Dynamic Product Option System for Revenue Optimization

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Companies face challenges in matching customer preferences with product offerings due to incomplete understanding of customer needs and dynamic pricing utilities, leading to inefficiencies in product allocation and revenue optimization, particularly in industries like airlines where overbooking and oversale situations result in customer dissatisfaction and lost revenue.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that dynamically integrates customer preferences with internal company economics to optimize value for both customers and companies by unbundling product features, allowing for real-time customization and flexible pricing based on customer utilities and company operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If companies use traditional demand forecasting to build product quantities, then production planning is simplified, but forecast imperfections lead to shortage or excess supply and opportunity loss

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction planning complexityVSAvoiddemand forecast accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by collecting customer preference data and company economic data before the sales transaction occurs. This advance data collection and integration allows the system to pre-calculate optimized product offerings and pricing, eliminating the need for complex post-hoc adjustments and reducing reliance on imperfect forecasts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring actual customer preferences and company economic performance, then using this information to refine future product recommendations and pricing strategies. This closed-loop feedback system improves forecast accuracy over time without increasing production planning complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Device complexity

If companies bundle all product features together, then product offering is simplified, but customers either pay for undesired features or lose customers due to high price

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduct offering structureVSAvoidcustomer preference matching
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the bundled product into distinct features or components, allowing it to selectively include only those features that match the customer's expressed preferences. This segmentation enables customized product configurations without requiring complex manual negotiation, as the system automatically assembles appropriate feature combinations based on integrated data analysis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If companies overbook products to prevent opportunity loss, then revenue potential is maximized, but customer dissatisfaction and lost revenue occur when oversale situations arise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverevenue optimizationVSAvoidservice delivery reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts product availability and pricing based on real-time integration of customer preferences and company economic conditions. This dynamic approach replaces static overbooking strategies with adaptive resource allocation that responds to actual demand patterns, maximizing revenue while maintaining service reliability through continuous optimization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Measurement precision

If companies collect and integrate dynamic customer and company data to close the gap, then customer preference matching is improved, but the technical complexity and computational requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecustomer preference understandingVSAvoidinformation technology tools
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service functionality where customers can directly express their preferences and receive customized product recommendations without extensive manual intervention. The automated integration of customer and company data, combined with algorithmic optimization, reduces the need for complex human-mediated analysis while maintaining high measurement precision of customer preferences.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS8165920B2System for concurrent optimization of business economics and customer value
Publication Date: 2012.04.24 TENON & GROOVE LLC
  • US8165920B2 patent drawing
  • US8165920B2 patent drawing
  • US8165920B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A computer-implemented system and method to provide options on products to enhance customers' experience. A computer-implemented system is operated that delivers to a customer an option to utilize up to n of m selected products, where m and n are whole numbers and n is less than or equal to m. Information is recorded in a data store, pertaining to said option. In addition, a system is operated to define each of the n chosen products, whereby after each of the n chosen products is defined, the customer can utilize said chosen product. The information pertaining to said defined products is recorded in a data store.