Assignment manager

• US 20020029161A1
• Filed: 05/30/2001
• Published: 03/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Lim, Peter Siam Sy III, Brodersen, Robert A., Chatterjee, Prashant, Malden, Matthew S., Wandless, Duane
• Granted Patent: US 6,850,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method, a program product, and a system for assigning resources to tasks in a rule based, resource constrained system. This is done by receiving as inputs tasks and task attributes; resources and resource attributes; and assignment rules. These inputs are used to searching a database of tasks, task attributes, and assignment rules thereof, to search a database of resources including resource attributes thereof, and to retrieve resources based upon the resource attributes. Resources are assigned to tasks based upon matches and scores of the resource attributes, the task attributes, and the assignment rules.

Claims

1. A method for assigning resources to tasks in a rule based, resource constrained system comprising the steps of:

a. receiving as input

i. tasks and task attributes;

ii. resources and resource attributes; and

iii. assignment rules;

b. searching a database of tasks, task attributes, and assignment rules thereof;

c. searching a database of resources including resource attributes thereof,

d. retrieving resources based upon the resource attributes thereof, and

e. assigning resources to tasks based upon the resource attributes, the task attributes, and the assignment rules.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising:

a. finding assignment rules for a task;

.

b. evaluating the assignment rules for a task;

c. determining at least one candidate for each assignment rule that satisfies the task'"'"'s attributes from each assignment rule;

d. evaluating each candidate against assignment rule criteria;

e. scoring each qualified candidate for each assignment rule;

f. applying the assignment rule to scored candidates to generate a list of assignees;

g. evaluating exclusive assignment rules, if any;

h. determining the highest scoring assignment rule;

i. determining the primary assignee from the highest scoring assignment rule; and

j. generating assignments of resources to tasks.

3. The method of claim 2 comprising finding all of the assignment rules for a task.

4. The method of claim 2 comprising evaluating all of the assignment rules that satisfy a particular task'"'"'s attributes.

5. The method of claim 4 comprising determining assignment candidates based upon one or more of:

i. position based assignment;

ii. employee based assignment,

iii. all people assignment,

iv. task rules matching task attributes with criteria in the rules,

v. “

compare task to person”

rules matching task attributes with employee or position attributes and/or skills,

vi. person rules matching person'"'"'s attributes and/or skills with criteria in rules;

vii. workload rules;

viii. calendar availability rules;

ix. CTI availability rules; and

x. geographic proximity rules.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the assignment criteria are one or more of:

i. composite criteria having multiple attributes;

ii. criteria having a finite range;

iii. criteria having one or more wild cards; and

iv. criteria having an expertise code.

7. The method of claim 2 comprising evaluating each assignment candidate based upon one or more of:

i. removing all candidates that do not satisfy all required criteria;

ii. removing all candidates that have a workload greater that a pre-assigned maximum workload.

8. The method of claim 2 comprising scoring each qualified candidate for each assignment rule based upon one or more of:

i. the sum of all assignment criteria that satisfy the task'"'"'s attributes;

ii. the expertise weight score of the candidate;

iii. the score of the candidate; and

iv. the workload score.

9. The method of claim 2 comprising generating a list of assignees based upon one or more of:

i. keeping all candidates with an assignment score greater then or equal to the assignment rules'"'"' minimum score;

ii. keeping all candidates having an attribute meeting the assignment rule;

iii. choosing a random candidate meeting the assignment rule; and

iv. choosing the candidate having the highest assignment score.

10. The method of claim 2 comprising determining the highest scoring assignment rule as the primary assignment rule.

11. The method of claim 10 selecting as the assignee the candidate assignee having the highest score for the primary assignment rule.

12. The method of claim 9 comprising writing the primary assignment rule and the primary assignee to the task'"'"'s table.

13. The method of claim 2 comprising assigning individuals to tasks in one or more of a one best fit, a random fit, or a round robin fit.

14. The method of claim 2 comprising assigning teams to tasks.

15. The method of claim 14 comprising determining a primary person in the team.

16. The method of claim 2 comprising matching the closest fitting assignee to the task.

17. The method of claim 1 comprising configuring the task attributes.

18. The method of claim 1 comprising extending the task attributes.

19. The method of claim 1 comprising dynamically defining assignment rules.

20. The method of claim 1 comprising assigning tasks in the background.

21. The method of claim 1 comprising assigning tasks real time and interactively.

22. The method of claim 1 comprising assigning tasks dynamically.

24. The system of claim 23 being adapted to assign resources to tasks by a method comprising the steps of:

a. receiving as input

i. tasks and task attributes;

ii. resources and resource attributes; and

iii. assignment rules;

b. searching the database of tasks, task attributes, and assignment rules thereof;

c. searching the database of resources including resource attributes thereof,

d. retrieving resources from the database based upon the resource attributes thereof, and

e. assigning resources to tasks by the assignment engine based upon the resource attributes, the task attributes, and the assignment rules.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the system is further adapted to perform the steps of:

a. finding assignment rules for a task;

b. evaluating the assignment rules for a task;

c. determining at least one candidate for each assignment rule that satisfies the task'"'"'s attributes from each assignment rule;

d. evaluating each candidate against assignment rule criteria;

e. scoring each qualified candidate for each assignment rule;

f. applying the assignment rule to scored candidates to generate a list of assignees;

g. evaluating exclusive assignment rules, if any;

h. determining the highest scoring assignment rule;

i. determining the primary assignee from the highest scoring assignment rule; and

j. generating assignments of resources to tasks.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the system is further adapted to evaluate all of the assignment rules that satisfy a particular task'"'"'s attributes.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the system is further adapted to determine assignment candidates based upon one or more of:

i. position based assignment;

ii. employee based assignment, and

iii. all people assignment.

iv. task rules matching task attributes with criteria in the rules,

v. “

compare task to person”

rules matching task attributes with employee or position attributes and/or skills,

vi. person rules matching person'"'"'s attributes and/or skills with criteria in rules;

vii. workload rules;

viii. calendar availability rules;

ix. CTI availability rules; and

x. geographic proximity rules.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the assignment criteria are one or more of:

i. composite criteria having multiple attributes;

ii. criteria having a finite range;

iii. criteria having one or more wild cards; and

iv. criteria having an expertise code.

29. The system of claim 24 wherein the system is further adapted to evaluate each assignment candidate based upon one or more of:

i. removing all candidates that do not satisfy all required criteria;

ii. removing all candidates that have a workload greater than a pre-assigned maximum workload.

30. The system of claim 24 wherein the system is further adapted to score each qualified candidate for each assignment rule based upon one or more of:

i. the sum of all assignment criteria that satisfy the task'"'"'s attributes;

ii. the expertise weight score of the candidate;

iii. the score of the candidate; and

iv. the workload score.

31. The system of claim 24 wherein the system is further adapted to generate a list of assignees based upon one or more of:

i. keeping all candidates with an assignment score greater then or equal to the assignment rules'"'"' minimum score;

ii. keeping all candidates having an attribute meeting the assignment rule;

iii. choosing a random candidate meeting the assignment rule; and

iv. choosing the candidate having the highest assignment score.

32. The system of claim 24 wherein the system is further adapted to determine the highest scoring assignment rule as the primary assignment rule.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the system is further adapted to select as the assignee the candidate assignee having the highest score for the primary assignment rule.

34. The system of claim 24 wherein the system is further adapted to write the primary assignment rule and the primary assignee to the task'"'"'s table.

35. The system of claim 24 wherein the system is further adapted for assigning individuals to tasks in one or more of a one best fit, a random fit, or a round robin fit.

36. The system of claim 24 wherein the system is further adapted for assigning teams to tasks.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the system is further adapted for determining a primary person in the team.

38. The system of claim 24 wherein the system is further adapted for matching the closest fitting assignee to the task.

39. The system of claim 23 wherein the system is further adapted for configuring the tasks.

40. The system of claim 23 wherein the system is further adapted for extending the tasks.

41. The system of claim 23 wherein the system is further adapted for dynamically defining assignment rules.

42. The system of claim 23 wherein the system is further adapted for assigning tasks and tasks in the background.

43. The system of claim 23 wherein the system is further adapted for assigning tasks and tasks real time and interactively.

44. The system of claim 23 wherein the system is further adapted for assigning tasks and tasks dynamically.

46. The program product of claim 45 further comprising further comprising program code for:

a. finding assignment rules for a task;

.

b. evaluating the assignment rules for a task;

c. determining at least one candidate for each assignment rule that satisfies the task'"'"'s attributes from each assignment rule;

d. evaluating each candidate against assignment rule criteria;

e. scoring each qualified candidate for each assignment rule;

f. applying the assignment rule to scored candidates to generate a list of assignees;

g. evaluating exclusive assignment rules, if any;

h. determining the highest scoring assignment rule;

i. determining the primary assignee from the highest scoring assignment rule; and

j. generating assignments of resources to tasks.

47. The program product of claim 46 further comprising program code for finding all of the assignment rules for a task.

48. The program product of claim 46 further comprising program code for evaluating all of the assignment rules that satisfy a particular task'"'"'s attributes.

49. The program product of claim 48 further comprising program code for determining assignment candidates based upon one or more of:

i. position based assignment;

ii. employee based assignment, and

iii. all people assignment.

iv. task rules matching task attributes with criteria in the rules,

v. “

compare task to person”

rules matching task attributes with employee or position attributes and/or skills,

vi. person rules matching person'"'"'s attributes and/or skills with criteria in rules;

vii. workload rules;

viii. calendar availability rules;

ix. CTI availability rules; and

x. geographic proximity rules.

50. The program product of claim 46 further comprising program code for evaluating each assignment candidate based upon one or more of:

i. removing all candidates that do not satisfy all required criteria;

ii. removing all candidates that have a workload greater that a pre-assigned maximum workload.

51. The program product of claim 46 further comprising program code for scoring each qualified candidate for each assignment rule based upon one or more of:

i. the sum of all assignment criteria that satisfy the task'"'"'s attributes;

ii. the expertise weight score of the candidate;

iii. the score of the candidate; and

iv. the workload score.

52. The program product of claim 46 further comprising program code for generating a list of assignees based upon one or more of:

i. keeping all candidates with an assignment score greater then or equal to the assignment rules'"'"' minimum score;

ii. keeping all candidates having an attribute meeting the assignment rule;

iii. choosing a random candidate meeting the assignment rule; and

iv. choosing the candidate having the highest assignment score.

53. The program product of claim 45 comprising program code for extending the tasks.

54. The program product of claim 45 comprising program code for dynamically defining assignment rules.

55. The program product of claim 45 comprising program code for assigning tasks and tasks real time and interactively.

56. The program product of claim 45 comprising program code for assigning tasks and tasks dynamically.

23. A system for assigning resources to tasks responsive to user inputs of one or more of tasks or resources in a rule based, resource constrained system, said system having

a. a database of tasks, task attributes, and assignment rules thereof,

b. a database of resources including resource attributes thereof,

c. a database management system for retrieving resources based upon the resource attributes thereof, and

d. an assignment engine for assigning resources to tasks based upon the resource attributes, the task attributes, and the assignment rules.

45. A program product comprising a program storage device or devices residing on one or more computers, and having computer readable program code for assigning resources to tasks in a rule based, resource constrained system comprising the steps of:

a. receiving as input

i. tasks and task attributes;

ii. resources and resource attributes; and

iii. assignment rules;

b. searching a database of tasks, task attributes, and assignment rules thereof;

c. searching a database of resources including resource attributes thereof,

d. retrieving resources based upon the resource attributes thereof, and

e. assigning resources to tasks based upon the resource attributes, the task attributes, and the assignment rules.