Business information and innovation management

Abstract

A system constructed using one or more of the techniques described includes a job or outcome engine for storing a job or outcome data structure in accordance with a coherent relational model, a solution engine for storing a solution data structure in accordance with a coherent relational model, and a capability computation engine for matching the job or outcome to the solution to determine the extent to which the solution meets the needs of the job or outcome. The results can then be provided to a commercial activity server for the purpose of acting on identified solutions that meet needs better than current solutions.

1 . A system comprising:
 a needs-based job or outcome engine, wherein, in operation, the needs-based job or outcome engine creates a needs-based job or outcome record including at least one constraint parameter associated with a needs-based job or outcome, and stores the needs-based job or outcome record in accordance with a coherent relational model;   a solution engine, wherein, in operation, the solution engine creates a solution record including a capability parameter indicative of a degree of capability of a solution in achieving the needs-based job or outcome using the constraint parameter, and stores the solution record in accordance with the coherent relational model;   a capability computation engine coupled to the needs-based job or outcome engine and the solution engine, wherein, in operation, the capability computation engine computes a difference between the capability parameter for the solution and one or more constraints associated with the constraint parameter of the needs-based job or outcome;   a commercial activity server coupled to the capability computation engine, wherein, in operation, facilitates management of commercial actions taken in association with the difference between the constraint parameter of the needs-based job or outcome and the capability parameter of the solution,   wherein disparate marketing and product development information solutions are stored in the coherent relational model.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the difference between the capability parameter and the constraint parameter is indicative of potential innovation to achieve a new solution to the needs-based job or outcome more effectively bounded by relevant constraints. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein inventory is collected in formation, and stored in data tables that are integrated relationally to job or outcome data. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein, in operation, the needs-based job or outcome engine finds passages in documents that relate semantically to the needs-based job or outcome that are systematically selected and related to the needs-based job or outcome record. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein, in operation, the commercial activity server uses the systematized relationships to provide information for work that can benefit from the information. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein, in operation, the solution engine finds passages in documents that relate semantically to the solution that are systematically selected and related to the solution record. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein, in operation, the commercial activity server uses the systematized relationships to provide information for work that can benefit from the information. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a jobs and outcomes repository coupled to the needs-based job or outcome engine, for storing the needs-based job or outcome record. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a solutions repository coupled to the solution engine, for storing the solution record. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the capability computation engine creates a capability/constraint difference record, further comprising a capability/constraint difference repository coupled to the capability computation engine, for storing the capability/constraint difference record. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein, in operation, the commercial activity server identifies the needs-based job or outcome and identifies the solution in association with the needs-based job or outcome. 
     
     
         12 . A method comprising:
 creating a job or outcome data structure including at least one constraint parameter associated with a job or outcome;   storing the job or outcome data structure in accordance with a coherent relational model;   creating a solution data structure including a capability parameter indicative of a capability of a solution to meet needs of the job or outcome using the constraint parameter;   storing the solution data structure in accordance with the coherent relational model;   computing a difference between the capability parameter for the solution and one or more constraints associated with the constraint parameter of the job or outcome;   facilitating management of commercial actions taken in association with the difference between the constraint parameter of the job or outcome and the capability parameter of the solution.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the difference between the capability parameter and the constraint parameter is indicative of potential innovation to achieve a new solution to the needs-based job or outcome more effectively bounded by relevant constraints. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising finding passages in documents that relate semantically to the needs-based job or outcome that are systematically selected and related to the needs-based job or outcome record. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising using the systematized relationships in work that can benefit from the information. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising finding passages in documents that relate semantically to the solution that are systematically selected and related to the solution record. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising linking disparate marketing and product development information solutions into a coherent relational model, including the capability parameter of the solution. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising identifying the job or outcome and the solution in association with the job or outcome. 
     
     
         19 . A system comprising:
 a means for parameterizing a needs-based job or outcome, including at least one constraint parameter associated with the job or outcome, to create a needs-based job or outcome data structure in accordance with a coherent relational model;   a means for identifying a capability associated with a solution, wherein a capability parameter for the solution is indicative of a degree of capability of the solution in achieving the needs-based job or outcome;   a means for parameterizing the solution in association with the needs-based job or outcome and the capability parameter of the solution, to create a solution data structure in accordance with the coherent relational model;   a means for computing a difference between the capability parameter for the solution and constraints associated with the at least one constraint parameter of the needs-based job or outcome;   a means for providing data associated with the difference between the capability and the constraints to a commercial activity engine, wherein the commercial activity engine identifies the needs-based job or outcome, identifies the solution in association with the needs-based job or outcome, and facilitates management of commercial actions taken in association with the difference between the constraint parameter of the needs-based job or outcome and the capability parameter of the solution.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising a means for finding passages in documents that relate semantically to the needs-based job or outcome and systematically selecting and relating the passages to the needs-based job or outcome record. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising a means for using the systematized relationships in work that can benefit from the information. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising a means for finding passages in documents that relate semantically to the solution and systematically selecting and relating the passages to the solution record. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising a means for using the systematized relationships in work that can benefit from the information. 
     
     
         24 . A system comprising:
 a coherent relational model;   a collaboration and knowledge integration platform coupled to the coherent relational model;   a value added workflow engine coupled to the collaboration and knowledge integration platform,   wherein, in operation:
 the value added workflow engine provides data to an enterprise and receives enterprise-specific inputs from the enterprise; 
 the collaboration and knowledge integration platform integrates the enterprise-specific inputs into the coherent relational model; 
 the coherent relational model provides augmented data to the enterprise, including proposed solutions to jobs or outcomes identified in the enterprise-specific inputs in accordance with activities, assets, priorities, or constraints identified in the enterprise-specific inputs; 
   wherein the augmented data is useful to the enterprise in generating ideas or determining how to allocate resources to meet needs.