System, method and computer program product for dynamic resource management

• US 20030061261A1
• Filed: 09/26/2001
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Greene, Scott R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,952,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling

Abstract

A system for dynamically managing the resources of a hierarchical organization includes an organizing processing element, at least one resource and a monitoring processing element. The organizing processing element capable of creating a maintenance plan comprising at least one task. Additionally, the organizing processing element can schedule performance of the tasks of the maintenance plan. The resources are capable of acting on the at least one task of the maintenance plan at the level L_i to thereby perform the at least one task. And the monitoring processing element is capable of monitoring the performance of the at least one task at least partially based upon a status of the at least one task. And, if necessary, based on the monitoring, the organizing processing element is capable of soliciting available resources from said organizing processing element at a higher level of the hierarchical organization.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically managing the resources of a hierarchical organization, wherein the hierarchical organization comprises n levels L₁ . . . L_n with n being a positive integer, wherein for at least i>

1 each level L_i comprises a plurality of members, and wherein the members of level L<sub>i−

1</sub> comprise groupings of the members of level L_i, said method comprising;

creating a maintenance plan comprising at least one task at each level L_i . . . L_nwherein for at least i>

1 the at least one task at leach level L_i at least partially includes groupings of the at least one task of level L<sub>i−

1</sub>, and wherein the maintenance plan at each level includes an associated predetermined threshold time;

scheduling performance of the at least one task by at least one resource, wherein the at least one resource acts on at least a portion of the at least one task to thereby perform the at least one task;

performing one of the at least one task at the level L_i;

monitoring the performance of the at least one task to determine an amount of time required to perform the task performed and thereafter projecting a completion time associated with the maintenance plan;

comparing the projected completion time to the predetermined threshold time associated with the maintenance plan, wherein when the projected completion time is no greater than the predetermined threshold time another task of the maintenance plan is performed, monitored and compared at the level L_i until the each of the at least one task of the maintenance plan has been performed;

determining whether performance of the other tasks of the maintenance plan can be rescheduled such that the maintenance plan can be completed within the predetermined threshold time, wherein determining occurs when the projected completion time is greater than the predetermined threshold time;

soliciting additional resources from a higher level L_i+1, wherein soliciting occurs when at least one resource cannot be rescheduled to execute the other tasks of the maintenance plan within the predetermined threshold time; and

allocating additional resources to level L_i and thereafter rescheduling the at least one resource at level L_i to include the additional resources allocated from level L_i+1 to act on at least a portion of other of the at least one task to thereby perform the other of the at least one task.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein soliciting comprises soliciting additional resources from level L_x+1, wherein x=i, wherein soliciting repeatedly continues for x=x+1 until at least one of x=n and a level L_x having additional resources available to allocate is discovered, and wherein allocating comprises allocating additional resources to level L_x from level L_x+1, wherein allocating repeatedly continues for x=x−

1 until x=i.

3. A method according to claim 1 further comprising recreating the at least one maintenance plan to reduce a demand on the at least one resource to perform the at least one task, wherein recreating occurs when no additional resources are available to allocate, and wherein the demand is reduced such that the projected completion time is no greater than the predetermined threshold time.

4. A system for dynamically managing the resources of a hierarchical organization, wherein the hierarchical organization comprises n levels L₁ . . . L_n with n being a positive integer, wherein for at least i>

1 each level L_i comprises a plurality of members, and wherein the members of level L<sub>i−

1</sub> comprise groupings of the members of level L_i, at each level said system comprising;

an organizing processing element capable of creating a maintenance plan comprising at least one task, wherein said organizing processing element is capable of scheduling performance of the at least one task of the maintenance plan, and wherein the maintenance plan includes an associated predetermined threshold time;

at least one resource capable of acting on the at least one task of the maintenance plan at the level L_i to thereby perform the at least one task, wherein said organizing processing element is capable of scheduling the at least one resource to act on the at least one task to thereby schedule performance of the at least one task;

a monitoring processing element capable of monitoring the performance of the at least one task at least partially based upon a status of the at least one task, wherein said monitoring processing element is capable of determining an amount of time required to perform the at least one task and thereafter projecting a completion time associated with the maintenance plan, wherein said monitoring processing element is capable of comparing the projected completion time to the predetermined threshold time associated with the maintenance plan,

wherein when the projected completion time is greater than the predetermined threshold time said monitoring processing element is capable of communicating with said organizing processing element to determine whether performance of the other tasks of the maintenance plan can be rescheduled such that the maintenance plan can be completed within the predetermined threshold time, wherein when the at least one resource cannot be rescheduled said organizing processing element is capable of soliciting additional resources from said organizing processing element at a higher level L_i+1, wherein said organizing processing element at level L_i+1 is capable of communicating additional resources to allocate from level L_i+1 to level L_i to act on at least a portion of other of the at least one task to thereby perform the other of the at least one task, and wherein said organizing processing element at level L_i is capable of rescheduling the at least one resource at level L_i to include the additional resources allocated from level L_i+1.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein each level of said system further comprises at least one indicator capable of indicating the status of the at least one task of the maintenance plan.

6. A system according to claim 4, wherein said organizing processing element at level L_i is capable of soliciting additional resources from level L_x+1, wherein x=i, wherein when no additional resources are available to allocate from level L_x+1 the soliciting repeatedly continues at said organizing processing element of level L_x for x=x+1 until at least one of x=n and a level L_x has additional resources available to allocate, wherein organizing processing element at level L_x+1 is capable of communicating additional resources to allocate from level L_x+1 to level L_x, and wherein communicating additional resources repeatedly continues for x=x−

1 until x=i.

7. A system according to claim 4, wherein said organizing processing element is further capable of recreating the maintenance plan to reduce a demand on the at least one resource to perform the at least one task such that the projected completion time is no greater than the predetermined threshold time.

8. A computer program product for dynamically managing the resources of a hierarchical organization, wherein the hierarchical organization comprises n levels L₁ . . . L_n with n being a positive integer, wherein for at least i>

1 each level L_i comprises a plurality of members, and wherein the members of level L<sub>i−

1</sub> comprise groupings of the members of level L_i, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in said medium, the computer-readable program code comprising;

a first executable portion for creating a maintenance plan comprising at least one task at each level L₁ . . . L_n, wherein for at least i>

1 the at least one task at leach level L_i at least partially includes groupings of the at least one task of level L<sub>i−

1</sub>, and wherein the maintenance plan at each level includes an associated predetermined threshold time;

a second executable portion for scheduling performance of the at least one task at each level by at least one resource, wherein the at least one resource acts on at least a portion of the at least one task to thereby perform the at least one task;

a third executable portion for monitoring the performance of the at least one task as one of the at least one task is performed at the level L_i, wherein monitoring comprises monitoring to determine an amount of time required to perform the task performed and thereafter projecting a completion time associated with the maintenance plan;

a fourth executable portion for comparing the projected completion time to the predetermined threshold time associated with the maintenance plan, wherein when the projected completion time is no greater than the predetermined threshold time another task of the maintenance plan is performed, monitored and compared at the level L_i until the each of the at least one task of the maintenance plan has been performed;

a fifth executable portion for determining whether performance of the other tasks of the maintenance plan can be rescheduled such that the maintenance plan can be completed within the predetermined threshold time, wherein determining occurs when the projected completion time is greater than the predetermined threshold time;

a sixth executable portion for soliciting additional resources from a higher level L_i+1, wherein soliciting occurs when at least one resource cannot be rescheduled to execute the other tasks of the maintenance plan within the predetermined threshold time; and

a seventh executable portion for allocating additional resources to level L_i, wherein said second executable portion thereafter reschedules the at least one resource at level L_i to include the additional resources allocated from level L_i+1 to act on at least a portion of other of the at least one task to thereby perform the other of the at least one task.

9. A computer program product according to claim 8, wherein said sixth executable portion solicits additional resources from level L_x+1, wherein x=i, wherein soliciting repeatedly continues for x=x+1 until at least one of x=n and a level L_x having additional resources available to allocate is discovered, and wherein said seventh executable portion allocates additional resources to level L_x from level L_x+1, wherein allocating repeatedly continues for x=x−

1 until x=i.

10. A computer program product according to claim 8, wherein said first executable portion further recreates the at least one maintenance plan to reduce a demand on the at least one resource to perform the at least one task when no additional resources are available to allocate, wherein the demand is reduced such that the projected completion time is no greater than the predetermined threshold time.