The present invention is a method and apparatus that allows competing as well as complementing suppliers, vendors, service providers, purveyors, and other types of sellers internal inventory management as well as controlled design and publication of presentations for external near real-time interactive access to buyer-centered presentation, sales, distribution, and confirmation systems as well as other traditional media advertising and outreach. The Automated Media Presentation Generator including a Publication and Placement Control Engine, integrates a Distributed Sales and Inventory Control structure with Processing and Communications Resource Saver, and further provides a Reservation, Access, and Verification System replacing traditional ticket and confirmation methods.
A system and method that enables the implementation of quality control rules formulated in accordance with a quality control rule grammar. The system comprises a storage device and a processor operable to maintain in the storage device a database identifying a plurality of laboratory tests and corresponding quality control rules. The processor is also operable to receive a quality control rule for a specified laboratory test, wherein the quality control rule is expressed in accordance with a quality control rule grammar. The processor is further operable to transfer the quality control rule to the database for storage in relation to the specified laboratory test. Various exemplary embodiments of the system and associated method are provided.
A transaction module having a summary interface is provided as part of a software suite for enabling viewing and manipulation of multiple categories of aggregated data compiled from a plurality of data sources and accessible through a single interfacing node operated on a data-packet-network. The transaction module comprises, an interactive main interface accessible through the summary interface, the main interface for listing new transactions related to registered financial accounts, an interactive history link embedded in the main interface for providing access to a secondary interface for viewing transaction history, an interactive menu provided within the main interface for assigning categories to the listed transactions, an interactive save feature for saving category assignments to the listed transactions; a interactive bill-payment link provided within the main interface for linking the interface to a bill-payment module and an interactive transfer-funds link provided within the summary interface of the module for linking the summary face of the module to a secondary interface for transferring funds from one account to another. A user operating the main interface from a remote node having access to the data-packet-network may view all transactions according to option of category, account, and time period.
Methods and systems for operating a computer to execute a search to identify potential transactions that meet pre-defined criteria, generate an offering for at least one of the identified potential transactions, and transmit the offering to a party to the potential transaction is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the offering generated is generated for a secondary product or products which are associated or bundled with the primary transaction. In another exemplary embodiment, the search is automated and performed on-line via a wide area network such as the Internet. The search is automated in that once a user enters search criteria, the search is performed in accordance with a defined frequency and without requiring user intervention. Once search results are found, then an offering is generated and transmitted to a potential customer.
The computerized bidding method matches hospitality facility data and meeting requirement data, permits the posting of offers and responsive bidding by both hospitality facility vendors and meeting planners, and facilitates the exchange of data and enables an auction between multiple parties. The hospitality facility data represents vendors for hotel facilities, meeting room facilities or other hospitality facilities. Meeting requirement data represents the necessities of a plurality of meeting planners for a corresponding plurality of meetings or events. The system and the method stores data in a database. Meeting planner offers (meeting requirement data) are posted to the database. The system matches the meeting requirement data with previously stored hospitality facility data Meeting requirement data (offers) is typically truncated or blinded to all parties except the posting party. The blinded offer is sent to hospitality vendors which match the meeting requirements. The hospitality vendors then submit specific hospitality facility data or bids. The system and method permits the meeting planner offeror to select a predetermined number (typically 3) of vendor bids. Thereafter, the system and the method exchanges contact data and a full details of the offer and the selected bids to the offeror and the selected bidders. The meeting planner offeror can reject all bids and request new bids. The system and the method also enables the hospitality vendor to offer hospitality facilities. Blinded facilities offer data is presented to one or more inquiring meeting planners. Meeting planners can bid by submitting specific facilities requirement data (bid data). The meeting planner bids are typically, initially blinded (to remove bidder name, etc.). The hospitality vendor offeror is permitted to select a predetermined number (3) of the blinded meeting planner bids (specific requirement data) and, upon selection, the system enables direct communication.
The computerized bidding method matches hospitality facility data and meeting requirement data, permits the posting of offers and responsive bidding by both hospitality facility vendors and meeting planners, and facilitates the exchange of data. In a simplified system, meeting planner requirement data (at least meeting planner contact data, facilities requirement data, date range data and price data) is matched to hotel or hospitality vendor data (at least vendor contact data, location data, room quantity data, date available range data, and meeting room data), and the system sends planner offer data to matching hospitality vendors without disclosing the planner contact data. Thereafter, the hotel vendors respond and the responses are sent to the meeting planner posting the offer. The presentation to the planner may be in spread sheet form, sorted by pre-set criteria.