Business activity management system

Abstract

An automated method and system ( 100 ) for identifying and measuring the value and risk associated with tangible elements of value, intangible elements of value and external factors and using said measurements to optimize financial performance, risk transfer and business activities.

1 . A computer readable medium having sequences of instructions stored therein, which when executed cause the processors in a plurality of computers that have been connected via a network to perform a business activity management method, comprising: 
 integrating organization related data,    identifying transaction measures with impact on one or more aspects of organization financial performance using at least a portion said data,    modeling organization financial performance using said measures as required to identify changes in transactions that will optimize one or more aspects of organization financial performance, and    implementing changes in business activities that will generate said changes.    
     
     
         2 . The computer readable medium of  claim 1  where the method further comprises making the list of changes and business activities available for review and use via a paper document or electronic display.  
     
     
         3 . The computer readable medium of  claim 1  where an organization is a single product, a group of products, a division, a company, a multi company corporation or a value chain.  
     
     
         4 . The computer readable medium of  claim 1  where data is aggregated using a xml and a common schema.  
     
     
         5 . The computer readable medium of  claim 1  where organization related data is obtained from the group consisting of advanced financial systems, basic financial systems, web site management systems, alliance management systems, brand management systems, customer relationship management systems, channel management systems, intellectual property management systems, process management systems, vendor management systems, operation management systems, sales management systems, human resource systems, accounts receivable systems, accounts payable systems, capital asset systems, inventory systems, invoicing systems, payroll systems, enterprise resource planning systems (ERP), material requirement planning systems (MRP), scheduling systems, quality control systems, purchasing systems, risk management systems, the Internet, external databases, user input and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The computer readable medium of  claim 1  where the transaction measures are selected from the group consisting of transaction ratios, time lagged transaction ratios, transaction trends, time lagged transaction trends, transaction averages, time lagged transaction averages, transaction data, time lagged transaction data, transaction patterns, time lagged transaction patterns, geospatial transaction measures, time lagged geospatial transaction measures, relative rankings, time lagged relative rankings, internet links, time lagged internet links, transaction frequencies, time lagged transaction frequencies, transaction time periods, time lagged transaction time periods, average transaction time periods, time lagged average transaction time periods, cumulative transaction time periods, cumulative transaction time periods, rolling average transaction time period, rolling average transaction time period, cumulative total transactions, time lagged cumulative total transactions, period to period rate of change in transactions, time lagged period to period rate of change in transactions and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         7 . The computer readable medium of  claim 1  where the transaction measures are identified by element of value where the elements of value are selected from the group consisting of alliances, brands, channels, customers, customer relationships, employees, intellectual capital, intellectual property, partnerships, processes, production equipment, vendors, vendor relationships and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         8 . The computer readable medium of  claim 1  where the transaction measures are identified by category of value where the categories of value are selected from the group consisting of current operation, real options, market sentiment and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         9 . The computer readable medium of  claim 1  where the one or more aspects of organization financial performance are selected from the group consisting of revenue, expense, capital change, current operation value, real option value, market sentiment value, market value, alliance value, brand value, channel value, customer value, customer relationship value, employee value, intellectual capital value, intellectual property value, partnership value, process value, production equipment value, vendor value, vendor relationship value, current operation risk, real option risk, market sentiment risk, market risk, alliance risk, brand risk, channel risk, customer risk, customer relationship risk, employee risk, intellectual capital risk, intellectual property risk, partnership risk, process risk, production equipment risk, vendor risk, vendor relationship risk, share price and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         10 . The computer readable medium of  claim 1  where the changes in business activities are selected from the group consisting of changes in purchase quantities, changes in purchasing mix, changes in vendors, changes in purchase discounts, changes in product discounts, changes in product pricing, changes in service pricing, changes in service discounts, changes in supply chain management, changes in the organization equity holdings, changes in operating limits for organization systems, changes in process management and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         11 . A business activity management system, comprising: 
 a plurality of computers connected by a network each with a processor having circuitry to execute instructions; a storage device available to each processor with sequences of instructions stored therein, which when executed cause the processors to: 
 integrate organization related data,  
 identify tangible measures of element and external factor impact on one or more aspects of organization financial performance using at least a portion said data,  
 model organization financial performance using said measures as required to identify changes by element and external factor that will optimize one or more aspects of organization financial performance,  
 make the list of changes available for review and optional approval via a paper document or electronic display, and  
 implement one or more changes in business activities that will generate said changes.  
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  where the method further comprises making the list of changes and business activities available for review and use via a paper document or electronic display.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  where an enterprise is a single product, a group of products, a division, a company, a multi company corporation or a value chain.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11  where data is integrated using xml and a common schema.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11  where organization related data is obtained from the group consisting of advanced financial systems, basic financial systems, web site management systems, alliance management systems, brand management systems, customer relationship management systems, channel management systems, intellectual property management systems, process management systems, vendor management systems, operation management systems, sales management systems, human resource systems, accounts receivable systems, accounts payable systems, capital asset systems, inventory systems, invoicing systems, payroll systems, enterprise resource planning systems (ERP), material requirement planning systems (MRP), scheduling systems, quality control systems, purchasing systems, risk management systems, the Internet, external databases, user input and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11  where the measures are selected from the group consisting of transaction ratios, time lagged transaction ratios, transaction trends, time lagged transaction trends, transaction averages, time lagged transaction averages, time lagged transaction data, transaction patterns, time lagged transaction patterns, geospatial transaction measures, time lagged geospatial transaction measures, relative rankings, time lagged relative rankings, internet links, time lagged internet links, transaction frequencies, time lagged transaction frequencies, transaction time periods, time lagged transaction time periods, average transaction time periods, time lagged average transaction time periods, cumulative transaction time periods, cumulative transaction time periods, rolling average transaction time period, rolling average transaction time period, cumulative total transactions, time lagged cumulative total transactions, period to period rate of change in transactions, time lagged period to period rate of change in transactions, composite variables, vectors and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11  where the measures are identified by category of value where categories of value are selected from the group consisting of current operations, real options, market sentiment and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11  where the one or more aspects of organization financial performance are selected from the group consisting of revenue, expense, capital change, current operation value, real option value, market sentiment value, market value, alliance value, brand value, channel value, customer value, customer relationship value, employee value, intellectual capital value, intellectual property value, partnership value, process value, production equipment value, vendor value, vendor relationship value, current operation risk, real option risk, market sentiment risk, market risk, alliance risk, brand risk, channel risk, customer risk, customer relationship risk, employee risk, fire risk, earthquake risk, flood risk, weather risk, contingent liabilities, intellectual capital risk, intellectual property risk, partnership risk, process risk, production equipment risk, vendor risk, vendor relationship risk, share price and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11  where changes in business activities are selected from the group consisting of changes in purchase quantities;, changes in purchasing mix, changes in vendors, changes in purchase discounts, changes in product discounts, changes in product pricing, changes in service pricing, changes in service discounts, changes in supply chain management, changes in the organization equity holdings, changes in operating limits for organization systems, changes in process management, changes in risk transfer purchases and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         20 . An interactive financial model that identifies the contribution of business activity and external factors to organization share price.  
     
     
         21 . The model of  claim 20  where the contribution of business activity is modeled with one or more transaction metrics.  
     
     
         22 . The model of  claim 21  where the one or more transaction metrics are selected from the group consisting of transaction ratios, time lagged transaction ratios, transaction trends, time lagged transaction trends, transaction averages, time lagged transaction averages, time lagged transaction data, transaction patterns, time lagged transaction patterns, geospatial transaction measures, time lagged geospatial transaction measures, relative rankings, time lagged relative rankings, internet links, time lagged internet links, transaction frequencies, time lagged transaction frequencies, transaction time periods, time lagged transaction time periods, average transaction time periods, time lagged average transaction time periods, cumulative transaction time periods, cumulative transaction time periods, rolling average transaction time period, rolling average transaction time period, cumulative total transactions, time lagged cumulative total transactions, period to period rate of change in transactions, time lagged period to period rate of change in transactions, composite variables, vectors and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         23 . The model of  claim 21  where the transaction metrics are key performance indicators.  
     
     
         24 . The model of  claim 20  where the contribution of external factors is determined using one or more tangible measures of external factor impact on aspects of financial performance.  
     
     
         25 . The model of  claim 20  that identifies the value of each of one or more organization elements of value is determined by its net contribution to organization value.  
     
     
         26 . The model of  claim 25  where the net contribution of an element to organization value is its direct contribution to organization value net of any contribution to the other elements of value and external factors that impact organization value.  
     
     
         27 . The model of  claim 25  where the elements of value are selected from the group consisting of alliances, brands, channels, customers, customer relationships, employees, intellectual capital, intellectual property, partnerships, processes, production equipment, vendors, vendor relationships and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         28 . The model of  claim 27  where brands are selected from the group consisting of a symbol indicating ownership, a symbol indicating source, a device indicating ownership, a device indicating source, mark, hallmark, label, logo, logotype, trade mark, stamp, tag, seal, a distinctive style, model, cut, line, make, pattern, a specific characteristic ascribed to an organization, a specific characteristic ascribed to an organization offering, a specific reputation ascribed to an organization, a specific reputation ascribed to an organization offering, a specific trait ascribed to an organization, a specific trait ascribed to an organization offering and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         29 . The model of  claim 27  where processes are selected from the group consisting of a series of actions bring about a result, a series changes bringing about a result, a series of functions bringing about a result and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         30 . The model of  claim 20  that supports the optimization of one or more aspects of organization financial performance where the one or more aspects of financial performance are selected from the group consisting of revenue, expense, capital change, current operation value, real option value, market sentiment value, market value, alliance value, brand value, channel value, customer value, customer relationship value, employee value, intellectual capital value, intellectual property value, partnership value, process value, production equipment value, vendor value, vendor relationship value, current operation risk, real option risk, market sentiment risk, market risk, alliance risk, brand risk, channel risk, customer risk, customer relationship risk, employee risk, fire risk, earthquake risk, flood risk, weather risk, contingent liabilities, intellectual capital risk, intellectual property risk, partnership risk, process risk, production equipment risk, vendor risk, vendor relationship risk and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         31 . The model of  claim 20  that supports the optimization of business activities where business activities are selected from the group consisting of purchasing, pricing, process management, supply chain management, risk management, sales, stock price management and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         32 . The model of  claim 31  where purchasing activities are selected from the group consisting of changes in purchase quantities, changes in purchasing mix, changes in vendors, changes in purchase discounts, changes in purchase prices, changes in purchase frequency and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         33 . A method for integrating organization systems into an overall financial management system, comprising 
 integrating data from organization related systems using xml and a common schema,    developing a model of organization share price using at least a portion of said data,    identifying changes in operation that will optimize one or more drivers of organization share price using said model, and    implementing said changes in operation by communicating the changes to one or more organization systems.    
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  where organization related systems are selected from the group consisting of advanced financial systems, basic financial systems, web site management systems, alliance management systems, brand management systems, customer relationship management systems, channel management systems, intellectual property management systems, process management systems, vendor management systems, operation management systems, sales management systems, human resource systems, accounts receivable systems, accounts payable systems, capital asset systems, inventory systems, invoicing systems, payroll systems, enterprise resource planning systems (ERP), material requirement planning systems (MRP), scheduling systems, quality control systems, purchasing systems, risk management systems, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 33  that where changes in operation are selected from the group consisting of changes in purchasing, changes in pricing, changes in processes, changes in the supply chain, changes in risk management, changes in sales, changes in equity holdings and combinations thereof.