Patent Document ID: 7599849
Application ID: 10453779
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method performed by execution of computer-readable program code by at least one processor of at least one computer system, the method comprising: generating, using at least one of the processors, a model of recurring costs to produce a good as a function of potential learning curve values, the model of recurring costs being generated in part from a cost sensitivity probability distribution of a manufacturer producing a unit of the good at a predetermined cost, wherein the model of recurring costs reflects a relationship between recurring costs to produce a good in a market including a number of units of the good, and the potential learning curve values, each potential learning curve value reflecting variation in the recurring costs of the good with the number of units produced; generating, using at least one of the processors, a model of nonrecurring costs to produce the good as a function of the potential learning curve values, the model of nonrecurring costs being generated in part from a risk probability distribution of a measure of uncertainty associated with nonrecurring costs to produce the good, wherein the model of nonrecurring costs reflects a relationship between nonrecurring costs to produce the good, and the potential learning curve values, and wherein generating a model of nonrecurring costs comprises: determining a relationship between nonrecurring costs and potential learning curve values; selecting an uncertainty value from the risk probability distribution; and generating the model of nonrecurring costs from the relationship between nonrecurring costs and potential learning curve values, and the uncertainty value; generating, using at least one of the processors and from the models of recurring and nonrecurring costs, a model of profitability as a function of the potential learning curve values, the model of profitability reflecting a relationship between profitability of the good and the potential learning curve values; and determining a learning curve value from the model of profitability, wherein determining the learning curve value comprises determining the learning curve value such that the profitability is maximized over the potential learning curve values.