Anonymous respondent method for evaluating business performance

• US 20030061141A1
• Filed: 11/06/2002
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dʼalessandro, Alex F.
• Original Assignee: Dʼalessandro, Alex F.
• Inventors: DʼAlessandro, Alex F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,720,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student

Abstract

A system for providing accurate, quantifiable and reproducible assessments of an organization'"'"'s performance based on predetermined criteria. The system includes a telecommunications infrastructure administered by a survey administrator. Employees or non-employees of a company or other organization to be evaluated log on to the system and answer a plurality of questions relating to various aspects of the business entity'"'"'s operations. The information may be obtained through Internet communications or through touch-tone telephone systems. The data is stored in a database and subsequently analyzed by the survey administrator for evaluation and forecasting of the business entity'"'"'s performance.

Claims

1. A method for quantifying predetermined criteria relating to the performance of an organization, comprising the steps of:

an array of survey questions for evaluating predetermined performance criteria of an organization;

a survey administrator;

a data-gathering interface for a predetermined pool of respondents to individually record answers to said survey questions;

a database accessible by said survey administrator containing answers submitted by said predetermined pool of respondents; and

a predetermined formula for evaluating said answers;

whereby members of said predetermined pool of respondents individually record answers to said survey questions through said data-gathering interface;

whereby said survey administrator stores said answers in said database so that said predetermined formula produces a quantified result based on said predetermined criteria relating to the performance of said organization.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a dual tone multi-frequency telephone system is utilized for said data-gathering interface and wherein individual members of said predetermined pool of respondents dial into said telephone system maintained by said survey administrator, said telephone system audibly plays prerecorded questions based on said predetermined criteria, and said individual members are prompted to depress a particular key on a standard touch-tone telephone in response to said prerecorded questions which responses are recorded in said database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a remote web server is utilized to record said answers whereby said individual members of said predetermined pool of respondents access a website server on the Internet, said website containing said survey questions and an input means for said answers to be posted through said website server to said database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said survey questions provide for a Boolean response followed by a quantified response to the same survey topic.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Criteria as defined by the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology is utilized for said predetermined formula.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said quantified result is resolved by the steps of:

scoring the survey responses relative to a predetermined score based on determination on the importance of each performance criteria;

correlating the survey responses for performance criteria categories into distinct arrays of data;

adding numerical values to said arrays of data representing separate performance criteria categories; and

dividing said numerical values by a maximum theoretical value of said performance criteria category.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined pool of respondents is an internal pool of respondents consisting of employees of the organization.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined pool of respondents is an external pool of respondents consisting of non-employees of the organization.

9. A method for quantifying predetermined criteria relating to the performance of an organization, comprising the steps of:

providing an array of survey questions for evaluating predetermined criteria of an organization;

providing a survey administrator;

defining a predetermined pool of respondents to whom said survey questions are to be propounded;

using a remote web server to record answers whereby members of said predetermined pool of respondents access said web server on the Internet, one or more web pages present said survey questions and an input form for said answers to be posted through said web server to a database accessible by said survey administrator; and

providing a predetermined formula for evaluating said answers based on the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Criteria as defined by the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology;

whereby said members of said predetermined pool of respondents record answers to said survey questions through said web server and said survey administrator stores said answers in said database wherein said predetermined formula produces a quantified result based on said predetermined criteria relating to the performance of said organization.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said members of said predetermined pool of respondents are employees of the organization.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said members of said predetermined pool of respondents are non-employees of said organization.