Automated system and method for managing a process for the shopping and selection of human entities

Abstract

The invention is a system and method for managing a process in which human providers are selected for a purpose. A typical application may include a selection process associated with employment or other procurement. The invention may provide for scoring or ranking human providers with respect to selection criteria utilizing expert system concepts.

1 . A method for selecting an entity, the method comprising:
 receiving information associated with a purchaser;   processing, utilizing a processor, the received information associated with the purchaser;   generating an intelligent form based, at least in part, on the processed information about the purchaser;
 wherein the intelligent form includes at least one inquiry directed to the purchaser for additional information, 
 wherein the at least one inquiry is generated based, at least in part, on at least one of the processed received information associated with the purchaser, provider information associated with a provider or a combination thereof; 
   transmitting the generated intelligent form;   receiving response information associated with the at least one inquiry of the transmitted intelligent form;   generating a score associated with the provider,
 wherein the score is generated based, at least in part, on the received response information. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 accessing a database including stored information associated with the purchaser,
 wherein generating the at least one inquiry of the intelligent form is based, at least in part, on the stored information associated with the purchaser. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 accessing a database including stored information associated with the provider,
 wherein generating the at least one inquiry of intelligent form is based, at least in part, on the stored information associated with the provider. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the at least one inquiry is generated based, at least in part, on processed received information associated with the provider.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the at least one inquiry requests information from a limited list of specific options.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the at least one inquiry requests information about a suggested area.   
     
     
         7 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,
 the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following, 
 receive information associated with a purchaser, 
 process the received information associated with the purchaser, 
 generate an intelligent form based, at least in part, on the processed information about the purchaser,
 wherein the intelligent form includes at least one inquiry directed to the purchaser for additional information, 
 wherein the at least one inquiry is generated based, at least in part, on at least one of the processed received information associated with the purchaser, provider information associated with a provider or a combination thereof; 
 
 transmit the generated intelligent form, 
 receive response information associated with the at least one inquiry of the transmitted intelligent form, 
 generate a score associated with the provider,
 wherein the score is generated based, at least in part, on the received response information. 
 
   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , the apparatus further caused to:
 access a database including stored information associated with the purchaser,
 wherein generating the at least one inquiry of the intelligent form is based, at least in part, on the stored information associated with the purchaser. 
   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , the apparatus further caused to:
 access a database including stored information associated with the provider,
 wherein generating the at least one inquiry of intelligent form is based, at least in part, on the stored information associated with the provider. 
   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the at least one inquiry is generated based, at least in part, on processed received information associated with the provider.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the at least one inquiry requests information from a limited list of specific options.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the at least one inquiry requests information about a suggested area.   
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a computer program product including one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the steps:
 receive information associated with a purchaser,   process the received information associated with the purchaser,   generate an intelligent form based, at least in part, on the processed information about the purchaser,
 wherein the intelligent form includes at least one inquiry directed to the purchaser for additional information, 
 wherein the at least one inquiry is generated based, at least in part, on at least one of the processed received information associated with the purchaser, provider information associated with a provider or a combination thereof; 
   transmit the generated intelligent form,   receive response information associated with the at least one inquiry of the transmitted intelligent form,   generate a score associated with the provider,
 wherein the score is generated based, at least in part, on the received response information. 
   
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
 access a database including stored information associated with the purchaser,
 wherein generating the at least one inquiry of the intelligent form is based, at least in part, on the stored information associated with the purchaser. 
   
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
 access a database including stored information associated with the provider,
 wherein generating the at least one inquiry of intelligent form is based, at least in part, on the stored information associated with the provider. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the at least one inquiry is generated based, at least in part, on processed received information associated with the provider.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the at least one inquiry requests information from a limited list of specific options.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the at least one inquiry requests information about a suggested area.