PROJECT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20140350984A1
• Filed: 03/20/2014
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: PAGET, MARTIN, MITTI, AARON RICHARD, ZAMBRANO, CHRISTIAN, HAMPTON, TRAVIS
• Application Number:
  US14/220,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20140350984A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063118 Staff planning in a project environment

Abstract

Systems and methods of the invention relate to creating a schedule to assign one or more workers to a project on one or more dates based on project information and/or worker information. Resource data (e.g., workers, equipment, tools, among others) and project data (e.g., location, type, cost, client, lead time, parts needed, among others) can be evaluated by an aggregation component in which a manager component can create a schedule that includes at least one worker and an assignment to the project based on the evaluation of the resource data and/or the worker information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

estimating an amount of time to complete a project that includes at least one of a build, a test, or a cut-over, wherein the project is associated with at least one of a client asset, a structure, a vehicle, a part, or a system;

ascertaining an availability of one or more workers to participate on the project; and

generating both a list of a crew that includes the one or more workers and a schedule for the one or more workers to participate on the project based at least in part on the estimated amount of time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning the crew and the schedule based at least in part on a portion of employee information.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising associating the employee information with at least one of a shift schedule of an employee, a union requirement, an efficiency rating of the employee, a geographic location at a defined time of the employee, a suspension status for the employee, a vacation time of the employee, an hourly rate of the employee, an expertise level of the employee, or an experience by the employee while on a previous project, wherein the employee is one of the one or more workers.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning the crew and the schedule based at least in part on weather conditions at a site of the project.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning the crew and the schedule based on a portion of project information of the project.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising associating the project information to at least one of a geographic location or site of the project, a priority of the project, a cost of the project, a dispatch requirement of the project, a resource lead time for the project, a part related to the project, or a shipment delivery date of a part for the project.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the project information relates to at least one of a completion time of the project, a start time of the project, or an amount of time to complete the project.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying a part used to complete the project;

ascertaining a delivery time of the part to a geographic location of the project; and

assigning at least a portion of the crew based on the delivery time of the part.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising managing an inventory of one or more parts for the project, wherein the one or more parts are at least one of:

ordered from a seller, shipped to a geographic location of the project, or shipped from a central receiving location associated with the project.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising assigning a portion of the crew with the schedule based on the inventory of one or more parts for the project.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising adjusting the estimated amount of time based on the inventory of one or more parts for the project.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the schedule includes a start date for the project and a completion date for the project, and further comprising bounding the estimating of the time based at least in part on the start date or the completion date.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating at least one of the schedule or the list of the crew to the one or more workers, and optionally logging a response from the one or more workers that is related to the communication.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a query related to at least one of the estimated amount of time, the one or more workers, the availability of each worker, the project, an additional project, or an additional worker; and

generating at least an additional schedule for the project based on an evaluation of the query.

15. A system comprising:

a first component configured to evaluate at least one of a project or a disparate project to ascertain a number of workers to assign, one or more parts for the project, and a completion date, wherein the disparate project is completed or on-going; and

a second component configured to create a schedule for the project, wherein the schedule assigns one or more workers to the project for one or more dates based on the number of workers to assign and the completion date.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a third component configured to at least one of the following:

identify a delivery time to a geographic location for the project; and

manage an inventory for the one or more parts of the project.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second component is further configured to adjust at least one of the schedule or the assignment of the one or more workers based on the delivery time.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the second component is further configured to adjust at least one of the schedule or the assignment of the one or more workers based on a weather condition for a geographic location proximate to a location for the project.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the second component is further configured to adjust at least one of the schedule or the assignment of the one or more workers based on at least one of a shift schedule of the employee, a union requirement, an expertise of the employee, a geographic location of the employee, a suspension for the employee, a vacation time of the employee, an hourly rate of the employee, or an experience on a previous project.

20. A system, comprising:

means for identifying a project that includes at least one of a build, a test, or a cut-over, wherein the project is associated with at least one of a client asset, a structure, a vehicle, or a part;

means for ascertaining an estimated amount of time to complete the project;

means for evaluating one or more workers to ascertain an availability of each worker to participate on a completion of the project; and

means for generating a list of a crew that includes the one or more workers and a schedule for each of the one or more workers to participate to complete the project based on the estimated amount of time.