Method for processing concurrent personnel assignments

• US 20080091502A1
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Mani, Sreesha, R., Gajan Kumar
• Granted Patent: US 8,788,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/322
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063118 Staff planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1057 Benefits or employee welfare, e.g. insurance, holiday or retirement packages
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A method includes receiving a person identifier by a first set of computer program instructions; determining if there are a plurality of personnel assignments associated with the person identifier; and if there are a plurality of personnel assignments associated with the person identifier: selecting a specific personnel assignment from among the plurality of personnel assignments, and processing data by a second set of computer program instructions, the data being related to at least both the person identifier and the selected personnel assignment.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a person identifier by a first set of computer program instructions;

determining if there are a plurality of personnel assignments associated with the person identifier; and

if there are a plurality of personnel assignments associated with the person identifier;

selecting a specific personnel assignment from among the plurality of personnel assignments; and

processing data by a second set of computer program instructions, the data being related to at least both the person identifier and the selected personnel assignment.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if there is not more than one personnel assignment associated with the person identifier;

if there is not more than one personnel assignment associated with the person identifier, processing data by the second set of computer program instructions, the data being related to at least the person identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

invoking the second set of computer program instructions by the first set of computer program instructions.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the person identifier and a personnel assignment identifier identifying the selected personnel assignment to the second set of computer program instructions by the first set of computer program instructions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of computer program instructions are capable of being run independently of each other by a processor.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing the related data by a plurality of the second sets of computer program instructions, each of the plurality of second sets of computer program instructions comprising at least some computer program instructions not contained in the other second sets of computer program instructions.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a switch with the person identifier, the switch having a state, wherein the possible values of the state include a first state indicating that there is not more than one personnel assignment associated with the person identifier, and a second state indicating that there are the plurality of personnel assignments associated with the person identifier.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising at least one of:

setting the state of the switch, or determining the state of the switch.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing the data is at least part of a business process involving a person and an organization, the person being associated with the person identifier.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the business process comprises at least one of:

providing a payment related to the person, providing a payment related to the selected personnel assignment, taxing the payment related to the person, taxing the payment related to the selected personnel assignment, processing a termination request related to the person, processing a termination request related to the selected personnel assignment, providing a benefit related to the person, providing a benefit related to the selected personnel assignment, processing a payroll for the person, or processing the payroll for the selected personnel assignment.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the business process is at least partially performed by a human resources department of the organization.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying, using an at least partially electronic apparatus, the person identifier at the same time as at least one of;

a personnel assignment identifier related to at least one of the plurality of personnel assignments, or the state of the switch.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

receiving search parameters by the first set of computer program instructions, the search parameters comprising at least one of;

a value of the person identifier, or a value of a personnel assignment identifier associated with the personnel assignment;

or

searching, by the first set of computer program instructions, data comprising a plurality of person identifiers and personnel assignments, wherein search parameters comprise at least one of;

a value of the person identifier, or a value of the personnel assignment identifier.

14. A computer-readable medium comprising computer program instructions which when executed by a processor perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a person identifier by a first set of the computer program instructions;

determining if there are a plurality of personnel assignments associated with the person identifier; and

if there are a plurality of personnel assignments associated with the person identifier;

selecting a specific personnel assignment from among the plurality of personnel assignments; and

processing data by a second set of the computer program instructions, the data being related to at least both the person identifier and the selected personnel assignment.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, the method further comprising:

determining if there is not more than one personnel assignment associated with the person identifier;

if there is not more than one personnel assignment associated with the person identifier, processing data by the second set of the computer program instructions, the data being related to at least the person identifier.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, the method further comprising:

invoking the second set of the computer program instructions by the first set of the computer program instructions.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, the method further comprising:

providing the person identifier and a personnel assignment identifier identifying the selected personnel assignment to the second set of the computer program instructions by the first set of the computer program instructions.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the first and second sets of the computer program instructions are capable of being run independently of each other by a processor.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, the method further comprising:

processing the related data by a plurality of the second sets of the computer program instructions, each of the plurality of second sets of the computer program instructions comprising at least some computer program instructions not contained in the other second sets of the computer program instructions.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, the method further comprising:

associating a switch with the person identifier, the switch having a state, wherein the possible values of the state include a first state indicating that there is not more than one personnel assignment associated with the person identifier, and a second state indicating that there are the plurality of personnel assignments associated with the person identifier.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, the method further comprising at least one of:

setting the state of the switch, or determining the state of the switch.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the processing the data is at least part of a business process involving a person and an organization, the person being associated with the person identifier.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the business process comprises at least one of:

providing a payment related to the person, providing a payment related to the selected personnel assignment, taxing the payment related to the person, taxing the payment related to the selected personnel assignment, processing a termination request related to the person, processing a termination request related to the selected personnel assignment, providing a benefit related to the person, providing a benefit related to the selected personnel assignment, processing a payroll for the person, or processing the payroll for the selected personnel assignment.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the business process is at least partially performed by a human resources department of the organization.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, the method further comprising:

displaying, using an at least partially electronic apparatus, the person identifier at the same time as at least one of;

a personnel assignment identifier related to at least one of the plurality of personnel assignments, or the state of the switch.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, the method further comprising at least one of:

receiving search parameters by the first set of the computer program instructions, the search parameters comprising at least one of;

a value of the person identifier, or a value of a personnel assignment identifier associated with the personnel assignment;

or

searching, by the first set of the computer program instructions, data comprising a plurality of person identifiers and personnel assignments, wherein search parameters comprise at least one of;

a value of the person identifier, or a value of the personnel assignment identifier.

27. A data structure stored on a computer readable medium, the data structure comprising:

a person identifier associated with a person;

a switch associated with the person identifier, wherein the switch has a state, the state having a possible first value indicating there is not more than one personnel assignment associated with the person, and a possible second value indicating there are a plurality of personnel assignments associated with the person; and

if the state of the switch has the second value, a plurality of personnel assignment identifiers associated with the person identifier, each personnel assignment identifier identifying a respective personnel assignment associated with the person,

wherein the data structure is operable to enable the performance of a business process related to the person, an organization, and at least one of the plurality of personnel assignments.

28. The data structure of claim 27, wherein the data structure enables is capable of being used by a first set of computer program instructions to invoke a second set of computer program instructions to process data associated related to at least both the person identifier and a selected personnel assignment of the plurality of personnel assignments.

29. The data structure of claim 28, wherein the data structure is capable of being used by the first set of computer program instructions to provide the person identifier and the selected personnel assignment to the second set of computer program instructions.

30. The data structure of claim 27, wherein the state of the switch is capable of being selectively set to the first and second values.

31. The data structure of claim 27, wherein the business process comprises at least one of:

providing a payment related to the person, providing a payment related to a specific personnel assignment, taxing the payment related to the person, taxing the payment related to the specific personnel assignment, processing a termination request related to the person, processing a termination request related to the specific personnel assignment, providing a benefit related to the person, providing a benefit related to the specific personnel assignment, processing the payroll for the person, or processing the payroll for the specific personnel assignment.

32. The data structure of claim 27, wherein the business process is at least partially performed by a human resources department at the organization.

33. The data structure of claim 27, wherein the data structure is capable of being used to display, using an at least partially electronic apparatus, the person identifier at the same time as at least one of:

a selected one of the plurality of personnel assignments, or the state of the switch.

34. The data structure of claim 28, wherein the data structure is capable of being used by the first set of computer program instructions to search data comprising a plurality of the person identifiers and personnel assignments, wherein search parameters comprise at least one of:

a value of the person identifier, or a value of the personnel assignment identifier.