Labor resource decision support system

• US 8,306,839 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2009
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Deich, Derek P., Heath, Geremy, McDaniel, Michael W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty, Romain
• Assistant Examiner(s): FEENEY, BRETT A
• Application Number:
  US12/550,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20110054973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/7.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities

Abstract

A labor resource decision support system, in which labor resource data is maintained across multiple units within an organization using a standardized data record format. A demand measurement for a first type of labor resource having a unique combination of values for fields of the standardized data record format is determined based on input describing forecasted demand for the first type of labor resource within the organization and a supply measurement for the first type of labor resource is determined based on input describing forecasted supply for the first type of labor resource within the organization and the labor resource data. A gap measurement is calculated based on the determined demand measurement and the determined supply measurement and an output is provided based on the calculated gap measurement.

Claims

1. A labor resource decision support system comprising:

one or more computers; and

a computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more computers having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

maintaining labor resource data across multiple units within an organization using a standardized data record format, the standardized data record format having a combination of fields that define attributes of a labor resource relevant to labor resource planning for the organization, each field having a set of two or more predefined, potential values;

receiving, via a switch area that includes selectable input controls that define which weightings to include or exclude in making gap calculations, user input selecting whether or not to account for contract win probabilities, attrition, and surplus considerations;

determining a demand measurement for a first type of labor resource having a defined combination of values for fields of the standardized data record format based on input describing forecasted demand for the first type of labor resource within the organization and the user input selecting whether or not to account for contract win probabilities;

determining a supply measurement for the first type of labor resource based on input describing forecasted supply for the first type of labor resource within the organization and the labor resource data and the user input selecting whether or not to account for attrition and surplus considerations;

calculating a gap measurement based on the determined demand measurement and the determined supply measurement, the calculated gap measurement reflecting ability of the organization to meet forecasted demand for the first type of labor resource within the organization based on forecasted supply for the first type of labor resource within the organization; and

providing an output based on the calculated gap measurement.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein maintaining labor resource data across multiple units within the organization using the standardized data record format comprises:

receiving input defining the fields to include in the standardized data record format;

receiving input defining two or more potential values for each of the fields included in the standardized data record format;

storing data defining the standardized data record format based on the input defining the fields and the input defining the two or more potential values for each of the fields included in the standardized data record format;

leveraging the standardized data record format in collecting data for each labor resource in the organization; and

making the collected data in terms of the standardized data record format available across all units within the organization.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein receiving input defining the fields to include in the standardized data record format comprises receiving input defining (1) a skill field that defines a skill that a labor resource provides, (2) an organizational unit field that defines a unit in the organization to which a labor resource is associated, (3) a language field that defines a language in which a labor resource speaks, (4) a location field that defines a geographic location of a labor resource, and (5) a job level field that defines a level of experience of a labor resource.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein:

determining the demand measurement for the first type of labor resource based on input describing forecasted demand for the first type of labor resource within the organization comprises determining a demand measurement for each of multiple, different types of labor resources for each of multiple, different future time periods;

determining the supply measurement for the first type of labor resource based on input describing forecasted supply for the first type of labor resource within the organization and the labor resource data comprises determining a supply measurement for each of the multiple, different types of labor resources for each of the multiple, different future time periods; and

calculating the gap measurement based on the determined demand measurement and the determined supply measurement comprises calculating a gap measurement for each of the multiple, different types of labor resources for each of the multiple, different future time periods based on the determined demand measurements and the determined supply measurements.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein determining the demand measurement for the first type of labor resource based on input describing forecasted demand for the first type of labor resource within the organization comprises:

determining a first measurement of forecasted demand for the first type of labor resource based on sales opportunities of the organization;

determining a second measurement of forecasted demand for the first type of labor resource based on existing contracts of the organization; and

aggregating the first measurement of forecasted demand for the first type of labor resource determined based on sales opportunities of the organization and the second measurement of forecasted demand for the first type of labor resource determined based on existing contracts of the organization.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein determining the first measurement of forecasted demand for the first type of labor resource based on sales opportunities of the organization comprises:

receiving input defining an estimated likelihood that one or more of the sales opportunities will be realized; and

accounting for the estimated likelihood that one or more of the sales opportunities will be realized in determining the first measurement of forecasted demand for the first type of labor resource.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein:

determining the demand measurement for the first type of labor resource based on input describing forecasted demand for the first type of labor resource within the organization comprises determining a first number of the first type of labor resource needed within the organization at a future time based on the forecasted demand;

determining the supply measurement for the first type of labor resource based on input describing forecasted supply for the first type of labor resource within the organization and the labor resource data comprises determining a second number of the first type of labor resource available within the organization at the future time corresponding to the forecasted demand; and

calculating the gap measurement based on the determined demand measurement and the determined supply measurement comprises determining a difference between the first number of the first type of labor resource needed within the organization at the future time based on the forecasted demand and the second number of the first type of labor resource available within the organization at the future time.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein determining the second number of the first type of labor resource available within the organization at the future time corresponding to the forecasted demand comprises:

receiving input defining an expected rate of attrition during a time period between a present time and the future time corresponding to the forecasted demand; and

accounting for the expected rate of attrition in determining the second number of the first type of labor resource available within the organization at the future time.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein determining the second number of the first type of labor resource available within the organization at the future time corresponding to the forecasted demand comprises:

determining an actual number of the first type of labor resource available within the organization using the labor resource data; and

adjusting the actual number of the first type of labor resource available within the organization based on forecasted attrition and hiring of the first type of labor resource.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein determining the difference between the first number of the first type of labor resource needed within the organization at the future time based on the forecasted demand and the second number of the first type of labor resource available within the organization at the future time comprises determining a number of roles to fill when the first number is greater than the second number.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein:

determining the supply measurement for the first type of labor resource based on input describing forecasted supply for the first type of labor resource within the organization and the labor resource data further comprises determining a number of open requisitions for the first type of labor resource within the organization and determining a number of accepted offers for the first type of labor resource within the organization; and

calculating the gap measurement based on the determined demand measurement and the determined supply measurement further comprises calculating a number of requisitions to create using the determined number of roles to fill, the determined number of open requisitions for the first type of labor resource, and the determined number of accepted offers for the first type of labor resource.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein determining the difference between the first number of the first type of labor resource needed within the organization at the future time based on the forecasted demand and the second number of the first type of labor resource available within the organization at the future time comprises determining a surplus count when the first number is less than the second number.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein determining the surplus count when the first number is less than the second number comprises:

determining an employment type of at least one excess labor resource included in the second number of the first type of labor resource available within the organization at the future time; and

determining whether to include the at least one excess labor resource in the surplus count based on the employment type of the at least one excess labor resource.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein providing the output based on the calculated gap measurement comprises:

determining a type of output desired based on received user input;

determining filter criteria for the output based on received user input;

generating an output based on the type of output desired and the filter criteria; and

displaying, on a display device, the generated output.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein providing the output based on the calculated gap measurement comprises:

determining a recommended course of action for addressing a gap between demand for the first type of labor resource and supply for the first type of labor resource based on the calculated gap measurement; and

providing an output that indicates the recommended course of action for addressing the gap between demand for the first type of labor resource and supply for the first type of labor resource.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein:

determining the demand measurement for the first type of labor resource based on input describing forecasted demand for the first type of labor resource within the organization comprises determining a demand measurement for the first type of labor resource in a first unit within the organization;

determining the supply measurement for the first type of labor resource based on input describing forecasted supply for the first type of labor resource within the organization and the labor resource data comprises determining a supply measurement for the first type of labor resource in a second unit within the organization, the second unit within the organization being different than the first unit within the organization; and

calculating the gap measurement based on the determined demand measurement and the determined supply measurement comprises calculating a gap measurement that accounts for the supply measurement for the first type of labor resource in the second unit within the organization in addressing the demand measurement for the first type of labor resource in the first unit within the organization.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer-readable medium has instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations further comprising:

receiving input defining a modeling scenario related to labor resource needs;

updating the supply, demand, and gap measurements to account for the modeling scenario; and

based on the updated supply, demand, and gap measurements, providing output that indicates results of the modeling scenario.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer-readable medium has instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations further comprising:

associating a cost measure with one or more of the first type of labor resources within the organization;

calculating a cost associated with one or more resource planning scenarios based on the cost measure associated with the one or more of the first type of labor resources within the organization; and

based on the calculated cost associated with the one or more resource planning scenarios, providing output that reflects that indicates cost associated with the one or more resource planning scenarios.

19. A method comprising:

maintaining labor resource data across multiple units within an organization using a standardized data record format, the standardized data record format having a combination of fields that define attributes of a labor resource relevant to labor resource planning for the organization, each field having a set of two or more predefined, potential values;

receiving, via a switch area that includes selectable input controls that define which weightings to include or exclude in making gap calculations, user input selecting whether or not to account for contract win probabilities, attrition, and surplus considerations;

determining a demand measurement for a first type of labor resource having a unique combination of values for the fields of the standardized data record format based on input describing forecasted demand for the first type of labor resource within the organization and the user input selecting whether or not to account for contract win probabilities;

determining a supply measurement for the first type of labor resource based on input describing forecasted supply for the first type of labor resource within the organization and the labor resource data and the user input selecting whether or not to account for attrition and surplus considerations;

calculating, using at least one processor, a gap measurement based on the determined demand measurement and the determined supply measurement, the calculated gap measurement reflecting ability of the organization to meet forecasted demand for the first type of labor resource within the organization based on forecasted supply for the first type of labor resource within the organization; and

providing an output based on the calculated gap measurement.

20. A computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

maintaining labor resource data across multiple units within an organization using a standardized data record format, the standardized data record format having a combination of fields that define attributes of a labor resource relevant to labor resource planning for the organization, each field having a set of two or more predefined, potential values;

receiving, via a switch area that includes selectable input controls that define which weightings to include or exclude in making gap calculations, user input selecting whether or not to account for contract win probabilities, attrition, and surplus considerations;

determining a demand measurement for a first type of labor resource having a unique combination of values for the fields of the standardized data record format based on input describing forecasted demand for the first type of labor resource within the organization and the user input selecting whether or not to account for contract win probabilities;

determining a supply measurement for the first type of labor resource based on input describing forecasted supply for the first type of labor resource within the organization and the labor resource data and the user input selecting whether or not to account for attrition and surplus considerations;

calculating a gap measurement based on the determined demand measurement and the determined supply measurement, the calculated gap measurement reflecting ability of the organization to meet forecasted demand for the first type of labor resource within the organization based on forecasted supply for the first type of labor resource within the organization; and

providing an output based on the calculated gap measurement.