User interface enabling approval/disappoval of revised contract performance indicators

• US 8,533,027 B1
• Filed: 07/30/2004
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ent Services Development Corporation LP (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Wakely, Paul, Curtis, Andrea, Doucet, Stephan, Robb, Karen
• Primary Examiner(s): JARRETT, SCOTT L
• Application Number:
  US10/902,256
• Time in Patent Office: 3,329 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.39, 705/7.28, 705/7.36, 705/7.38
• US Class Current: 705/7.39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A user interface and processes are provided to monitor contracts for the delivery of products and/or services to different customers. The user interface provides a comprehensive visual display such that a user can view multiple contracts and a variety of performance information for each contract. The user interface also enables a user to update performance indicators for a contract and to identify contracts that require heightened scrutiny or action to mitigate current problems or potential issues.

Claims

1. A article comprising a machine-readable medium storing instructions for causing data processing apparatus to:

generate a graphical user interface on a display device for using a computer to monitor performance of at least one contract for services wherein each contract for services includes a plurality of attributes including service performance attributes and financial attributes;

wherein the graphical user interface comprises a summary display for monitoring performance each contract for services, the summary display including a table that relates contracts for services to the attributes as performance indicators arranged into plurality of attribute sets including a first attribute set of a plurality of performance indicators related to service performance attributes, a second attribute set of a plurality of performance indicators related to financial performance attributes;

wherein the service performance attributes includes an objective component related to contract performance and a subjective component related to user satisfaction;

wherein each performance indicator included on the table is represented with at least one of a set of performance level indicia symbols that each represent a different level of performance, wherein the set of performance level indicia symbols is selected from a group of a plurality of user-selectable sets of performance level indicia symbols; and

wherein each displayed symbol represents a level of performance for a corresponding performance indicator and a corresponding contract;

receive updated symbols entered by a first type of user, wherein the updated symbols represent revised levels of performance for performance indicators associated with a particular contract for a period of time;

display, for a second type of user, the updated symbols representing revised levels of performance for performance indicators associated with the particular contract;

receive, from the second type of user, either an approval indication or disapproval indication of the revised levels of performance for performance indicators associated with the particular contract;

display, for a third type of user, the updated symbols representing revised levels of performance for performance indicators associated with the particular contract in response to the approval indication; and

display, for the first type of user and the second type of user but not for the third type of user, the updated symbols representing revised levels of performance for performance indicators associated with the particular contract in response to the disapproval indication.

2. The article of claim 1 wherein at least one contract provides services to a different recipient than a recipient to whom services are provided by another contract.

3. The article of claim 1 the instructions for causing data processing apparatus to prompt a user to update symbols representing levels of performance for performance indicators associated with a particular contract.

4. The article of claim 1 instructions for causing data processing apparatus to display, for the third type of user, symbols representing levels of performance for performance indicators associated with the particular contract and applying to a second period of time wherein the second period of time occurs before to the period of time that applies to the updated symbols when the approval indication has not been received.

5. The article of claim 1 instructions for causing data processing apparatus to display a performance-level elicitation comprising a statement and multiple responses selectable by a user and associated with a performance indicator;

receive one of the multiple responses selected by the user and associated with a particular contract;

determine a level of performance for the performance indicator based on the received response;

associate the level of performance with the performance indicator for the particular contract; and

display a symbol associated with the level of performance for the performance indicator when symbols for the particular contract are displayed.

6. The article of claim 1 wherein the summary display includes one or more performance indicators that comprise financial indicators that relate to financial performance of a contract.

7. The article of claim 1 wherein the summary display includes one or more performance indicators that comprise risk indicators that relate to identification of a potential contract issue.

8. The article of claim 1 wherein the summary display includes one or more performance indicators that comprise quality indicators that relate to quality of service provided to the recipient of the contract.

9. The article of claim 1 wherein the summary display includes one or more performance indicators that comprise resource indicators that relate to resources needed to provide services to the contract recipient.

10. The article of claim 1 wherein the summary display includes one or more performance indicators that comprise scope indicators that indicate extent of non-contractual services provided to the recipient of the contract.

11. The article of claim 1 wherein the summary display further comprises information indicating an action item to be performed to improve contract performance for an associated contract.

12. The article of claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a selection window having selection criteria modifiable by a user and operable to determine contracts displayed in the summary display.

13. The article of claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a contract display including a contract description and performance information for a particular contract.

14. The article of claim 13 wherein the contract display includes performance information for a particular performance period for a particular contract.

15. The article of claim 13 wherein the contract display includes performance information for multiple particular performance periods for a particular contract.

16. The article of claim 13 wherein the contract display includes contract information related to one or more of service excellence, risk, financial performance, performance monitoring communication, and actions to mitigate risk or correct problems.

22. The article of claim 1 wherein one of the sets of performance level indicia symbols includes a plurality of different geometric shapes.

17. A computer-implemented method for presenting a graphical user interface on a display device of a computer having a processor coupled to a memory, the method comprising;

receiving into the memory performance data related to a plurality of attributes of a service performance of at least one contract for services wherein each contract for services includes a plurality of attributes including service performance attributes and financial attributes;

generating, with the processor, a graphical user interface that displays a summary display for monitoring contract performance for each contract for services from the received performance data, wherein;

the summary display includes a table that relates each contract for services to the plurality of attributes as performance indicators arranged into plurality of attribute sets including a first attribute set of a plurality of performance indicators related to service performance attributes, a second attribute set of a plurality of performance indicators related to financial performance attributes;

the service performance attributes includes an objective component related to contract performance and a subjective component related to user satisfaction;

each performance indicator included on the table is represented with at least one of a set of performance level indicia symbols that each represent a different level of performance;

the set of performance level indicia symbols is selected from a group of a plurality of user-selectable sets of performance level indicia symbols; and

each displayed symbol represents a level of performance for a corresponding performance indicator and a corresponding contract;

receiving updated symbols entered by a first type of user and representing revised levels of performance for performance indicators associated with a particular contract and applying to a period of time;

displaying to a second type of user the updated symbols representing revised levels of performance for performance indicators associated with the particular contract;

receiving, from the second type of user, either an approval indication or disapproval indication of the revised levels of performance for performance indicators associated with the particular contract;

displaying, for a third type of user, the updated symbols representing revised levels of performance for performance indicators associated with the particular contract in response to the approval indication; and

displaying to the first type of user and the second type of user but not for the third type of user, the updated symbols representing revised levels of performance for performance indicators associated with the particular contract and applying to a period of time.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 wherein at least one contract provides services to a different recipient than a recipient to whom services are provided by another contract.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 further comprising displaying a message to prompt a user to update symbols representing levels of performance for performance indicators associated with a particular contract.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 further comprising displaying, for the third type of user, symbols representing levels of performance for performance indicators associated with the particular contract and applying to a second period of time,

wherein the second period of time occurs before to the period of time that applies to the updated symbols when the approval indication has not been received.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 further comprising:

displaying a performance-level elicitation comprising a statement and multiple responses selectable by a user and associated with a performance indicator;

receiving one of the multiple responses selected by the user and associated with a particular contract;

determining a level of performance for the performance indicator based on the received response;

associating the level of performance with the performance indicator for the particular contract; and

displaying a symbol associated with the level of performance for the performance indicator when symbols for the particular contract are displayed.