Method and apparatus for business resource automation

• US 7,882,058 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2007
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: XFI Corp.
• Original Assignee: XFI Corp.
• Inventors: Ghaed, Ali
• Primary Examiner(s): Vital; Pierre M
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBISESAN, AUGUSTINE KUNLE
• Application Number:
  US11/738,312
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/608
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method and system of computer-assisted business resource automation that is applicable to a variety of business enterprise requirements including, but not limited to customer relationship management and sales force automation. The system provides improved an apparatus and method for automating the production of business resources such as documents and presentations. The system further provides an apparatus and method for analyzing the associated processes of the enterprise and providing business intelligence such as sales analytics. In particular, aspects of the invention include, but are not limited to: a hierarchical architecture that simplifies customization and maintenance of enterprise software, the encapsulation of data within reusable intelligent advisor objects, and the flexible integration of a variety of expert systems functionality and other apparatus and means of artificial intelligence therein.

Claims

1. A method of providing hosted business resource automation within a logical framework, comprising:

hosting a business resource automation system for a company;

structuring said business resource automation system as a hierarchical structure, said hierarchical structure including a solution level, a subscriber level, a plurality of levels thereunder corresponding to a subscriber'"'"'s business processes, said levels being styled as at least one of channels and silos;

terminating the hierarchical structure in an echelon, said echelon corresponding to a role of a user within a subscriber enterprise with a unique set of input, output and information access requirements; and

receiving a request for at least one business document from a user;

determining at least one echelon of the user within the hierarchical structure;

in response to a user request, automatically generating a business document as a business resource using the hosted business resource automation system, said business document being dependent on an echelon of the requesting user so as to match the level of information in the document with the level of the user in the company.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

generating a logical advisor entity, said logical advisor entity receiving information of an echelon of a requesting user, said logical advisor entity takes actions within an echelon corresponding to the user upon request of the user, said actions resulting in one of initiation of a business process and creation of a business artifact, said at least one of said business process and said business artifact including a business document corresponding to an echelon of the user.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said step of terminating terminates the hierarchical business structure in a plurality of echelons, and further comprising the step of:

generating a plurality of logical advisor entities;

a same one of said logical advisor entities existing within different ones of said echelons and a same action acts upon a one of a plurality of templates adapted to requirements of a single sibling echelon.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing information relating to a business on a computer readable storage media, said information including non-tabular information, said information including information on clients or customers of the business;

generating a plurality of logical advisor entities in physical memory of the business resource system, each of said logical advisor entities being operable to perform at least one action in a plurality of said echelons;

performing an action by at least one of said logical advisor entities in response to a user input, said logical advisor entity accessing the business information stored on the computer readable media while performing the action, the action by the logical advisor entity including said step of automatically generating the business document.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said business document is at least one of an electronic document, a paper document or an electronic entry in a program.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said information stored on said computer readable media includes at least one of prior input of a user to the logical entity, relational database tables, databases, flat text files, images files and audio visual files.

7. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said business document generated in the method includes at least one of an email, a voice mail, a facsimile document, a text document, a spreadsheet, a graphical slide presentation, and an entry of a scheduled event.

8. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein plural advisor entities are generated each with different respective functions and said plural advisor entities communicate with one another in performing the action.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of:

generating a director advisor entity that handles communications between advisor entities.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of:

generating an interface for each logical advisor entity through which the logical advisor entities communicate with one another.