Methods and systems for providing employment management services over a network

• US 20020069081A1
• Filed: 10/31/2001
• Published: 06/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Workscape Incorporated (Automatic Data Processing Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Workscape Incorporated (Automatic Data Processing Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bennett, Scott, Trice, Andrew, Phillips, Kenneth F., Dooley, Jeff, Waluk, Michael J., Ingram, Aubrey Lee, Nazzaro, William F.
• Application Number:
  US09/998,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20020069081A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/154 Tree transformation for tree-structured or markup documents, e.g. XSLT, XSL-FO or stylesheets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for providing employment management services to a user via a network. The systems disclosed herein can comprise a portal server hosting at least a portion of an employment management services accessible to a user via a client system, at least one business application, wherein said at least one business application concerns an employment service which is offered to the user, at least one database of information concerning an employment service which is offered to the user, and wherein the employment management services includes a user interface comprising controls whereby the user submits information. The system can assist a services manager in managing employment services being offered to the user. The methods disclosed herein include providing a user interface having controls to a user to access an employment management services, receiving first information from the user via the controls; and processing the received information to provide an employment service to the user.

Claims

1. A method for providing employment management services to a network user, said method comprising:

providing a user interface to said user to access said employment management services, wherein said user interface comprises controls, and wherein said employment management services comprise at least one of the following business applications;

an employee self-service application, a manager self-service application, a workforce management application, a payroll services application, a human resources services application, an enterprise resource planning services application and a marketplace services application;

receiving first information from said user via said controls; and

processing said received information to provide an employment service to said user.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said user interface further comprises a portal and wherein said controls of said user interface are provided with said portal.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

presenting controls to said user via said user interface to access said at least one business application, wherein said controls are presented to said user based upon said first information received from said user; and

receiving second information from said user via said controls, wherein said first and second information is processed to provide an employment service to said user.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3, further comprising bundling a plurality of controls, wherein said bundled plurality of controls are presented to said user via user interface to access at least one business application.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4, further comprising utilizing an events-based navigation module to determine said bundling of said plurality of controls.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user request for information from said at least one business application;

presenting controls to said user via said user interface to access said at least one business application, wherein said controls are presented to said user based upon said user request for information; and

receiving second information from said user via said controls, wherein said first and second information is processed to provide an employment service to said user.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

presenting said controls to said user via said user interface to access a plurality of business applications, wherein said controls to access said plurality of business applications are presented to said user in a common format.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, further comprising bundling a plurality of controls, wherein said bundled plurality of controls are presented to said user via said user interface to access said plurality of business applications.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising utilizing an events-based navigation module to determine said bundling of said plurality of controls.

10. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein said controls to access said plurality of business applications are presented to said user based upon said first information received from said user, and wherein said first and second information is processed to provide an employment service to said user.

11. A method in accordance with claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a user request for information from at least one business application, and

wherein said controls are presented to said user based upon said user request for information received from said at least one business application.

12. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a user identity based upon at least a portion of said first information received from said user; and

determining a user authorization for said user, wherein said user authorization is based upon said established user identity.

13. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said processing of said received information comprises:

accessing at least one database of information; and

updating said at least one database of information based upon said information received from said user.

14. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

accessing at least one database of information to identify at least one business application which is associated with at least a portion of said information received from said user; and

providing said portion of said received information to said at least one identified business application, wherein said at least one identified business application module processes said provided information to provide an employment service to said user.

15. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein said at least one business application accesses a database of information having data concerning said user to process said provided information.

16. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

storing at least a portion of said information received from said user in at least one database of information.

17. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

updating at least one database of information with at least a portion of said information received from said user.

18. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

updating a plurality of databases of information with at least a portion of said information received from said user,

wherein said plurality of databases of information each contain information relating to said user.

19. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a user session log within at least one database to record said employment service provided to said user.

20. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

delivering a message via said user interface confirming said employment service has been provided to said user.

21. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a first database of information to verify a user identity and a user authorization of said user based upon at least a portion of said information received from said user;

accessing a second database of information to identify said at least one business application module which is associated with at least a portion of said information received from said user; and

providing said portion of said received information to said at least one identified business application module, wherein said at least one identified business application module processes said provided information to provide an employment service to said user.

22. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein said at least one identified business application module accessing a third database of information in processing said provided information, wherein said third database of information includes data associated with said user.

24. A system in accordance with claim 23, wherein said user interface further comprises a portal and wherein said controls of said user interface are provided within said portal.

25. A system in accordance with claim 23, wherein said at least one services manager includes an employer of said user.

26. A system in accordance with claim 23, wherein said at least one services manager includes a third party supplier who provides services to said user.

27. A system in accordance with claim 23, wherein said at least one business application includes at least one of the following:

an employee self-service application,

a manager self-service application,

a workforce management application,

a payroll services application, a human resources services application,

an enterprise resource planning services application and

a marketplace services application.

28. A system in accordance with claim 23, wherein said client system includes at least one of the following:

a computer, a telephone,

a wireless communication device,

an information kiosk,

a fax device,

a television and

a call center.

29. A system in accordance with claim 23, wherein said user interface further comprises:

an authentication module to authenticate an identity of said user, wherein said authentication module compares said submitted information to information stored in said at least one database of information; and

an authorization module to determine which employment services are available to said user.

30. A system in accordance with claim 29, wherein said user interface further comprises a security module to protect information exchanged within said system.

31. A system in accordance with claim 30, wherein said security module utilizes a secure sockets layer protocol.

32. A system in accordance with claim 23, further comprising:

a user database, wherein said user database includes data associated with said user; and

an application database, wherein said application database includes data associated with said user and which is relevant to said at least one business application.

33. A system in accordance with claim 23, the system further comprising a workflow module, wherein said workflow module directs the presentation of said controls within said user interface based upon a received user request for information.

34. A system in accordance with claim 23, the system further comprising a business rules engine, wherein said business rules engine controls the presentation of said user interface.

35. A system in accordance with claim 35, the system further comprising a business logic module.

36. A system in accordance with claim 23, the system further comprising a session management module.

37. A system in accordance with claim 23, the system further comprising a data integration module to update information stored in said at least one database of information.

38. A system in accordance with claim 23, the system further comprising an event-based navigation module, wherein said events-based navigation module bundles a plurality of controls to be presented to said user via said user interface.

39. A system in accordance with claim 38, wherein said event-based navigation module bundles said plurality of controls to be presented to said user via said user interface based upon information received from said user.

40. A system in accordance with claim 38, wherein said bundled plurality of controls are associated with a plurality of business applications.

41. A system in accordance with claim 23, wherein said employee services management service further comprises

at least one application server to communicate with said portal server and said at least one business application;

and

at least one application database of information, wherein said at least one application database of information includes data associated with said user.

42. A system in accordance with claim 23, the system further comprising an event-based navigation module, wherein said events-based navigation module bundles a plurality of controls to be presented to said user via said user interface.

43. A system in accordance with claim 42, wherein said bundled plurality of controls are associated with a plurality of business applications.

44. A system in accordance with claim 23, the system further comprising a data integration module to update information stored in said at least one application database of information.

45. A system in accordance with claim 23, wherein said employee services management service further comprises:

a business application logic layer comprising at least one application module, wherein said at least one application module relates to a service available to at least one user, and wherein said business application level delivers said at least one application module to said portal; and

a data access layer to retrieve and store information.

23. A system for providing employment management services, the system comprising:

a portal server hosting at least a portion of an employment management services accessible to a user via a client system;

at least one business application, wherein said at least one business application concerns an employment service which is offered to said user;

at least one database of information concerning an employment service which is offered to said user;

said employment management services comprising a user interface comprising controls whereby said user submits information, said employment management services being available via a network to assist at least one services manager in managing employment services offered to said user.