Computer-aided methods and apparatus for assessing an organizational process or system

• US 7,693,738 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2001
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intellimet, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intellimet, Inc.
• Inventors: Guinta, Lawrence R., Frantzve, Lori A.
• Primary Examiner(s): BOYCE, ANDRE D
• Application Number:
  US09/816,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20020137015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,302 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/8, 705/10
• US Class Current: 705/7.32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06395 Quality analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student

Abstract

Method and apparatus for computer-aided assessment of organizational process or system. Method and apparatus are adapted to display questions on a computer to an assessor, who then inputs numerical and/or textual inputs relative to the assessor'"'"'s perception of the process or system. Filtering techniques inhibit entry of unsupported numerical and/or textual inputs which may be untrue and/or exaggerated. Questions used in combination with additional questions provide more accurate assessment of the system or process, where the question combinations already exist in a database. Questions asked may be directed to one or more recognized standards, and duplicative questions from different standards may be omitted. Evaluations of collected information are performed and additional corrective action questions are asked to identify degrees of risk and areas of weakness of the process or system.

Claims

1. A method of using a computer system to gather information about an organizational process or system, comprising:

obtaining information about an organization to be assessed, wherein the information comprises information regarding assessors;

the computer system preparing at least one question regarding the organizational process or system by analyzing the obtained information about the organization;

the computer system displaying on a display device a first user adjustable icon and a second user adjustable icon and at least one question, the first user adjustable icon being adjustable within a first allowed range;

the second user adjustable icon being adjustable within a second allowed range; and

wherein the at least one question being adapted to prompt the assessor to input the assessor'"'"'s perceptions of the organizational process or system;

the computer system receiving a first quantitative input from a user, the first input corresponding to movement of the first user adjustable icon;

the computer system determining a second allowed input range for a second user adjustable icon based on the first input, wherein the bottom of the determined second allowed input range for the second user adjustable icon is the value of the first quantitative input;

the computer system displaying the second user adjustable icon such that the full width of the second user adjustable icon corresponds to the determined second allowed input range; and

the computer system receiving a second quantitative input from the user, the second input corresponding to movement of the second user adjustable icon.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user adjustable icon comprises a sliding bar icon.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the inputs are numeric inputs.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying comprises displaying remotely.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying comprises displaying across a global computer network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user adjustable icon comprises a sliding bar icon.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first input corresponds to the users perception of an aspect of a process or system in a present state.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second input corresponds to the users estimate of an aspect of a process or system in a projected future state.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the second allowed input range for the second user adjustable icon comprises setting a minimum allowed value or the second allowed input range to be equal to the first input.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the second allowed input range for the second user adjustable icon comprises setting a maximum allowed value or the second allowed input range to be equal to the first input.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the inputs to determine if one or more problem areas are present in the organizational process or system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein analyzing the inputs comprises comparing input from two or more assessors to one another.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein analyzing the inputs comprises comparing input from two or more similar questions to one another.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying on the display device at least one corrective action question, the at least one corrective action question being adapted to prompt the assessor to input on the input device the assessor'"'"'s perception of the problem area of the organizational process or system.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving at least one corrective action input, the corrective action input being stored in the computer'"'"'s memory.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second inputs are on a numerical scale, the scale being 1 to 10, 1 to 100, or 0 to 100 percent.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising evaluating the organizational process or system by comparing inputs from the assessor with known empirically-gathered information.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the first and second inputs together to evaluate the organizational process or system.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer comprises a PDA.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising multiplying the first input with the second input to evaluate the organizational process or system.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising using differences between the first input and the second input to evaluate the organizational process or system.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving first and second inputs from a plurality of assessors, and determining the standard deviation of the first input, and the standard deviation of the second input, from the inputs received from the assessors, and then using a standard deviation to evaluate at least a portion of the organizational process or system.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising preparing an assessment timeline based on assessor input.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising notifying the assessor of a deadline identified in the assessment timeline.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising escalating a notification to one or more predetermined individuals if a response is not received from an assessor within a predetermined period of time.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting an assessor to provided recommendations to improve the organizational process or system.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing an onsite assessment directed to one or more problem areas determined to be present in the organizational process or system.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing an onsite assessment directed to one or more problem areas determined to be present in the organizational process or system, wherein one ore more onsite assessor are provided with a list of the problem areas and a list of the corrective actions input.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising providing at least one onsite assessor with a PDA having a list of the problem areas and a list of the corrective actions input.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the results of the onsite assessment are input into the computer and stored in the computer'"'"'s memory.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the results provided by each onsite assessor are adjusted by a bias value identified for that assessor.