Collaborative organization analysis

• US 7,933,795 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ikeda, Kazuaki, Nakamura, Fusashi, Mizuta, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Boswell; Beth V
• Assistant Examiner(s): JACKSON, ERNEST ADEYEMI
• Application Number:
  US11/184,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20060026057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,107 Days
• Field of Search: 705/10
• US Class Current: 705/7.38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An apparatus for evaluating organization efficiency, a method for evaluation service of organization efficiency, an apparatus for generating communication frequencies, a method for generating communication frequencies, and programs and recording media of the same, quantitatively evaluate efficiency of an organization structure. The present invention provides an apparatus for evaluating organization efficiency having communication frequencies among departments obtaining unit for obtaining communication frequencies among departments, the frequency being frequencies of information interchanges among departments within an organization; a group definition data obtaining unit for obtaining group definition data, the data defining a group including more than one department within an organization; communication frequencies among groups calculation unit for calculating communication frequencies among groups for groups interchanging information, on the basis of communication frequencies among departments; and an organization efficiency calculation unit for calculating efficiency of an organization structure defined by group definition data, on the basis of the communication frequencies among groups.

Claims

1. A method for generating communication frequencies, said method comprising:

a processor of a computer apparatus generating communication frequencies among groups of a multiplicity of groups of an organization, wherein the organization comprises a multiplicity of members, a multiplicity of departments, and the multiplicity of groups, wherein each member is an individual who belongs to a department of the multiplicity of departments, wherein each department comprises a plurality of members of the multiplicity of members, and wherein each group comprises a plurality of departments of the multiplicity of departments; and

said processor displaying a graph on a display device of the computer apparatus, said graph depicting the generated communication frequencies among groups,

wherein said generating communication frequencies among groups comprises;

obtaining communication frequencies among members of the multiplicity of members as consisting of a number of communication interchanges occurring in a specified first period of time for each pair of members of the multiplicity of members,

generating communication frequencies among departments of the multiplicity of departments as consisting of the obtained communication frequencies among members belonging to different departments for each pair of departments of the multiplicity of departments, and

generating communication frequencies among groups of the multiplicity of groups as consisting of the generated communication frequencies among departments comprised by different groups for each pair of groups of the multiplicity of groups, said method further comprising;

calculating an achievement ratio consisting of a ratio of a total number of non-zero communication frequencies among different groups for each pair of groups of the multiplicity of groups to a total number of links among groups, each link defining a cooperative relationship among different groups for each pair of groups of the multiplicity of groups; and

determining that the calculated achievement ratio is not less than a specified targeted achievement ratio to check whether a set management strategy is practiced and whether a current organizational structure matches said set management strategy.

2. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

generating second communication frequencies among groups of the multiplicity of groups for a second period of time occurring after the first period of time, wherein a new management strategy for triggering an increase in communication frequencies among groups is introduced between the first period of time and the second periods of time, and wherein the first period of time and the second period of time have a same time duration; and

after the second period of time, determining that a totality of the second communication frequencies among groups exceeds a totality of the communication frequencies among groups for the first period of time by at least a specified percent.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each communication interchange is an email, a meeting, a phone call, or a reading of a same document.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the graph comprises a multiplicity of nodes and a multiplicity of edges, wherein each node denotes a unique group of the multiplicities of groups, wherein each edge connects two nodes of the graph, wherein the communication frequency between each two nodes connected by an edge is non-zero and is depicted at the edge, wherein the communication frequency depicted at each edge is non-zero, and wherein the multiplicity of nodes comprise at least one pair of nodes not connected by an edge due to a zero communication frequency occurring between the nodes of each pair of nodes of the at least one pair of nodes.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the multiplicity of nodes in the graph comprises a first plurality of nodes and a second plurality of nodes, wherein the first plurality of nodes and the second plurality of nodes each include nodes connected by an edge and nodes not connected by an edge, and wherein no node of the first plurality of nodes is connected by an edge to any node of the second plurality of nodes.

6. A method for generating communication frequencies, said method comprising:

a processor of a computer apparatus generating communication frequencies among groups of a multiplicity of groups of an organization, wherein the organization comprises a multiplicity of members, a multiplicity of departments, and the multiplicity of groups, wherein each member is an individual who belongs to a department of the multiplicity of departments, wherein each department comprises a plurality of members of the multiplicity of members, and wherein each group comprises a plurality of departments of the multiplicity of departments; and

said processor displaying a graph on a display device of the computer apparatus, said graph depicting the generated communication frequencies among groups,

wherein said generating communication frequencies among groups comprises;

obtaining communication frequencies among members of the multiplicity of members as consisting of a number of communication interchanges occurring in a specified first period of time for each pair of members of the multiplicity of members,

generating communication frequencies among departments of the multiplicity of departments as consisting of the obtained communication frequencies among members belonging to different departments for each pair of departments of the multiplicity of departments, and

generating communication frequencies among groups of the multiplicity of groups as consisting of the generated communication frequencies among departments comprised by different groups for each pair of groups of the multiplicity of groups, said method further comprising;

calculating a height of communication frequencies among groups consisting of a totality of the communication frequencies among groups; and

determining that the calculated height of communication frequencies is not less than a specified targeted height of communication frequencies to check whether a set management strategy is practiced and whether a current organizational structure matches said set management strategy.

7. An apparatus for generating communication frequencies, said apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable memory unit coupled to the processor, said memory unit containing program code configured to be executed by the processor to implement a method for generating said communication frequencies,

said method comprising;

generating communication frequencies among groups of a multiplicity of groups of an organization, wherein the organization comprises a multiplicity of members, a multiplicity of departments, and the multiplicity of groups, wherein each member is an individual who belongs to a department of the multiplicity of departments, wherein each department comprises a plurality of members of the multiplicity of members, and wherein each group comprises a plurality of departments of the multiplicity of departments; and

displaying a graph on a display device of the computer apparatus, said graph depicting the generated communication frequencies among groups,

wherein said generating communication frequencies among groups comprises;

obtaining communication frequencies among members of the multiplicity of members as consisting of a number of communication interchanges occurring in a specified first period of time for each pair of members of the multiplicity of members,

generating communication frequencies among departments of the multiplicity of departments as consisting of the obtained communication frequencies among members belonging to different departments for each pair of departments of the multiplicity of departments, and

generating communication frequencies among groups of the multiplicity of groups as consisting of the generated communication frequencies among departments comprised by different groups for each pair of groups of the multiplicity of groups,

said method further comprising;

calculating an achievement ratio consisting of a ratio of a total number of non-zero communication frequencies among different groups for each pair of groups of the multiplicity of groups to a total number of links among groups, each link defining a cooperative relationship among different groups for each pair of groups of the multiplicity of groups; and

determining that the calculated achievement ratio is not less than a specified targeted achievement ratio to check whether a set management strategy is practiced and whether a current organizational structure matches said set management strategy.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, said method further comprising:

generating second communication frequencies among groups of the multiplicity of groups for a second period of time occurring after the first period of time, wherein a new management strategy for triggering an increase in communication frequencies among groups is introduced between the first period of time and the second periods of time, and wherein the first period of time and the second period of time have a same time duration; and

after the second period of time, determining that a totality of the second communication frequencies among groups exceeds a totality of the communication frequencies among groups for the first period of time by at least a specified percent.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each communication interchange is an email, a meeting, a phone call, or a reading of a same document.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the graph comprises a multiplicity of nodes and a multiplicity of edges, wherein each node denotes a unique group of the multiplicities of groups, wherein each edge connects two nodes of the graph, wherein the communication frequency between each two nodes connected by an edge is non-zero and is depicted at the edge, wherein the communication frequency depicted at each edge is non-zero, and wherein the multiplicity of nodes comprise at least one pair of nodes not connected by an edge due to a zero communication frequency occurring between the nodes of each pair of nodes of the at least one pair of nodes.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the multiplicity of nodes in the graph comprises a first plurality of nodes and a second plurality of nodes, wherein the first plurality of nodes and the second plurality of nodes each include nodes connected by an edge and nodes not connected by an edge, and wherein no node of the first plurality of nodes is connected by an edge to any node of the second plurality of nodes.

12. An apparatus for generating communication frequencies, said apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable memory unit coupled to the processor, said memory unit containing program code configured to be executed by the processor to implement a method for generating said communication frequencies,

said method comprising;

generating communication frequencies among groups of a multiplicity of groups of an organization, wherein the organization comprises a multiplicity of members, a multiplicity of departments, and the multiplicity of groups, wherein each member is an individual who belongs to a department of the multiplicity of departments, wherein each department comprises a plurality of members of the multiplicity of members, and wherein each group comprises a plurality of departments of the multiplicity of departments; and

displaying a graph on a display device of the computer apparatus, said graph depicting the generated communication frequencies among groups, wherein said generating communication frequencies among groups comprises;

obtaining communication frequencies among members of the multiplicity of members as consisting of a number of communication interchanges occurring in a specified first period of time for each pair of members of the multiplicity of members,

generating communication frequencies among departments of the multiplicity of departments as consisting of the obtained communication frequencies among members belonging to different departments for each pair of departments of the multiplicity of departments, and

generating communication frequencies among groups of the multiplicity of groups as consisting of the generated communication frequencies among departments comprised by different groups for each pair of groups of the multiplicity of groups,

said method further comprising;

calculating a height of communication frequencies among groups consisting of a totality of the communication frequencies among groups; and

determining that the calculated height of communication frequencies is not less than a specified targeted height of communication frequencies to check whether a set management strategy is practiced and whether a current organizational structure matches said set management strategy.

13. A computer readable storage device, comprising a computer readable program code stored therein, said computer readable program configured to be executed by a processor of a computer apparatus to implement a method for generating communication frequencies, said method comprising:

generating communication frequencies among groups of a multiplicity of groups of an organization, wherein the organization comprises a multiplicity of members, a multiplicity of departments, and the multiplicity of groups, wherein each member is an individual who belongs to a department of the multiplicity of departments, wherein each department comprises a plurality of members of the multiplicity of members, and wherein each group comprises a plurality of departments of the multiplicity of departments; and

displaying a graph on a display device of the computer apparatus, said graph depicting the generated communication frequencies among groups,

wherein said generating communication frequencies among groups comprises;

obtaining communication frequencies among members of the multiplicity of members as consisting of a number of communication interchanges occurring in a specified first period of time for each pair of members of the multiplicity of members,

generating communication frequencies among departments of the multiplicity of departments as consisting of the obtained communication frequencies among members belonging to different departments for each pair of departments of the multiplicity of departments, and

generating communication frequencies among groups of the multiplicity of groups as consisting of the generated communication frequencies among departments comprised by different groups for each pair of groups of the multiplicity of groups, said method further comprising;

calculating an achievement ratio consisting of a ratio of a total number of non-zero communication frequencies among different groups for each pair of groups of the multiplicity of groups to a total number of links among groups, each link defining a cooperative relationship among different groups for each pair of groups of the multiplicity of groups; and

determining that the calculated achievement ratio is not less than a specified targeted achievement ratio to check whether a set management strategy is practiced and whether a current organizational structure matches said set management strategy.

14. The storage device of claim 13, said method further comprising:

generating second communication frequencies among groups of the multiplicity of groups for a second period of time occurring after the first period of time, wherein a new management strategy for triggering an increase in communication frequencies among groups is introduced between the first period of time and the second periods of time, and wherein the first period of time and the second period of time have a same time duration; and

after the second period of time, determining that a totality of the second communication frequencies among groups exceeds a totality of the communication frequencies among groups for the first period of time by at least a specified percent.

15. The storage device of claim 13, wherein each communication interchange is an email, a meeting, a phone call, or a reading of a same document.

16. The storage device of claim 13, wherein the graph comprises a multiplicity of nodes and a multiplicity of edges, wherein each node denotes a unique group of the multiplicities of groups, wherein each edge connects two nodes of the graph, wherein the communication frequency between each two nodes connected by an edge is non-zero and is depicted at the edge, wherein the communication frequency depicted at each edge is non-zero, and wherein the multiplicity of nodes comprise at least one pair of nodes not connected by an edge due to a zero communication frequency occurring between the nodes of each pair of nodes of the at least one pair of nodes.

17. The storage device of claim 16, wherein the multiplicity of nodes in the graph comprises a first plurality of nodes and a second plurality of nodes, wherein the first plurality of nodes and the second plurality of nodes each include nodes connected by an edge and nodes not connected by an edge, and wherein no node of the first plurality of nodes is connected by an edge to any node of the second plurality of nodes.

18. A computer readable storage device, comprising a computer readable program code stored therein, said computer readable program configured to be executed by a processor of a computer apparatus to implement a method for generating communication frequencies, said method comprising:

generating communication frequencies among groups of a multiplicity of groups of an organization, wherein the organization comprises a multiplicity of members, a multiplicity of departments, and the multiplicity of groups, wherein each member is an individual who belongs to a department of the multiplicity of departments, wherein each department comprises a plurality of members of the multiplicity of members, and wherein each group comprises a plurality of departments of the multiplicity of departments; and

displaying a graph on a display device of the computer apparatus, said graph depicting the generated communication frequencies among groups,

wherein said generating communication frequencies among groups comprises;

obtaining communication frequencies among members of the multiplicity of members as consisting of a number of communication interchanges occurring in a specified first period of time for each pair of members of the multiplicity of members,

generating communication frequencies among departments of the multiplicity of departments as consisting of the obtained communication frequencies among members belonging to different departments for each pair of departments of the multiplicity of departments, and

generating communication frequencies among groups of the multiplicity of groups as consisting of the generated communication frequencies among departments comprised by different groups for each pair of groups of the multiplicity of groups, said method further comprising;

calculating a height of communication frequencies among groups consisting of a totality of the communication frequencies among groups; and

determining that the calculated height of communication frequencies is not less than a specified targeted height of communication frequencies to check whether a set management strategy is practiced and whether a current organizational structure matches said set management strategy.