System and method for tracking information in a business environment

• US 20060036476A1
• Filed: 08/13/2004
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TG--2006 Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey Brian Klem
• Inventors: Klem, Jeffrey Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,583,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1734 Details of monitoring file system events, e.g. by the use of hooks, filter drivers, logs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A system and method for tracking information in a business environment. The system uses a tree-view hierarchy whereby alerts and time triggers are set by the user and upon the triggering of an event, the visual attributes of the tree-view folders change to reflect the triggering event.

Claims

1. A method for tracking and displaying critical operational parameters including time critical tasks, mission critical inventories, significant accounting activities or the like, in an operational system incorporating a number of interdependent tasks, said method comprising:

providing a computer and display;

programming the computer to accomplish, upon input from an operator, the steps of;

establishing a parent folder to contain any number of folders or documents;

establishing a child element, comprising one or more child documents or one or more child folders containing one or more child documents, or any combination thereof, each said child document or child folder being associated with the parent folder;

correlating the child element with a time critical task, critical inventory or accounting activities or the like;

associating a time trigger with the time critical task, critical inventory or accounting activities or the like;

providing means for clearing the time trigger upon completion of time critical task, critical inventory or accounting activities or the like; and

conditionally, changing an attribute of the parent folder and child element when time triggers are met prior to clearance by an operator.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer is further programmed to accomplish the steps of:

providing a method of clearing a time trigger by altering a child element prior to the expiration of the time trigger.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the computer is further programmed to:

provide a visual label to the parent folder to correlate the parent folder to a recognized operational activity such as production, receiving, shipping, accounts receivable or the like; and

provide visual labels to child elements to correlate the child element to recognized elements of production, receiving, shipping, accounts receivable or the like.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the computer is further programmed to:

provide a visual label to the parent folder to correlate the parent folder to the operational activity of production;

provide visual labels to child elements to correlate the child element to recognized elements of production;

provide means for altering the child elements to indicate that recognized elements of production have been accomplished; and

conditionally alter the visual attributes of the child elements and the parent folder if the child element is not altered to indicate accomplishment of the correlated recognized elements of production prior to the time trigger.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the computer is further programmed to:

provide a visual label to the parent folder to correlate the parent folder to the operational activity of receiving;

provide visual labels to child elements to correlate the child element to recognized elements of receiving;

provide means for altering the child elements to indicate that recognized elements of receiving have been accomplished; and

conditionally alter the visual attributes of the child elements and the parent folder if the child element is not altered to indicate accomplishment of the correlated recognized elements of receiving prior to the time trigger.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the computer is further programmed to:

provide a visual label to the parent folder to correlate the parent folder to the operational activity of shipping;

provide visual labels to child elements to correlate the child element to recognized elements of shipping;

provide means for altering the child elements to indicate that recognized elements of shipping have been accomplished; and

conditionally alter the visual attributes of the child elements and the parent folder if the child element is not altered to indicate accomplishment of the correlated recognized elements of shipping prior to the time trigger.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the computer is further programmed to:

provide a visual label to the parent folder to correlate the parent folder to the operational activity of accounting;

provide visual labels to child elements to correlate the child element to recognized elements of accounting;

provide means for altering the child elements to indicate that recognized elements of accounting have been accomplished; and

conditionally alter the visual attributes of the child elements and the parent folder if the child element is not altered to indicate accomplishment of the correlated recognized elements of accounting prior to the time trigger.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer is further programmed to accomplish the steps of:

providing a method of clearing a time trigger by deleting or moving a child element from the parent folder prior to the expiration of the time trigger.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the computer is further programmed to:

provide a visual label to the parent folder to correlate the parent folder to a recognized operational activity such as production, receiving, shipping, accounts receivable or the like; and

provide visual labels to child elements to correlate the child element to recognized elements of production, receiving, shipping, accounts receivable or the like.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the computer is further programmed to:

provide a visual label to the parent folder to correlate the parent folder to the operational activity of production;

provide visual labels to child elements to correlate the child element to recognized elements of production;

provide means for altering the child elements to indicate that recognized elements of production have been accomplished; and

conditionally alter the visual attributes of the child elements and the parent folder if the child element is not altered to indicate accomplishment of the correlated recognized elements of production prior to the time trigger.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the computer is further programmed to:

provide a visual label to the parent folder to correlate the parent folder to the operational activity of receiving;

provide visual labels to child elements to correlate the child element to recognized elements of receiving;

provide means for altering the child elements to indicate that recognized elements of receiving have been accomplished; and

conditionally alter the visual attributes of the child elements and the parent folder if the child element is not altered to indicate accomplishment of the correlated recognized elements of receiving prior to the time trigger.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the computer is further programmed to:

provide a visual label to the parent folder to correlate the parent folder to the operational activity of shipping;

provide visual labels to child elements to correlate the child element to recognized elements of shipping;

provide means for altering the child elements to indicate that recognized elements of shipping have been accomplished; and

conditionally alter the visual attributes of the child elements and the parent folder if the child element is not altered to indicate accomplishment of the correlated recognized elements of shipping prior to the time trigger.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the computer is further programmed to:

provide a visual label to the parent folder to correlate the parent folder to the operational activity of accounting;

provide visual labels to child elements to correlate the child element to recognized elements of accounting;

provide means for altering the child elements to indicate that recognized elements of accounting have been accomplished; and

conditionally alter the visual attributes of the child elements and the parent folder if the child element is not altered to indicate accomplishment of the correlated recognized elements of accounting prior to the time trigger.

14. A method for tracking and displaying time critical information comprising:

establishing a parent folder;

establishing a child folder associated with the parent folder;

establishing an in-house product;

associating at least one task with the in-house product;

associating products with the task;

associating labor codes with the task;

associating a first alert interval with the task;

assigning a time trigger associated with the in-house product;

starting the system clock and monitoring system time; and

changing the color of the child folder and changing the color of the parent folder when system time equals or exceeds the first alert interval.

15. A system for tracking time spent on the production of a product and alerting a user that the time spent on that production has exceeded a set limit established by the user, said system further comprising a computer and a display for entering information into a database and thereafter displaying information to a user, said system further comprising tree view folders for displaying said information to a user on the display, said tree view folders comprising parent and child folders, said product information entered into a database, said system comprising

a time trigger associated with the product;

the assignment of alerts to the child folder;

wherein said time equals or exceeds the established time limit;

wherein the child folder changes color; and

wherein the parent folder changes color.