SYSTEM FOR ANALYZING USER ACTIVITY IN A COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT

• US 20090265430A1
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Richards, Brian H., Bechtel, Michael E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,645,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A system is described for analyzing user activity in a collaborative environment. The system may include a memory, an interface, and a processor. The memory may store a plurality of data items. Each data item may be related to at least one other data item. The processor may receive a request to alert the user when an action is performed on a selected data item. The processor may also receive a relation threshold identifying at least one other data item related to the selected data item. The processor may detect the action being performed on the data item identified by the relation threshold. The processor may transform data describing the action into an alert. The alert may include the data describing the action, the data item, and a description of the relationship between the data items. The processor may provide the alert to the user via the device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for alerting a user when actions are performed on related data items in a collaborative environment, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor from a device of a user, a request to alert the user when an action is performed on a selected data item of a plurality of data items, wherein each data item of the plurality of data items is related to at least one other data item of the plurality of data items;

receiving, by the processor from the device of the user, a relation threshold, wherein the relation threshold identifies at least one other data item related to the selected data item, the at least one other data item being included in the request to alert the user;

detecting, by the processor, the action being performed on the at least one other data item identified by the relation threshold;

transforming, by the processor, a data describing the action being performed on the at least one other data item into an alert, wherein the alert comprises the data describing the action, the at least one other data item and a description of the relationship between the at least one other data item and the selected data item; and

providing, by the processor, the alert to the user via the device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying, by the processor, the action being performed on the selected data item;

transforming, by the processor, the action being performed on the selected data item into a second alert, wherein the second alert comprises a description of the action and the selected data item; and

providing, by the processor, the second alert to the user via the device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, an identifier of the user, wherein the identifier can be used to communicate with the user; and

providing, by the processor, the alert to the user via the identifier.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein the identifier comprises at least one of a phone number, an email address, a social network identifier, or an instant messenger identifier.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the relation threshold identifies at least one other data item which has a child relationship with the selected data item.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the relation threshold identifies at least one other data item which has a parent relationship with the selected data item.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the relation threshold identifies at least one other data item which is indirectly related to the selected data item.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the action comprises at least one of a modification action, a deletion action, or an addition action.

9. A computer-implemented method for excluding administrator activity from statistics related to user activity in a collaborative environment, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a request to exclude an activity of a user of a plurality of users in a collaborative environment from a reporting data item, wherein a plurality of user data items describes the plurality of users;

associating, by the processor in a data store, an indication of exclusion with the user data item describing the user;

retrieving, by the processor from the data store, a plurality of user activity data items describing a plurality of activities of the plurality of users, wherein the user data item describing each user is not associated with an indication of exclusion;

transforming, by the processor, the plurality of user activity data items and the plurality of user data items into the reporting data item; and

providing, by the processor, the reporting data item to a user in the plurality of users.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 wherein the plurality of user activity data items relates to at least one of a read item activity, a create item activity, or a rate item activity.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 wherein the reporting data item includes at least one of a number of page views, a number of contributions, a number of logins, or an average rating of the plurality of users.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 wherein the reporting data item comprises a graphical representation of at least one of the number of page views, the number of contributions, the number of logins, or the average rating of the plurality of users.

13. A computer-implemented method for analyzing the effectiveness of an organization in a collaborative environment, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor from a device of a user, a request to analyze an effectiveness of an organization in a collaborative environment;

retrieving, by the processor from a data store, a number of users invited to participate in the collaborative environment, a number of users who entered into the collaborative environment, a number of users who read at least one item in the collaborative environment, a number of users who rated at least one idea in the collaborative environment, and a number of users who contributed at least one idea to the collaborative environment;

determining, by the processor, a responsiveness score based on the number of users who entered by the number of users invited;

determining, by the processor, a willingness score based on the number of users who read at least one item by the number of users who entered;

determining, by the processor, a criticality score based on the number of users who rated at least one item by the number of users who read at least one item;

determining, by the processor, a creativity score based on the number of users who contribute at least one idea by the number of users who entered;

determining, by the processor, a total score based on the responsiveness score, the willingness score, the criticality score, and the creativity score; and

providing, by the processor, the total score to the user via the device of the user.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 13 further comprising:

transforming, by the processor, the scores into an assessment, wherein the assessment indicates that the organization is effective in the collaborative environment if the scores satisfy an effectiveness threshold, otherwise the assessment indicates that the organization is not effective in the collaborative environment; and

providing, by the processor, the assessment to the user via the device of the user

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 wherein the assessment further includes at least one suggestion indicating how the organization can improve the scores.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 wherein the suggestion comprises a description of an incentive program.

17. A system for alerting a user when actions are performed on related data items in a collaborative environment, the system comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of data items, wherein each data item of the plurality of data items is related to at least one other data item of the plurality of data items;

an interface operatively connected to the memory, the interface operative to communicate with a device of a user; and

a processor operatively connected to the memory and the interface, the processor operative to receive a request from the user via the device to alert the user when an action is performed on a selected data item of the plurality of data items, receive a relation threshold, wherein the relation threshold identifies at least one other data item related to the selected data item, detect the action being performed on the at least one other data item identified by the relation threshold, transform a data describing the identified action being performed on the at least one other data item into an alert, wherein he alert comprises the data describing the action being performed, the at least one other data item and a description of the relationship between the at least one other data item and the selected data item, and provides the alert to the user via the device.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the processor is further operative to detect the action being performed on the selected data item, transform a data describing the action being performed on the selected data item into a second alert, wherein the second alert comprises the data describing the action being performed and the selected data item, and provide the second alert to the user via the device.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the processor is further operative to receive an identifier of the user, wherein the user can be contacted via the identifier, and provide the alert to the user via the identifier.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the identifier comprises at least one of a phone number, an email address, a social network identifier, or an instant messenger identifier.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein the relation threshold identifies at least one other data item which has a child relationship with the selected data item.

22. The system of claim 17 wherein the relation threshold identifies at least one other data item which has a parent relationship with the selected data item.

23. The system of claim 17 wherein the relation threshold identifies at least one other data item which is indirectly related to the selected data item.

24. The system of claim 17 wherein the relation threshold identifies at least one other data item which has a grandparent relationship or a cousin relationship with the selected data item.

25. The system of claim 17 wherein the action comprises at least one of a modification action, a deletion action, or an addition action.