Patent ID: 7099836
Filing Date: 2006-08-29
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. An automated method for conducting buy and sell transactions over a network for a non-commodity material or item that can have differing chemical and physical and/or electrical characteristics, comprising: a plurality of sellers each providing to the network physical and chemical and/or electrical characteristics via at least one computer of a quantity of the non-commodity available for sale and a cost of the available non-commodity, creating a database of the non-commodity including the different physical and chemical characteristics for each non-commodity available; a buyer providing to the network a performance simulation model of a chemical, mechanical, or electrical process with equipment currently in operation or intended to be in operation and with a desired amount of the non-commodity for use in the process, the performance simulation model being able to estimate the production cost and operating characteristics of the process based on chemical and physical and/or electrical characteristics of a non-commodity material or item used in the process; the buyer also providing a desired maximum cost of operating the process, or maximum production cost of material or goods resulting from the process, or desired operating characteristics of the process that are dependent upon the non-commodity material or item; and estimating the cost of operating the process or producing goods from the process for at least some of the different non-commodities from the database of different non-commodities in the performance model to make a comparison of the at least some of the different non-commodities to determine which, if any, of the at least some of the different non-commodities are within the maximum process cost; providing the buyer with a list of non-commodities that when used as input for the process are within the desired maximum process production or operating cost, or provide certain operating characteristics; utilizing a database and standard datamining techniques to record performance of the process with a selected non-commodity item, and applying this information in the formulation of a request-for-proposal for future purchases of non-commodity materials or items.