Primary Process & Methods Patent # 5,890,149

Name: Organization Training, Coaching & Indexing System
Filed: June 20, 1996
Granted: March 30, 1999
Initial Expiry Date: March 30, 2014
Inventor / Owner: Robert J. Schmonsees
17 Different Claims
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Background

The value and differentiation logic behind customer / solution centric positioning & messaging (i.e. outside-in) is a lot more complex than product centric positioning, which is inside-out.  This outside-in model is extraordinarily difficult to implement through traditional documents as it would involve too much duplication and would be nearly impossible to maintain. 

This complexity is exacerbated by the fact that positioning and messaging is a continuous improvement process not an event.

The patent outlines a broad based solution to these two problems through the following three generic capabilities:

1. A knowledge model that can support:
1. A “many-to-many” relationship structure between three different topic hierarchies:
1. Customer Needs
2. A Company’s Capabilities
3. Competitive Alternatives

(Note: This three dimensional model is critical because it is logically impossible to represent the concepts of differentiation, value, and differentiated value without relating these three types of information. (i.e. Why is your product different than a competitor and how does that impact my needs?)

1. An input system for people to add knowledge to the model
2. A user display and feedback process so the knowledge & information is continuously improved

Implications of the patent:

The patent is very broad by design and could be interpreted to apply to almost any sales enablement or content management system that has a taxonomy that includes these three types of information.   The intent of the patent however is to protect a more narrow interpretation that covers the definition, documentation, and continuous improvement of the raw materials knowledge about customer needs, value, and differentiation that drives the positioning and messaging process, not the finished collateral.

Secondly, the model supports the concept of a Customer Need being a complex entity with primary and secondary information (i.e. underlying issues) associated with that over riding Customer Need.  This is a critical aspect of collecting the kind of knowledge required to support the kind of problem solving conversations required in a solution centric sale.

FAQs

1. Does the patent apply to any specific implementation of the data model or any specific technology platform?

No, the patent is generic in that it covers any way to implement the logical model and over riding Value Mapping process as long as the three types of information are supported and the user has a facility to provide feedback.

2. What if I am not concerned with the concept of differentiation and have developed a product that only relates needs to capabilities?
   
   The way process and methods patents work is that this patent does not apply to a commercially available system that does not contain both the three kinds of information and a user feedback process. 

3. What if the data and feedback model in our system is more complex than the model described in the patent?
   
   If you have developed a commercially available system that programmatically supports all three dimensions envisioned by the patent, even if that model contains additional capabilities, then this patent probably represents what is called consequential patented prior art and you run the risk of infringing on it.

4. What if our system support the three value dimensional model but not the concept of feedback
   
   Since the patent explicitly included both the data model and the feedback loop your system would not infringe upon it.