EP1472630A2 - Method for automatic pattern recognition and regulation of economic processes, pattern recognition system and autopilot for economic processes taking into account the productive value of customer relations - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for automatic pattern recognition in economic processes, taking into account a productive value for customer relations, using a digital processing system (1), whereby a number of process-relevant input parameters and/or process-relevant control parameters are at least partially automatically recorded with suitable data recording means (12), such as physical, chemical, biological or digital measuring heads (6 to 9) and at least one characteristic parameter is at least partially automatically determined, based on the input parameters and/or control parameters. The invention also relates to a method for automatic regulation, using the characteristic parameters as determined, which carries out an electronic selection of the control parameters, corresponding to the result of a comparison, from comparing the characteristic parameter with at least one reference value, which for its part has an influence on the economic process, such that an automatic regulated loop is achieved. The invention further relates to a pattern recognition system (10) and autopilot system (11) corresponding to the above method. The invention is advantageously characterised in that complex relationships, such as are usual in economic processes, can be at least partially automatically recorded and processed, such that at least a part of the economic process can be regulated whilst taking into account the productive value of customer relations. The invention permits an objective evaluation of process-relevant input parameters, without the subjective interpretations of an individual influencing the results of the pattern recognition or the automatic regulation.

Description

 Invalidate for automatic pattern recognition or for the regulation of economic processes as well as pattern recognition system and autopilot for economic processes taking into account the profitability of customer relationships

The invention relates to a method for recognizing patterns in economic processes and a method for regulating economic processes, in particular in purchasing or sales processes, with regard to an earnings value of customer relationships, which is represented by a matrix that includes process variables that characterize the process ; as well as a pattern recognition system or an autopilot system for economic processes.

It is known that, in particular, the sales of a business company must be based on the customer value and costs must be determined in relation to the customer, since successful development and growth of the company can only take place with its customers. This applies both to consumer goods manufacturers, providers of capital goods and generally to providers of goods and services. The term customer orientation plays a decisive role in economic processes, particularly in purchasing or sales processes. This poses the problem of quantifying customer orientation. In particular, it is often difficult to decide whether, in certain situations, the wishes of the customer should be addressed more than before or whether the activities or concessions already made to the customer are sufficient.

The customer orientation cannot be quantified by the

Align customer-generated sales because a sales volume achieved says nothing about the profitability of the customer. Because customers, especially large customers, want the best possible service, but the price is given by two thirds the rash for a product, as studies in the capital goods industry have shown.

So far, customers have only been valued according to their turnover. Depending on its size, customers in sales were divided into A, B, C and D customers, for example, according to which visiting staff and other services were determined. Since sales say little about the profitability of a customer, losses in many industries, particularly those with the highest sales, have to be accepted because they make disproportionate use of services that are neither charged nor charged. Turnover is unsuitable as the sole input variable for quantifying customer orientation.

Due to the difficulty in determining the value of a customer relationship, it has not been possible to predict future developments at. Customer relationship, e.g. a customer potential to foresee. Customer life cycles have not been researched and most companies therefore do not actually have any customers, but have so far served a customer base that represents an amorphous mass of customers with regard to their profitability. This means that there is no "future-oriented reporting system" and "necessary data and information supply".

The lack of transparency, especially in sales processes and the resulting planning deficits or the lack of rational maxims for action are all the more significant since sales play a key role in the company's success, since sales form the most important interface to the customer.

One difficulty in quantifying a customer relationship is that the relationship between important terms such as customer proximity, customer satisfaction or customer loyalty is currently not being researched. In particular, the complexity of the problem and the complexity of a customer relationship cause considerable difficulties in assigning simple trading maxims. In addition, the evaluation of a complex relationship is like a host process or a customer relationship by one person or a group of people is often only unsatisfactorily possible because the subjectivity of the individual viewer often obstructs an objective approach to evaluation. In view of the complexity of the relationships under consideration, objective criteria for evaluating the customer relationship are necessary.

The importance of quantifying the customer relationship is, for example, that it can be used to make statements about who comes into question as a customer (customer focus), how intensively customers are looked after (allocation ie allocation of entrepreneurial resources), or when customer-related measures are started should (timing of measures).

A measure of the customer relationship is defined by the so-called earnings value of the customer relationship. The earnings value of the customer relationship has three main components: the predictable customer result in a manageable forecast period (approx. Three to five years depending on the selected market strategy); the actual customer result after the forecast period (residual value); the cost of capital of the customer relationship. To determine the customer results (ideally on a cash flow basis), specific value drivers (success factors) are determined. The relevant parameters can be selected according to their relevance to the respective economic process.

In order for the earnings value to be meaningful, extensive information describing the customer-provider system must first be collected and then compressed, evaluated and implemented in appropriate measures. In contrast to conventional operational indicator systems, the focus of an earnings value is not only on looking at the past, but also on information that is suitable for pre-describing permitted developments. The importance of the earnings value of the customer relationship lies in its future orientation, which enables predictions about future developments in the economic process. The following difficulties arise when determining an earnings value of the customer relationship.

First, there is a tension between the indicators that can be directly assigned to the customer (e.g. costs) and the information that is more indirectly attributable to an individual customer (e.g. general market developments or the value of a reference for other customers).

As a second difficulty, hard facts such as Turnover figures, stock exchange prices or wages with soft factors such as Value of a reference, value of a brand or value of a knowledge transfer can be combined in order to arrive at a uniform evaluation system. For example, quantitative, for example, monetary-oriented figures with qualitative information must be evaluated uniformly. However, the importance of soft factors is just as important in determining the earnings value of the customer relationship as the importance of hard factors. For example, many companies earn comparatively little from doing business with automobile manufacturers because the conditions are too narrow and the tough purchasing and contractual conditions cannot generate any significant contribution margins. The reason why the companies work with the manufacturers is that the cooperation with the manufacturers gives rise to the know-how and competence that the companies can use in other customer segments. Logistics service providers, for example, use the trendsetter automotive industry to sell innovative logistics concepts in mechanical engineering, for example. The reference list of the automotive industry serves as a business card.

The third difficulty lies in extrapolating from facts and figures from the past and making statements about future developments. An extrapolation into the future is always fraught with uncertainty.

It is necessary to determine a differentiated status of the current and future situation with regard to the earnings value perspective. Potentials, risks Therefore, levels of utilization, revenues and customer-related costs, expenses and investments must be determined in a systematic form and then processed or made available. In addition, the opportunities and risks that a customer offers to the company must be carefully researched and regularly reviewed. In the case of this information, which generally has to be maintained in a database designed for this purpose, for example known under the terms MMS (market management system) or VIS (sales information system), the dynamics of these parameters must be described in particular. Market developments, trends and changes in external parameters must be taken into account.

In addition to the essentially textual information from a customer database, the second important source of information for quantifying the customer relationship is cost accounting. In a cost calculation, ideally, all services provided for the customer should also be assigned to the individual customer.

The costs are made up of the costs of creating the market and maintaining the market, the costs of obtaining an order, the cost of fulfilling the order, etc. The method of extrapolation is already well known from other areas of the company and consists of a comprehensive process description, in exploration, especially the survey of Customers through the various phases of the customer dialogue up to the conclusion of the purchase and the purchase process. By assigning the costs to the individual activities or process levels, a relationship between resources, processes and costs can be established in much more detail. The cost accounting model also includes a time reference and an activity reference as a basic requirement in order to be able to control sales timing, resources and / or allocation depending on the customer value.

As a further source of information for determining a profitability value of the customer relationship, the current customer satisfaction and the future requirements and needs profile of the customers must be determined. So far, Identity and need analyzes are usually carried out in the form of structured interviews and questionnaires, which are then evaluated. The quality assessment results from internally measured and externally evaluated results of all services of the processes, products and people involved. These include employee competence and behavior, technical support, service and guarantee services, accessibility, delivery behavior, problem solving behavior, technical documentation, price-performance ratio, relationship to the competition and other factors. Methods and approaches of such quality examinations are well known

Processes improve in the course of a customer's cooperation with a provider. Efficiency increases when both sides know what and how to do something. Joint cost reduction programs lead to cost savings that would not be possible with new customers in the same way. If the customer is convinced of his supplier after years of cooperation, he will recommend him more and more. A loyal customer is usually not so easily impressed by the low prices of the competition, so that the price level for regular customers is generally higher than for exchange customers.

Due to the complexity of the problem described, it has so far not been possible to collect and summarize the extensive information and to process it further in order to determine the earnings value of the customer relationship. The complexity due to the large number of input variables and the hard-to-quantify soft parameters made it impossible to calculate the earnings value using conventional means that are common in business management.

In particular, the subjective perception of a person was an obstacle when determining an earnings value, since given the complexity of the problem, the human need to reduce complex relationships to simple models often leads to prejudiced assessments. The problem described here arises only superficially from the area of business. Rather, due to its internal structure, it essentially represents a technical problem that involves the processing of a mass of unstructured data according to objective criteria. This technical problem requires a technical solution.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method with which an earnings value of the customer relationship can be determined or to specify a method by which an economic process can be regulated taking into account the earnings value of customer relationships, the methods being at least partially independent of subjective ones Estimates of one or more people work this way. It is also intended to be a pattern recognition system for economic processes with which the earnings value of customer relationships can be determined and which allows statements about the future development of the earnings value; as well as an autopilot system for economic processes, with which economic processes can be adopted and simplified taking into account the earnings value of customer relationships.

This object is achieved by a method for automatic pattern recognition with the features according to claim 1, by a method for automatic control of economic processes with the features according to claim 2, with an automated pattern recognition system with the features according to claim 15 and by an autopilot system for Economic processes with the features according to claim 16. Advantageous refinements and developments, which can be used individually or in combination with one another, are the subject of the subclaims.

The method according to the invention for automatic pattern recognition in economic processes, in particular in purchasing or sales processes, with regard to an earnings value of customer relationships, which is represented by a matrix that has parameters that characterize the process as inputs, comprises at least the following steps: a multiplicity of process-relevant input Large and / or process-relevant control parameters are at least partially automatically recorded with suitable data acquisition means such as physical, chemical, biological or digital measuring heads; and at least one parameter is at least partially determined automatically as a function of the input variables and / or the control parameters.

With the method according to the invention, patterns in economic processes can advantageously be automatically recognized. Pattern recognition is the recognition of a structure in the economic process that relates to the earnings value of the customer relationship.

Process characteristics are essentially customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, customer proximity, capital costs, residual value, additional investment, service provision, acquisition, potential configuration, potential quality, potential quantity, etc. With the help of pattern recognition, customer relationships or an individual customer relationship are quantified with regard to a return value. The quantification reveals the costs and benefits of a customer relationship. Both the costs and the benefits can be purely material, but they can also have an immaterial character. Intangible benefits and costs can only materially develop over time.

Due to its complexity, the pattern recognition takes place automatically, at least in part, in such a way that at least in one line of the method steps, an interposition of human intellectual activity is left out. The automatism prevents subjective perceptions of a single person or a group from being taken into account when recognizing a macroscopic pattern. This avoids that complex relationships are undesirably simplified, because the subjectivity of an individual or a group naturally projects the complex facts into simple fashion. While human understanding can be particularly helpful in collecting data about the economic process, it is precisely the advantage of the invention that decisive steps in this Methods according to the invention for pattern recognition take place without human understanding.

Economic processes mean all processes in the economy, in particular, however, purchasing or sales processes. In such processes there are always at least two sides that agree on a transfer of goods, the provision of services or other obligations.

Customer relationships are generally relationships between providers of goods and services and users of these goods and services. In this sense, the customer can be understood both as a provider and as an acceptor of the offer.

The determination of an earnings value can be useful, for example, for both the buyer and the seller. From the buyer's perspective, the earnings value does not have to be congruent with the earnings value from the seller's view, since naturally both parties usually have different expenses during the purchase process.

The method for automatic pattern recognition generally maps economic processes to an earnings value relevant for a customer relationship, the earnings value not needing to be a single number, but also being able to represent a plurality of parameters. Suitably the process characterizing parameters are in the form of a matrix, e.g. represented as a vector. By displaying the earnings value of customer relationships in a matrix, the complexity of the economic process is reduced to a few relevant numbers, with which further decisions in the economic process can be made. A digital processing system is used for this.

Process-relevant input variables are to be understood as numerous variables that cannot be influenced directly, but only indirectly by the provider. Examples are the demand, the satisfaction of the customers, the order situation, stock exchange prices, external circumstances, which suggest the purchase of a product etc.

Process-relevant control parameters, on the other hand, can be directly influenced by the provider, e.g. the application, the price or the quality of a product or service or the quality of the service etc.

From the point of view of the person who wants to determine the earnings value of a customer relationship, the process-relevant control parameters can be influenced by the customer himself, but the process-relevant input variables are at least not determined by the customer. Process-relevant input variables can also be variables that do not depend on the provider or the customer.

Process-relevant input variables can be, for example, share prices, inflation rates, exchange rates or other variables that are determined by third parties. In principle, tax law can also be viewed as an input variable, since it has an impact on the economic process. In other words, from the point of view of those who want to determine an earnings value, the process-relevant control parameters are all variables on which they can influence the economic process. The process-relevant input variables are all other variables that affect the economic process, which, however, cannot be influenced directly, but only indirectly if necessary.

Due to the large number of process-relevant input variables and process-relevant control parameters, extensive data acquisition is required. The more data is processed, the more precise statements can be made about the economic process. Advantageously, at least 100, but preferably at least 500, preferably 2500 input variables or control parameters (in addition to possibly also recorded manually) are automatically recorded.

Depending on the process-relevant input variable, physical, chemical, biological or digital measuring heads are used. Physical measuring heads are sensors that measure physical quantities. Physical variables are, for example, the location, the acceleration, the speed, the temperature, the pressure, the help, etc. For example, the face of a customer is recorded with the aid of a camera (optical sensor), which is then analyzed using image recognition. From the facial expressions of the customer, from the changes in the pupil sizes, from the color changes of the skin or from the temperature distribution on the face, conclusions can be drawn about the mood of the customer by comparing them with experience curves. If the customer's language is recorded with an acoustic sensor, further information about the customer's emotional state can be obtained by analyzing his language and comparing it with reference values. The spatial distribution of the field staff can be determined with a location sensor and a measure of the physical presence at the customer, in particular of the capacity of the field staff, can be obtained.

Chemical measuring heads measure chemical quantities. Chemical parameters are, for example, substance concentrations, pH values, substance substances, etc. For example, information about the health status of cows can be determined by analyzing their milk with regard to its chemical composition. ,

Biological measuring heads are measuring heads such as certain microbes, algae, plants, animals, whose response to a process-relevant input variable can be determined. A person like an interviewer can be understood as biological in such a way that he can obtain information about the economic process through suitable questions and / or observations. In this sense, an interviewer is an interactive measuring head that specifically records process-relevant input variables.

Digital measuring heads are measuring heads that use suitable programming to extract the information from large databases, especially the Internet. filter that are important for process-relevant input variables. A digital measuring head is therefore often a program which has the instruction to search through data stocks under specified criteria and to deliver the found data to the desired location. For example, a digital measuring head is a search engine that searches the Internet for certain products or services or determines the need for a product or service or measures communication movements such as frequency of requests for certain services (so-called traffic).

With the help of the physical, chemical, biological and digital measuring heads, the entire spectrum of measurable process-relevant input variables can be completely captured.

The automatic detection can, on the one hand, relate to the selection of the detection means, such as the physical, chemical, biological and / or digital measuring heads. The choice of measuring heads is therefore independent. For example, the cause of a particularly high sales of beverages at a vending machine can be found if a particularly hot weather is determined by a temperature measurement. With the help of a digital measuring head, surfing behavior of Internet users on the homepage is examined, so that with knowledge of the behavior, the web page can be improved, for example, in terms of clarity. A chemical measuring head can be selected for quality control of the product with regard to its chemical composition if the chemical quality of a product appears to be of concern. A biological measuring head, especially as the shape of an interviewer, can be selected if questions can only be answered through intensive questioning during an interview. In this sense, the automatism refers to the fact that, for a given question, different means of answering the question are considered, whereby the means are selected independently. On the other hand, the automatic recording can relate to an automatic check of the data with regard to its quality and / or usability. In the event of inconsistencies or if the recorded data deviate unexpectedly from a target value, additional information is automatically requested in order to verify the already recorded data. In particular, this verifies how reliable the data collected is. Several measuring heads can be used for this, which measure essentially the same, but from different points of view. A reliability statement about the recorded data can be made from the statistics. For example, the quality or the usability of data stored on the Internet can be assessed using the measuring head based on the web address. For example, a database that is generally known to be reliable is assumed that a single piece of information that it delivers also has a high reliability value. If, on the other hand, information is found on an unknown website on which the reliability of the data is not guaranteed, the information is provided with an appropriate addition such as "information is insecure".

The automatism can also refer to the fact that, depending on the question of interest, only certain data are gathered independently. If, for example, there are deficits with regard to the parameter customer satisfaction and other parameters are within the normal range, the other variables, such as e.g. the sales figures as the reason for the round dissatisfaction. In this case, an interviewer is arranged to go to the customer and address him because of his dissatisfaction. Depending on which parameter is considered, a specific questionnaire can be selected independently and / or interactively. A questionnaire is initially drawn up for each parameter. In the event of unexpected answers or inconsistencies in the answers, additional questions, i.e. interactive, posed.

The automatic recording process thus simplifies data acquisition, which is particularly important in view of the large number of process-relevant input variables. Manual input of process-related The input variables into the digital processing system are at least partially superfluous. This is particularly useful if a lot of information is available on the Internet.

In the second method step according to the invention, a characteristic variable is at least partially automatically determined as a function of the input variables and / or control parameters. The large number of process-relevant input variables and / or process-relevant control parameters are projected onto a few, but essential, parameters. By compressing the data, i.e. processing them comes the structure of the economic process, i.e. the pattern of the economic process. In general, the mapping of process-relevant input variables or process-relevant control parameters to the few parameters is a complex function that depends on the economic processes under consideration.

Depending on the size of the company, determining at least one parameter will turn out to be complex. The parameter can be local, i.e. be defined individually for each company level or for each area. For a sales employee, the key figure acquisition is determined for processes in his area. A superordinate key figure acquisition is determined accordingly for his superior, in which the respective acquisitions of his subordinates are incorporated.

The parameters are again determined at least partially automatically.

Due to the complexity of mapping the many process-relevant input variables and process-relevant parameters to the parameters, it is not possible to determine the parameters by one person or a group of people, since the scope of the data masses to be processed does not permit quasi-manual data processing. The automatism helps to cope with the flood of data. Sometimes, however, it is not desirable to determine the parameter by a single person or a group of individuals, because people tend to simplify complex issues too much. The automatism avoids prejudices that people easily develop in view of the complexity. The automatism defines predefinable rules, according to which the process characterizing parameters are determined. This is particularly important when soft facts have to be quantified and processed that allow a wide subjective scope. With the help of predefined criteria, wrong decisions based on prejudices are reduced. In this sense, the method according to the invention is similar to the usual method for quality testing.

The method according to the invention for automatic pattern recognition in economic processes, in particular in purchasing or sales processes, with respect to a profitability value of customer relationships, advantageously provides an opportunity, at least partially independent of the interposition of human understanding, to determine process-characterizing parameters that determine the value of a customer relationship, in particular the earnings value of the customer relationship, quantified.

The method according to the invention for automatically regulating economic processes, in particular purchasing or sales processes, taking into account the earnings value of customer relationships, which is represented by a matrix that has parameters that characterize the process as inputs, comprises at least the following steps using a digital processing system: With suitable data acquisition means As with physical, chemical, biological or digital measuring heads, a multiplicity of process-relevant input variables and / or process-relevant control parameters is at least partially automatically recorded; at least one parameter is at least partially determined automatically as a function of the input variables and / or control parameters; the parameter is electronically compared with at least one reference parameter. niche compared; and control parameters adapted to the comparison result are selected electronically.

The method for automatic control according to the invention thus includes both data acquisition and data processing as described in the method for pattern recognition according to the invention. The process-characterizing parameters thus determined are also electronically compared with at least one reference variable. With the help of the reference variable, the value of the parameter is related, in particular deviations of the parameter or unexpected or undesirable developments of the parameter can be identified and forecasts can be made. The reference size is evaluated by the comparison. The comparison takes place at least partially electronically, which enables automation.

Adjusted control parameters are selected electronically in accordance with the comparison result. This influences the economic process. The economic process is regulated.

The more input variables are recorded, the more precisely an economic process can be assessed and better regulated. An automatic rough control of an individual economic process is possible if at least 100 input variables and / or control parameters (in addition to those that may already have been entered manually) are automatically recorded. A fine control is achieved with an automatic detection of at least 500 input variables and / or control parameters. Fine control is achieved with automatic recording of at least 2500 input variables or control parameters. The control parameters are selected at least partially electronically so that automation of the control is made possible. The process-relevant input variables are indirectly influenced by changing the control parameters. The external system, which is formed here by the customer and possibly by third parties, reacts to the selection. For example, lowering a price will usually increase the attractiveness of a product so that the product will be bought more often. The sales or sales figures increase. As a result, other process-relevant input variables are recorded. The changed input variables lead to changed process characterizing parameters.

By linking the process steps of data acquisition, determination of the parameters, comparison of the parameters with a reference variable, selection of adapted control parameters, a control loop is set up based on the reaction of the economic process, which runs independently due to the at least partially automatic partial control steps.

The above technical problem underlying the economic problem of processing a large amount of data, ultimately excluding active human understanding, is advantageously solved by the technical features described.

In one embodiment of the control method according to the invention, the reference variable is fixed. The reference values are, for example, sales figures, quantifying figures of customer satisfaction, capital costs, residual value, additional investment, provision of services, acquisition, potential configuration etc. The reference values can be predefined in order to specify a predefined reference point.

According to the invention, a process history can preferably be called up electronically. Based on the process history, statements can be made about the future development of the process characterizing parameters. It provides an overview of the previous course of the economic process, in particular the chronological course of the earnings value of a customer relationship.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the reference variable is changed depending on the process history. In particular if changes in growth rates are to be assumed, it makes sense to adjust the reference variable depending on a process history. That way it gets that Method according to the invention for regulating a greater scope to react to unexpectedly changed framework conditions. For example, a disproportionately strong growth of a customer can be taken into account. The adjustment of the reference variable depending on the process history thus allows a particularly forward-looking regulation of the economic process ultimately in the direction of the desired target values.

In an embodiment of the method according to the invention for automatic pattern recognition and the method according to the invention for automatic regulation, a specific questionnaire is selected independently and / or interactively as a function of a parameter.

It is useful here to preset a questionnaire that specifies standardized questions by determining a specific parameter. Depending on the parameter, the questionnaire is selected independently. This advantageously avoids unnecessary acquisition of data that is not required.

In special cases, an interactive selection is also advantageous. For example, certain questions are only asked if the answers to the standardized questionnaire are insufficient or have inconsistencies. A question i.e. Interactive questioning enables the reliability of the information obtained to be increased or information to be obtained that was not covered by the previous questionnaire.

In an advantageous embodiment of the two methods according to the invention, a selection of data to be recorded is collected independently depending on the questions of interest.

If the question is given, data from the different areas can be transferred using the various measuring heads. The help of a person is not necessary for this. For example, using Keywords or a structured keyword catalog, information from the Internet or another online and / or offline data source can be found. The information is gathered as such without the intervention of a person. According to a search engine in conjunction with a structured keyword catalog, the digital measuring head searches one database after the other and moves through cross-references to other relevant websites or databases. If, for example, it is recognized that the weather has a significant influence on the sale of certain beverages, weather data are determined at the relevant points in question, for example in order to select the range of beverages accordingly. The intervention of a person is also not necessary for this.

In an expedient embodiment of the method according to the invention for automatic control, the reference variable is determined from the process history with the aid of a self-learning algorithm. The self-learning algorithm reduces the likelihood of repetition of errors that have already been made in the past.

A self-learning algorithm can also be expedient if the process-characterizing parameters are compared with a reference variable in order to select a process-relevant parameter on the basis of the comparison result. On the basis of the process history, it can be checked which of several process-characterizing parameters is particularly important for the economic process and which has to be taken into particular account when selecting the process-relevant control parameters. For example, an increase in customer satisfaction at the point in time when only disadvantages have to be accepted through the customer relationship does not make sense. Accordingly, the other process-characterizing parameters have to be weighted more heavily. A self-learning algorithm reduces the likelihood that the control will repeat the same error again. The self-learning algorithm is able to react appropriately to the complexity of an economic process. In a further advantageous embodiment of the two methods according to the invention, the measuring heads used are selected independently depending on questions of interest. In principle, the same can sometimes be measured with several measuring heads, whereby the measuring heads differ in their measuring accuracy. Due to the different measuring accuracy and the different reliability of the measuring heads, it makes sense to select a measuring head accordingly. In addition, only certain measuring heads are suitable for certain questions. For example, the temperature can be recorded in one place using a directly installed measuring head, but the temperature can also be obtained from the weather service on the Internet. In this case, both solutions to the problem are equally acceptable. However, a physical measuring head is not suitable for inquiring about the stock exchange prices. With the help of a biological measuring head in the form of a person or a digital measuring head, the relevant information must be obtained, in particular on the stock exchange or on the Internet. Querying via the Internet is much easier and cheaper than a telephone call. In this case, a digital measuring head makes more sense than a biological measuring head.

In a particular embodiment of the two methods according to the invention, the at least partially automatically acquired data are checked with regard to their quality and / or usability. With soft data in particular, it is important to know which source the data comes from in order to be able to classify the data correctly. By specifying a reference list, for example, reliable data sources that are known for good quality can be listed and distinguished from less reliable data sources. Such a list can be used to provide recorded data with an addition which provides information about the reliability, the quality or the usability of the information. The quality or usability check can also include a comparison of the data with data from the process history. Strong or unexpected deviations can indicate poor quality of the data. In a special embodiment of the two methods according to the invention, the process-characterizing parameters are essentially customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, customer proximity, capital costs, residual value, additional investments, service provision, acquisition, potential configuration, potential quality, potential quantity. The parameters are expediently simple numbers, which may be specified with probabilities or variances. They are defined in more detail below:

The acquisition is characterized by the fact that it synchronizes the sales process of the supplier (selling) and the procurement process of the customer (shopping). The customer and supplier usually enter into a phase of mutual interaction during the acquisition. The acquisition process includes the project acquisition, the request, the offer, the order and the execution.

Proximity to customers essentially comprises two aspects, customer proximity to the range of services and customer proximity to interaction behavior.

The customer proximity of the range of services includes the product and service quality, which depends on the frequency of falling below the quality requirements of customers, the perceived product quality, the frequency of occurrence of complaints and the perceived service quality, the quality of customer-related processes, which depends on The adherence to deadlines, the smoothness of the routine, the effort in connection with the routine, and perceived delivery reliability depends on the flexibility in dealing with the customer, which depends on the ability to change requests long after the order has been placed To implement inexpensively, from special requests for products to be delivered, from special requests for delivery dates, and depending on the pricing, includes the quality of advice from the seller, which depends on the interest in the problems s customers, of interest for the use of the products by the run- which depends on the objectivity of customer information, on the objectivity of customer advice, on customer information about the limits of product performance.

The customer proximity of the interaction behavior is determined by the quality of the advice given by the provider (seller), which is based on the interest in the problems of the customer, the interest in the use of the products by the customer, the objectivity of the information provided by the customer The objectivity of advising customers, which depends on the information provided by customers about the limits of product performance, is determined by the openness in information behavior towards the customer, which is based on information about measures that affect the customer, early information about planned changes The business policy, which depends on the early information about planned changes to the product range, and on the information about strategic considerations, is determined by the openness to customer suggestions, which depends on the value that the supplier has on fundamental questions of business policy on di e Customer opinion depends on the extensive involvement of the customer in product development, the openness to suggestions or the process optimization of the supplier, on the quick reaction to suggestions, is determined by the customer contact of non-sales personnel, who of the regular customer contact of management, the regular customer contact of employees from the production area, and which depends on the regular customer contact of employees from the development area.

Customer satisfaction is the result of a target and actual comparison of customer expectations, which depends on experience, company communication, word-of-mouth propaganda and needs, with the services experienced. If expectations are met or even exceeded, customer satisfaction results, which leads to word-of-mouth propaganda or customer loyalty. If expectations are not met, a round dissatisfaction will result, which will result in no reaction, complaints, an unfavorable mouth-to-mouth Word of mouth, or an emigration. Customer loyalty is determined by customer loyalty, which depends on acceptance, trust and positive attitudes of the customer. Customer loyalty is dependent on customer sales, cross-buying and recommendations.

Two alternative models are available for determining the residual value. On the one hand, the residual value can be equated with a theoretical liquidation value at the end of the strategy life. This appears to be particularly useful if the strategy is characterized by targeted de-investment and skimming off competitive advantages that have been developed in the past. However, this procedure also lends itself if one has to assume very unstable market conditions. On the other hand, there is the possibility to assume stable market conditions at the end of the planning period and to set a certain cash flow for the residual value period in the sense of a perpetual annuity. The starting variable for calculating the cash flow are the deposits (sales) from a customer relationship. Payments are deducted from this, such as for personnel, operating expenses, investments and tax payments. The remaining residual value is referred to as operating cash flow, which is used, for example, to finance the expansion of the potential. If you deduct the investment in the future from the operating cash flow, you get the net cash flow. If you use any necessary interest payments, the free cash flow results.

The future cash flow can then be calculated by merging the main value drivers. The main value drivers are: sales of the previous year, growth rate of sales, operating profit margin, cash profit tax rate, additional investments in fixed assets, additional investments in fixed assets, additional investments in current assets, duration of the increase in value (observation period). The cash flow for each period of the observation period can be calculated using the following formula. Cash flow = deposit - withdrawal

= [(Previous year turnover) * (l + growth rate turnover) (concerning profit margin) * ^ - cash profit tax rate)] + - (additional investment in fixed assets + additional investment in current assets).

The cost of capital is used to discount future cash flows and thus reduce them to their present value. It is made up of the weighted average of the costs of debt and equity. Borrowing costs are relatively easy to determine, since a fixed rate of interest and principal is usually agreed with the lender. Since the interest is tax deductible, the return that must be achieved on the debt corresponds to the cost of debt after tax. Determining the cost of equity is far more difficult. As a rule, no fixed return is agreed with the owners. The owner therefore takes a higher risk when purchasing shares than the lender. This must be taken into account in the cost of capital in the form of a risk premium. Nevertheless, there are expectations of the owners of a return to be achieved, otherwise an interest in purchasing the share certificates or in holding them would not be justified. The cost of equity is composed of a risk-free interest rate, which usually corresponds to the current interest rate for a safe investment, and a risk premium for equity.

The potential configuration describes which potentials are available on the customer side or on the supplier side. Potentials at the customer are, for example, the potential needs of the present and future, but also know-how, development and reference potentials must be taken into account. The customer's potential needs in the industrial business are often closely linked to the requirements and needs of the downstream customer group, the so-called customer customers. For example, if the customer customer market grows, this will also have an impact on the sales potential of the customer, which in turn can increase the sales potential for the supplier. The potentials The supplier can best be described with his skills and abilities to solve the current and potential problems and tasks of the customer. This includes specific product services, but also service and innovation services. Supplier potential also means the secondary potential, such as employee qualification, capital resources, production facilities and development capacities, which create the prerequisites for creating service packages.

A transaction process consists of three sub-processes, namely the potential configuration, the acquisition and the service provision. Depending on whether it is a first purchase, a repeat purchase or a series purchase, the content, the effort and the individual work steps differ in these phases. The main result of the sub-process of determining the potential configuration is a clear and valued idea of how and how the best possible customer earnings value can be realized. Only on this basis can the subprocess of the acquisition be sensibly designed and successfully designed.

The service creation process includes the phases of service preparation, production, shipping, if necessary the assembly of the product and the services associated with the product. Research and development, accounting and materials management work on the individual phases. In the service creation process, the intangible contract contents agreed between the customer and the supplier are converted into tangible and therefore tangible products and product properties that can be experienced by the customer. The potential configuration process is highly information-critical, while the acquisition process is primarily critical to success. In contrast, the service creation process is mainly critical to results. Disruptive factors include, for example, inaccurate contractual agreements, inadequate preliminary costing, unforeseen changes in the initial situation, disruptions in the process flow, technical defects and unarticulated customer expectations that were not felt by the supplier. Each transaction ends with a result at the end of the service creation process. The evaluation in turn forms the starting point for the potential configuration process, so that overall the transaction process with its three subprocesses can be understood as a potentially repeatable cycle.

In an advantageous embodiment of the two methods according to the invention, the earnings value of the customer relationship is shown on a display. With the help of the display, the earnings value of the customer relationship and thus the pattern of the economic process is shown. It is advisable to target the advertisement to the recipient's horizon, in particular to give company management more extensive skills and more detailed information about a broader area than individual employees at a lower level of the company.

In a special embodiment of the two methods according to the invention, the earnings value of the customer relationship is determined continuously or at predeterminable time intervals. In particular, the chronological course of processes enables the process to be precisely recorded. Any developments can be recognized ahead of time and maxims for action can be specified in good time.

In an advantageous embodiment of the two methods according to the invention, the earnings value of the customer relationship is used as the basis for an early warning system. With the early warning system, possible risks can be identified in a comparatively comprehensive and early manner in an advantageous manner.

A comprehensive risk management system can be divided into the following subsystems gHedern: Internal monitoring system (reliability of operational processes and data); Controlling (goal-oriented coordination); Early warning system (timely detection of dangers and countermeasures). Risk identification, assessment and control are the task of the risk early warning system. Complex risk management cannot be carried out through detailed specifications (e.g. comprehensive control measures). One of the main challenges of risk management is to set up intelligent feedback systems that, for example, accompany the process of changing employees' behavior. Intelligent, self-controlling systems have an above-average efficiency and are more adaptable to environmental changes and with increasing dynamics than a rigidly specified system. This has consequences for the organizational classification and reporting: Risk management must become an integral part of the processes in which the risks arise. In addition, the identification and assessment of risks, the selection and implementation of countermeasures is the task of the "process owner". A risk-oriented reporting system must ensure risk communication.

The early warning system is designed to help identify dangers in good time. When identifying risks, it is asked how high the depth of added value, the turnover, the return and sales, the customer potential, the innovative strength or the customer credit rating, or how strongly the customer is globalized or how the quality of the cooperation is. The answers to these questions are given a corresponding coefficient that quantifies the possibilities of the answers.

The risk analysis includes a dedicated analysis of the risks identified in the course of business activities with regard to their causes and effects. Furthermore, the risk analysis forms the basis for the risk assessment, which focuses on the dimensions "extent of target failure" and "probability of occurrence". As a result, both the amount of damage, ie the extent of the loss when the event occurs, and the predictability, the probability of the event occurring, must be determined for the assessment of the loss potential. Risk factors should not be considered in isolation in the risk analysis. Rather, their interdependencies have to be taken into account, since a single factor is often not expected to have a serious impact on a company's target system, but rather an unfavorable combination of several risk factors can become a serious threat.

In this context, existence and effect relations have to be distinguished. While the first category examines which factors appear coupled or are mutually exclusive, the second group deals with the question of the type and intensity of the influence of a parameter on one or more other risk parameters. Logically causal relationships of existence can be brought about by two risk factors either being mutually exclusive or occurring together, whereby there is a mutual coupling or a (one-sided) conditional relationship. Relationships that are not logically causal are divided into pure random constellations such as facultative relationships.

Instruments to be used for risk management are risk avoidance (omission of a risky operational activity), risk reduction (reduction in the likelihood of occurrence of damaging events or reduction in the extent of loss), risk decomposition (decomposition of a risky activity in partial activities) in order to achieve diversification effects , Risk transfer (passing on and passing on risk to market partners or insurance companies), Risk self-transfer (deliberate acceptance and, if necessary, protection through the creation of reserves).

The automated pattern recognition system according to the invention in economic processes, in particular in purchasing or sales processes, with regard to an earnings value of customer relationships, which is represented by a matrix, which comprises parameters characterizing the process as inputs, has a digital processing system, a data acquisition means such as physical, chemical , biological or digital measuring heads at least partially automatic detection of a large number of process-relevant input variables and / or process-relevant control parameters, and a pattern determining means for at least partially automatically determining at least one characteristic variable as a function of the input variables and / or control parameters.

The data acquisition means can be, for example, a simple measuring head, but it can also be an intelligent measuring head, which uses suitable control technology to check the quality or the usability of the recorded data and, if necessary, to ask for it or to carry out an additional measurement.

The pattern determination means automatically determines at least partially one parameter from the acquired data. Here, the result of the pattern determination means can be used in order to bring about a renewed data acquisition with the aid of the data acquisition means in the event of abnormalities or inconsistencies or unexpected deviations. If, for example, a process characterizing parameter unexpectedly deviates from a target value, the feedback ensures that the data acquisition as such has taken place correctly. The feedback can also include that the data acquisition means additional, i.e. other, raises questions. With the help of the additional questions, additional information is gathered.

In this sense, the automated pattern recognition system is based on two feedback loops. The first feedback loop is located within the data acquisition means and thus detects "local" inconsistencies in the acquired data. The second feedback loop takes into account the result of the pattern recognition. It thus relates to "global" quantities such as e.g. the process characterizing parameters.

If, for example, a physical quantity such as the temperature is only measured imprecisely due to a poor signal-to-noise ratio, the effect is inner feedback loop, ie the feedback loop in the data acquisition means, a re-measurement for verification.

If, on the other hand, it is established that a certain parameter, such as customer satisfaction, deviates from a target value, the pattern determination means causes additional data to be recorded by the data acquisition means. The additional data either confirms the finding of the deviated parameter or questions it.

The autopilot system according to the invention for economic processes, in particular for purchasing or sales processes, taking into account the earnings value of customer relationships, which is represented by a matrix that includes parameters that characterize the process, comprises a digital processing system, a data acquisition means such as physical, chemical, biological or digital measuring heads for at least partially automatically detecting a plurality of process-relevant input variables and / or process-relevant control parameters, a pattern determination means for at least partially automatically determining at least one characteristic variable as a function of the input variables and / or control parameters, a comparator for comparing the characteristic variable with at least one reference variable, and a selector for Selection of control parameters adapted to the comparison result.

Since the pattern recognition system according to the invention can be a component of the autopilot system, all features which have been mentioned in connection with the pattern recognition system can also be transferred to the autopilot system.

With the aid of the comparator, the characteristic variable is compared with a reference variable. The comparison result can be used to derive maxims for further behavior in the economic process; in particular, adjusted control parameters are selected by the selector. The economic process reacts to the change in tax parameters, whereby the process-characterizing inputs change gear sizes. The change in the input variables is recorded by the data acquisition means, so that the pattern determination means determines changed parameters. By changing the control parameters, the autopilot system intervenes in the economic process.

Since every process step of the autopilot system or the pattern recognition system is at least partially automatic, at least parts of the economic process can be carried out independently.

The autopilot system is particularly important against the background of an early warning system with which the risks and opportunities of an economic process can be recognized, prevented or used prematurely. The autopilot system can e.g. supported by workflows.

The autopilot system can be used as part of an early warning system to prevent the occurrence of damage in the company ahead of time or to take advantage of opportunities that are available to the company. The most important parameters that have to be brought under control and kept for the viability of a company are the strategy, success and liquidity parameters. The control parameter risk influences the other control parameters in the operative as well as in the strategic area. It is essential to differentiate between the individual control levels and the increasing complexity of the respective orientation bases.

In order to expand the control horizon in the future, a completely different control level must be developed. Sensible risk management takes place on at least two levels, the strategic level, which is highly complex due to the long planning period, and the operational level for short-term risk management.

The autopilot system is used as a navigation aid in the company. With the help of the process characterizing determined by the pattern recognition system The current risk situation is recorded in key figures. Based on the Key Performance Driver, the associated processes can now be controlled directly.

In a preferred embodiment of the two systems according to the invention, the earnings value of the customer relationship is shown on a display. The display shows, for example: the cost of capital, which among other things shows the general return expectation, the risk premium and the specific return expectation; the cash flow, which contains a scenario calculation, a preliminary calculation, a concurrent calculation and a final calculation; the additional investments, which include investments in current assets or investments in fixed assets; the so-called CAI (Customer Asset Index), which assesses customer proximity, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty; the success rate of the acquisition of the request for the offer or the negotiation; the potential, which relates to the current potential as well as the future potential.

The six key figures presented here display crucial information about the economic process and the company. With the help of the information, an entrepreneur or a member of the company can easily get an overview of the current situation of the company or the economic process, in particular to draw conclusions about future decisions.

In an advantageous embodiment of the two systems according to the invention, there is a question catalog generator which independently and / or interactively selects a specific question catalog depending on a parameter. With the question catalog generator, only the questions are asked that are relevant to the parameter under consideration.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a data accumulation means is provided for the independent collection of a selection of data to be recorded depending on questions of interest. With this, data becomes independent of an interesting question from the system collected. This can be done, for example, by a digital measuring head, in particular, searching the Internet for information on the question asked. The search history for the information can depend on the result of the search. In particular, an associative answer to the question enables an unknown and broad spectrum of answers. With the help of the data accumulation means, questions can be reformulated after receipt of their answer, in order to obtain more detailed or more extensive information in the association spectrum of the question. The data accumulation tool aligns a follow-up question with the answer to the previous question.

In a special embodiment of the invention, a measuring head selection means is provided for the independent selection of the measuring heads used depending on questions of interest. Stock exchange prices, for example, are preferably downloaded from the Internet by a digital measuring head and are not requested by calling an interviewer at the stock exchange or a bank.

For some questions it can make sense to activate several measuring heads at the same time to answer the question in order to get answers to a question from different perspectives. The system according to the invention is advantageously provided with a data checking means for checking the quality and / or usability of the at least partially automatically recorded data.

The data checking means ensures that the measured or determined or recorded data are acceptable in terms of their quality or usability. This can be done by comparing the TJates with reference values or expected values, so that in the event of an unexpected deviation, a query is made or a new measurement is carried out. The data, which are determined in particular by physical or chemical measuring heads, are usually superimposed by noise, so that when a favorable signal-to-noise ratio is identified, it is sensible to measure or record the data again by the measuring head. The system advantageously has at least one output means for outputting the questions, information, goods such as prepaid cards or similar gifts, and / or for performing services such as credits and / or expressing apologies by means of voice mail, email, SMS, letter or the like, to the customer. A service can therefore provide the customer with special information. Goods can be presented to the customer in the form of a gift or a credit. The output can, for example, with the help of. SMS message, a telephone message, an email or a bank transfer.

An example of an application of the pattern recognition system or the autopilot system is given below:

It is known that a large number of cell phone calls are interrupted or aborted. The reason lies in technical difficulties that arise due to the incomplete or disrupted mobile network. An accumulation of such incidents leads to considerable dissatisfaction among mobile phone users. The problem of disrupted radio communications cannot currently be completely solved for economic reasons.

With regard to optimizing the profitability of the customer relationship, however, the subjective perception of this technical defect could be influenced by limiting customer dissatisfaction and increasing customer satisfaction. Increased customer satisfaction manifests itself in increased acceptance on the part of the customer. Increased acceptance results in an increased emotional bond with the customer.

In order to create the prerequisites for influencing the round relationship in this way, such a process must be designed to be economically efficient. Automation is required for this. For example, the termination of a telephone call is automatically registered. The termination is recorded by a digital measuring head and recorded by the processing system as a process-relevant input variable. The fact of termination triggers a chain of reactions in the processing system.

For example, another digital measuring head gathers customer data as a personal digital assistant. The customer data includes information about which customer it is, which sales this customer achieves, which conversation volumes and / or conversation profiles are based, which cancellations have occurred so far, which general or customer-specific advertising has been undertaken, which goals e.g. the corporate client advisor at this client follows etc. These customer data generally represent the process-relevant control variables.

In this context, the customer represents the external system. The digital processing system with the sample determination means automatically selects process objects and / or process contents, which have the aim of the customer and his earnings potential, based on the production plans and capacity planning stored in the system, including alternative scenarios to secure or optimize the result that can be achieved with this round.

With this analysis carried out by the pattern recognition system or the pattern of the customer relationship related to the individual customer, further decisions can be made as to how the customer is to proceed.

The autopilot goes one step further than the pattern recognition system by making comparisons with reference values using a comparator and using a selector to select suitable work processes and procedures. The operations and procedures represent the control parameters. The autopilot uses the output means to issue appropriate questions, information, and apologies, for example, through e-mails, SMS messages, letters, spoken words Messages, telephone messages (so-called voice mails) etc. either go directly to the customer and / or to the relevant service facilities or suggest selected activities to sales, marketing or service employees that optimize the earnings value of the round relationship. The autopilot can preferably also act actively by approaching the customer and, for example, transmitting a credit note to the customer.

With such measures, the autopilot ensures that appropriate and appropriate action is taken in relation to the respective task and the respective laps. It relates the cost of a round relationship to its benefits. It creates a practiced round-the-clock race and aims for improved customer satisfaction, whereby it works very efficiently through the automation itself.

Although the pattern recognition system and the autopilot cannot technically solve the problem of canceling a mobile phone call, the dissatisfaction of the customer about a cancellation can be limited in a way that is economically compatible with automation. Customer loyalty is hereby advantageously achieved.

Further advantageous configurations and special features that can occur individually or in combination are explained in more detail with reference to the following drawing. The drawing is not intended to limit the invention, but is only intended to illustrate the invention by way of example:

They show schematically:

1 shows a pattern recognition system according to the invention;

2 shows an autopilot system according to the invention; 3 shows a pattern recognition system according to the invention with a feedback for checking the data;

4 shows a pattern recognition system according to the invention with a feedback, taking into account the comparison result of the determined process-characterizing parameters with the reference values;

5 shows the time course of a transaction process; and

6 shows another autopilot system according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a pattern recognition system according to the invention in economic processes, in particular in purchasing or sales processes, with regard to the earnings value of customer relationships with a digital processing system 1 and a data recording means 12. The data recording means 12 comprises a chemical measuring head 6, a physical measuring head 7, a digital measuring head 8 , and a biological measuring head 9. The chemical measuring head 6 measures the chemical composition of a product, for example a chemical liquid. The physical measuring head 7 measures a certain temperature in the manufacturing process of the product. A digital measuring head 8 records the demand for the product from potential customers. The biological measuring head 9 in the form of an interviewer asks the customer about his need for products. The measuring heads 6 to 9 thus record information via an external system 17, which is defined by the economic process. Arrows in the figures represent the direction in which the main flow of information flows between the individual components. The digital processing system 1 comprises a pattern determination means 2, a comparator 3, a selector 4 and a display 5.

With the aid of the pattern determination means 2, process-characterizing parameters are determined from the data recorded by the data acquisition means 12. These parameters are, for example, the cost of capital, the cash flow, the additional investment, the CAI, the success rate and the potential of the customer. The parameters thus obtained are compared with a reference value. For example, if the success rate is only 25% instead of the desired 50%, this discrepancy is shown on display 5. If the additional investments are much higher than expected, the discrepancy is also displayed and the management or employees in one area are warned. The display 5 shows both the comparison results, as well as proposed changed control parameters and the determined key figures. It is important here that each measured variable is assigned a specific value in the form of a defined unit, so that further processing of the information is possible. Soft facts are represented by probability information.

The input variables of the economic process are mapped to process-characterizing variables by the pattern recognition system 10. The complexity of the economic process, in particular of the external system 17, is thus reduced and mapped to usable classification variables, such as the process-characterizing parameters. The mapping or projection is carried out automatically, i.e. much more comprehensive and detailed data can be processed than was previously possible. Through automation, human intervention during pattern recognition is no longer necessary, at least in part. Incorrect decisions based on subjective perceptions of individual individuals or a group of individuals are reduced.

FIG. 2 shows an autopilot system 11 according to the invention for automatically regulating economic processes, in particular purchasing or sales processes, taking into account the earnings value of round relationships. The autopilot system 11 comprises a digital processing system 1 and a data acquisition means 12 such as the pattern recognition system 10 according to the invention, however, the changed control parameters are offered to the economic process, whereupon the latter changes to the changed control parameters through changed input variables responding. Changed input variables are determined accordingly by the measuring heads 6 to 9. By comparing the race parameters with specified reference parameters and the selection of adapted control parameters, feedback is achieved that leads to a regulation of the economic process. The reference size is adapted to the process history, for example, and is therefore not rigidly specified. In accordance with the development of the economic process in the previous period, the control parameters are suitably adapted to take into account the temporal development of the economic process. Suitably, the selector 4 has a self-learning algorithm which is able to learn from past mistakes.

FIG. 3 shows a pattern recognition system 10 with a feedback for checking the recorded data with regard to their quality and their usability. In addition to the measuring heads 6 to 9, the data recording means 12 includes a data checking means 16 which checks the recorded data, for example with regard to their reliability. The reliability in a physical measurement is determined, for example, by the signal-to-noise ratio. With digital measuring heads 8, e.g. If you search for specific information on the Internet, a reliability value is assigned to the data source or the database. The result of the data check by the data check means 16 is forwarded to the question catalog generator 13. The question catalog generator 13 creates further questions in order to ascertain additional information on questions that have been unsatisfactorily answered. A measuring head selection means 15 suitably selects the respective measuring heads 6 to 9 that come into question for answering the question. The same or different measuring heads 6 to 9 then record the answer to the changed question, information being recorded by the external system 17, which is represented by the economic process.

It is also conceivable that the data checking means 16 is attached directly to each individual measuring head 6 to 9, so that the quality or the usability of the data is checked individually for each measuring head 6 to 9. Are the questions solved sufficiently satisfactorily or will no solution be found even after repeated If questions are reached, the data are transferred from the data acquisition means 12 to the data determination means 2, which determines process variables from the data and displays them on the display 5. If no satisfactory answer to a question is found, then the question catalog generator 13 or generally the data acquisition means 12 sends a signal to the data determination means 2, which says that there is no correct answer to the question.

FIG. 4 shows a pattern recognition system 10 according to the invention with a data accumulation means 14, which has the task of asking additional questions after data acquisition and a determination of the process-characterizing variables in the case of unexpected values of the race variables, which are to be answered by the data recording means 12. If it emerges, for example, that a race variable differs significantly from the target value in comparison to its process history or in comparison with other race variables, the comparator 3 sends a signal to the data recording means 12, which states that detailed information is necessary. Thereupon, the data recording means 12, for example with the aid of a question catalog generator 13 (not shown here), presents additional questions to the external system 13. The display 5 thus shows the process-characterizing race variables determined by inquiries, the feedback being made via the process-characterizing race variables. The data acquisition means 12 according to FIG. 13 contains a feedback at the level of the determined data as such. The feedback loop (represented by arrows) is thus located before the process variables that characterize the process are determined. Arrows in the figures thus represent the direction in which the essential flow of information flows between the individual components.

FIGS. 3 and 4 thus show a pattern recognition system 10 with feedback loops which are on different levels. The looping loop, in turn, represents, at least in part, an automatism. FIG. 2 shows an autopilot system 11 with a feedback that takes place via the specification of changed control parameters with the external system 17. The in Figures 1, 3 and 4 described configurations can of course also be applied in an analogous manner to the autopilot system 11.

All of the feedback loops described can be terminated using various termination criteria. For example, a feedback is terminated after a maximum of 20, in particular after at most 10, preferably after at most 3 iterations. Alternatively, the feedback is aborted if the feedback quantity converges to a specific one within a predeterminable window. If it is determined that the feedback variable diverges, the process is also terminated and a corresponding signal is passed on.

FIG. 5 schematically shows a transaction process, the turn satisfaction potential being plotted against time as an example. At time 0, the customer is neutral towards the provider. Accordingly, the potential is 0. Talking to the customer and advertising the products increases the customer's interest in the supplier's goods. The customer's need to buy the product grows and the potential increases. When the purchase is completed (Pl), the customer is satisfied with the product and the potential is at its highest point. After the purchase, resistance and skepticism on the part of the round, which e.g. in relation to the product. Customer satisfaction drops (P2). For example, the product requires some getting used to. The customer's satisfaction increases and the potential increases through persuasion by the provider, for example through special services or by providing additional information about the product (P3).

As you can see, customer satisfaction goes through an up-and-down movement, the chronological course of which can be determined with the help of a customer earnings value from customer relationships. This development is anticipated by the pattern recognition system so that appropriate measures can be taken in good time. The Hefert pattern recognition system thus provides information about the economic process that can serve as guidelines for further decisions. The autopilot system goes one step further and uses it Information to initiate measures that result in a particularly advantageous development of the economic process. In particular, several economic processes can be processed at the same time.

6 shows a further autopilot system 11 according to the invention with a display 5, a data acquisition means 12 and an output means 18. The output means has the purpose, in particular, of delivering goods and / or providing services to the customer. For example, a customer is provided with special information by the output means, receives gifts or a credit for an amount of money, or is offered other support. The output can take place, for example, using an SMS message, a telephone message, an e-mail or a bank transfer.

The invention relates to a method for automatic pattern recognition in economic processes with regard to a profitable value of customer relationships using a digital processing system 1, wherein a plurality of process-relevant input variables with suitable data acquisition means 12 such as physical, chemical, biological or digital measuring heads 6 to 9 and / or process-relevant Control parameters are at least partially automatically detected and at least partially automatically at least one parameter is determined as a function of the input variables and / or control parameters.

In addition, the invention relates to a method for automatic control, which uses the parameters determined in this way, in order to carry out an electronic selection by comparing the parameter with at least one reference variable, which control parameters are adapted to the comparison result and which in turn influence the economic process, so that an automatic control loop is achieved becomes. The invention also relates to a pattern recognition system 10 or autopilot system 11 corresponding to the methods. The invention is advantageously characterized in that such complex interrelationships as are customary in economic processes can be at least partially automatically recorded and processed, so that at least part of the economic process can be regulated with regard to the earnings value of customer relationships. The invention allows an objective evaluation of process-relevant input variables without subjective perceptions of individual persons influencing the results of the pattern recognition and the automatic regulation.

BezugszeichenHste

digital processing system

Pattern determining means

comparator

selector

Display chemical measuring head physical measuring head digital measuring head biological measuring head

Pattern recognition system

Autopilot System

Data collection means

Questionnaire Generator

Data accumulation means

Probe selection means

Data test equipment external system

Data output means

Claims

claims

1.Procedure for automatic pattern recognition in economic processes, in particular in purchasing or sales processes, with regard to an earnings value of customer relationships, which is represented by a matrix which has parameters characterizing the process as entries, using a digital processing system (1) which has at least the following Steps include: at least partially automatic detection of a large number of process-relevant input variables and or process-relevant control parameters using suitable data acquisition means (12) such as physical, chemical, biological or digital measuring heads (6-9); at least partially automatic determination of at least one parameter depending on the input variables and / or control parameters.

2.A method for automatically regulating economic processes, in particular purchasing or sales processes, taking into account the earnings value of customer relationships, which is represented by a matrix which has parameters which characterize the process, and using a digital processing system (1) which at least follows Steps comprises: at least partially automatic detection of a large number of process-relevant input variables and / or process-relevant control parameters with suitable data acquisition means (12) such as physical, chemical, biological or digital measuring heads (6-9); - At least partially automatic determination of at least one

Parameter depending on the input variables and / or control parameters; electronically comparing the parameter with at least one reference parameter; electronic selection of control parameters adapted to the comparison result.

3. The method according spoke 2, in which the reference variable is fixed.

4. Method according to spoke 2 or 3, in which a process history can be called up electronically.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the reference variable is changed depending on the process history.

6. The method according to claim 5, in which the reference variable is determined from the process history with the aid of a self-learning algorithm.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which a specific questionnaire is selected independently and / or interactively as a function of a parameter.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which, depending on the questions of interest, a selection of data to be recorded is collected independently.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the measuring heads (6-9) used are selected independently depending on questions of interest.

10. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which the at least partially automatically acquired data are checked with regard to their quality and / or usability.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the process-characterizing parameters are essentially the following sizes: lap binding, lap satisfaction, lap proximity, capital costs, residual value, additional investments, service provision, acquisition, potential configuration, potential quality, potential quantity.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the earnings value of the customer relationship is shown on a display (5).

13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the earnings value of the customer relationship is determined continuously or at predefinable time intervals.

14. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the earnings value of the customer relationship is used as the basis for an early warning system.

15. Automated pattern recognition system (10) in economic processes, in particular in purchasing or sales processes, with regard to one

_, Earnings value of customer relationships, which is represented by a matrix, which has parameters characterizing the process as entries, with a digital processing system (1); - Data acquisition means (12) such as physical, chemical, biological or digital measuring heads (6-9) for at least partially automatic detection of a large number of process-relevant input variables and or process-relevant control parameters; and pattern determination means (2) for at least partially automatically determining at least one parameter as a function of the input variables and / or control parameters.

16. Autopilot system (11) for economic processes, in particular for purchasing or sales processes, taking into account the earnings value of customer relationships, which is represented by a matrix which has parameters which characterize the process, with a digital processing system (1);

Data acquisition means (12) such as physical, chemical, biological or digital measuring heads (6-9) for at least partially automatic detection of a multiplicity of process-relevant input variables and / or process-relevant control parameters;

Pattern determination means (2) for at least partially automatically determining at least one characteristic variable as a function of the input variables and / or control parameters; a comparator (3) for comparing the racing size with at least one reference size; and a selector (4) for selecting control parameters adapted to the comparison result.

17. System according to claim 15 or 16, characterized by a display (5) for displaying the earnings value of the round relationship.

18. System according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized by a question catalog generator (13) for independent and / or interactive selection of a specific question catalog depending on a race size.

19. System according to one of claims 15 to 18, characterized by a data accumulation means (14) for independently collating a selection of data to be recorded as a function of questions of interest.

20. System according to one of claims 15 to 19, characterized by a measuring head selection means (15) for independent selection of the measuring heads used (6-9) depending on questions of interest.

21. System according to one of claims 15 to 20, characterized by a data checking means (16) for checking the quality and / or usability of the at least partially automatically acquired data.

22. System according to one of claims 15 to 21, characterized by at least one output means (18) for outputting the questions, information, goods such as prepaid cards or similar gifts, and / or for providing services such as credits and / or expressing apologies by voice mail, email, SMS, letter or the like, at the rounds.