Apparatus and methods for workflow management and workflow visibility

• US 20080301699A1
• Filed: 06/01/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Macer, Darren B.
• Application Number:
  US11/809,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20080301699A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/107
• 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 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis

Abstract

A system for viewing and managing work flow. The system includes at least one processor and memory configured to track time requirements for each of a plurality of jobs, compile and display the time requirements relative to current time in a plurality of managerial-level views, and in each view, indicate status of the jobs relative to the time requirements.

Claims

1. A system for viewing and managing work flow in an enterprise in which a plurality of persons may be assigned jobs, the system comprising at least one processor and memory configured to:

receive a plurality of requests for performance of jobs;

associate each of the jobs with a projected time by which the job is to be completed and with a person assigned to complete the job;

associate each of the plurality of persons with one of a plurality of groups, each group subject to a plurality of levels of oversight;

use the projected times to determine a current work load of each person and a current work load of each group; and

use the projected times and current work loads to provide a plurality of views, each view providing at an oversight level associated with the view, current status information as to capacity for additional work.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and memory are further configured to:

use the projected times to assign job status indicators to the jobs at a given one of the oversight levels; and

use the assigned job status indicators and current work loads to assign oversight status indicators to provide a view at an oversight level that includes oversight of the given oversight level.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor and memory are further configured to display the status indicators relative to a plurality of due dates.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and memory are further configured to use information provided in a plurality of views for a first oversight level to provide information in a view for a second oversight level that includes oversight of the first oversight level.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and memory are further configured to assign a status indicator to a group based on the current status information as to capacity for additional work.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor and memory are further configured to change the assigned status indicator based on completion of one or more of the jobs.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and memory are further configured to assign a status indicator to a group based on one or more due times of one or more of the jobs.

8. A system for viewing and managing work flow in an enterprise in which a plurality of persons may be assigned jobs, the system comprising at least one processor and memory configured to:

receive a plurality of requests for performance of jobs;

associate each of the jobs with a projected time by which the job is to be completed and with a person assigned to complete the job;

associate each of the plurality of persons with one of a plurality of groups, each group subject to one or more levels of oversight;

use the projected times to determine a current work load of each person and a current work load of each group; and

use the projected times and current work loads to provide a plurality of views, each view providing current status information as to at least one of the jobs at an oversight level associated with the view.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor and memory are configured to:

use the projected times to assign job status indicators to the jobs at a given one of the oversight levels; and

use the assigned status indicators and current work loads to assign oversight status indicators for an oversight level that includes oversight of the given oversight level.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor and memory are configured to display the status indicators for each of a plurality of due dates.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor and memory are configured to display a plurality of status indicators for each of a plurality of due dates.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor and memory are further configured to assign a status indicator to a group based on current status information as to capacity for additional work.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein a group is associated with a work location of the enterprise, and a view provides a seating location of each person of the group.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the view provides seating locations for a plurality of enterprise work locations.

15. A method of viewing and managing work flow in an enterprise in which a plurality of persons may be assigned jobs, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of requests for performance of jobs;

associating each of the jobs with a projected time for job completion and with a person assigned to complete the job;

identifying one or more of the assigned persons as being present at a work location of the enterprise;

using one or more of the projected times to determine a current work status for each identified person and a current work status for the work location; and

providing a view representing the one or more identified persons relative to the work location, the view further representing the current work statuses.

16. The method of claim 15, further identifying in the view a job request unassigned to a person.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the current work status includes a projected time remaining for completing one of the jobs.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the work location includes a satellite location of the enterprise.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein representing the one or more identified persons relative to the work location comprises representing one or more desk locations.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

identifying a plurality of the assigned persons as being present at a plurality of work locations of the enterprise;

using a plurality of the projected times to determine a current work status for each identified person and a current work status for each work location; and

providing a view representing the identified persons relative to the work locations, the view further representing the current work statuses.