Managing resources for projects

• US 8,335,705 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2003
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Ehrler, Stefan, Fell, Matthias, Lang, Torsten, Wiedemann, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Gurkanwaljit
• Application Number:
  US10/611,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20050004825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,458 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/7.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063118 Staff planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment

Abstract

Project management is made easier and more effective by enabling a planner to define project roles for tasks of a project and then, separately search for actual resources that match the project roles.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

searching, via one or more processors, a database stored on a computer-readable storage medium for information about resources that is used for participation in projects, the database containing time periods during which each of the resources is available, the time periods during which each of the resources is available indicating both tentative and non-tentative allocations of each of the resources, amounts of resource participation for which the resources can be used for the projects, and attributes for each resource,

wherein the projects require two or more resources to complete and the projects are comprised of a set of tasks, each individual task among the set of tasks requiring at least one qualifying attribute, selected from the attributes in the database, which qualifies each resource to perform a given task in the project, the at least one qualifying attribute including at least one skill, at least one qualification, at least one level of experience, or at least one level of expertise;

the searching comprising matching proposed amounts of resource participation, proposed time periods, and the at least one qualifying attribute of the resource with the available time periods, available amounts of resource participation, and available qualifying attributes stored in the database for each of the projects;

identifying, via the one or more processors, based on the at least one qualifying attribute necessary to complete each task of each project, available resources based on the matching;

determining, via the one or more processors, a priority value for each of the projects by identifying an importance for the project through receiving an identification of the importance of one of the qualifying attributes to the project from a user; and

allocating, via the one or more processors, resources to each project based on the identified resources necessary across all of the projects based on the available resources having the at least one qualifying attribute and the priority value of the project, wherein the allocation of resources includes both tentative and non-tentative allocation of resources.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the resources comprise people.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the time periods during which each of the resources is available comprise availability.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the amounts of participation for which the resources can be used comprise utilization.

5. The method of claim 1 also including a selection by a planner of resources to be used for the projects, the selection being made from among the resources allocated to the project during the allocating of resources.

6. The method of claim 5 also including communicating with resources about the selection using a groupware program.

7. A method comprising:

searching, via one or more processors, a database stored on a computer-readable storage medium for specific human resources that is used for participation in projects, the database containing time periods during which each of the human resources is available, amounts of human resource participation for which the human resources can be used for the projects, the time periods during which each of the human resources is available indicating both tentative and non-tentative allocations of each of the human resources, and attributes for each resource,

wherein the projects require two or more resources to complete and the projects are comprised of a set of tasks, each individual task among the set of tasks requiring at least one qualifying attribute, selected from the attributes in the database, which qualifies each resource to perform a given task in the project, the at least one qualifying attribute including at least one skill, at least one qualification, at least one level of experience, or at least one level of expertise;

the searching comprising matching proposed amounts of human resource participation, proposed time periods, and the at least one qualifying attribute of the human resource with the available time periods, available amounts of human resource participation, and available qualifying attributes stored in the database for each of the projects;

identifying, via the one or more processors, based on the at least one qualifying attribute necessary to complete each task of each project, available human resources based on the matching;

determining, via the one or more processors, a priority value for each of the projects by providing priority categories that identify an importance of the projects and receiving a selection of one of the priority categories from a user, the priority categories including at least selection of at least one qualifying attribute for a project; and

presenting, via the one or more processors, a proposed allocation of human resources to a project manager for the project based on the identified available human resources, the priority value of the project, and the degree to which the identified available human resources possess the at least one selected qualifying attribute, wherein the proposed allocation of human resources includes both tentative and non-tentative allocation of human resources.

8. The method of claim 7 in which the attributes comprise qualifying attributes that define qualifications of the human resources.

9. The method of claim 7 in which the attributes comprise capacitive attributes that define time constraints on suitable human resources.

10. The method of claim 9 in which the capacitive attributes include availability or utilization.

11. The method of claim 7 also including identifying, via the one or more processors, the importance of respective qualifying attributes.

12. The method of claim 11 in which the importance can be identified as mandatory or optional for qualification purposes.

13. An apparatus for identifying and optimizing human resources in for use in business projects comprising:

a stored database containing information about human resources that is used for participation in projects, the database containing time periods during which each of the human resources is available, the time periods during which each of the resources is available indicating both tentative and non-tentative allocations of each of the resources, amounts of participation for which the resources can be used for the projects, and attributes for each resource;

an application encoded on a non-transitory computer readable medium that enables a project manager to search the stored database, to match proposed amounts of participation, proposed time periods, and at least one qualifying attribute possessed by a resource and necessary for a project with the time periods stored in the database, amounts stored in the database, the attributes for each resource in the database, and to identify resources based on the matching, the at least one qualifying attribute including at least one of at least one skill, at least one qualification, at least one level of experience, and at least one level of expertise,

wherein the application identifies, based on qualifying attributes necessary to complete each task of each project, available human resources based on the matching, and

determines a priority value for each of the projects by identifying an importance for the project through receiving an identification of the importance of one of the qualifying attributes to the project from a user; and

a user interface that provides a project manager with a proposed allocation of human resources for a project based on the identified available human resources, the priority value of the project, and the degree to which the identified available human resources possess the at least one selected qualifying attribute, wherein the proposed allocation of human resources includes both tentative and non-tentative allocation of human resources.

14. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which when executed by a processor in a computer cause the computer to execute a method for identifying and optimizing human resources for use in business projects, the method comprising:

enabling a project manager to search a database for specific human resources that is used for participation in projects, the database containing time periods during which each of the human resources is available, the time periods during which each of the human resources is available indicating both tentative and non-tentative allocations of each of the human resources, amounts of human resource participation for which the human resources can be used for the projects, and attributes for each resource,

wherein the projects require two or more resources to complete and the projects are comprised of a set of tasks, each individual task among the set of tasks requiring at least one qualifying attribute, selected from the attributes in the database, which qualifies each resource to perform a given task in the project, the at least one qualifying attribute including at least one skill, at least one qualification, at least one level of experience, or at least one level of expertise;

the searching comprising matching proposed amounts of human resource participation, proposed time periods, and the at least one qualifying attribute of the human resource with the available time periods, available amounts of human resource participation, and available qualifying attributes stored in the database for each of the projects;

identifying, based on the at least one qualifying attribute necessary to complete each task of each project, available human resources based on the matching;

determining a priority value for each of the projects by providing priority categories that identify an importance of the projects and receiving a selection of one of the priority categories from a user, the priority categories including at least selection of at least one qualifying attribute for a project; and

presenting a proposed allocation of human resources to the project manager for a the project based on the identified available human resources, the priority value of the project, and the degree to which the identified available human resources possess the at least one selected qualifying attribute, wherein the proposed allocation of human resources includes both tentative and non-tentative allocation of human resources.