Assessment of skills of a user

• US 8,265,976 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2009
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fitterer, Annemarie R., Hazlewood, Kristin M., Fontenot, Shevaun-Ann M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jasmin, Lynda
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koneru, Sujay
• Application Number:
  US12/650,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/7.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1053 Employment or hiring

Abstract

A method, operable on a processing device, for assessment of skills of a user may include receiving, by the processing device, an error message reporting an error associated with the user. The method may also include determining, by the processing device, a categorization of the error. Determining the categorization of the error may include assigning one of a plurality of predetermined skill ratings to the user. Each predetermined skill rating may be associated with a predefined condition. The method may additionally include generating, by the processing device, a report for assessment of the skills of the user. The report may include an identification of the user, the error, identification of a system if a system associated error, identification of a product if a product associated error, the categorization of the error and the predetermined skill rating assigned to the user.

Claims

1. A method, operable on a processing device, for assessment of skills of a user, comprising:

receiving, by the processing device, an error message reporting an error associated with the user;

determining, by the processing device, a categorization of the error, wherein determining the categorization of the error comprises;

defining the error as one of a product defect, a system error, and a user error;

assigning a first predetermined skill rating to the user in response to the error not being defined as the user error;

determining if the user previously reported a same type of error and the error being defined as user error;

assigning a second predetermined skill rating to the user in response to the user having previously reported the same type of error and the error being defined as user error;

determining if the user has reviewed documentation for the product;

assigning a third predetermined skill rating to the user in response to determining that the user has not reviewed the documentation for the product;

generating a message to determine if the documentation for the product needs improvement in response to determining that the user has reviewed the documentation for the product;

determining if the user has performed any available training module for the product;

assigning a fourth predetermined skill rating to the user in response to determining that the user has performed the training module for the product;

determining if the user was previously instructed to perform the training module if available;

assigning a fifth predetermined skill rating to the user in response to the training module being available and the user not having been instructed to perform the training module; and

assigning the fourth predetermined skill rating to the user in response to the user having been instructed to perform the training module and the user not having performed the training module; and

generating, by the processing device, a report for assessment of skills of the user, the report comprising an identification of the user, the error, identification of a system if the error is a system error, identification of a product if the error is a product error, the categorization of the error, and the predetermined skill rating assigned to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is a group of users.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating and monitoring a system error log for recording each system error encountered by the user, wherein monitoring the system log comprises;

tracking each time a reported system error reoccurs; and

tracking each time the reported system error is unresolved for more than a selected time period.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

generating and monitoring a product error log for recording each error encountered by the user and associated with a particular product, wherein monitoring the product log comprises;

tracking each time a reported product error reoccurs; and

tracking each time the reported product error is unresolved for more than a selected time period.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein generating the report comprises using the system error log and the product error log along with the identification of the user, the identification of the system, the identification of the product and the categorization of the error to generate the report which provides an assessment of the user'"'"'s skill rating in working with a computing environment comprising the system and the product and the user'"'"'s ability to complete an assigned task.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising categorizing information in the report based on particular aspects of the system and product from which errors occur and a frequency of each specific error to determine whether additional user skill is needed and what additional user skill is needed.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising automatically sending the report to an evaluator assigned to the user at predetermined time intervals.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a profile for the user, wherein creating the profile comprises:

providing a mechanism for defining a unique identification of the user;

providing a mechanism for defining a unique identification of the system;

providing a mechanism for defining a unique identification of the product;

providing a mechanism for defining a relationship of the user relative the system and the product;

providing a mechanism for identifying a evaluator and any criteria for performing an evaluation of the user; and

providing a mechanism for defining a reporting schedule for generating and sending the report to the evaluator.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the mechanism comprises presenting a graphical user interface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined skill rating corresponds to the user not having a skill deficit, the second predetermined skill rating corresponds to the user having the skill deficit, the third predetermined skill rating corresponds to the user having the skill deficit and needing to review product documents to improve self sufficiency, the fourth predetermined skill rating corresponds to the user having the skill deficit even though the user has performed an available training module;

and the fifth predetermined skill rating corresponds to the user having the skill deficit and the user needing to be instructed to perform the training module.

11. A processing device for assessment of skills of a user comprising:

a processor, the processor configured to receive an error message reporting an error associated with the user;

a module operable on the processor for assessment of skills of the user, the module comprising;

a module for determining a categorization of the error, wherein the module for determining a categorization comprises a unit configured for;

defining the error as one of a product defect, a system error, and a user error;

assigning a first predetermined skill rating to the user in response to the error not being defined as the user error;

determining if the user previously reported a same type of error and the error being defined as user error;

assigning a second predetermined skill rating to the user in response to the user having previously reported the same type of error and the error being a user error;

determining if the user has reviewed documentation for the product;

assigning a third predetermined skill rating to the user in response to determining that the user has not reviewed the documentation for the product;

generating a message to determine if the documentation for the product needs improvement in response to determining that the user has reviewed the documentation for the product;

determining if the user has performed any available training module for the product;

assigning a fourth predetermined skill rating to the user in response to determining that the user has performed the training module for the product;

determining if the user was previously instructed to perform the training module if available;

assigning a fifth predetermined skill rating to the user in response to the training module being available and the user not having been instructed to perform the training module;

assigning the fourth predetermined skill rating to the user in response to the user having been instructed to perform the training module and the user not having performed the training module; and

a module for generating a report for assessment of skills of the user, the report comprising an identification of the user, the error, identification of a system if the error is a system error, identification of a product if the error is a product error, the categorization of the error, and the predetermined skill rating assigned to the user.

12. The processing device of claim 11, further comprising:

a system error log for recording each system error encountered by the user;

a unit for monitoring the system log, the unit for monitoring the system log comprising;

a module for tracking each time a reported system error reoccurs; and

a module for tracking each time the reported system error is unresolved for more than a selected time period.

13. The processing device of claim 12, further comprising:

a product error log for recording each product error encountered by the user and associated with a particular product;

a unit for monitoring the product error log, the unit for monitoring the product error log comprising;

a module for tracking each time a reported product error reoccurs; and

a module for tracking each time the reported product error is unresolved for more than a selected time period.

14. A computer program product for assessment of skills of a user, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to receive an error message reporting an error associated with the user;

computer readable program code configured to determine a categorization of the error, wherein the computer readable program code configured to determine a categorization of the error comprises;

computer readable program code configured to define the error as one of a product defect a system error, and a user error;

computer readable program code configured to assign a first predetermined skill rating to the user in response to the error not being defined as the user error;

computer readable program code configured to determine if the user previously reported a same type of error and the error being defined as user error;

computer readable program code configured to assign a second predetermined skill rating to the user in response to the user having previously reported the same type of error and the error being defined as user error;

computer readable program code configured to determine if the user has reviewed documentation for the product;

assigning a third predetermined skill rating to the user in response to determining that the user has not reviewed the documentation for the product;

computer readable program code configured to generate a message to determine if the documentation for the product needs improvement in response to determining that the user has reviewed the documentation for the product;

computer readable program code configured to determine if the user has performed any available training module for the product;

computer readable program code configured to assign a fourth predetermined skill rating to the user in response to determining that the user has performed the training module for the product;

computer readable program code configured to determine if the user was previously instructed to perform the training module if available;

computer readable program code configured to assign a fifth predetermined skill rating to the user in response to the training module being available and the user not having been instructed to perform the training module;

computer readable program code configured to assign the fourth predetermined skill rating to the user in response to the user having been instructed to perform the training module and the user not having performed the training module; and

computer readable program code configured to generate a report for assessment of skills of the user, the report comprising an identification of the user, the error, identification of a system if the error is a system error, identification of a product if the error is a product error, the categorization of the error and the predetermined skill rating assigned to the user.