Patent ID: 7043457

Claim:
In an arrangement comprising a plurality of agents connected to a network, said plurality of agents including at least one server, at least one buyer agent, and at least one seller agent, a method for calculating a comparison value, comprising: receiving at least one request for quote from said buyer agent, wherein said request for quote includes a product specification data set comprising a plurality of quantity values for a number of items having different size parameters; transmitting the product specification data set to at least one seller agent; receiving a price data set from said at least one seller agent, wherein the price data set contains at least one quoted value, and wherein information in said price data set is responsive to the product specification data set; generating at least one comparison value by: retrieving a price total from said price data set; for items having similar size parameters: calculating a size total value based on a summation of said size parameters; receiving metric data from at least one source, wherein the metric data represents price data that is indicative of one or more market prices and comprises a comparable price per unit for the items; and multiplying said comparable price per unit by said size total value, thereby creating a market price total for the items; calculating a summed market price total by summing one or more of the market price totals for the items; comparing said summed market price total to said price total, thereby generating at least one comparison value; and communicating the at least one comparison value to at least one output.