Dispatching Prioritized Jobs At Multiple Locations To Workers

• US 20080162242A1
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Services Organization Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Tobin, Roger Lee, Sivaraman, Raghavendran, Schneur, Rina R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,799,046 B2
• 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 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063118 Staff planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product are provided for assigning prioritized jobs at multiple locations to workers with the objective of maximizing the number of higher priority jobs assigned, with secondary objectives of minimizing worker travel time between locations and of balancing workload across workers. In doing so, the system, method and computer program product consider job data including job location, skills required, time required and additional job constraints, as well as resource data including worker location, worker skills, worker time constraints and additional worker constraints. The system, method and computer program product also consider travel time between various pairs of job locations and worker locations in order to optimize work assignments while minimizing travel time.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one database configured to store job data and resource data, wherein said job data comprises data for a plurality of jobs including a priority level, skills required and a job location for each of said plurality of jobs, and wherein said resource data comprises data for a plurality of workers including skills and a resource location for each of said plurality of workers; and

an optimization engine configured to;

select jobs having a first priority level and determine a first maximum number of jobs that can be filled by said plurality of workers at said first priority level based at least in part on a comparison of said job data and said resource data;

optimize assignment of one or more of said plurality of workers to specific ones of said first priority jobs, said specific first priority jobs totaling said first maximum number of jobs, and

concurrently with said optimized assignment, perform at least one of;

minimizing total travel time between respective resource locations of said one or more workers and job locations associated with said specific first priority jobs;

or

ensuring that each of said one or more assigned workers is assigned approximately the same amount of work.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said optimization engine is further configured to;

select jobs having a second priority level and determine a second maximum number of jobs that can be filled by said plurality of workers at said second priority level based at least in part on a comparison of said job data and said resource data, while maintaining said first maximum number of jobs; and

optimize assignment of one or more of said plurality of workers to specific ones of said second priority jobs, said specific second priority jobs totaling said second maximum number of jobs.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

said optimization engine is further configured to;

select jobs having a third priority level and determine a third maximum number of jobs that can be filled by said plurality of workers at said third priority level based at least in part on a comparison of said job data and said resource data, while maintaining said first and second maximum numbers of jobs; and

optimize assignment of one or more of said plurality of workers to specific ones of said third priority jobs, said specific third priority jobs totaling said third maximum number of jobs.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said resource data further comprises sets of workers, wherein each set defines a group of workers having substantially similar skills; and

ensuring that each of said one or more assigned workers is assigned approximately the same amount of work comprises ensuring that each worker within a respective set of workers is assigned approximately the same amount of work as other workers within said set.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said amount of work is measured in increments of time.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said optimization engine is further configured to compile said assignments into a schedule and present said schedule to a user via a computing device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said optimization engine comprises:

a travel-time module in communication with said assignment module, said travel-time module being configured to;

determine job locations corresponding to said first priority jobs and resource locations for said plurality of workers; and

determine a travel time between each first priority job location and each resource location; and

wherein said optimization engine is configured to receive said travel time from said travel-time module in order to minimize said total travel time.

8. A method comprised of:

providing access to job data comprising a priority level, skills required and a job location for each of a plurality of jobs;

providing access to resource data comprising skills and a resource location for each of a plurality of workers;

determining a first maximum number of jobs of a first priority level that can be assigned to one or more of said plurality of workers, said determination being made based at least in part on a comparison of said job data with said resource data; and

generating assignments of said one or more workers to specific ones of said plurality of jobs, said specific jobs totaling said first maximum number of jobs, and said assignment generation being constrained to assign said one or more workers while minimizing total travel time between the resource locations of assigned workers and respective assigned job locations.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a second maximum number of jobs of a second priority level that can be assigned to one or more of said plurality of workers, wherein said first maximum number of jobs is maintained when determining said second maximum number of jobs; and

wherein said job assignments generated total said first maximum number of jobs and said second maximum number of jobs.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining a third maximum number of jobs of a third priority level that can be assigned to one or more of said plurality of workers, wherein said first and second maximum numbers of jobs are maintained when determining said third maximum number of jobs; and

wherein said job assignments generated total said first maximum number of jobs, said second maximum number of jobs and said third maximum number of jobs.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said second priority level designates jobs of less importance than jobs at said first priority level.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein:

providing access to said job data further comprises providing access to a respective average time required to perform each of said plurality of jobs;

providing access to said resource data comprises providing access to a respective time constraint for each of said plurality of workers; and

said determination of said first maximum number of jobs is based further on said average time required to perform said plurality of jobs and said time constraint of said plurality of workers.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein:

providing access to said resource data further comprises providing access to designated sets of workers, wherein each set defines a group of workers having substantially similar skills; and

said assignment generation is further constrained to assign said one or more workers to said first priority jobs while ensuring that each worker within a respective set of workers is assigned approximately the same amount of work as other workers within said respective set.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

compiling said generated assignments into a schedule; and

presenting said schedule to a user.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing access to a respective travel time between each job location of said plurality of jobs and each resource location of said plurality of workers; and

generating said assignments based in part on said stored travel times.

16. A computer program product comprising:

a memory having computer readable code embodied therein, for execution by a computing device having at least a processor and a memory, said code comprising;

a first executable code portion configured to provide access to job data comprising a priority level, skills required and a job location for each of a plurality of jobs;

a second executable code portion configured to provide access to resource data comprising skills and a resource location for each of a plurality of workers;

a third executable code portion configured to determine a first maximum number of jobs of a first priority level that can be assigned to one or more of said plurality of workers, said determination being made based at least in part on a comparison of said job data with said resource data;

a fourth executable code portion configured to generate assignments of said one or more workers to specific ones of said plurality of jobs, said specific jobs totaling said first maximum number of jobs, and said assignment optimization being constrained to assign said one or more workers while minimizing total travel time between the resource locations of assigned workers and respective assigned job locations.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

a fifth executable code portion configured to determine a second maximum number of jobs of a second priority level that can be assigned to one or more of said plurality of workers, wherein said first maximum number of jobs is maintained when determining said second maximum number of jobs, and wherein said fifth executable code portion is executable prior to said fourth executable code portion; and

wherein said specific jobs assigned by said fourth executable code portion total said first maximum number of jobs and said second maximum number of jobs.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

a sixth executable code portion configured to determine a third maximum number of jobs of a third priority level that can be assigned to one or more of said plurality of workers, wherein said first and second maximum numbers of jobs are maintained when determining said third maximum number of jobs, and wherein said sixth executable code portion is also executable prior to said fourth executable code portion; and

wherein said specific jobs assigned by said fourth executable code portion total said first maximum number of jobs, said second maximum number of jobs and said third maximum number of jobs.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said second priority level designates jobs of less importance than jobs of said first priority level.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein:

said first executable code portion is further configured to provide access to a respective average time required to perform each of said plurality of jobs;

said second executable code portion is further configured to provide access to a respective time constraint for each of said one or more workers; and

said third executable code portion is further configured to determine said first maximum number of jobs further based on said average time required to perform said one or more jobs and said time constraint of said one or more workers.

21. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein:

said second executable code portion is further configured to provide access to designated sets of workers, wherein each set defines a group of workers having substantially similar skills; and

said fourth executable code portion is further constrained to assign said one or more workers to said first priority jobs while ensuring that each worker within a respective set of workers is assigned approximately the same amount of work as other workers within said respective set.

22. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

a fifth executable code portion configured to compile said generated assignments into a schedule; and

a sixth executable code portion configured to present said schedule to a user via a computing device.

23. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising:

a fifth executable code portion configured to provide access to a respective travel time between each job location of said plurality of jobs and each resource location of said plurality of workers; and

wherein said fourth executable code portion is configured to generate said assignments based in part on said stored travel times.