System and method for collecting and analyzing competitive rewards data

• US 7,418,446 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2004
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Towers Perrin Capital Corp. (Willis Towers Watson plc)
• Original Assignee: Towers Perrin Forster Crosby Incorporated
• Inventors: Zitaner, Eric, Haslett, Susan, Bensky, Kathy
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Leslie
• Application Number:
  US10/822,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20040193494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/9, 707/10, 707/102, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The invention concerns a system and method for implementing and/or administering a competitive rewards database. Member data is received from at least one member computer via a data feed. The (raw) member data is automatically mapped and incorporated into the competitive rewards database. A data capture tool, preferably coupled to a data network, is operable to adjust the mapping of member data. A rewards workbench, preferably coupled to a data network, is generally operable to query the competitive rewards database.

Claims

1. A competitive rewards database system comprising:

a) competitive rewards database operative to collect through one or more data feeds raw competitive rewards data comprising at least one of base pay data, long term incentive pay data, annual incentive data, and benefit plan provision data for employees of an entity and competitive rewards data from a plurality of sources other than the entity;

b) data mapping table for automatically mapping the raw competitive rewards data prior to incorporation into the competitive rewards database by mapping the raw competitive rewards data to benchmarks comprising job function, discipline or scope;

c) a computer system, coupled to the competitive rewards database via a data communications channel, operative to provide the competitive rewards data for employees of the entity to the competitive rewards database on behalf of the entity; and

d) a rewards workbench, configured to query the competitive rewards database in support of analysis of the mapped competitive rewards data, wherein the analysis comprises a comparison of the competitive rewards data to at least one of the benchmarks.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the competitive rewards data contains at least one calculated data value.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a data capture tool configured to provide remote access to at least a portion of the competitive rewards database.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the rewards workbench is coupled to a data network and is configured to provide remote access to at least a portion of the competitive rewards database.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the rewards workbench is configured to automate data feeds from the competitive rewards database to at least one third party human resources management system.

6. A method for administering a competitive rewards database comprising:

a) collecting through one or more data feeds raw competitive rewards data comprising at least one of base pay data, long term incentive pay data, annual incentive pay data, and benefit plan provision data for employees of an entity and competitive rewards data from a plurality of sources other than the entity;

b) automatically mapping the raw competitive rewards data for incorporation into the competitive rewards database by mapping the raw competitive rewards data to benchmarks comprising job function, discipline, or scope;

c) incorporating the mapped competitive rewards data into the records of the competitive rewards database;

d) analyzing the mapped competitive rewards data by performing a comparison of the competitive rewards data to one of the benchmarks maintained by the competitive rewards database; and

e) generating a presentation of results for the competitive rewards analysis.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the competitive rewards data for employees of the entity comprises human resources (HR) management system data.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of mapping the raw competitive rewards data comprises translating, scaling, reformatting or calculating portions of the raw competitive rewards data for compatibility with the benchmarks.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of using a data capture tool to adjust the mapping of the raw competitive rewards data.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of using a rewards workbench to query the competitive rewards database in support of analyses of the mapped competitive rewards data, the analyses comprising at least one selected from a group comprising evaluation of prevalence of reward practices and plan provisions, comparison of member reward values to specific comparator groups, development of market reference data, model and development of base pay structure, analyses of competitive rewards cost implications, and data mining analyses.

11. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of using a rewards workbench to automate a data feed between the competitive rewards database and at least one third party human resources management system that is not associated with the entity, thereby supporting a submission of certain mapped competitive rewards data in the form of a survey to the third party human resources management system.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of analyzing the mapped competitive rewards data further comprises a total compensation planning analysis or a performance-based analysis.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of receiving the raw competitive rewards data comprises receiving the raw competitive rewards data at the competitive rewards database on a periodic basis.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of receiving the raw competitive rewards data comprises:

sending a polling signal from the competitive rewards database to a computer system operated on behalf of the entity; and

responsive to the polling signal, transmitting the competitive rewards data for the employees of the entity from the computer system to the competitive rewards database.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein the data mapping step comprises using a data mapping table to map without manual intervention the raw competitive reward data based on benchmark global job matches.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of generating a presentation of results comprises generating a report in response to completing the analysis of the competitive rewards data.

17. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of analyzing the mapped competitive rewards data generates an up-to-date mapping for competitive rewards data of the employees for the entity to at least one of the benchmarks.

18. A method for managing competitive rewards data for an entity, comprising:

collecting the raw competitive rewards data through one or more data feeds for incorporation in a database, the raw competitive rewards data comprising at least one of base pay data, long term incentive pay data, annual incentive pay data, and benefit plan provision data for employees of the entity and competitive rewards data from a plurality of sources other than the entity;

using a data mapping table to automatically map the raw competitive rewards data for incorporation into the database by mapping the raw competitive rewards data to a plurality of employment-related benchmarks;

storing the mapped competitive rewards data in a plurality of records of the database;

completing an analysis of the mapped competitive rewards data for one or more of the employees by comparing the competitive reward data to one of the benchmarks; and

generating a report presenting results of the analysis.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the competitive rewards data for employees of the entity comprises human resources (HR) management system data.

20. The method of claim 18, where the step of completing an analysis further comprises performing at least one of a group comprising evaluation of prevalence of reward practices and plan provisions, comparison of member reward values to specific comparator groups, development of market reference data, model and development of base pay structure, analyses of competitive rewards cost implications, and data mining analyses.

21. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of providing a data feed between the database and at least one third party human resources management system that is not associated with the entity, thereby supporting a submission of certain mapped competitive rewards data in the form of a survey to the third party human resources management system.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of completing an analysis of the mapped competitive rewards data further comprises a competitive rewards analysis, a total compensation planning analysis or a performance-based analysis.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of obtaining the raw competitive rewards data comprises receiving the raw competitive rewards data at the database on a periodic basis.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of obtaining the competitive rewards data for the employees of the entity comprises:

sending a polling signal from the database to a computer system operated on behalf of the entity; and

responsive to the polling signal, transmitting the competitive rewards data for the employees of the entity from the computer system to the database.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the data mapping step comprises using a data mapping table to map without manual intervention the raw competitive reward data based on benchmark global job matches.