APPARATUS FOR PREDICTING FUTURE VENDOR PERFORMANCE

1 . A vendor procurement apparatus for predicting future vendor performance for a new task based on previous vendor performance, the vendor procurement apparatus comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium storing:

a vendor database, wherein:

the vendor database stores a list of vendor entries regarding a group of vendors and at least one property for each vendor of the group of vendors;

each vendor entry identifies a particular vendor and objective data for at least one previous task performed by the particular vendor; and

the objective data includes metrics regarding the particular vendor's performance of the associated previous task;

a network interface configured to receive from a carrier a search request pertaining to the new task and properties of a desired vendor; and

a processor configured to:

identify at least one vendor in the vendor database, wherein each identified vendor has at least one property that matches at least one property of the desired vendor; and

for each identified vendor:

identify at least one matching previous task performed by the identified vendor that matches at least one characteristic of the new task;

determine other matching tasks in the vendor database that match at least one characteristic of the matching previous task performed by the identified vendor;

determine statistical properties of the metrics associated with the other matching tasks;

for each identified at least one matching previous task performed by the identified vendor:

for each metric associated with the identified matching previous task, convert the metric into a metric rating based on the determined statistical properties of that metric for the other matching tasks; and

determine a task rating for the identified matching previous task based on the at least one metric rating and a weighting factor, wherein the weighting factor applies a weight to each metric rating; and

determine a prediction of future performance of the new task by the identified vendor based on the determined at least one task rating.

2 . The vendor procurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the prediction of future performance for a given vendor is an average of the determined at least one task rating.

3 . The vendor procurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the determined statistical properties of the metrics associated with the other matching tasks include the mean value and the standard deviation of the metrics;

the metric rating for a given metric associated with the identified matching task is equal to a constant value plus or minus a number of half standard deviations by which the given metric differs from the mean value of that metric associated with the other matching tasks.

4 . The vendor procurement apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:

the metric rating is determined for each metric associated with the identified matching previous task; and

the task rating is equal to the sum of each metric rating multiplied by the weight associated with the metric divided by the sum of the weights associated with each metric rating.

5 . The vendor procurement apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the constant value equals 5.

6 . The vendor procurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the weighting factor is received as part of the search request and/or is stored in a weighting factor database stored in the non-transitory computer readable medium.

7 . The vendor procurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the carrier specifies the criteria for determining whether a particular property of a particular vendor matches a particular property of the desired vendor and/or whether a particular previous task stored in the vendor database matches the at least one characteristic of the new task.

8 . The vendor procurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the criteria for determining whether a particular property of a particular vendor matches a particular property of the desired vendor and/or whether a particular previous task stored in the vendor database matches the at least one characteristic of the new task is stored in a criteria matching database stored in the non-transitory computer readable medium.

9 . The vendor procurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the other matching tasks do not include previous tasks performed by the identified vendor.

10 . The vendor procurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the new task is requested by an insurance carrier and the vendors provide professional services.

11 . The vendor procurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the processor is further configured to analyze the new task to determine the at least one characteristic of the new task; or

the network interface is further configured to receive at least one characteristic of the new task.

12 . The vendor procurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the network interface is further configured to provide to the carrier information regarding the determined prediction of future performance of the identified at least one vendor.

13 . The vendor procurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the identified at least one vendor includes multiple vendors; and

the information regarding the determined prediction of future performance of the identified vendors is rank ordered based on the prediction of future performance associated with each vendor of the identified vendors.

14 . A method for predicting future vendor performance for a new task based on previous vendor performance, the method comprising:

receiving from a carrier a search request pertaining to the new task and properties of a desired vendor;

identifying at least one vendor in a vendor database stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein each identified vendor has at least one property that matches at least one property of the desired vendor;

for each identified vendor:

identifying at least one matching previous task performed by the identified vendor that matches at least one characteristic of the new task;

determining other matching tasks stored in the vendor database that match at least one characteristic of the matching previous task performed by the identified vendor;

determining statistical properties of metrics associated with the other matching tasks;

for each identified at least one matching previous task performed by the identified vendor:

for each metric associated with the identified matching previous task, converting the metric into a metric rating based on the determined statistical properties of that metric for the other matching tasks;

determining a task rating for the identified matching previous task based on the at least one metric rating and a weighting factor, wherein the weighting factor applies a weight to each metric rating;

determining a prediction of future performance of the new task by the identified vendor based on the determined at least one task rating.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the prediction of future performance for a given vendor is an average of the determined at least one task rating.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein:

the determined statistical properties of the metrics associated with the other matching tasks include the mean value and the standard deviation of the metrics; and

the metric rating for a given metric associated with the identified matching task is equal to a constant value plus or minus a number of half standard deviations by which the given metric differs from the mean value of that metric associated with the other matching tasks.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein:

the metric rating is determined for each metric associated with the identified matching previous task;

the task rating is equal to the sum of each metric rating multiplied by the weight associated with the metric divided by the sum of the weights associated with each metric rating.

18 . A legal professional service procurement apparatus for predicting future performance of a provider of professional services to insurance carriers for a new task based on previous performance, the procurement apparatus comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium storing:

a professional service provider database, wherein:

the professional service provider database stores a list of provider entries regarding a group of providers of professional services to insurance carriers and at least one property for each provider of the group of providers;

each provider entry identifies a particular provider and objective data for at least one previous task performed by the particular provider; and

the objective data includes metrics regarding the particular provider's performance of the associated previous task;

a network interface configured to receive from an insurance carrier a search request pertaining to the new task and properties of a desired provider; and

a processor configured to:

identify at least one provider in the professional service provider database, wherein each identified provider has at least one property that matches at least one property of the desired provider; and

for each identified provider:

identify at least one matching previous task performed by the identified provider that matches at least one characteristic of the new task;

determine other matching tasks in the professional service provider database that match at least one characteristic of the matching previous task performed by the identified vendor;

determine statistical properties of the metrics associated with the other matching tasks;

for each identified at least one matching previous task performed by the identified vendor:

for each metric associated with the identified matching previous task, convert the metric into a metric rating based on the determined statistical properties of that metric for the other matching tasks; and

determine a task rating for the identified matching previous task based on the at least one metric rating and a weighting factor, wherein the weighting factor applies a weight to each metric rating; and

determine a prediction of future performance of the new task by the identified provider based on the determined at least one task rating.

19 . The legal professional service procurement apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the prediction of future performance for a given provider is an average of the determined at least one task rating.

20 . The legal professional service procurement apparatus of claim 18 , wherein:

the determined statistical properties of the metrics associated with the other matching tasks include the mean value and the standard deviation of the metrics;

the metric rating for a given metric associated with the identified matching task is equal to a constant value plus or minus a number of half standard deviations by which the given metric differs from the mean value of that metric associated with the other matching tasks.

21 . The legal professional service procurement apparatus of claim 20 , wherein:

the metric rating is determined for each metric associated with the identified matching previous task; and

the task rating is equal to the sum of each metric rating multiplied by the weight associated with the metric divided by the sum of the weights associated with each metric rating.