Systems and methods for managing workflow based on dynamic tracking of job steps

• US 20050134912A1
• Filed: 12/02/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Anthurium Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Anthurium Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Archbold, Janice K.
• Application Number:
  US11/002,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20050134912A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4881 Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1439 time-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system is disclosed that includes one or more “HOME”s where there is a (1) “DAD” computer and software system for human User interaction to initiate Jobs (Transcription, Translation, Data Entry, and Transaction Creation) and to utilize voice-mail through real-time voice and tone signal input and (2) “HIS” computer and software system for keeping the databases used to process Jobs and for keeping the statistical records of jobs for analysis, general ledger, payroll and billing. In addition the system includes one or more “MOM”s where there is a software system server on a computer set on the backbone of a global communication network (e.g. Internet) that (1) receives Job packets from its HOMEs, (2) selects Scribes for work (e.g. transcription), (3) generates messages in the form of E-Mail and Voice-Mail to specified users for information or action, (4) updates the status of the Job Record and transferring that updated Record to a SUPERMOM, (5) implements all the details of job processing steps and logic that has been controlled by Human Supervisors. The system may further include a “SUPERMOM” where there is a software system server on a computer set on the backbone of the global computer network (e.g. Internet) that receives Job Packets from MOMs where portions of the job are spread over two or more MOMs; SUPERMOM directs and transfers that job data; receives Job Record updates and maintains a Site for on-line internet job tracking inquiries; SUPERMOM selects Scribes for Jobs that are not able to find an available Scribe within their own MOM'"'"'s HOMEs, collects the statistical and financial data from all the HOMEs, and provides general top level management decision making information.

Claims

1. A system for automatically managing work flow, the system comprising:

a first computer that receives job instructions from an authorized user and generates a job packet containing a set of computer-readable job processing requirements based on the job instructions; and

a second computer that

receives the job packet from the first computer,

generates, based on the job processing requirements, a set of job steps that define a job,

associates with each of the job steps a respective block of time for completion of the job step;

forwards to a scribe computer job step data associated with at least one of the job steps, and

dynamically tracks progress of the job based on performance of the job steps within the respective allocated blocks of time associated with the job steps.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second computer assigns a selected scribe to perform at least one of the job steps during a future time period, and stores an indication that the selected scribe will be unavailable for other assignments during the future time period.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the allotted block of time associated with a job step spans a time greater than a calculated elapsed time associated with the job step, wherein the job step data contains at least one of a digital file representing the job'"'"'s input and a reference to the digital file, and wherein the digital file is segmented for processing by multiple selected scribes in accordance with the job'"'"'s deadline.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of job processing requirements includes a deadline that allows a block of time for completion of a current job step, and wherein the second computer determines whether the current job step has been completed within the allowed block of time.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second computer transmits a progress inquiry to the scribe computer to determine whether the current job step will be performed within the allowed block of time and, if the second computer determines that the current job step will not be performed within the allowed block of time, then the second computer forwards the job step data to a second scribe computer associated with a newly-selected scribe.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the second computer changes the allowed block of time before forwarding the job step data to the second scribe computer.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second computer provides job progress to a user of the system.