Smart, web-based time management software

• US 20060212336A1
• Filed: 03/21/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: High Altitude Software
• Original Assignee: High Altitude Software
• Inventors: Powers, Daniel, Muesing, Cindy
• Application Number:
  US11/086,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20060212336A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063116 Schedule adjustment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment

Abstract

A novel software method of creating and maintaining a schedule of the activities to be performed by agents on behalf of a principal entity at least includes: a) creating a principal profile; b) identifying the principal'"'"'s agents; c) defining jobs to be performed by the principal'"'"'s agents, the jobs being at least partially defined by identifiable skills needed to perform the jobs; d) defining a scheduling period; e) defining job shifts related to the temporal performance of the jobs during a scheduling period; f) defining job criteria for matching particular agents to particular jobs; g) identifying the availability of the principal'"'"'s agents for job shift performance; h) generating a job shift schedule based on elements b)-g); i) automatically modifying the job shift schedule according to predefined rules and interpreted rules postulated by software according to previous scheduling and scheduling approval iterations; j) determining a fitness value of a generated or modified schedule, based on adherence to predefined or interpreted rules; k) repeating elements i) and j) until no improvement in the fitness value is realized; l) via a principal'"'"'s manager-agent, approving a job shift schedule; and m) publishing an approved job shift schedule for availability to the principal'"'"'s agents and manager-agents. The method is hosted via the Internet, using an application service provider model.

Claims

1. A software method of creating and maintaining a schedule of the activities to be performed by agents on behalf of a principal entity, said method comprising:

a) creating the the principal profile;

b) identifying the principal'"'"'s agents;

c) defining jobs to be performed by the principal'"'"'s agents, said jobs being at least partially defined by identifiable skills needed to perform said jobs;

d) defining a scheduling period;

e) defining job shifts related to the temporal performance of said jobs during a scheduling period;

f) defining job criteria for matching particular agents to particular jobs;

g) identifying the availability of the principal'"'"'s agents for job shift performance;

h) generating a job shift schedule based on elements b)-g);

i) automatically modifying said job shift schedule according to predefined rules and interpreted rules postulated by software according to previous scheduling and scheduling approval iterations;

j) determining a fitness value of a generated or modified schedule, based on adherence to predefined or interpreted rules;

k) repeating elements i) and j) until no improvement in said fitness value is realized;

l) via a principal'"'"'s manager-agent, approving a job shift schedule; and

m) publishing an approved job shift schedule for availability to the principal'"'"'s agents and manager-agents.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authorizing said manager-agent in element l) to approve said job shift schedule.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein elements b)-f) are at least partially and interactively carried out by an authorized manager-agent.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the performance of element l), allowing an authorized manager-principal to modify a job shift schedule.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the principal'"'"'s agents at least partially enter data to carry element g).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein information reflecting the availability of the principal'"'"'s agents is derived from a defined work schedule.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein information reflecting the availability of the principal'"'"'s agents is derived from a defined vacation schedule.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein information reflecting the availability of the principal'"'"'s agents is derived from a defined education class schedule.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least partial access to software carrying out said method is via the Internet.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least partial access to software carrying out said method is via an Intranet.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying job shift preferences of the principal'"'"'s agents.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the principal'"'"'s agents to request changes from previous job shift assignments.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said publishing is via the Internet.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said publishing is via a telephonic device and audio messages.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein publishing is in the form of electronic communication targeted to specific agents, as a reminder of a portion of a job shift schedule pertaining to the targeted agents.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

broadcasting communications to agents regarding exigent circumstances pertaining to a job shift schedule.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said publishing further comprises:

broadcasting a job shift schedule capable of being understood in more than one language; and

allowing broadcast schedule recipients to choose a non-English version of a job shift schedule, if desired.

18. A software module configured to allow remote site work employee and such scheduling, comprising:

a) a principal profile module;

b) an agent module configured to identify an agent for the principal;

c) a jobs defining module, configured to be performed by the principal'"'"'s agents, and being at least partially defined by identifiable skills needed to perform a job;

d) a scheduling period module configured to define scheduling periods;

e) a job shifts module, configured to define job shifts related to the temporal performance of the jobs during a scheduling period;

f) a job criteria module, configured for matching particular agents to particular jobs;

g) identifying module, configured to identify the availability of the principal'"'"'s agents for job shift performance;

h) a job shift schedule generating module, configured to generate a job shift based on elements b)-g);

i) a modifying module, configured to automatically modify the job shift schedule according to predefined rules and interpreted rules postulated by software according to previous scheduling and scheduling approval iterations;

j) a fitness value module, configured to generate a fitness value of a generated or modified schedule, based on adherence to predefined or interpreted rules;

k) repeating elements i) and j) until no improvement in said fitness value is realized;

l) a job shift schedule approving module, configured to allow a principal'"'"'s manager-agent to approve a job shift schedule; and

m) an approved job shift schedule module, configured to publish availability of job shifts available to the principal'"'"'s agents and manager-agents.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said software module is hosted via the Internet by an Application Service Provider.

20. A software module, configured to allow scheduling of shift work for employees, comprising:

a) an employee module, configured to hold all relevant information about at least one employee;

b) a job module, configured to hold all relevant information about at least one job;

c) a scheduling module, configured to schedule at least one employee, listed in the employee module, for at least one job, listed in the job module, during at least one shift schedule, listed in the scheduling module; and

d) a fitness value module, configured to generate a fitness value of the shift schedule, based on adherence to rules.