System and method for managing a resource

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing a resource are disclosed. Resource may include vendors, suppliers, partners and the like. The systems allow users to conduct a weighted analysis of various resources and compare multiple resources on the same scale. Moreover, the systems are configured to grade various resources based on their strategic value to a business. This analysis and the resulting strategic value may be based on qualitative data provided by users and quantitative data captured from the business relationship between the business and the resource.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 maintaining, by a computer system, a database having information describing a plurality of resources, wherein the plurality of resources includes at least two entities that provide a good or service;   associating, by the computer system within the database, one or more scores to various ones of the plurality of resources;   causing display, by the computer system, of a user interface that includes graphical elements representative of at least a portion of the plurality of resources, wherein the graphical elements are displayed relative to one another within the user interface according to criteria based at least in part on scores associated with the plurality of resources;   receiving, by the computer system via the user interface, an assignment of a task to an indicated one of the plurality of resources; and   assigning, by the computer system, the task to the indicated resource.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the plurality of resources are resources of a business entity, and wherein at least one of the plurality of resources is a supplier of the business entity. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more scores include qualitative and quantitative performance data for various ones of the plurality of resources. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the graphical elements in the user interface are plotted against a first axis corresponding to quantitative performance data and against a second axis corresponding to qualitative performance data. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising assigning various ones of the plurality of resources to one a plurality of categories based on the associated scores. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 associating overall indicators to various ones of the plurality of resources, wherein the associated overall indicators are based at least in part on the associated scores;   wherein the graphical elements are displayed relative to one another within the user interface according to criteria based at least in part on the overall indicators.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising providing at least some of the plurality of resources access to the database, wherein the provided access allows those resources having access to view their assigned tasks. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the provided access allows those resources having access to view progress associated with their assigned tasks. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the provided access allows those resources having access to view their associated one or more scores. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the user interface displays graphical elements corresponding to the at least a portion of the plurality of resources relative to a normalized scale. 
     
     
         31 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a computer system to cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:
 maintaining a database having information describing a plurality of resources, wherein the plurality of resources includes at least two entities that provide a good or service;   associating, within the database, a category with respective ones of the plurality of resources, wherein the category corresponds to a score of the respective ones of the plurality of entities falling within a designated range of scores;   causing display of a user interface that includes graphical elements representative of at least a portion of the plurality of resources, wherein the graphical elements are displayed relative to one another within the user interface based at least in part on categories associated with the plurality of resources;   receiving via the user interface an assignment of a task to an indicated one of the plurality of resources, wherein the assignment is based at least in part on the category; and   assigning the task to the indicated resource.   
     
     
         32 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein the score is based on historical performance data associated with the plurality of entities. 
     
     
         33 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 32 , wherein the performance data comprises weighted values corresponding to a relative importance of a corresponding component of the performance data. 
     
     
         34 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 33 , wherein the associating is based on one or more rules including whether respective components of the performance data reach a respective threshold, wherein components above the threshold are assigned a set value. 
     
     
         35 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein the graphical elements corresponds to a visual representation of the category of the resource. 
     
     
         36 . A system comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory has stored thereon instructions executable by the system to cause the system to perform operations comprising:
 maintaining a database having information describing a plurality of resources, wherein the plurality of resources includes at least two entities that provide a good or service; 
 associating, within the database, one or more scores to various ones of the plurality of resources; 
 causing display of a user interface that includes graphical elements representative of at least a portion of the plurality of resources, wherein the graphical elements are displayed relative to one another within the user interface according to criteria based at least in part on scores associated with the plurality of resources; 
 receiving via the user interface an assignment of a task to an indicated one of the plurality of resources; and 
 assigning the task to the indicated resource. 
   
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the operations further comprise updating the one or more scores in response to receiving further information describing the plurality of resources. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the graphical elements correspond to both the scores and the updated scores. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the operations further comprise providing at least one of the plurality of resources access to graphical elements associated with the at least one resource. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the operations further comprise providing at least one of the plurality of resources access to a benchmarking capability of the database that allows a resource to view the one or more scores of the resource.