WO2000041114A9 - Environmental impact and business analysis method using a strategic information system - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention (fig. 4-7) relates to a method of analysis of goods and services and business functions for the identification of cost (450, 540, 630, 724) and waste (435, 525, 625, 710), and more particularly to a method and apparatus for analysis of waste that impacts the environment and for identification of business opportunities (465, 555, 650, 745) to reduce or eliminate waste while increasing profitability. The method may be performed using a programmable computer.

Description

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND BUSINESS ANALYSIS METHOD USING A STRATEGIC INFORMATION SYSTEM

The present application claims priority from US Serial No. 60/1 14,618 filed January 4, 1999 titled "Production/Consumption Waste Cycle Analysis".

Background of the Invention The production of a product or process (hereinafter referred to as "product" or "products") to be ultimately purchased by an end-user/purchaser, either a consumer or a business entity frequently involves a number of steps in their production. Examples of such production steps typical of present day production processes and utilization steps of the product include steps such as: design, development, manufacture, distribution, packaging, advertisement, and ultimately the consumption of the product by the purchaser/consumer. Most frequently the production of such products have waste by-products and further the production may also have environmental impacts, which frequently are undesirable. The cost of such environmental impact and the which influence this environmental impact are frequently manyfold. Variables to be considered include the nature of the product, design and development of the product, intermediate processes and methods required to manufacture or produce the product, packaging used to distribute the product, media used in the advertising and promotion of the product, and residue remaining after the end of the product's useful life. These and other factors all need to be considered.

In present day manufacturing methods, an increasing number of products are produced not only from a primary source or supply of materials, constituents, and manufacturing processes, but the manufacturing methods may also rely on intermediate or secondary source or supply of materials, constituents and manufacturing processes. There may even be further attentuated sources or supplies of materials, constituents and manufacturing processes which may be referred to as tertiary and quaternary processes etc.

It is also to be recognized that in present day manufacturing methods production of a product may occur in disparate locations. For example, the primary source or supply of materials, constituents and manufacturing processes may be sourced or performed in a first location, i.e., one or several cities, states or countries wherein the product is partially produced or assembled. Subsequently the product may be further processed and manufactured in a second location, i.e., a different city, state or country. The product may continue on to further processing or manufacturing possibly to a still further disparate location until it is ready for sale, when it can then be distributed, sold and consumed in still further disparate locations, i.e., yet other cities, states or countries, as well as in either the first and/or the second location. Present day methods for the production of a product requires the consumption of various resources, such as materials, constituents, manufacturing processes, distribution, advertising and sales methods. Present day methods for the production of a product almost always also results in the generation of waste by-products associated with the materials, constituents and manufacturing processes used in their production. Many of these waste by-products, are non-obvious to the end-user/purchaser, or to the general public, manufacturers, distributors, advertisers and salesmen of the products. Many of the waste by-products are created and disposed in manners and at geographical locations that the end- user/purchaser, or the general public, manufacturers, distributors, advertisers, and salesmen may not be aware. Up until now, the primary variables considered by a decision-maker when producing a product and the methods used in its design, development, manufacture, distribution, advertising and production have included: cost, availability, durability, quality ease of use, salability and profitability. These primary variables have affected decision-makers choosing what product, such as an article, to produce and how to manufacture it, and distribute it to the end-user/purchaser or when the product was a process or service, what service to provide and how to deliver it to he end-user/purchaser. However, further variables, ought be considered by a decision-maker as well. One such further variable is the environmental impact variables such as the resulting environmental impact of each element used in the design, development, manufacture, distribution, advertisement, packaging, sales and consumption of the product should be considered. Environmental impact variables can include for example, the natural or limited availability of a resource in the environment, the risk of exhausting and the ability to replace the resource in the environment, as well as the environmental impact attendant on the disposal of waste materials including toxic materials as well as consideration of the accompanying risk of accidents that may release toxic materials into the environment. Environmental impact variable can also include: missed opportunities to use alternative or new materials, constituent and processes that are more environmentally friendly or cost effective.

Further variables which ought be considered are the analysis of market demand and the choice of how to best respond to market demand. Also, distribution, advertisement and consumption of a product are further variables to be considered. For example, the manufacturing processes and materials used to make packaging and the subsequent costs and environmental impart of the disposal of such packaging should be evaluated from both cost and environmental standpoints. Additionally, the manufacturing process and materials used to make promotional materials, as well as processes and materials associated with the use of advertising media such as television, radio, newspapers, brochures, mailing letters, etc. are all further variable which ought to be considered. At the end-user or consumer level, any waste materials remaining after the product has been consumed is a further variable which also ought to be considered by a decision-maker.

Because the production of products are a major cause for the generation of waste by- products, commercial organizations, viz., businesses are directly involved with the production of waste by-products. Many of these waste by-products have highly undesirable environmental impacts, for example, non-biodegradable plastics and metal items which are difficult and/or expensive to effectively dispose of, or water and air-polluting toxic chemicals and emissions which are difficult to safely maintain or control, as well as the uniquely difficult environmental problems associated with the handling and safe disposal of nuclear waste. These waste by-products, as well as others not recited here are causing an environmental problem that if left unchecked will soon reach crisis proportions. Increasingly strict governmental regulations as well as increasing public concerns and responses to environmental issues affect commercial organizations such as businesses that are environmentally unfriendly and are likely to curtail their profitability. At the same time, businesses that take steps to become more environmentally friendly are likely to gain a competitive advantage.

There is a need for entities involved in the process of producing or manufacturing products, entities such as commercial enterprises, businesses, consultants, designers and product developers, manufacturers, distributors, advertisers, wholesalers, retailers, and other related service providers, to adopt new processes for evaluating and determining the manner of design, development, production, sale, use or ultimate disposal of a product (which may be a tangible article of manufacture, or which may be an intangible product such as a service or process) by a decision maker which new process decreases undesirable environmental impacts or reduces the waste by-products or both, attendant upon the design, development, production, sale, use of disposal of such product. There is also a need to redirect public, consumer and inter-business demand from wasteful or high waste by-product producing materials and processes to different products, that perform the same or similar function and are more environmentally friendly (e.g., are less wasteful or produce less waste byproducts). At the same time, changes in manufacturing, materials, constituents and should be cost effective or offer enough benefits to make the transition to such more environmentally friendly goods and services reasonable and attractive for the entities involved.

There is also a need for an improved method which can be used by entities involved in the process of producing or manufacturing products for ascertaining and evaluating variables for consideration by a decision-maker in order to provide improved control over waste by-products resulting from the production or manufacture of products. Desirably such an improved method may be practiced on a programmable computer which is particularly adapted to act as the decision-maker, or to facilitate a decision-maker in evaluating a product or process of producing or manufacturing products.

These and other needs are addressed and satisfied by the invention being described herein.

Summary of the Invention Various implementations of the invention may include one or more of the following features.

In a broad aspect the present invention provides an process or method which can be used entities involved in the process of producing or manufacturing of products for evaluating and determining the manner of design, development, production, sale, use or ultimate disposal of a product (which "product" may be a tangible article of manufacture, or which may be an intangible product such as a service or process) by a decision maker which process decreases undesirable environmental impacts or reduces the waste by-products or both, attendant upon the production, sale, use of disposal of such product.

In a more specific aspect, the aforesaid process may be practiced utilizing an appropriately programmed computer which is suitably programmed to perform the improved process.

In a yet further specific aspect the aforesaid process may be practiced without the use of a computer.

In one aspect of the invention there is provided A computer-based method for use within a business analysis system for evaluating cost and waste associated with a business transaction relating to a product, the method comprising: obtaining information associated with the demand, production, marketing/packaging and consumption relating to a product; storing the obtained information in a database for retrieval or analysis by the business analysis system; optionally, storing other categories of information relevant to the product in a database for retrieval or analysis by the business analysis system; using the retrieved information to analyze a business transaction with respect to the demand, production, marketing/packaging and consumption associated with the business transaction; and detennining variations in cost or waste which may be realized with respect to the product resulting from the business transaction.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a computer program product, disposed on a computer readable medium, for predicting and analyzing cost and waste within a business analysis system, the product comprising instructions for causing a computer to: obtain information associated with the production and consumption waste; store the obtained information in a database along with other categories of information for retrieval by the business analysis system; use the retrieved information to analyze a business transaction to identify cost and waste variables; and reduce the cost and waste associated with the business transaction.

In a still further aspect of the invention there is provided a computer system for predicting and analyzing cost and waste within a business analysis system, comprising: means for obtaining information associated with the production and consumption waste; means for storing the obtained information in a database along with other categories of information for retrieval by the business analysis system; means for using the retrieved information to analyze a business transaction to identify cost and waste variables; and means for reducing the cost and waste associated with the business transaction.

According to a yet further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of identifying and reducing costs and waste associated with a product, comprising: defining a plurality of phases associated with the product, wherein the phases comprise demand, production, marketing and consumption; identifying phase variables associated with each of the phases; and performing an analysis on each of the phase variables to determine a quantified cost and waste associated with each phase.

In another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of predicting business opportunities, comprising: identifying an occurrence having a perceivable consequence that effects an operation of a first entity; identifying at least one additional entity having products that are adapted to interact with the occurrences to alter the perceivable consequence; and creating an interaction between the first entity and at the at least one additional entity.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of identifying and matching business entities, comprising the method steps of: identifying a first business entity having a first product; identifying a second business entity having a second product; determining variables associated with the first and second products; analyzing the variables associated with the first and second products for cost and waste associated with the first and second products; applying the variables of the first product to the variables of the second product to determine if a reduction in waste and cost results in either of the variables of the first and second products; and creating an interaction between the first entity and the second entity to achieve the reduction in waste and cost.

In another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of analyzing an existing product, comprising the method steps of: identifying a variable associated with the existing product; identifying a waste associated with the variable that interferes with efficiency; associating a value to the waste; determining a plan that directs the value associated with the waste for improving the efficiency of the variable; and implementing the plan to direct the value to improve the efficiency of the phase variable.

In a yet further aspect the invention provides a computer program product, disposed on a computer readable medium, for evaluating cost and waste associated with a business transaction relating to a product, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to: obtaining information associated with the demand, production, marketing/packaging and consumption relating to a product; storing the obtained information in a database for retrieval or analysis by the business analysis system; optionally, storing other categories of information relevant to the product in a database for retrieval or analysis by the business analysis system; using the retrieved information to analyze a business transaction with respect to the demand, production, marketing/packaging and consumption associated with the business transaction; and determining variations in cost or waste which may be realized with respect to the product resulting from the business transaction.

The invention features one or more of the following advantages. The systematical analysis described herein, sometimes more formally referred to as a "production/consumption waste cycle analysis" can be embodied in a business method. This business method may brings together various persons and/or business entities to facilitate the analysis and implementation of solutions related to business problems focusing on eliminating waste, becoming environmentally friendly, and increasing profitability attendant upon the of production, sale, use or ultimate disposal of a product.

The systematical analysis can be embodied in a computer in order to speed up and make possible improved or accelerated analysis of variables related to business problems focusing on eliminating waste, becoming environmentally friendly, reducing costs and increasing profitability. Embodiments of the invention can aid a decision-maker to identify new technologies available by localizing voluminous information into a single database and using search agents to sort and match information to match such new technologies, such as potential business entities so to reduce cost and waste. Information existing on external databases and networks, such as the Internet, could also be searched, sorted and matched in a similar manner by search agents.

In order to aid a decision maker, it is useful to quantify all or as many as possible of the variables involved relating to a particular product or the process used for its production. A precise and easy to comprehend presentation of these variables can facilitate the decision maker understanding of available choices which relate to such variables available to him. In addition to the variables to be considered, facts or data relating to each variable should also be presented. Such related facts may include the cost of a variable, environmental concerns regarding use of each variable, public concern and issues related to the variable and government regulations pertaining to the use of each variable. In addition, other facts or data attendant from the use of a variable may also be included. Other facts or data relating to these variables may include, for example, the suitability of a variable to a particular task, and the history of a variable in other successful product campaigns or unsuccessful product campaigns and availability/location of new materials and technologies that may be useful or which can replace old technologies that are costly and environmentally unfriendly.

With available options put before a decision-maker and facts supporting each options the decision-maker is aided in evaluating or prioritizing each variable according to its usefulness, cost efficiency and environmental impact. A priority display might also list the benefits of each selected variable alongside that variable. A Production/Consumption Waste Cycle analysis can be performed for a new product (viz., goods or service) or for an existing product.

The Production/Consumption Waste Cycle includes four phases or steps which are Demand, Production, Marketing/Packaging and Consumption. To be most successful, an analysis should include consideration of at least one of the aforesaid steps of the Production/Consumption Waste Cycle. Where several steps of the Production/Consumption Waste Cycle are analyzed, the order of analysis may be in any order and it is further to be understood that the consideration of variables within each of the steps of the Production/Consumption Waste Cycle may be analyzed in any effective manner. For example, the Demand phase may require consideration of variables such as the market demand for proposed product, the market availability for alternatives or substitutes for a product, as well as other variables relevant to evaluating the market demand or likelihood of commercial success for the product, as well as other variables. For example, the Production phase may require consideration of variables such as the type of manufacturing process for the product, as well as other variables which may be relevant to the production of the product. The Marketing/Packaging phase may include the consideration of variables such as the types of packaging materials and processes for the product, the type of distribution process for the product as well as the advertising and product promotion process for the product, as well as other variables which may be relevant to the marketing and/or packaging of the product. The Consumption phase may include consideration of the variables associated with the end user consumption process such as the costs of proper disposal of the product at the end of its useful life, the environmental impacts attendant upon the proper disposal of the product as well as other variables which may be relevant to the consumption of the product. To each of these variables may be assigned data or a value regarding the desirability or undesirability of the variable which may be a quantitative (such as a cost or price) or may be a subjective value ("very desirable"). The Production/Consumption Waste Cycle is analyzed utilizing the information regarding the variables collected and from these values an identification of costs and waste may be made and by variation of the variable, the costs and waste may be reduced to a desired level. Alternately, the Production/Consumption Waste Cycle is analyzed utilizing the information regarding the variables collected and the costs and waste may be analyzed in order to validate the desirability of continuing without introduction of changes. This type of analysis can be particularly useful with an existing process and product because all of the steps and elements are known and quantifiable. Alternatives to each variable in the Production/Consumption Waste Cycle can be suggested and the degree of improvement to cost efficiency and environmental impact of each step can be quantified. In addition, other desirable criteria can also be used in this step-by-step analysis of a product. While the Production/Consumption Waste Cycle may be practiced without a computer it is advantageously practiced using a suitably programmed computer which may be used to perform all or part of the Production/Consumption Waste Cycle.

Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 illustrates a computer. Fig. 2 illustrates a communications network. Fig. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a Production/Consumption Cycle Analysis. Fig. 4 illustrates a Demand Phase flow chart. Fig. 5 illustrates a Production Phase flow chart. Fig. 6 illustrates a Marketing/Packaging Phase flow chart. Fig. 7 illustrates a Consumption Phase flow chart. Fig. 8 illustrates a Business Method Conference flow chart.

Detailed Description of the Invention The Production/Consumption Waste Cycle (sometimes interchangeably hereinafter referred to as the "Cycle") has four phases which have been noted above, but which are more exhaustively discussed in further detail below. In order for a decision maker to predict and exploit business opportunities, the four phases of the Production/Consumption Waste Cycle are analyzed together or separately as required or desired. For ease of discussion the word "product" refers to both goods (such as tangible articles of manufacture,) and services (such as may be an intangible product such as a service or process,) and the word "technology" refers to materials, constituents, elements, processes and media (such as publications, advertising, etc.) Other standard definitions of the word "technology" are also included in the definition. The systematical analysis according to the inventive process focuses on existing products or potential products so to identify cost and waste attendant upon the design, manufacture, use and disposal of a product, (types of waste are discussed in detail below) and various ways to reduce such cost and waste, either separately or simultaneously. Component parts or branches of the analysis include (but are not limited to): evaluation of environmental concerns related to a product, profitability issues related to a product, environmental issues and Government regulations that impact are of a general nature as well as those which specifically impact the product, problems with waste associated with the demand, function, design, manufacture, packaging, distribution, advertising, promotion and consumption of a product, alternative or new technologies to remedy problems with waste, the usability or suitability to the task of the new technologies, the cost and benefit to implement alternative or new technologies, the manufacturers and sales companies and other business entities that need to be engaged to implement alternative or new technologies, potential customers for new and alternative technologies and various other elements that might be needed to build marketing plans for those new or alternative technologies and customers. A decision-maker can be but is not limited to an individual, group or corporate entity, such as a manager, researcher/developer, designer, purchaser, manufacturer, distributor, marketer, consultant or other service provider. The decision-maker may also be a suitably programmed computer. It is understood that the term decision-maker does not limit the persons and business entities that can use the analysis.

In one embodiment of the method of analyzing the four phases, a computer is used to simplify the calculations involved. Fig. 1 depicts physical resources of a computer system 100. The computer 100 has a central processor 101 connected to a processor host bus 102 over which it provides data, address and control signals. The processor 101 may be any conventional general purpose, single- or multi-chip microprocessor such as Pentium processor, a Pentium Pro processor, a Pentium II processor, a Pentium III, AMD K6, AMD K7, AMD Athlon, or other CISC processor, a RISC processor, MIPS processor, a PowerPC processor or an ALPHA processor. In addition, the processor 101 may be any conventional special purpose microprocessor such as a digital signal processor or a graphics processor. The microprocessor 101 has conventional address, data, and control lines coupling it to a processor host bus 102. The computer 100 includes a system controller 103 having an integrated RAM memory controller 104. The system controller 103 is connected to the host bus 102 and provides an interface to random access memory 105. The system controller 103 also provides host bus to peripheral bus bridging functions. The controller 103 thereby permits signals on the processor host bus 102 to be compatibly exchanged with signals on a primary peripheral bus 1 10. The peripheral bus 1 10 may be, for example, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, or MicroChannel bus. Additionally, the controller 103 can provide data buffering and data transfer rate matching between the host bus 102 and peripheral bus 1 10. The controller 103 thereby allows, for example, a processor 101 having a 64-bit 66 MHz interface and a 533 Mbytes/second data transfer rate to interface to a PCI bus 1 10 having a data path differing in data path bit width, clock speed, or data transfer rate. Accessory devices including, for example, a video display controller 1 12 and network controller 1 14 can be coupled to the peripheral bus 1 10. The network controller 1 14 may be a modem, an Ethernet networking card, a cable modem, a wireless modem or other network access circuitry. A system 100 may also include secondary peripheral bus 120 coupled to the primary peripheral bus 1 10 through a bridge controller 1 1 1. The secondary peripheral bus 120 can be included in the system 100 to provide additional peripheral device connection points or to connect peripheral devices that are not compatible with the primary peripheral bus 1 10. A bridge controller 1 1 1 can include a hard disk drive control interface to couple a hard disk 1 13 to the peripheral bus 1 10 and a controller to other computer readable medium 150. The computer 100 can also include non-volatile ROM memory 122 to store basic computer software routines. An operating system boot operation can occur after the computer 100 is turned on and power-on self-test (POST) routines are stored in the BIOS 123 complete execution. During the boot process, the processor 101 executes BIOS 123 software to access the disk controller 1 1 1 or network controller 1 14 and thereby obtain a high-level operating system. The high-level operating system is, for example, any mainframe, mini, micro or personal computer operating system such as OS MVS, VSE/VM, UNIX, Linux, Solaris, the Disk Operating System (DOS), Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, UNIX, Apple Mac OS, or other suitable operating system.

An operating system may be fully loaded in the RAM memory 105 or may include portions in RAM memory 105, disk storage 1 13, or storage at a network location. An operating system, such as mentioned above, provides functionality to control computer peripherals, such as devices 1 12-1 14, 121, and 124, and to execute user applications. User applications may be commercially available software programs such as word processing, spreadsheets, Internet access software and many other types of software. User applications may access computer system peripherals 1 12-1 14, 121 , and 124 through an application programming interface provided by the operating system and/or may directly interact with underlying computer system 100 hardware. A collection of computers 100 can serve as components of a communications network 200. Referring to Fig. 2, a communications network 200 can include network access devices such as client computers 21 1-213 that are part of a local area network (LAN) 205, independent computers 214-216 and other network access devices 217-219. Other network access devices can include, for example, cellular communications devices, interactive WEB devices, portable hand held devices or any device that provides communication on an electronic communication network such as the Internet.

Network communication can be accomplished over a medium such as a combination of public switched telephone network dial-up connections and packet network interconnections. Network access devices 21 1-219 can connect through dial-up, direct cable access, wireless technologies, satellite or other communications media. A terminal server 225 or 226 may have both dial-up and packet network interfaces allowing the server 225 or 226 to receive data from client computers 231 or other network access devices 235 and 236, segment the received data into data packet segments, add to overhead information to the segments, and send the resultant data packets over a link 221 to a packet data network 220 for delivery to a host system 210. Terminal servers 225 and 226 may also be referred to as a network service provider's point-of-presence (POP).

Software code operative with a processor 101 on a computer 100 can be used to access a database that can assist in the identification and exploitation of business opportunities. A local or external database or network of databases accessed via software interactive with a computer processor 101 can expand the amount of data that can be searched, queried and factored into a business strategy. In addition, computerized processing of the data can reduce the man-hours required to perform an analysis. A strategic database can be used to identify and exploit business opportunities. Use of the database can expand the amount of data that can be searched, queried, and factored into a business plan as described above.

As generally discussed above, the identification of business opportunities includes consideration of variables which include although are not necessarily to be limited to the evaluation of environmental and profitability issues related to a product, environmental issues, public opinion and Government regulations that impact the business world in general and a product specifically, problems with waste associated with demand, function, design, manufacture, packaging, distribution, advertising, promotion and consumption of a product, alternative or new technologies to remedy problems with waste, the cost and benefit to implement alternative or new technologies, the manufacturers and sales companies and other business entities that need to be engaged to implement alternative or new technologies, potential customers for new and alternative technologies, and various other elements that might be needed to build marketing plans for those alternative or new technologies and customers.

Using the Cycle as an analytical model for the evaluation of an existing product can increase profitability and decrease waste, especially environmentally harmful waste associated with the product. As has been noted above, the word "product" refers to both goods and services. As discussed in more detail below, the identification and compilation of certain criteria involved in the Cycle results in quantified variables that can be adjusted so to increase profitability and reduce waste. For a given product, each phase of the cycle yields a unique set of variables that can be optimized and adjusted appropriately depending on the phase. In an ideal situation, a business entity would change its materials and or processes used to produce a product in order to reduce cost and become more profitable and environmentally friendly at the same time. Another possibility is to accept small cost savings or even to allow a cost increase in exchange for additional revenue from more sales volume due to market recognition or popularity for having taken steps in becoming environmentally friendly, and/or for larger cost savings due to decreased costs due to reduced waste by-products and/or larger cost savings due to the reduction or avoidance of penalties and fines stemming from government regulations. In still another situation, a business might increase costs but halt a pattern of declining sales or payment of fines and penalties while taking the time to contemplate further changes to materials and processes or new business products. For example, a nation-wide fast-food chain sells hamburgers in Styrofoam® clam-shell containers. With increasing environmental concerns revolving around the use and difficulties of effectively disposing of these

Styrofoam® clam-shell containers in an environmentally safe manner, the company may be confronted with having to cease use of the Styrofoam® clam-shell containers because either there is a new environmental regulation or there is consumer pressure to cease use of the Styrofoam® clam-shell containers. Since companies are concerned with keeping a high profit margin, this restaurant chain may be reluctant to cease use of Styrofoam® clam-shell containers because they are much more inexpensive to purchase in comparison to containers made from more "environmental-friendly" materials. In an ideal situation, the restaurant would change their container material to a more environmental friendly material, such as paper wrap, that is actually less expensive than Styrofoam® clam-shell containers. However, change from the Styrofoam material to paper may incur a higher cost of materials, initial capital investment for setup or write-off of existing stock of Styrofoam® clam-shell containers. The Cycle analysis can be used to evaluate the benefit and business value as goodwill accrued by meeting consumer pressure or avoidance of fines and penalties linked to current, pending or upcoming Government regulations that will offset or reverse the cost of changing materials from Styrofoam to paper.

The model can be used to evaluate the relationship of consumer pressure versus the cost of the material. Analyzing the Cycle can present information to the decision-maker for analysis of consumer trends and pressure on sales and profitability. The decision-maker can look at the costs associated with consumer pressure and may make the determination that it may be more costly to stay with Styrofoam products if more and more consumers will cease buying from the restaurant chain if the chain continues to use Styrofoam® clam-shell containers. The decision-maker can also evaluate future business growth and evaluate information on what competitors are using for packaging and analyze the results on the competitors business. An analysis into the alternative packaging material can also be made. All of the information can be stored in a database or a network of databases to have easy and quick access. Some of the files or elements in a database can be but are not limited to a list of issues, alternative technologies and packaging materials, and a list of competitors and the packaging materials used by competitors. Similarly, using the Cycle as an analytical model, the profitability and waste associated with a potential new product can be analyzed to identify and evaluate the benefits of the introduction of a new product into the market. The Cycle model first looks to the demand for the product, then to the production, the marketing and the consumption of the product. Each of these phases has a unique set of variables for each analyzed product. These variables therefore are uniquely compiled and enumerated. For example, a manufacturer of a new water purifier using a new filtration technology may want to compete in the water purifier market that is predominated by carbon technology. Using the Cycle, the manufacturer or sales agent might find that drinking water purifiers have a certain demand associated with them. For example, the major demand may be to make the water taste and smell better. Another demand may be to have generally higher quality drinking water. Still another demand may be to remove specific contaminants such as heavy metals such as cadmium, aluminum and chromium, or bacteria, viruses and parasites. The segmentation of demand may look like the following:

Consumer's Use of Water Purifiers and Pricing Taste 60% Low Cost Water Quality 37% Mid Cost

Health 3% High Cost

Using the Cycle, the goal of a decision-maker such as a manufacturer or sales agent of a water purifier using a new filtration technology is to make a better product that the current market dominator and create a new and larger demand for the new and better product. In one iteration of the example the new purifier costs less than the market-dominating carbon water filter, removes tastes and odors better than the carbon filters and also removes more contaminants, thus purifying the water to a higher quality, but does not remove bacteria, parasites or other specific contaminants in which the 3% segment are interested. The decision-maker in this case would go after the two largest market segments, taste and odor and general water quality. The first consumers who the manufacturer or sales agent targets are the 60% segment that cares only about the taste of the water. The manufacturer or sales agent can also easily expand into the segment of the market that cares about the general water quality (37%).

In another iteration of the example, the cost of the new product is more than the cost of the predominating carbon filter, but similar in cost to products selling in the general water quality segment. The new product appeals to both the large market segments, taste and odor and general water quality. In this case, the manufacturer or sales agent would first go after the second largest segment, general water quality. The manufacturer or sales agent might also use resources to educate consumers about the importance of drinking water quality so that more of the market interested only in taste and odor will also become interested in water quality, thus creating a larger demand for the new water purifier. In an embodiment, a database or network of databases is used to store information and/or external databases and networks may be searched for information used for the education of consumers. Such information can include but is not limited to water quality problems caused by deterioration of plumbing, the increase of contaminants in the environment and in drinking water such as dioxins, pesticides, hormones and other toxins, health problems and diseases related to various contaminants in drinking water and Government regulations and guidelines regarding these conditions. The goal of the manufacturer or sales agent is to educate the consumer to take more responsibility for his own drinking water quality and also to convince him to purchase the new product.

The Cycle can also be used to evaluate the materials, ingredients and manufacturing processes used in the production of the new water purifier as well as in its packaging, distribution, sales and consumption. The goal is to reduce cost and environmental impact. For example, if the manufacturing plant can be located close to a large part of the 60% market segment of taste and odor, the costs can be reduced. If the filtration media or packaging materials can be made of recyclable material, the environmental impact and possibly cost can be reduced.

The previous examples demonstrate how the cycle is used for analyzing existing and potential products and market approaches for new technologies and products. They also demonstrate how to create demand for a higher cost product when it is important in the context of changing and developing environmental issues and Government regulations.

With the abundance of goods and services on the market, and their associated secondary, tertiary and further intermediate ingredients and manufacturing processes, the many numerous and geographical occurrences of waste by-products and consequences of their disposal extends beyond the ability of ordinary end-user/consumers, manufacturers, and business managers to conceptualize, track, control and remedy. Furthermore, there is an abundance of new technology that if utilized properly can help businesses become more environmentally friendly and profitable at the same time. This new technology includes but is not limited to new materials and processes, new ideas in the form of unutilized patents, university and other research and development programs that are in progress, and individuals with new ideas that are not heard and not utilized in the normal course of events. The many numerous and geographical occurrences of these new technologies is also beyond the ability of ordinary business entities to conceptualize, track, and exploit for business purposes.

In another embodiment, the cycle model can be used to identify business opportunities and may even create a new business or industry that focuses on brokering relationships between sellers and buyers of products that reduce environmentally harmful waste in a cost efficient manner. In identifying business opportunities, one or more entities can be brought together into a business arrangement. Business opportunities can be identified by monitoring the status of government actions, such as government regulations. For example, a user of the Cycle model periodically gathers government regulations from around the world on the national and local levels. Search agents are typically used to gather information related to the regulation. Search agents can be human or can be a computerized research database such as a local database or network or external database or network such as the Internet. In an implementation, the regulations can be gathered by search agents or "bots" that go out on a network such as the Internet and gather appropriate information. In particular, the user may be interested in new environmental regulations. Once a regulation and an entity with a need to meet a regulation is identified, existing or developing products that can help meet the regulation can be located such as cleaner methods of burning fossil fuels or cleaner forms of energy. By running a matching algorithm the user finds a regulation in Peru that is requiring diesel emissions to be reduced by 25% over a five-year period. In addition, the user has identified a small company in the United States that is manufacturing a new type of diesel engine that reduces emissions in a given engine by 45% with an error range of 8%, giving a low end of 37%. Since Peru is a third world or developing economy country and may have to choose a low cost technology to reduce emissions, the user has also identified ten additional companies that offer more inexpensive solutions such as engine retrofits. The user can act as a middleman and earn a commission by bringing together the Peruvian trucking companies and the small US Company and other alternatives to potentially create a series of contracts involving the purchase of the new engines or retrofits by Peruvian trucking companies. Alternatively, the user can becomes a distributor for the small US Company or the other alternatives and earn a sales markup by buying and reselling their products and technologies to the Peruvian trucking companies and possibly other trucking companies.

As stated above, in many embodiments a strategic database can be used to identify and exploit business opportunities. Use of the database can expand the amount of data that can be searched, queried, and factored into a business decision or a business plan. In another embodiment, a database can store information relating to products, production methods, resultant waste, disposal methods, environmental risks, governmental regulations, public opinion and costs associated with four phases of a Production/Consumption Waste Cycle.

Referring now to Fig. 3, four phases of the Production/Consumption Waste Cycle ("Cycle") are illustrated. Each phase of the Cycle identifies a component necessary for the identification of business opportunities. To aid a decision-maker in identifying and evaluating business opportunities, a series of inquiries can be made concerning each of the phases together or independently as required or desired. Each phase has a unique set of specific inquiries that can be made. A database can be used to store information providing answers to these inquiries. Ultimately the decision-maker can use this information to quantify each phase of the Cycle. As time progresses the decision-maker can also add information to the database that can aid in the identification of future business opportunities. A database can store information quantifying the market demand for an analyzed product. Data relating to Demand 310 can include, for example, what is the demand for a product, entities that have demand for a product, entities that create demand for a product; the locations where the demand is found; issues and needs addressed by the demand; waste associated with the demand that may be real or conceptual waste; the impact of waste; existing products that meet the demand and new products or technologies that may also meet the demand. The decision-maker can consider what how and why consumers use the product, and in turn what products could be used to substitute it. For example, in analyzing a car, the decision-maker can include bicycles, motorcycles, and other more pragmatic substitutes for the car including services such as buses and subways. The database can also store information quantifying the production for an analyzed product.

Data relating to Production 320 can include, for example, entities that make the product; the financial status of the producers; the location of production; the ingredients and materials and their costs, the manufacturing process and its cost, methods and technologies used to make the product and their costs; production risks and costs; use of waste; alternative means of production and their costs; recyclable material; and cost of disposal.

The database can contain information quantifying the marketing and packaging for an analyzed product. Data relating to Marketing/Packaging 330 can include, for example, the entities who market and package the product or similar product; the media used in advertising and is cost; the materials and processes used to deliver and disseminate the media and their costs, and the cost of marketing and packaging to both the producer and consumer.

The database can also contain information quantifying the consumption for an analyzed product. Data relating to Consumption 340 can include, for example, how the product is consumed; the waste and by-products of consumption, and respective destination, the risk of consumption, and the costs of product and disposal to the consumer, the manufacturer and to society in the form of local and municipal governments.

Each of the four phases of the Production/Consumption Waste Cycle is further reduced to queries that can be made to the database.

Fig. 4 depicts a flow chart for the Demand Phase of the Production/Consumption Waste Cycle. The database is first queried to identify the demand 405, then to identify which entities have the demand 410. The entities may be an end-user consumer, a producer, a distributor or other entity. It is understood that the entities are not limited to those listed and other types of entities with differing demands may be added to the database as needed. Next the location of the demand and also how the nature of the demand changes from global to regional can also be identified is queried 415. Location can be global, regional or local. For example, perfume is a product that has dramatically different demands depending on the location. A popular perfume in Taiwan or China may not be pleasant to a person in Japan, and vice versa. Perfumes popular in the USA, Europe and Africa may be still different. Next the importance of the demand 420 and the issues associated with it can be identified. The database is flexible so that specific issues associated with a demand can be queried such as its relation to basic needs of food and shelter. Next the demand can be classified as real or artificial 425. A real demand is considered to be a necessity for something that has a direct practical usefulness. An artificial demand is not a natural necessity, a synthetic or business created necessity, an adornment with no direct practical usefulness, or luxury or unnecessary extension of a real demand or necessity. The difference between a real and artificial demand may at times be subtle and subjective to the decision-maker and may vary from one decision-maker to another. The decision-maker may have latitude and freedom in making personal evaluations of real and artificial demand. If the demand is artificial it is considered to have associated conceptual waste. The database can be queried as to the conceptual waste and trend of the artificial demand 430. Conceptual waste is intangible and may be subjective. Conceptual waste is ways of thinking, values and belief systems that take time away from or preclude more valuable, profitable, environmentally progressive and positive thinking. Conceptual waste occupies thought, cultures and behavior patterns and leads to tangible waste or non-use of products and technology that are potentially cost savings and environmentally friendly. For example, conceptual waste can include the creation of artificial demand in a consumer by advertising to sell luxury goods such as exotic fur coats or automobiles that have environmentally unfriendly waste or emissions associated with their manufacturing ingredients, materials, processes etc. The artificial demand thus created propagates the consumption of environmentally unfriendly goods at high prices and cost and reduces or precludes the opportunity to purchase environmentally friendly goods at lower prices and cost. Where labor and cost is concerned, conceptual waste can include the time, effort and personal emotional sacrifice involved in coping with a difficult manager in a corporation or other business entity. Often times, the personal motivation of a manager to climb the "corporate ladder" may create a hostile working environment for workers if the manager is difficult to please or places unrealistic demands on the workers. Next the database is queried as to the physical waste 435 of the artificial demand. For example, manufacture, storage, distribution and advertising of luxury fur coats has associated waste products. Or, if a vice-president of a company requires a personal exotic fish tank in his office at the company's expense, this is a physical waste of the company's resources stemming from conceptual waste. If the demand is real, the database is also queried as to the physical waste of the real demand 435. Physical waste is actual tangible waste such as paper, chemical by-products, wastewater, emissions into the air, and any non-degradable or non-biodegradable materials that enter the physical environment. Physical waste occupies space and must be disposed. The environmental impact and cost of both conceptual waste and real waste can be quantified 440. Whether the demand is real or artificial, existing and alternative products that meet the demand can be listed 445. The products that could meet the demand may or may not be sufficient to satisfy the demand. Within this inquiry, the efficiency of the product to satisfy the real demand is identified. The usability, environmental impact and cost of the existing and alternative products can be quantified and compared 450. For example, one alternative to luxury fur coats is high quality wool or cashmere. Production and use of these materials have their own associated costs and environmental impact that my be lesser than, equal to or greater than fur. The decision-maker can compare these materials and identify which is most cost efficient and environmentally friendly. Another possible conclusion may be that fur, high quality wool and cashmere are all very expensive and their resources and production processes are also expensive and environmentally unfriendly, but there is a new material made from an abundant and easily reproducible resource such as hemp that is less expensive to produce and adaptable to both the real and artificial demands of clothing. In this example the decision-maker would choose to develop a new coat using hemp as the main ingredient. Another inquiry 455 is made to list current Government, National, State and City regulations, possible future changes to regulations and environmental issues in public opinion that are associated with existing and alternative products used to satisfy the demand. The regulations and public opinion issues can be kept current in the local database or searched in external databases and networks such as the Internet. The environmental impact of the product is compared with the current standards and regulations as well as projected standards and regulations that can include regulations on trade, import and export of exotic animals and products, and toxic and/or nuclear materials. For example, in some countries, there may be prohibitions on the import or export of goods made with crocodile skins or ivory, and some countries will accept toxic waste from certain countries but not others. The same inquiry can be made for the waste products resulting from design, production, manufacture, distribution, sales and consumption of the products, and whether these waste products are environmentally unfriendly and/or costly to dispose of or clean. These elements can induce fines, penalties or negative effects on sales results of the products used to satisfy the demand. The cost of disposal of waste products and any new materials and processes needed to reach compliance with Government regulations or public opinion by eliminating the waste products concerned can also be quantified and compared 460. For both real and artificial demands, business opportunities are identified 465 to introduce alternative or intermediate products, manufacturing processes and technologies and ways to implement them including business and marketing plans. All stages of the Demand phase of the Cycle may be drawn upon to create elements of business and marketing plans. It is to be understood that the description of the analysis or evaluation of this phase of the Cycle is to be understood as an illustration and not a limitation as to how analysis or evaluation of this phase of the Cycle is to be practiced. It is to be understood that the analysis or evaluation of this phase of the Cycle may be practiced in a sequence other than outlined above, and it is further foreseen that further steps may be added to the Demand phase and/or removed from the Demand phase of the Cycle and still conform with the teachings of the present invention.

Fig. 5 depicts a flow chart for the Production phase of the Cycle. With the production phase, the entities that produce the product and those entities which are able to produce the product, as well as respective locations of those entities can be identified 505. If a particular location has a Demand (See Fig. 4) but the local producer is not able to produce the product or does not have enough material to produce the product, information concerning the availability of alternate materials and the time needed to obtain the necessary materials is also available to the decision maker.

If a particular local producer does not have the procedures and technologies available to meet the demand in the area, alternate producers can be queried. The financial status, including Financial Reports with details of expenses and profitability of the Company, its size and other pertinent business information 510 of the production entities can be queried. This information helps the decision-maker identify any business weaknesses that may be caused by cost or environmentally unfriendly inefficiencies. The analyzed product requires procedures and technologies for manufacture. Natural and synthetic resources may be used in these procedures and technologies. A query can be made to list the procedures and technologies used in the production 515. A determination of the equipment, facilities and materials required for a given product may also be made. The database may also be queried to access what natural and synthetic resources are used and a list of producers and their locations. If a particular local producer has the procedures and technologies available, but does not have the ingredients or materials available, a similar analysis can be performed to find the availability of the ingredients and materials or alternates to the ingredients and materials. In addition to the location of the production entities, as well as the procedures and technologies, and the community where the production is performed, information and analysis concerning manpower can also be evaluated. A ratio of skilled to unskilled labor already available in the production facility as well as the skilled and unskilled labor available in the community can be known. The cost of materials and processes and the cost of the human resources can be calculated and quantified 520. Changes to costs due to any transportation or shipping necessary to bring alternate ingredients and materials to the location of the production facility is also available to the decision maker. The presence of labor unions or other organizations that may increase cost can also be quantified into the analysis. The database is then queried for the impact on the environment as a result of the production 525. Alternatives to the procedures and technologies, the natural and synthetic resources used and different environmental impacts may also be listed. Next, the disposal methods and alternative disposal methods of the by-products of production are listed 530. Further pertinent information includes whether the by-products are reusable, recyclable, disposable or toxic and what the appropriate reuse, recycling, control, safety, and disposal methods are and which are available in the production facility location or other locations. Disposal methods may include but are not limited to incineration, landfill, separation, burying in the ground, dumping at sea, etc. With any production, there is a risk analysis involved. Pertinent risks include risk involving the workers, the local community and the regional and global environment. There may be impacts on the environment as a result of the waste disposal, such as air, water or noise pollution. These impacts and their associated risks to health and the environment can be queried 535. The database can include information about accidents, for example chemical spills and whether or not the chemical is toxic and if there is risk for cumulative toxicity. A decision-maker would also have to know if there have been any accidents or spills in the past that would hinder or prevent this production facility from producing the product under demand. The environmental impact of accidents, the cost of preventing and controlling risks and the cost of cleanup after accidents can be quantified and compared 540. An further analysis of costs may be performed also based on information available in the database including materials, processes and transportation to locations of further use, recycling or disposal, as well as the efficiency of further use, recycling or disposal. In a manner similar to 455 in the Demand phase, another inquiry 545 is made to list current Government, National, State and City regulations, possible future changes to regulations and environmental issues in public opinion that are associated with existing and alternative materials, ingredients, production methods and processes. The regulations and public opinion issues can be kept current in the local database or searched in external databases and networks such as the Internet. The environmental impact of the existing and alternative materials, ingredients, production methods and processes is compared with the current standards and regulations as well as projected standards and regulations. The decision-maker would need to know, for example, if there are any towns nearby, and if so, the current acceptable levels of pollutants. There may also be specific concerns and regulations such as zoning laws for different localities. For example, a production facility may be located near a wetland or a roosting ground for an endangered species, or near a residential area, school or hospital. If a certain procedure would be prohibited by law in this location or arouse strong public protest, then the decision- maker could be made aware of and note this as an important variable for evaluation. In an embodiment, information from local and global standards, organizations, foundations, and regulatory agencies such as Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) regulations may be contained in the database. The cost of disposal of waste products and any new materials and processes needed to reach compliance with Government regulations or public opinion by eliminating the waste products associated with production can also be quantified and compared 550. Business opportunities are also identified 555 to introduce alternative or modified production methods, manufacturing processes and technologies and ways to implement them including business and marketing plans to sell them to prospective producers. Information from all stages of the production phase of the Cycle, particularly 510 financial information can be drawn upon to create elements of business and marketing plans for alternative or modified production methods, manufacturing processes and technologies. It is to be understood that the description of the analysis or evaluation of this phase of the Cycle is to be understood as an illustration and not a limitation as to how analysis or evaluation of this phase of the Cycle is to be practiced. It is to be understood that the analysis or evaluation of this phase of the Cycle may be practiced in a sequence other than outlined above, and it is further foreseen that further steps may be added to the Production phase and/or removed from the Production phase of the Cycle and still conform with the teachings of the present invention. Fig. 6 depicts a flow chart for the Marketing/Packaging Phase of the Cycle. Entities that do marketing and can be queried 605. Although marketing and packaging occur in the same phase of the Cycle, two branches may be used to analyze the phase. It is understood that the use of the two branches as explained below is not intended to limit the analysis to the use of the two branches. More than two branches may be used when desired or required. First, the marketing branch is analyzed 610. Various advertising media is available for the marketing of a product such as television, radio, industrial films, periodicals, newspapers, magazines, mass mailing, electronic mail, the Internet, use of endorsements or advertisements with opinion leaders, sports figures and movie stars etc. Demographic information may also be available. The decision- maker may want to know which medium would be best based on the type of product as well as the market and the demand segmentation. Depending on the advertising medium used, the type of packaging may differ. Packaging materials and processes can be listed 615. Once the marketing process, type of advertising medium and type of packaging is identified, the practicality and cost efficiency of the marketing and packaging materials and procedures may be identified 620. Each medium may have its special cost issues, which may be identified. For example, if industrial films are used, special arrangements with union actors may be prearranged. Each advertising medium and packaging process may have its special waste and by-product issues, which may be identified 625. For example, paper and ink used in printing catalogues or mass mailings may use manufacturing processes that generate toxic waste by-products that incur a high risk for the environment and a high cost for disposal. The decision-maker may look for alternatives to the traditional and prevailing paper and ink technologies, or to new and different media. Packaging materials and procedure chosen will also have a corresponding waste. A typical waste may simply be discarded paper packaging. More complex packaging may be used, for example, Styrofoam, and may have a greater environmental impact. Analysis may be performed as to whether or not the waste is toxic, and if so the impact of the toxic waste. Waste may be recyclable. Queries into the disposal and recycling costs may be performed 630. Costs associated with the by-products and waste of marketing and packaging are present to both the producer and to the consumer. A query of the costs involved with the marketing and packaging and how much is passed to the consumer in the purchase price of the object product may be made 635. Advertising laws such as truth in advertising, labeling requirements such as statement of ingredients and health standards, etc. and public opinion and its influence on marketing and packaging may be listed 640. The laws and public opinion issues can be kept current in the local database or searched in external databases and networks such as the Internet. The environmental impact of marketing and packaging is compared with the current standards and laws as well as projected standards and laws that can include regulations on performance claims, materials and waste by-products of the processes of marketing and packaging. The cost of adapting to standards and laws and public opinion including disposal of waste products and any new materials and processes needed to reach compliance can also be quantified and compared 645. For both marketing and packaging, business opportunities and ways to implement them including business and marketing plans are also identified 650. The decision-maker is thus aided to select and introduce alternative or new marketing and advertising media and technologies and new packaging materials, processes and technologies. Once again, as in the Demand and Production phases, information from all stages of the Marketing and Packaging phase of the Cycle is drawn upon to create elements of business and marketing plans for alternative or modified marketing and packaging methods, processes and technologies. It is to be understood that the description of the analysis or evaluation of this phase of the Cycle is to be understood as an illustration and not a limitation as to how analysis or evaluation of this phase of the Cycle is to be practiced. It is to be understood that the analysis or evaluation of this phase of the Cycle may be practiced in a sequence other than outlined above, and it is further foreseen that further steps may be added to the Marketing/Packaging phase and/or removed from the Marketing/Packaging phase of the Cycle and still conform with the teachings of the present invention. Fig. 7 depicts a flow chart of the Consumption phase of the Cycle. The first query is for how the product is used and consumed 705. For example food items are ingested, perfume is applied to the body, automobiles are driven, clothing is worn, etc. Consumption produces waste and by-products that can be listed 710, such as discarded wrapping, packaging, cans, bottles, component parts, etc., and when a car is driven it produces exhaust gas. The environmental impact of the waste and by-products of consumption need to be quantified 715. Costs of garbage disposal, cleaning litter, transportation of garbage, dumping, landfills, incineration etc. all can be quantified. In addition any negative effect or damage to the environment, such as dumping of non-biodegradable items and air pollution from automobile emissions is also quantified at this step as are any risks associated with consumption that may includes disease, destruction of natural resources etc. Any possible opportunities to reuse or recycle materials such as discarded glass, paper, metals and plastics can be queried and identified 720 and the cost to reuse and recycle, for example the cost of separation of materials, transportation to a processing site, the processing etc. can be quantified 725. The parties who bear the cost of environmental impact and of disposal, reuse, recycling etc. such as consumer, community, government and business entities etc. can be listed 730. The laws and regulations for disposal methods, disposal locations, health standards, etc. and public opinion and its influence on the consumer, manufacturer, packager etc. are listed 735. The cost of adapting to standards and laws and public opinion including disposal of waste products and any new materials and processes needed to reach compliance can also be quantified and compared 740. Finally, as in the Demand, Production, Marketing and Packaging phases, in the Consumption phase business opportunities and ways to implement them including business and marketing plans are also identified 745. The decision-maker is thus aided to select and introduce alternative or new products whose consumption has less costly and less damaging environmental impact. Information from all stages of the Consumption phase of the Cycle is drawn upon to create elements of business and marketing plans for alternative or modified products, processes and technologies.

It is to be understood that the description of the analysis or evaluation of this phase of the Cycle is to be understood as an illustration and not a limitation as to how analysis or evaluation of this phase of the Cycle is to be practiced. It is to be understood that the analysis or evaluation of this phase of the Cycle may be practiced in a sequence other than outlined above, and it is further foreseen that further steps may be added to the Consumption phase and/or removed from the Consumption phase of the Cycle and still conform with the teachings of the present invention.

It is also to be understood that the consideration of only one of the phases of the Cycle need be practiced to be considered to fall within the scope of the teachings of the present invention, although consideration of two, three or all four of the phases of the Production/Consumption Waste Cycle are to be preferred.

In an embodiment, all or selected parts of the information is displayed in a graphical user interface (GUI). When each phase is identified and information is available concerning the demand and the product demanded, the database can be queried to quantify all of the information. A listing of all elements involved in the Cycle may be displayed on the GUI. These elements can be prioritized according to their practical usefulness, cost efficiency and impact on the environment. The priority display may also show the benefits of a particular element listed next to the element. Although the software will automatically list and prioritize the elements in the most cost and environmentally efficient manner, the decision maker may also interactively change around the elements to see the changes in efficiency and waste when one element is exchanged for another. Alternatives will also be listed in order to aid the decision maker in replacing elements. The corresponding cost efficiency and environmental impact of the alternatives will be listed next to the alternatives. Once again, the decision maker may make an interactive comparison of all the elements and their alternatives. To be most successful, each step of each phase can be listed. Therefore each specific step of the Demand, Production,

Marketing/Packaging and Consumption process can be listed, quantified and analyzed to be made more efficient.

In another embodiment, an already known product can be analyzed. Information that has already been quantified can be input into the database. The software will list and prioritize the known elements of the product. A listing will be displayed that will prioritize the elements and improve the cost efficiency and environmental impact in all phases of the product.

As shown above each phase is broken down into specific components containing data to be used to quantify the waste in the Cycle. In an embodiment of the invention, all of the information for each phase is stored in a separate data structure in the database. The file system in an embodiment will include but will not be limited to the following files: Demand, Production, Marketing/Packaging, and

Consumption. Therefore when a user makes a query for Demand information, for example, the software accesses the Demand file. Any further queries for Demand will only access the Demand file. The same is true for the remaining three files and respective queries.

In another embodiment of the invention, specific data elements may be separated into different files. Information is stored by data elements and need not be stored by Phase. Such files include but are not limited to the following: Product, Company/Business Entity, Issue, Location, Demand, Technology, Marketing/Packaging Methods, Production Method, Health and Environmental Impact, consumption, Reference, Consumer Type, Disposal Method, Natural Resources, Synthetic Resources, Public Risk, Waste and Regulation files. When a decision maker makes a query, for example, for the manufacturing entities, the software accesses the Company/Business Entity file. When the decision-maker makes a query about the advertising entities, the Company/Business Entity file will again be accessed.

In another embodiment of the invention, the Production/Consumption Waste Cycle Analysis can be used as a method to bring together business entities that have a mutual need or desire to improve cost efficiency and environmental impact. Figure 8 depicts a flowchart of a conference that may be used as a business method. It is understood that the business method is not limited to a conference, and that other ways of bringing together business entities may be used. Sponsors 805 may be used to provide funding for the conference. For example, large corporations such as Coca Cola, General Electric, etc. may provide financial donations in exchange for having their names mentioned in connection with the Conference and gaining Eco-credibility with the public. Corporate and other donors may also obtain priority access to introducing their "technologies" or acquiring new "technologies" at the conference. Keynote Speakers 810 can include but are not limited to opinion leaders, issue spokespersons, and other experts who highlight environmental issues, cost efficiency issues and new "technologies" etc. Their speeches focus the issues and prepare the conference attendees for further group discussion and exchange of contacts and information for implementation of new "technologies" and other solutions that improve cost efficiency and environmental impact. A trained facilitator 815 explains the use of the Cycle and mediates discussion by the Discussion Panel and Guest Audience. A Discussion Panel 820 is made up of selected business and industry leaders, inventors or owners of "technologies", decision-makers, etc. The Panel discusses how to use the Cycle to solve business problems related to cost efficiency and environmental impact. A Guest Audience 825 composed of other business and industry leaders, product developers, manufacturers, consumers, consultants and inventors or owners of "technologies" etc. may also be included. The Guest Audience may also participate in the Panel Discussion as appropriate and as guided by the Facilitator. As a result of the Conference and Panel Discussion, introductions and business contacts are made 830 for the purpose of arranging business deals with decision-makers, business entities and inventors or owners of "technologies" that can solve business problems related to cost efficiency and environmental impact.

Production/Consumption Waste Cycle Analysis - Examples

Example 1 : Perfume Perfume and its use by a person can be analyzed using the cycle in order to replace or improve perfume in a manner that is cost effective and environmentally friendly. Perfume is analyzed using the demand branch of the cycle in this example. As required, other branches can be analyzed for further identification of business opportunities.

The demand associated with perfume may be considered both real and artificial. The real demand is to hide or enhance odor when unpleasant and to generate a more pleasant odor than the natural odor. The artificial demand can be for attracting the opposite sex, or for fashion, that is, desire for a more attractive smell created by advertising. This artificial demand can also be a desire for a status symbol by identifying with a name brand, or to create a personal or group identity with the users of the perfume. In identifying the waste associated with the real demand, the decision-maker then queries how efficiently does the perfume satisfy the real demand, and whether there is another more cost effective and environmentally friendly way to satisfy the real demand. Ingredients, materials, manufacturing processes, advertising methods and their associated materials and processes, consumption and disposal patterns may be queried for their waste, toxicity and cost efficiency. At this stage, more cost efficient and environmentally friendly ways of meeting the real demand of perfume may be identified, such as better soaps, showers, washing methods, scented clothing etc. In identifying the waste associated with the artificial demand, the decision-maker queries how effectively perfume actually satisfies the artificial demand. For example, the strength or magnitude of the artificial demand, how easily the artificial demand might be eliminated or modified, can be considered and a query can be made as to whether there is another product that would satisfy the demand that is more cost effective and environmentally friendly. The decision-maker also queries whether the perfume's artificial demand creates tangible waste that is environmentally unfriendly, considering the ingredients, materials, manufacturing processes, packaging, advertising methods and their associated materials and processes, consumption and disposal patterns etc. The cost and source of funds for advertising using television, magazines etc. may be queried. A further query is whether there is conceptual waste such as time and money spent on research and development, design advertising and sales of perfume. For example, the company may be using well-known sex symbol to pitch the perfume, stating how the perfume has created her success. However, making a query into the market in which the advertisement is directed may reveal that most of the consumers do not admire the sex symbol and would rather not associate themselves with a product used by the sex symbol. A further query can be made to show that the consumers would rather associate themselves with another actor who would actually cost less to hire. This spokesperson replacement would not only decrease cost but actually also increase profits. An additional query is whether the conceptual waste can be redirected and spent on other products that are more cost effective and environmentally friendly but still meet the artificial demand. In summary, the short and long-term value of meeting the artificial demand can be compared to the risk, cost and environmental impact. If there is a new perfume that meets the real demand, but does not quite meet the artificial demand because the product is made by a business entity that is not well known, consumer education can also be considered. The new perfume may replace an ingredient found in most commercial perfumes that has been linked to certain skin disorders. Consumer education would include marketing the perfume not only emphasizing the pleasant odor associated with the perfume but also emphasizing the health benefits that may also result. Example 2: Cardboard Packaging

Cardboard Packaging can be considered as a primary product sold to manufacturers and distributors of other products, or as an intermediate product that is part of an analysis of a main product such as perfume.

The real demand for cardboard packaging is the protection of goods while in transit and while on the shelf. It also creates an attractive look to help sales promotion. It can display information such as ingredients, manufacturers name and trademark, the purpose and instructions for use as well as applicable warnings, whether voluntary or required by law.

Artificial demand for cardboard packaging might exist if cardboard packaging material were disproportionately advertised and over-used in relation to other possible packaging materials that are better suited to the real demand.

Waste associated with the real demand can be identified by querying into how efficiently the cardboard packaging satisfies the real demand, and whether there are more cost effective and environmentally friendly ways to satisfy the real demand.

Waste associated with the artificial demand can be queried. The decision-maker asks what other materials or products could be used if cardboard packaging were reduced, replaced or eliminated and whether another material or manufacturing process of packaging offers practical usefulness, cost savings or environmental benefits. For example, perfume is often packaged in cardboard boxes but could be sold without the cardboard package, or the cardboard could be replaced with a bio-degradable plastic mesh package with a unique design to emphasize the uniqueness of the perfume, thus also meeting the artificial demand by giving the user a status symbol.

This example illustrates how a decision-maker can identify a business opportunity and identify the variables associated with the opportunity by taking an existing product and making the proper queries by analyzing the Cycle.

As a result the decision-maker can identify how to replace or improve cardboard packaging in a manner that is cost effective and environmentally friendly in general or to only replace or improve cardboard packaging in a specific application.

Example 3: "Luxury" or High Price Watch A "luxury" or high price watch such as a solid 18k gold wristwatch with a diamond face in the range of $25,000.00 to $100,000.00 United States Dollars may be analyzed. The real demand for the watch is to tell time and to be part of a business, casual, formal or other wardrobe. The artificial demand may be to attract the opposite sex, or to have a symbol of a brand name that indicates wealth and social class. It may create the impression that the wearer is powerful and successful, sexy, adventurous, traditional, flamboyant, rich or some other characteristic.

Waste associated with the real demand is queried. A query determines how efficiently the high price watch satisfies the real demand, and whether there exists a more cost effective and environmentally friendly way to satisfy the real demand of telling time and creating a piece of wardrobe. To determine the waste associated with the artificial demand, a query is made in to whether the high price watch satisfies the artificial demand efficiently. For example, the quality and cost of diamonds in the face of the watch can be queried. If high quality diamonds are used they can be replaced by lower quality diamonds that still meet the artificial demand and reduce the cost and waste of placing high quality diamonds in the watch face.

It is also determined whether the high price watch creates tangible waste that is environmentally unfriendly considering the ingredients, manufacturing processes and packaging. For example, the chemicals used to prepare each diamond setting could be reduced or eliminated if the diamonds were reduced or eliminated. Another query is whether the high price watch's artificial demand creates conceptual waste as time and money spent on research and development, design, advertising and sales. This conceptual waste might be redirected to be spent on other products that are more needful, cost efficient and environmentally friendly. For example, it may be determined that the materials used, such as diamonds of the present watch satisfies the artificial demand well beyond the expectations of the consumers. Yet, the manufacturer still diverts funds into the such costly materials. At the same time, more money is needed to solve a problem that research and development has been trying to solve involving the winding mechanism. The winding mechanism may be generating many complaints and a bad reputation for quality. Conceptual waste would be reduced if the money were diverted from such costly materials to research and development which would result in improved winding mechanisms and consequent reduced complaints from consumers.

Example 4: University Course Curriculum The real demand associated with a University Course Curriculum is to provide an education, to prepare for life work, and to shape thinking and values, which can include influencing taste and purchasing decisions.

An artificial demand might exist if a particular course curriculum is disproportionately promoted and over-used in relation to other possible course curriculums, or if the curriculum instills the idea that high cost and environmentally unfriendly manufacturing processes are acceptable and do not need to be changed. The decision-maker may be the president of the University, the chairman of a committee or individual professor responsible for the creation of the curriculum or a consultant to the University. In this example, the decision-maker asks if the curriculum satisfies the real demand, and whether there are other practical and more cost effective and environmentally ways to satisfy the demand.

The decision-maker also queries whether the curriculum helps, hinders or has no impact on the formation of students' ideas related to cost effectiveness and environmental concern, and whether there are better ways to shape the students values in these areas.

The decision-maker then queries whether the curriculum artificial demand has any tangible waste that is costly and environmentally unfriendly such as the need for special laboratory and teaching materials or the cost of hiring a professor who specializes in only one area of instruction. Another query may be whether the curriculum instills ideas to use materials and manufacturing processes that have poor cost efficiency and are environmentally unfriendly. Further inquiries can include whether the artificial demand creates conceptual waste as time and money spent on research and development, design, advertising and sales of non-progressive courses, and whether time and money can be redirected and spent on curricula that instill thinking and values that are more cost effective and environmentally friendly, or to other university activities such as research and development programs with government agencies or private entities for technologies that are more cost effective and environmentally friendly. This example illustrates how the cycle can be analyzed on a demand as fundamental as education and can result in a educated student body that can spread the ideas of cost effectiveness and environmental friendliness on a large scale.

A number of embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it is understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-based method for use within a business analysis system for evaluating cost and waste associated with a business transaction relating to a product, the method comprising: obtaining information associated with the demand, production, marketing/packaging and consumption relating to a product; storing the obtained information in a database for retrieval or analysis by the business analysis system; optionally, storing other categories of information relevant to the product in a database for retrieval or analysis by the business analysis system; using the retrieved information to analyze a business transaction with respect to the demand, production, marketing/packaging and consumption associated with the business transaction; and determining variations in cost or waste which may be realized with respect to the product resulting from the business transaction.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the business transaction is the identification of a business opportunity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the business opportunity is the identification and matching of additional business entities.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the business opportunity is improving a product.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the product is a tangible article.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the product is a service.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the business transaction is the creation of demand for a potential product.

8. A computer program product, disposed on a computer readable medium, for predicting and analyzing cost and waste within a business analysis system, the product comprising instructions for causing a computer to: obtain information associated with the production of a product; store the obtained information in a database along with other categories of information for retrieval by the business analysis system; use the retrieved information to analyze a business transaction to identify cost and waste variables; and reduce the cost and waste associated with the business transaction.

9. A computer system for predicting and analyzing cost and waste within a business analysis system, comprising: means for obtaining information associated with the production of a product; means for storing the obtained information in a database along with other categories of information for retrieval by the business analysis system; means for using the retrieved information to analyze a business transaction to identify cost and waste variables; and means for reducing the cost and waste associated with the business transaction.

10. A method of identifying and reducing costs and waste associated with a product, comprising: defining a plurality of phases associated with the product, wherein the phases comprise demand, production, marketing and consumption; identifying phase variables associated with each of the phases; and performing an analysis on each of the phase variables to determine a quantified cost and waste associated with each phase.

1 1. The method of claim 10 wherein defining a plurality of phases further comprises: identifying primary processes used in each of the phases that contribute to the cost and the waste associated with the product; identifying a plurality of substitute processes which are adapted to replace the primary processes; and determining which of the plurality of substitute processes reduce the cost and waste associated with the primary processes.

12. A method of predicting business opportunities, comprising: identifying an occurrence having a perceivable consequence that effects an operation of a first entity; identifying at least one additional entity having products that are adapted to interact with the occurrences to alter the perceivable consequence; and creating an interaction between the first entity and at the at least one additional entity.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the occurrence is an environmental condition.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the occurrence is a government action.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the occurrence is a business condition.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the occurrence is public opinion.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the interaction is a contract.

18. A method of identifying and matching business entities, comprising: identifying a first business entity having a first product; identifying a second business entity having a second product; determining variables associated with the first and second products; analyzing the variables associated with the first and second products for cost and waste associated with the first and second products; applying the variables of the first product to the variables of the second product to determine if a reduction in waste and cost results in either of the variables of the first and second products; and creating an interaction between the first entity and the second entity to achieve the reduction in waste and cost.

19. A method of analyzing an existing product, comprising: identifying a variable associated with the existing product; identifying a waste associated with the variable that interferes with efficiency; associating a value to the waste; determining a plan that directs the value associated with the waste for improving the efficiency of the variable; and implementing the plan to direct the value to improve the efficiency of the phase variable.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the phase variable is at least one of demand, production, marketing and consumption.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein identifying a phase variable associated with the product further comprises creating a demand for a potential product.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein creating a demand for a potential product comprises: identifying a current demand for the existing product; identifying a plurality of sources that correspond to the current demand; identifying consumers who possess the current demand; quantifying the plurality of sources of the current demand; and interacting with the consumers to enhance the demand for the potential product so that the quantities associated with the sources of the current demand correspond with the demand for the potential product.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the current demand is a real demand.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the demand is an artificial demand.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein interacting with the consumers comprises: educating the consumers that at least one of the sources of the current demand has qualities that are desirable and important to the consumers; educating the consumers that the potential product has the qualities that are desirable and important to the consumers; and informing the consumers that the potential product has at least one additional quality that is potentially important and desirable to the consumers.

26. The method of claim 18 wherein the creation of an interaction between the first entity and the second entity is a conference.

27. A computer program product, disposed on a computer readable medium, for evaluating cost and waste associated with a business transaction relating to a product, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to: obtaining information associated with the demand, production, marketing/packaging and consumption relating to a product; storing the obtained information in a database for retrieval or analysis by the business analysis system; optionally, storing other categories of information relevant to the product in a database for retrieval or analysis by the business analysis system; using the retrieved information to analyze a business transaction with respect to the demand, production, marketing/packaging and consumption associated with the business transaction; and determining variations in cost or waste which may be realized with respect to the product resulting from the business transaction.