RESOURCE ALLOCATION CONTROL WITH IMPROVED INTERFACE

• US 20160124775A1
• Filed: 04/17/2015
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Ashtiani, Babak Nakhayi, Welcker, Brian L., Jiang, Qian, Tayah, Mario, Patton, Thomas G., Panvalkar, Sachin Shrikrishna, Chan, Wing Kin Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,720,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5022 Mechanisms to release resources
• 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 10/063116 Schedule adjustment for a person or group

Abstract

A computer system displays a user interface display with a user input mechanism that can be actuated in order to identify a set of resources, and corresponding capacities. A team configuration is stored in memory and reflects the configuration of the resources and corresponding capacities that were identified. A task dependency structure is obtained, and is indicative of an underlying project. Resources from the stored team configuration, and corresponding capacities, are assigned to the tasks in the task dependency structure and the team configuration is updated, in memory, to reflect the assignments. A display is generated that shows the state of the underlying memory, and that is indicative of a remaining capacity and a consumed capacity.

Claims

1. A computing system, comprising:

a user interface component;

a resource pool generator that controls the user interface component to display a resource pool generation user input mechanism and detects user actuation of the resource pool generation user input mechanism and, in response, opens a resource pool record in memory;

a resource capacity allocation component that controls the user interface component to generate a resource capacity allocation user input mechanism and detects user actuation of the resource capacity allocation user input mechanism and, in response, generates corresponding resource capacity allocations in the resource pool record and controls the user interface component to display a configuration of the resource pool record, indicating the resource capacity allocations; and

a resource search component that controls the user interface component to generate a resource search user input mechanism and detects user actuation of the resource search user input mechanism and, in response searches resource information to identify qualified resources and controls the user interface component to display resource selection input mechanisms for the qualified resources.

2. The computing system of claim 1 wherein the resource search component detects user actuation of a given resource selection input mechanism, adds a corresponding qualified resource to the resource pool record and controls the user interface component to display a configuration of the resource pool record, indicating the addition of the qualified resource.

3. The computing system of claim 2 wherein the resource capacity allocation component comprises:

a human resource component that generates a human resource capacity allocation user input mechanism that is actuated to identify characteristics of a human resource for which a resource capacity allocation is to be made to the resource pool record.

4. The computing system of claim 3 wherein the human resource component generates the human resource capacity allocation user input mechanism as a role selection user input mechanism that is actuated to select a role corresponding to the human resource.

5. The computing system of claim 4 wherein the human resource component generates the human resource capacity allocation user input mechanism as a resource quantity user input mechanism that is actuated to select a number of instances of the selected role.

6. The computing system of claim 5 wherein the resource capacity allocation component controls the user interface component to generate the resource capacity allocation user input mechanism as a time span user input mechanism that is actuated to identify a time span over which the resource of the selected role will be used.

7. The computing system of claim 6 wherein the resource capacity allocation component controls the user interface component to generate resource capacity allocation user input mechanism as an effort unit user input mechanism that is actuated to select a total number of effort units needed for the resource of the selected role.

8. The computing system of claim 3 and further comprising:

a resource capacity consumption component that generates a consumption user input mechanism and detects user actuation of the consumption user input mechanism to consume resource capacity allocated, for a given resource, to the resource pool record against a work structure indicative of work to be performed, and updates the resource pool record to identify the resource capacity consumption.

9. The computing system of claim 8 and further comprising:

a resource validation component that, in response to the consumption of resource capacity for the given resource, assigns permissions to the given resource to perform the work.

10. The computing system of claim 9 and further comprising:

a consumption analysis component that determines a difference between the resource capacity allocated to the resource pool record and resource capacity consumed from the resource pool record, for different resource roles; and

a capacity adjustment engine that automatically adjusts the resource capacity allocated to the resource pool record based on the difference determined by the consumption analysis component.

11. The computing system of claim 10 wherein the capacity adjustment engine comprises:

a capacity increase component that automatically allocates additional resources of a given role to the resource pool record when the difference indicates that more resource capacity for the resources having the given role has been consumed than has been allocated to the resource pool record for resources having the given role.

12. The computing system of claim 11 wherein the capacity adjustment engine comprises:

a capacity decrease component that automatically releases resource allocations for the resources of the given role from the resource pool record when the difference indicates that less resource capacity for the resources having the given role has been consumed than has been allocated to the resource pool record for resources having the given role.

13. The computing system of claim 10 wherein a plurality of work structures represent work on a plurality of different projects within the computing system and further comprising:

an aggregation component that aggregates resource information indicative of a total amount of resources allocated versus consumed on a per project basis and controls the user interface component to display the aggregated resource information.

14. The computing system of claim 13 wherein the aggregation component aggregates the resource information to be indicative of a total amount of resources allocated versus consumed on a per project, per resource basis and controls the user interface component to display the aggregated resource information.

15. A computer implemented method, comprising:

controlling a user interface component to display a resource pool generation user input mechanism;

detecting user actuation of the resource pool generation user input mechanism and, in response, opening a resource pool record in memory;

controlling the user interface component to generate a resource capacity allocation user input mechanism;

detecting user actuation of the resource capacity allocation user input mechanism and, in response, generating corresponding resource capacity allocations in the resource pool record and controlling the user interface component to display a configuration of the resource pool record, indicating the resource capacity allocations;

controlling the user interface component to generate a resource search user input mechanism;

detecting user actuation of the resource search user input mechanism and, in response, searching resource information to identify qualified resources and controlling the user interface component to display resource selection input mechanisms for the qualified resources;

detecting user actuation of a given resource selection input mechanism and, in response, adding a corresponding qualified resource to the resource pool record and controlling the user interface component to display a configuration of the resource pool record, indicating the addition of the qualified resource.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 15 and further comprising:

generating a consumption user input mechanism; and

detecting user actuation of the consumption user input mechanism and, in response, consuming resource capacity allocated, for a given resource, to the resource pool record against a work structure indicative of work to be performed, and updating the resource pool record to identify the resource capacity consumption.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 16 and further comprising:

in response to the consumption of resource capacity for the given resource, assigning permissions to the given resource to perform the work.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 17 and further comprising:

determining a difference between the resource capacity allocated to the resource pool record and resource capacity consumed from the resource pool record, for different resource roles; and

automatically adjusting the resource capacity allocated to the resource pool record based on the difference determined.

19. A computing system, comprising:

a user interface component;

a resource pool generator that controls the user interface component to display a resource pool generation user input mechanism and detects user actuation of the resource pool generation user input mechanism and, in response, opens a resource pool record in memory;

a resource capacity allocation component that controls the user interface component to generate a resource capacity allocation user input mechanism and detects user actuation of the resource capacity allocation user input mechanism and, in response, generates corresponding resource capacity allocations in the resource pool record and controls the user interface component to display a configuration of the resource pool record, indicating the resource capacity allocations;

a resource search component that controls the user interface component to generate a resource search user input mechanism and detects user actuation of the resource search user input mechanism and, in response searches resource information to identify qualified resources and controls the user interface component to display resource selection input mechanisms for the qualified resources, the resource search component detecting user actuation of a given resource selection input mechanism, adding a corresponding qualified resource to the resource pool record and controls the user interface component to display a configuration of the resource pool record, indicating the addition of the qualified resource; and

a resource capacity consumption component that generates a consumption user input mechanism and detects user actuation of the consumption user input mechanism to consume resource capacity allocated, for a given resource, to the resource pool record against a work structure indicative of work to be performed, and updates the resource pool record to identify the resource capacity consumption.

20. The computing system of claim 19 wherein a plurality of work structures represent work on a plurality of different projects within the computing system and further comprising:

an aggregation component that aggregates resource information indicative of a total amount of resources allocated versus consumed on a per project basis and controls the user interface component to display the aggregated resource information.