Assigning tangible assets to workplaces

• US 7,853,470 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2006
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Sonnleithner, Mirjam, Giese, Bettina
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOI, PETER H
• Application Number:
  US11/328,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20060155630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,799 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8
• US Class Current: 705/7.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A method for assigning tangible assets to workplaces includes receiving input data provided at an input interface, the input data including information about a situation that requires to update a structure of current assignments of specific tangible assets to specific workplaces, selecting, dependent upon the information of the received input data, a workplace profile from a profile database, wherein the workplace profile corresponds to a workplace type and includes a predefined set of asset types, of which types specific tangible assets can be to be assigned to a specific workplace of the workplace type, retrieving, from an assignment database, assignment data including information about the current assignment structure, comparing the selected workplace profile with the retrieved assignment data, determining an update proposal for updating the current assignment structure, and providing output data to an output interface, the output data including information about the update proposal.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for assigning tangible assets to workplaces, the method comprising:

receiving input data provided at an input interface of a computer system, the input data comprising information about a situation that requires updating a structure of current assignments of specific tangible assets to specific workplaces;

selecting, dependent upon the information of the received input data, a workplace profile from a profile database associated with the computer system, wherein the workplace profile corresponds to a workplace type and includes a predefined set of asset types, of which types specific tangible assets are to be assigned to a specific workplace of the workplace type, wherein at least one of the specific tangible assets has a different specific tangible asset assigned to it;

retrieving, from an assignment database associated with the computer system, assignment data comprising information about the current assignment structure;

comparing, via a processor associated with the computer system, the selected workplace profile with the retrieved assignment data;

determining, via a processor associated with the computer system, an update proposal for updating the current assignment structure, the update proposal including a plurality of update proposals generated by the computer system, wherein at least one of the update proposals is for performing at least one action with at least one of the specific tangible assets, wherein determining the update proposal is based upon computer-implemented methods for minimizing costs of performing actions related to specific tangible assets in accordance with the updating of the current assignment structure, while the updating satisfies the requirement by the situation, wherein the computer-implemented methods for minimizing costs and/or investments of performing actions related to specific tangible assets account for costs related to transport of the specific tangible assets and at least one specific tangible asset is assigned to an inventory including goods for at least one of reuse, scrap, or resale;

providing, via a processor associated with the computer system, output data to an output interface of the computer system, the output data comprising information options about the plurality of update proposals from which a user may select and including information about the at least one action; and

performing the at least one action with at least one of the specific tangible assets wherein the specific tangible asset is software and the at least one action includes installing the software on a workplace computer.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising receiving by the computer system, in response to the output data, response input data comprising an acceptance or rejection of at least part of the update proposal.

3. The computer-implemented of claim 2 further comprising actually updating the current assignment structure by the computer system.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein actually updating the current assignment structure comprises adding, by the computer system, to the current assignment structure a reservation for assigning a specific tangible asset to a specific workplace.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein the update proposal comprises at least two sub-proposals, of which a first one is directed to a different user of the computer system than a second one.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein the input data comprise data representing a role of a person in an organization and wherein selecting comprises selecting a workplace profile linked to the role.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein the input data comprise data representing a start of the role of the person, and wherein the situation requires specific tangible assets to be assigned to the person at the time of the start of the role.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein the input data comprise data representing a termination of the role of the person, and wherein the situation requires specific tangible assets to be reassigned from the person at the time of the termination of the role.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein the input data comprise data representing a group of persons and wherein selecting comprises selecting a workplace profile linked to the group of persons.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein the input data comprise data representing an activity and wherein selecting comprises selecting a workplace profile linked to the activity.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein the input data comprise data representing a location and wherein selecting comprises selecting a workplace profile linked to the location.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the computer-implemented methods for minimizing costs and/or investments of performing actions related to specific tangible assets account for costs related to production loss due to unavailability of specific tangible assets at workplaces.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the workplace computer has at least one specific tangible asset assigned to it.

12. A computer system for assigning tangible assets to workplaces, the system comprising:

an input interface for receiving input data comprising information about a situation that requires to update a structure of current assignments of specific tangible assets to specific workplaces;

an output interface for providing output data;

a profile database for storing at least one workplace profile that corresponds to a workplace type and includes a predefined set of asset types, of which types specific tangible assets are to be assigned to a specific workplace of the workplace type, wherein at least one of the specific tangible assets has a different specific tangible asset assigned to it;

an assignment database for storing assignment data comprising information about the current assignment structure; and

at least one processor communicatively connected to the input interface, the output interface, the profile database and the assignment database, for selecting a workplace profile from the profile database dependent upon the information of the received input data, retrieving assignment data from the assignment database, comparing the selected workplace profile with the retrieved assignment data, determining a proposal for updating the current assignment structure, the update proposal including a plurality of update proposals generated by the computer system, wherein at least one of the update proposals is for performing at least one action with at least one of the specific tangible assets and wherein determining the update proposal is based upon computer-implemented methods for minimizing costs of performing actions related to specific tangible assets in accordance with the updating of the current assignment structure, while the updating satisfies the requirement by the situation, providing output data to the output interface, wherein the computer-implemented methods for minimizing costs and/or investments of performing actions related to specific tangible assets account for costs related to transport of the specific tangible assets and at least one specific tangible asset is assigned to an inventory including goods for at least one of reuse, scrap, or resale, the output data comprising information options about the plurality of update proposals from which a user may select and information about the at least one action, and performing the at least one action with at least one of the specific tangible assets wherein the specific tangible asset is software and the at least one action includes installing the software on a workplace computer.

13. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by a processor result in the following:

receive input data provided at an input interface of a computer system, the input data comprising information about a situation that requires to update a structure of current assignments of specific tangible assets to specific workplaces;

select, dependent upon the information of the received input data, a workplace profile from a profile database, wherein the workplace profile corresponds to a workplace type and includes a predefined set of asset types, of which types specific tangible assets are to be assigned to a specific workplace of the workplace type, wherein at least one of the specific tangible assets has a different specific tangible asset assigned to it;

retrieve, from an assignment database, assignment data comprising information about the current assignment structure;

compare the selected workplace profile with the retrieved assignment data;

determine an update proposal for updating the current assignment structure, the update proposal including a plurality of update proposals generated by the computer system, wherein at least one of the update proposals is for performing at least one action with at least one of the specific tangible assets, wherein determining the update proposal is based upon computer-implemented methods for minimizing costs of performing actions related to specific tangible assets in accordance with the updating of the current assignment structure, while the updating satisfies the requirement by the situation, wherein the computer-implemented methods for minimizing costs and/or investments of performing actions related to specific tangible assets account for costs related to transport of the specific tangible assets and at least one specific tangible asset is assigned to an inventory including goods for at least one of reuse, scrap, or resale;

provide output data to an output interface, the output data comprising information options about the plurality of update proposals from which a user may select and information about the at least one action; and

perform the at least one action with at least one of the specific tangible assets wherein the specific tangible asset is software and the at least one action includes installing the software on a workplace computer.

14. An apparatus for assigning tangible assets to workplaces, the apparatus comprising:

digital circuitry configured to perform the following actions;

receive input data provided at an input interface of a computer system, the input data comprising information about a situation that requires to update a structure of current assignments of specific tangible assets to specific workplaces;

select, dependent upon the information of the received input data, a workplace profile from a profile database, wherein the workplace profile corresponds to a workplace type and includes a predefined set of asset types, of which types specific tangible assets are to be assigned to a specific workplace of the workplace type, wherein at least one of the specific tangible assets has a different specific tangible asset assigned to it;

retrieve, from an assignment database, assignment data comprising information about the current assignment structure;

compare the selected workplace profile with the retrieved assignment data;

determine an update proposal for updating the current assignment structure, the update proposal including a plurality of update proposals generated by the computer system, wherein at least one of the update proposals is for performing at least one action with at least one of the specific tangible assets, wherein determining the update proposal is based upon computer-implemented methods for minimizing costs of performing actions related to specific tangible assets in accordance with the updating of the current assignment structure, while the updating satisfies the requirement by the situation, wherein the computer-implemented methods for minimizing costs and/or investments of performing actions related to specific tangible assets account for costs related to transport of the specific tangible assets and at least one specific tangible asset is assigned to an inventory including goods for at least one of reuse, scrap, or resale;

provide output data to an output interface, the output data comprising information options about the plurality of update proposals from which a user may select and information about the at least one action; and

perform the at least one action with at least one of the specific tangible assets wherein the specific tangible asset is software and the at least one action includes installing the software on a workplace computer.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus comprises a programmable processor and the apparatus is configured by instructions stored in a memory for execution by the processor.