Method and system for manipulation of cost information in a distributed virtual enterprise

Abstract

A method, system, apparatus, and computer program product for processing e-commerce information are presented. A business entity may transfer e-commerce agreements through an electronic marketplace. The business entity retrieves dependency information about a commercial transaction from an e-commerce agreement. The business entity incorporates the dependency information, e.g., dates, costs, deliveries, etc., as dependency relationships within a project model that represents a project for a product or service for sale by the first business entity. User input is received for manipulating a cost dependency relationship within the project model while constraining the user input to ensure that another type of dependency relationship is not incompatible with modifications to the cost dependency relationship.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 one or more memory devices or storage components adapted to store electronic agreement information; and   one or more processors in communication with the one or more memory devices or storage components and adapted to:
 receive a plurality of electronic agreements regarding a project for a business entity; 
 extract dependency relationships between specific parameters from the electronic agreements; 
 receive, within the business entity, a proposed change regarding at least one of the parameters; and 
 compute an impact the proposed change would have on other parameters. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the specific parameters comprise a date, cost, delivery, object specification, schedule, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors is further adapted to determine that the proposed change modifies another parameter. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more processors is further adapted to generate a modified electronic agreement that seeks the proposed change. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more processors is further adapted to notify relevant personnel within the business entity of the proposed change. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more processors is further adapted to collect approvals from the relevant personnel within the business entity. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors is further operable to receive input that places a limit or lock on a specific parameter so that it cannot be changed. 
     
     
         8 . A method for evaluating changes to a project for a product or service for sale by a business entity, comprising:
 receiving a plurality of electronic agreements regarding the project for the business entity;   extracting, by one or more hardware processors of a service provider, dependency relationships between specific parameters from the electronic agreements;   receiving, within the business entity, a proposed change regarding at least one of the parameters; and   computing an impact the proposed change would have on other parameters.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the specific parameters comprise a date, cost, delivery, object specification, schedule, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising determining that the proposed change modifies another parameter. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising generating a modified electronic agreement that seeks the proposed change. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising notifying relevant personnel within the business entity of the proposed change. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising collecting approvals from the relevant personnel within the business entity. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising receiving input that places a limit or lock on a specific parameter so that it cannot be changed. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, are adapted to cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of electronic agreements regarding a project for a business entity;   extracting dependency relationships between specific parameters from the electronic agreements;   receiving, within the business entity, a proposed change regarding at least one of the parameters; and   computing an impact the proposed change would have on other parameters.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the specific parameters comprise a date, cost, delivery, object specification, schedule, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises determining that the proposed change modifies another parameter. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises generating a modified electronic agreement that seeks the proposed change. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises notifying relevant personnel within the business entity of the proposed change and collecting approvals from the relevant personnel. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises receiving input that places a limit or lock on a specific parameter so that it cannot be changed.