Patent ID: 7487104

Claim:
A system wherein at least one purchaser places an order for at least one provider, and purchasers and providers are matched in a computing device according to desired criteria, the system comprising: a data storage device to receive purchaser information that specifies purchaser criteria, provider information that specifies provider criteria and order information that specifies the purchaser's criteria for that particular order; a knowledge base containing information on which to base requests for information by the system to obtain the purchaser information, the provider information and the order information, wherein the knowledge base includes rules for requesting additional information based on a result observed from information previously received; a virtual provider computing device that is created by matching provider information of a particular provider with order information of a particular order; a scoring system that compares the provider information and the order information for the virtual provider and that determines a score reflecting the degree of matching between the criteria of the provider information and the order information; a management system that tracks the virtual provider through the multiple steps; and a sequencing system that specifies the contents of each step, the contents at least including instructions to the purchaser regarding the input of additional purchaser information or to the provider regarding the input of additional provider information.