# US 2014/0195309 A1 · Method and system for manipulation of cost information in a distributed virtual enterprise > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0195309 A1 - Document ID: US20140195309A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/203,222 - Filed: 2014-03-10 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2002-03-28 - Assignees: c/o EBAY INC. - Applicants: c/o EBAY INC. - Inventors: David B. Kumhyr; Margaret G. MacPhail; Sebastian D. Hassinger - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195309A1 ## CPC - G06Q 10/06375: {Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change} - G06Q 10/02: Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events - G06Q 10/06: Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling - G06Q 10/06313: {Resource planning in a project environment} - G06Q 10/067: Enterprise or organisation modelling - G06Q 10/10: Office automation; Time management - G06Q 30/0206: {Price or cost determination based on market factors} - G06Q 30/06: Buying, selling or leasing transactions - G06Q 30/0601: Electronic shopping [e-shopping] - Y10S 707/99943: Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the specific parameters comprise a date, cost, delivery, object specification, schedule, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors is further adapted to determine that the proposed change modifies another parameter. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) 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. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) 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. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) 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. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 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. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the specific parameters comprise a date, cost, delivery, object specification, schedule, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising determining that the proposed change modifies another parameter. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising generating a modified electronic agreement that seeks the proposed change. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising notifying relevant personnel within the business entity of the proposed change. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising collecting approvals from the relevant personnel within the business entity. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) 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. ### Claim 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. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) 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. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises determining that the proposed change modifies another parameter. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises generating a modified electronic agreement that seeks the proposed change. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) 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. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) 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.