the transaction-specific instructions for adapting metric data as defined by the metric server adapter for each responsive item in the metric data for the respective item, wherein execution of at least one transaction-specific instruction causes one or more adjustment values to be generated and applied to the market reference price data for at least one responsive item that differs by at least one parameter value from the respective at least one item as identified in the price data set, transforming the market-reference price data for the at least one responsive item, and automatically producing one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values for the respective item as identified in each price data set in the plurality of received or retrieved price data sets; and

generate one or more relative value metrics that pertain to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service for the at least one item as identified in each price data set in the plurality of received or retrieved price data sets, wherein each relative value metric is based, at least in part, on the one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values produced for the respective at least one item as identified in each price data set, and wherein each relative value metric comprises a ratio or index value which compares the price data for the at least one item identified in the price data set in relation to the one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values produced for the at least one item; and

use the one or more relative value metrics generated for the at least one item as identified in each price data set to sort and/or rank the plurality of received or retrieved price data sets;

wherein the metrics application is further programmed to manage at least one user interface that, in operation, triggers an event, via the network interface, which causes the application running on the buyer-agent controlled computing device to be activated and configured for a data exchange, and configures the service provider server to communicate at least a sorted or ranked subset of the received or retrieved price data sets, including one or more price data sets having an item that differs by at least one parameter value, and to execute movement of the data, via the network interface, to at least the application running on the buyer-agent controlled computing device from which the one or more product specification data sets were received.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service further causes the metric server adapter to define at least one transaction-specific instruction that causes the metrics application to limit the number of price data sets communicated to the buyer-agent computing device to a predefined number or portion of the sorted or ranked price data sets.

60. The system of claim 58, wherein the one or more relative value metrics provide a measure of the price data associated with the at least one item as identified in each price data set in relation to the one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values produced for the at least one item as identified in each price data set, and wherein a price data set with a lowest relative value metric for the at least one item represents an optimal market value for the at least one item among the plurality of received or retrieved price data sets.

61. The system of claim 58, wherein the metrics application is separate from the metric server adapter, and wherein coordinated operation of the metrics application with the metric server adapter enables the metrics application to algorithmically process the attribute data to dynamically identify at least one relationship comprising a difference within the attribute data, including a new or previously unknown relationship, and to produce the one or more transaction-specific market reference price data values, in coordination with the metric server adapter, without relying on a pre-constructed model having a predefined relationship that remains fixed within the model and outputs predictable results.

62. The system of claim 58, wherein at least one predefined instruction for managing metric data that pertains to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service enables the metric server adapter to identify an item from a plurality of attributes that were predefined and preassociated with the item, or alternately, to identify a plurality of attributes to be associated with a predefined item.

63. The system of claim 58, wherein the metrics application is further programmed to manage at least one user interface that, in operation, enables a buyer-agent controlled computing device to predefine one or more instructions for managing metric data and to preassociate the one or more instructions with attributes of an item, a parameter, a metric, a metric data source, a vendor, a purchasing pool/group, an event, and/or one or more other instructions, wherein the predefined and preassociated instructions are stored in a memory accessible to the metric server adapter for retrieval when the at least one evaluation service is invoked by the metrics application, and wherein the buyer-agent instructions are predefined and preassociated by the buyer-agent controlled computing device without regard to the item or items identified in any specific received or retrieved price data set.

64. The system of claim 58, wherein the metrics application is further programmed to manage at least one user interface that, in operation, prompts a buyer-agent controlled computing device to identify one or more sources of metric data to be associated with a specific item identified in a received or retrieved price data set or to manage at least one user interface that, in operation, enables a buyer-agent controlled computing device to predefine one or more metric data sources to be associated with an item and/or attributes or parameter values predefined for the item, and wherein the predefined metric data sources are stored in a memory accessible to the metric server adapter in association with the item and/or the attributes or the parameter values predefined for the item, wherein the metric data is automatically obtained from the one or more predefined metric data sources when at least one item identified in a received or retrieved price data set identifies the item and/or the attributes or parameter values that were predefined and preassociated with the item.

65. The system of claim 58, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service causes the metric server adapter to define at least one transaction-specific instruction that causes the metrics application to automatically query one or more databases or data sources accessible to the service provider server or to monitor one or more data streams to obtain metric data for one or more items responsive to attributes of the at least one item identified in the price data set.

66. The system of claim 58, wherein the metrics application is further programmed to manage at least one user interface that, in operation, facilitates data communication in XML format, enabling the metrics application to dynamically change, dynamically route, and/or pre-configure the data for movement of the data in an integrated data exchange.

67. The system of claim 58, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service causes the metric server adapter to define at least one transaction-specific instruction that causes the metrics application to obtain only metric data resulting from a computer-based interaction and/or to use only electronically-created metric data to produce the one or more transaction-specific market-reference price data values for the respective item as identified in the price data set, wherein the electronically-created metric data does not include human-reported transaction data or transaction data that was manually transcribed into a digital format.

68. The system of claim 58, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service causes the metric server adapter to define at least one transaction-specific instruction that causes the metrics application to generate the one or more relative value metrics for the at least one item identified in a price data set within a specified period of time from receipt or retrieval of the price data set by the service provider server, or with sufficient speed that the plurality of price data sets are ranked or sorted and communicated to the buyer-agent controlled computing device in near real-time, wherein near real-time is variable by the environment of the transaction and is statistically measurable as occurring before the offer to sell as represented by the price data set is no longer actionable.

69. The system of claim 58, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more transaction-specific instructions causes the metrics application to obtain updated market reference price data from at least one source of metric data accessible to the service provider server, wherein the updated metric data is for one or more items responsive to attributes of at least one item previously identified in a received or retrieved price data set and comprises more-current market reference price data for the at least one item and/or excludes previously-obtained metric data that is no longer responsive to the at least one item or no longer represents market reference price data associated with the at least one item at a particular time or period of time, and further causes the metrics application, in coordination with the metric server adapter, to automatically produce one or more more-current transaction-specific market-reference price data values for the at least one item and to generate one or more more-current relative value metrics for the at least one item identified in the price data set continuously, at a predefined time, over a predefined interval of time, or upon occurrence of a predefined event, wherein an interval of time can include a continuously sliding interval of time that represents the most current period of time.

70. The system of claim 58, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more transaction-specific instructions causes the metrics application to communicate to the buyer-agent controlled computing device at least one price data set with a lowest relative value metric generated for the at least one item in the plurality of received or retrieved price data sets in a first or top position.

71. The system of claim 58, wherein the buyer-agent controlled computing device from which the one or more product specification data sets were received is a mobile computing device, and wherein at least one predefined instruction that pertains to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service causes the metric server adapter to define at least one transaction-specific instruction that causes the metrics application to limit the number of price data sets communicated to the buyer-agent controlled mobile computing device for visual display in a constrained display space to a predefined number or a predefined portion of the sorted and/or ranked price data sets.