Constrained resource management

A system for managing constrained resources, comprising:

• a host system computer;
• and
• an application executing on the host system computer, the application implementing a method, the method comprising:
• setting a price, per unit of a resource, based upon a collective projected resource demand corresponding to a plurality of resource consumption entities, the price set for a defined period of time, and an amount of the resource equal to the collective projected resource demand is reserved for the plurality of resource consumption entities;
• and
• for the duration of the defined time period, iteratively performing:
• monitoring actual usage of the resource, quantified by the unit, for each of the resource consumption entities;
• upon a determination, in response to the monitoring, that a projected shortage exists for at least one of the resource consumption entities and a projected surplus exists for at least one other of the resource consumption entities, re-allocating a number of projected surplus units of the resource from corresponding one or more resource consumption entities having the projected surplus to corresponding one or more other resource consumption entities having the projected shortage;
• and
• upon a determination, in response to the monitoring, that a projected shortage exists for at least one of the resource consumption entities and no projected surplus exists for any of the other resource consumption entities, acquiring additional units of the resource, wherein a number of the additional units acquired compensates for the projected shortage within the defined time period, and the number of additional units are provided at a new set price that is calculated based upon a demand for the resource at the time the additional units are acquired.

A computer program product for managing constrained resources, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to implement a method, the method comprising:

• setting a price, per unit of a resource, based upon a collective projected resource demand corresponding to a plurality of resource consumption entities, the price set for a defined period of time, and an amount of the resource equal to the collective projected resource demand is reserved for the plurality of resource consumption entities;
• and
• for the duration of the defined time period, iteratively performing:
• monitoring actual usage of the resource, quantified by the unit, for each of the resource consumption entities;
• upon a determination, in response to the monitoring, that a projected shortage exists for at least one of the resource consumption entities and a projected surplus exists for at least one other of the resource consumption entities, re-allocating a number of projected surplus units of the resource from corresponding one or more resource consumption entities having the projected surplus to corresponding one or more other resource consumption entities having the projected shortage;
• and
• upon a determination, in response to the monitoring, that a projected shortage exists for at least one of the resource consumption entities and no projected surplus exists for any of the other resource consumption entities, acquiring additional units of the resource, wherein a number of the additional units acquired compensates for the projected shortage within the defined time period, and the number of additional units are provided at a new set price that is calculated based upon a demand for the resource at the time the additional units are acquired.

A method for providing resource management, the resource management provided via a resource management application executing on a computer, the method comprising:

• forecasting an amount of a resource that will be generated over a defined time period;
• receiving a projected resource demand for the resource from each of a plurality of resource consumption entities;
• providing a centralized network hub for the plurality of resource consumption entities and a provider of the resource, the centralized network hub including a user interface component of the resource management application configured to enable end users of the resource consumption entities to engage in an auction for the resource, the end users purchasing blocks of the resource from the provider via the user interface;
• wherein each of the resource consumption entities monitors corresponding consumption of the resource throughout the time period;
• and
• trading, via the centralized network hub, credits for purchased units of the resource among the end users based upon projected surpluses and projected shortages of the resource in response to the monitoring, wherein the centralized network hub is configured to enable the trading for the duration of the time period.