Buyer-Provider Matching Algorithm Using Composite Scoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing job sites fail to effectively match job providers with qualified job seekers, as they rely solely on keyword matching and alphabetical ordering, neglecting important attributes like reputation, education, and work ethics.
Innovation Solution
A buyer-provider matching algorithm that calculates a provider search score by combining a reputation score and a provider match score, considering customer satisfaction, earnings, and participation, along with matches between search text and service provider profile sections and past projects, to generate a sorted list of service providers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If job sites return provider search results alphabetically by name or based only on keyword match, then the search process is simple to implement, but the relevance and quality of matching between buyers and service providers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the matching process from simple alphabetical or keyword-based ordering to a multi-parameter scoring system. The provider search score is calculated by combining multiple parameters including reputation score (from customer satisfaction, earnings, and participation) and provider match score (from profile section matches and project matches). This parameter transformation enables precise matching while maintaining system manageability through modular score calculation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite scoring mechanism that integrates multiple evaluation dimensions into a unified provider search score. The reputation score and provider match score are combined using enhancement factors to produce a comprehensive ranking. This composite approach mirrors how composite materials combine different properties to achieve superior overall performance, enabling the system to evaluate providers holistically across multiple criteria.
2Reliability
If job sites use only keyword matching for provider search, then the system is easy to operate, but important attributes like reputation, education, and work ethics are neglected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the provider evaluation into distinct components: reputation score (customer satisfaction, earnings, participation) and provider match score (profile section matches including tagline, user ID, name, services description, keywords, skills, about us, credentials, and experience sections, plus project matches). Each segment is calculated independently and then combined, allowing the system to comprehensively assess provider quality while maintaining operational clarity through modular processing.
3Productivity
If job sites return all matching providers without ranking, then all providers are equally visible, but buyers cannot quickly identify the most qualified service providers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where provider performance data (customer satisfaction, earnings, participation) continuously feeds into the reputation score calculation. This feedback loop ensures that the most qualified providers are consistently ranked higher in search results, enabling buyers to efficiently identify top talent. The system uses this feedback to dynamically adjust rankings while preserving differentiation information through the structured scoring components.
Data Source
AI summary
In a services exchange medium, buyers are able to search and hire service providers to get projects done quickly and cost effectively. A buyer-provider matching algorithm uses two scores to calculate a “Provider Search” score for each service provider: a “Reputation” score and a “Provider Match” score. In some embodiments, the “Reputation” score is a quantitative metric score of a service provider's overall reputation within the services exchange medium. In other embodiments, the “Reputation” score is configured to enhance the “Provider Match” score. Since reputation is an important attribute when searching for a qualified service provider, the “Provider Search” score takes into consideration the “Reputation” score. A provider results list generated from a provider search is sorted by the “Provider Search” score. As such, the provider results list is sorted in a significant manner useful to the buyer searching for the qualified service provider.