Abstract:
A method, computer program product, and apparatus for providing the exchange of transportation services between separate company entities are provided. Transportation services are received from a communications device. Primary geographical location information of where the service is to be performed is received from the communications device. What is new is that the system automatically combines service data from all companies and analyzes them together to find the most optimized transportation methods. Opportunities to exchange optimized services are transmitted to the communications device. Opportunities, which contain the net profit improvements, are transmitted to the communications device for the company that may provide the service. Opportunities, which contain cost improvements, are transmitted to the communications device for the company the service is being performed for. Agreements for exchanged services are transmitted to the communications device.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    A Provisional Patent was filed 14 Apr. 2015 with application No.: 62/147,015 under the Title “Process and system for Service Exchange Optimization”. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    This invention was not made with government support. The government has no rights in the invention. 
       THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
       [0003]    This invention is not part of a joint research agreement. All elements of this invention were developed and are owned by the Inventor of this application (Leonard Bertelli). 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    This application claims priority from U.S. provisional application 62/147,015 filed Apr. 14, 2015 and relates to a method and system for the service exchange between companies (and/or other third parties, such and service brokers), which is preferably implemented through an Internet web site. The entire disclosure contained in U.S. provisional application 62/147,015, including the attachments thereto, is incorporated herein by this reference. 
         [0005]    Companies optimize their operations within the boundaries of their own specific capabilities. In some cases companies will outsource some of their core operations to reduce cost but they expend substantial time and resources in arranging the exchange. Finally, after careful manual analysis, both business parties enter into an agreement to outsource the service. Rarely will both companies aggregate their services to provide universal analysis for further optimization. 
         [0006]    Conventional trading systems such as auctions or reverse-auction systems are typically designed for customer-to-vendor relationships and do not provide connections between companies based on optimization. Further, these systems are not well suited for peer-to-peer exchanges of services for outsourcing services and are not based on universally optimizing cost or operations. 
         [0007]    The present invention is in the technical field of business-to-business systems. More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of a trading system for outsourcing services. 
         [0008]    The related art U.S. Pat. No. 8,566,214 B2 titled “Method, Computer Program Product, and Apparatus for Providing Reverse Auction Transport Services”. This invention does not lend itself to exchanging services in a business-to-business relationship but is designed for a business-to-consumer relationship. Further, this invention only initiates its method on requests from a user and does not automatically initiate its own method for continuous improvement. Further, this invention does not provide optimization and analysis as a function of its system to analyze both parties&#39; operational needs together and determine the best match for both. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention is a system intended to find efficiencies for services owned by distinct companies and analyzing companies&#39; data together as if they were part of the same entity. These services can then be exchanged between companies. Companies do well at optimizing their operations internally but inter-company optimization is highly manual if done at all. The present invention automates and facilitates inter-company optimization while maintaining the information barrier preventing exchanges or communication that could lead to conflicts of interest commonly known as a “Chinese Wall”. 
         [0010]    This system includes the process for managing lists of service definitions of customers. These service lists are then aggregated from multiple companies for universal analysis. The analysis on the combined list will produce subset lists based on matching service needs such as but not limited to being based on a service schedule. Optimization is then achieved through analysis via algorithms that are specific for the type of services being analyzed. For example transportation services may use spacial analysis and routing algorithms while storage services may use nesting algorithms. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0011]    Referring now to the drawings wherein like elements are numbered alike in the several FIGURES: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  illustrates a diagram of a system in which a service exchange service may be implemented in accordance with exemplary embodiments. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  illustrates the data elements that are used to support a service exchange system. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  illustrates a non-limiting example of a transportation service savings table in accordance with exemplary embodiments. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  illustrates a non-limiting example of a transportation service opportunities table in accordance with exemplary embodiments. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  illustrates a non-limiting example of a proposed route table in accordance with exemplary embodiments. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  illustrates a method of providing a transportation service exchange system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]      FIG. 1  is a schematic representation of the computer network associated with a preferred embodiment of the method and system of the present invention. Specifically, each individual user associated with a company has access to the Internet  110 . Via the Internet  110 , companies can access a web server  130  hosting the web site of the method and system of the present invention. However, as shown in  FIG. 1 , to protect the web server  130  from unauthorized access, the server  130  is preferably secured behind a firewall  121 . 
         [0019]    Associated with the web server  130  is an integral database  150 , which is the storage location for all data about users and companies of the system, along with all pertinent data and information associated with the services  220 , analysis, and exchange process. The specific architecture and design of this database is not essential to the method and system of the present invention provided that the database can meet the storage and retrieval requirements set forth herein. Various commercial software packages and/or programming techniques could be used by those skilled in the art to develop this database without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
         [0020]    Lastly, with respect to the schematic representation of  FIG. 1 , one or more servers  140   160   165  may provide direct access to the web server  130  and associated integral database  150 . 
         [0021]    The most widely used portion of the Internet is the World Wide Web (“WWW”) which provides for navigation through the selection of, or “clicking” of, hypertext images and text. Such hypertext images and text are an important feature of standard Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), the programming language that forms the backbone of the WWW. To carry out execution of the routines and subroutines of the preferred system as described herein, it is understood that standard Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and associated programming languages and techniques would be used. With benefit of the following description, such programming is readily accomplished by one of ordinary skill in the art. 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  illustrates a system  100  that optimizes business operations for services  220  from distinct companies when analyzed together. Examples of service types include transportation and storage. This invention has two parts. The first is to identify the opportunities to optimize operations  140  across company boundaries via analysis on multi-company aggregated data. The second is an exchange system  130  to manage the inter-company exchange of said services. 
         [0023]    Prior to viewing the various components and features of the preferred method and system as implemented through an Internet web site, the operation of the method and system is best explained by an example: 
         [0024]    ABC Company is a waste hauler who picks-up waste from several customers and dumps the waste into one or more landfills. Each of these customers has a service  220  that defines the specific needs for a waste hauler to perform the waste removal. Users in ABC Company prepares its list of customer services in electronic form and uploads or enters them in manually  610   620  and for viewing through the Internet web site  130  implementing the method and system of the present invention. Specifically, services  220  are stored in an integral database  150  resident on the Internet-accessible web server  130 . 
         [0025]    Through the Internet web site  130 , participating waste haulers can view each and every detail of their services  220 , including locations, baseline costs, types of material, pick-up schedule, etc. Moreover, participating waste haulers can quickly and easily filter and/or sort service  220  information, viewing only services meeting certain criteria, such as area, location, mileage, and/or equipment. Through such filtering and sorting techniques, each waste hauler can identify which services  220  it would like routed, and which services it would like to be considered for optimization/outsourcing with/to other waste haulers. After making such determinations, rather than preparing a complete manually written outsource package, each waste hauler can receive automatically generated optimized routes  225   500  and cost saving outsource opportunities  300  from the system, via a communication device such as the web site  130  interface or asynchronous message  165 . 
         [0026]    If two companies wish to participate in the exchange, each company can execute and monitor the agreement  223  through the web site  130 . As ABC Company continues to gain new business or loose business the system will continually and automatically search for new opportunities to optimize  630   640 . Furthermore, with respect to current business, ABC Company can compare proposed routes  225  with existing routes. Agreements  223  persist until they are automatically terminated when their effective dates expire. Through the same web site interface  130 , both companies can terminate specific agreements  223  or have agreements terminate automatically by new outsourced agreements. 
         [0027]    In this regard, depending on company preferences, the method and system of the present invention conducts the automated selection process though a “most efficient” algorithm  640  or in a quasi-reverse auction format. Specifically, a company wishing to receive new outsource business may choose to lower their profit goals to view information associated with more opportunities  222  to widen their availability via the web site  130  to create a “fishing” process. In any event, most companies have a variety of selection criteria and preferences with respect to increasing the scope of opportunities, and, as such, lower overhead does not guarantee a more efficient company to gain specific business. 
         [0028]    An explanation of the various components and features of the preferred method and system as implemented through an Internet web site, the operation of the method and system is explained here: 
         [0029]    The exchange system  130  is software that will allow companies to manage  610   620  their service  220  data by transmitting to the communications device via the Internet  190   191   192   110  and exchange services with other companies. This can be done either by a human user  180  through a user interface or by via a company&#39;s system  170  through an API  160 . The system will allow companies to manage their data by:
       Loading in existing service data  620  or creating new ones  610     Edit services or delete them  620     Cleanse data  610   620  to correct elements such as but not limited to addresses &amp; geographic positions.   Normalize their data  610   620  into a format that is standard across all participating companies       
 
         [0034]    The system has an optimization analysis server  140  that will use criteria to identify what services have the potential to be exchanged. A list of matching  630  services called candidates  221  will be created from this criterion. The criteria for which services can be analyzed consists of but is not limited to:
       Schedule (one-time or reoccurring)   Capabilities of equipment needed to perform the Service   The physical requirements of the Service (location to be performed, dimensions, weight)   Material or product attributes       
 
         [0039]    A service has a single location where the service  220  has significance. A service may have an optional disposition  224 , which is where the service  220  may start or end but is not important to the service itself. An example for a waste collection operation, which has a service  220 . that has an end disposition  224  associated where the primary location is Where the waste needs to be picked-up but the disposition  224  is of little consequence as it can go to any landfill. Another example is of a fuel distribution operation where a service  220  has a start disposition  224  associated and the primary location is where the fuel needs to be delivered but the start disposition is of little consequence as it can come from any fuel depot. An example of a service  220  that has no disposition  224  is a snow plowing service where the primary location is where the truck needs to plow but there is no start or end location. 
         [0040]    A second analysis  640  will determine if there is a benefit for a service  220  (or subsets of services) to be performed by another company. The benefit analysis  640  will use a number of tools and criteria that are dependent on the service  220  type. The benefit analysis  640  will use the optimization server  140 , which in turn uses pluggable software  141  and  142  that are algorithms and processes specific to a particular service type. For transportation type services a company&#39;s services transportation costs will be calculated with a routing algorithm that will combine candidate  221  service locations from other companies with their own. The analysis will also consider disposition  224  scenarios to find the best distribution network for further optimization. The criteria for analysis consists of but is not limited to:
       Cost per distance unit (Kilometer)   Cost per stop (Kilometer)   Cost per time (Hour)   Cost per time per stop (Hour)       
 
         [0045]    The system will then  150  the lowered cost services as opportunities  222   300   400  to be subsequently used by the system&#39;s exchange system  130 . The system will also save  150  proposed routes  225   500  that were used as part of the analysis to determine best cost and operational efficiency gains. The system will also transmit the results to the appropriate company  650   660 . 
         [0046]    The system will restrict access to data so that each company will only see their own information. The system will leverage the optimization analysis  640  to automatically identify opportunities where services could be exchanged between companies. These are transmitted  650   660   165  as opportunities  222  to the receiving company with only the absolute necessary information provided to accept the exchange. 
         [0047]    The system will allow both parties to accept  670  an opportunity  222  to exchange a service  220  through an agreement  223 . Agreements  223  will have details that define their financial details, duration, and other contractual aspects of the deal. 
         [0048]    The system will persist  150  and maintain  670  opportunities  222  and agreements  223  to perform historical analysis on business performance, performance against peers, system performance, and other metrics. 
         [0049]    The system has a communication server  165  that can be used to send asynchronous messages consisting of but not limited to email, SMS, and publish and subscribe technologies.