System and method for generating role templates based on skills lists using keyword extraction

• US 7,761,320 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2003
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Waibel, Udo, Fliess, Kevin V., Vorgerd, Christoph, Moore, Dennis B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boswell; Beth V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATS, JUSTIN
• Application Number:
  US10/628,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,552 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/8, 705/9, 705/10
• US Class Current: 705/7.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

A project role generation system includes a role generator. The role generator executes a computer-implemented method for defining one or more roles for a project. The role generator generates a skills list for a project based on a comparison between a skills taxonomy and key words from unstructured text associated with the project. The role generator further generates one or more role templates for the project based on a comparison of at least a portion of the generated skills list and one or more predefined roles, wherein each role template includes one or more skills associated with fulfilling a role.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating one or more role templates required for a project from one or more unstructured text documents associated with the project, the method comprising:

extracting, via a search engine executed by a role generator system, key words from unstructured text in the one or more documents associated with the project, wherein the one or more documents are stored on a storage medium accessible across a network;

mapping, by the role generator system, the key words extracted from the unstructured text in the one or more documents to predefined job skill definitions in a skills taxonomy;

generating, by the role generator system, a plurality of skills based, at least in part, on the predefined job skill definitions mapped to the key words extracted from the unstructured text,

ranking each of the plurality of skills based on relevance to the project;

filtering any skills from the plurality of skills that rank below a predetermined threshold to produce a generated list of skills;

comparing, by the role generator system, the generated list of skills to one or more predefined role templates, each of the one or more predefined role templates including a predefined list of skills required to perform a predefined role;

when the generated list of skills at least partially matches the predefined list of skills included in a particular one of the one or more predefined role templates, generating, by the role generator system, a new role template for the project based, at least in part, on the particular predefined role template, wherein the new role template defines a role required for the project and includes at least a portion of the job skill definitions included in the particular predefined role template; and

when the generated list of skills does not match the predefined list of skills included in a particular one of the predefined role templates, generating, by the role generator system, a new role template for the project based on the generated list of skills.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving the unstructured text from one or more sets of unstructured data.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the key words include at least one noun.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the one or more predefined role templates are accessed from an archive of project roles.

5. The method in accordance with claim 4, further comprising storing the new role template in the archive of project roles.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one skill in the new role template is required for the role.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one skill in the new role template is optional for the role.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising matching a specific individual with the new role template.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising determining whether each skill in the new role template is required or optional.

10. A system for generating one or more roles required for a project comprising:

a skills taxonomy containing one or more predefined job skill definitions and one or more key words relating to the one or more predefined job skill definitions;

a storage device for storing one or more predefined role templates, wherein the one or more predefined role templates define one or more roles required for the project;

a search engine, comprising a server, for extracting unstructured text from one or more documents associated with the project and extracting key words from the unstructured text associated with the project; and

a role generator, for generating one or more role templates for the project based on the key words extracted from the unstructured text in the one or more documents,

wherein the role generator is configured to;

map the extracted key words extracted from the unstructured text in the one or more documents to the one or more predefined job skill definitions in the skills taxonomy;

generate a plurality of skills for a project based, at least in part, on the predefined job skill definitions mapped to the key words extracted from the unstructured text;

rank each of the plurality of skills based on relevance to the project;

filter any skills from the plurality of skills that rank below a predetermined threshold to produce a generated list of skills;

compare at least a portion of the generated list of skills to one or more of the predefined role templates, each of the one or more predefined role templates including a predefined list of skills required to perform a predefined role;

generate a new role template when the generated list of skills at least partially matches the predefined list of skills included in a particular one of the predefined role templates, the new role template based, at least in part, on the particular predefined role template, wherein the new role template defines a role required for the project and includes at least a portion of the job skill definitions included in the particular predefined role template; and

when the generated list of skills does not match the predefined list of skills included in a particular one of the predefined role templates, generate, by the role generator system, a new role template for the project based on the generated list of skills.

11. The system in accordance with claim 10, further comprising a portal for accessing the one or more role templates.

12. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the role generator operates in a composite application environment.

13. The system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the composite application environment includes a plurality of integrated applications.

14. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the role generator operates in a business application.

15. The system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the business application is a project management application.

16. The system in accordance with claim 15, wherein the business application is a human resource application.

17. The system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the business application is integrated within a composite application environment.