Method, system and program product for filling job orders

• US 8,731,981 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2012
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Frontline Technologies Group LLC (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: FRONTLINE TECHNOLOGIES Incorporated
• Inventors: Adams, Greg, Lentz, Nathan, Julius, Ralph, Vilbert, Tom, Thompson, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): ORTIZ ROMAN, DENISSE Y
• Application Number:
  US13/422,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20120179617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1053 Employment or hiring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A method, system and program product are disclosed for filling job orders, the method comprising: creating electronically a respective commitment reservation for each of a plurality of workers, with each respective commitment reservation comprising a commitment for the respective worker to work on a prospective job not yet created, with the prospective job having one or more job parameters; receiving electronically a job order subsequent to the creation of one of the commitment reservations, the job order specifying a job with one or more job parameters; matching the job parameters of the job in the job order to the job parameters in one or more of the commitment reservations to obtain a reservation-job match; and, securing automatically based on the results of the matching step the job in the job order to one of the workers with a commitment reservation.

Claims

1. A method for creating wait list for display, comprising:

generating, by one or more computers, when an electronic criterion is met for a particular worker a first list to be communicated electronically of a plurality of existing jobs that are filled and/or that are not yet created, with the jobs on the first list selected based at least in part on job parameters specified by the particular worker and that the particular worker is eligible to fill;

posting the first list of the plurality of jobs that are filled and/or that are not yet created and that the particular worker is eligible to fill, by a server configured in the one or more computers, to a respective individual worker webpage for the particular worker that is accessible by a password, with a wait list designator displayed indicating that the particular worker may be placed on a wait list for the associated job that is currently filled or not yet created by taking a first electronic action;

receiving, by the one or more computers, an electronic communication indicating that the first electronic action has been taken by the particular worker for at least two of the jobs on the first list;

placing, by the one or more computers, the particular worker on at least two respective wait lists, with each of the wait lists associated with a different one of the at least two respective jobs, wherein the respective wait lists have respective wait list orders;

generating a communication to the particular worker when one of the jobs on the first list becomes open and the particular worker comes up according to the wait list order for that respective job, by the one or more computers, indicating that the particular worker may accept the job; and

securing automatically assignment, by the one or more computers, the one job to the particular worker when an acceptance is received.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

appending, by the one or more computers, in adjacency to one of the jobs on the first list a designator indicating that one of the jobs has become open and may be accepted by the particular worker by taking a second electronic action; and

receiving, by the one or more computers, an electronic communication indicating that the second electronic action has been taken by the particular worker to accept the job; and

securing, by the one or more computers, the job for the particular worker.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

preventing, by the one or more computers, inclusion of a job on the first list to be served if the worker has a previous commitment reservation with a time range parameter that overlaps a time range parameter for the job.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

preventing, by the one or more computers, electronically inclusion of a job on the first list to be served if the worker has designated a time off period that overlaps a time range parameter for the job.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

including, by the one or more computers, a job on the first list to be served with a date and time range parameter only in a period designated as a willing to work period for that one worker.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the generating a list step operates to prevent inclusion of a job order on the first list if a number of workers already on the wait list is equal to a predetermined number.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising providing information to be posted to the particular worker for the one job on first list indicating how many workers are currently on the wait list for the one job.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information that the electronic action has been taken to place one of the workers on the respective wait list for each of a plurality of different jobs, but with at least one of the jobs being designated electronically as preferred; and

generating and serving, by the one or more computers, when the one worker next connects to his/her web page a list of one or more existing jobs that the particular worker is eligible to work, with the job designated as preferred differentiated in the list.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, comprising:

maintaining, by the one or more computers, a listing of an existing assignment of a job for a current worker;

receiving, by the one or more computers, a time-off entry or an absence entry for the current worker that overlaps for a period of time the existing assignment;

creating automatically, by the one or more computers, a vacancy to cover at least the overlap of the period of time for the existing assignment and the time-off entry or absence entry;

receiving a preference for a specific worker to fill the vacancy;

communicating, by the one or more computers, only with the specific worker about the vacancy but only if the vacancy has not been filled with a reservation commitment;

posting, by the one or more computers, the vacancy to one or more other workers only if no acceptance of the vacancy has been received from the specific worker within a predetermined period of time and only if the vacancy has not been filled with a reservation commitment.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the electronic criterion is that particular worker has connected to a server and logged onto his/her respective web page.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the electronic criterion is that a computer search program set up by the particular worker has found a job that the worker is qualified to fill.

12. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the electronic criterion is that the particular worker is using an associated electronic appliance and is accessible electronically.

13. A system for creating wait list for display, comprising:

one or more computers configured to;

generate, by one or more computers, when an electronic criterion is met for a particular worker a first list to be communicated electronically of a plurality of existing jobs that are filled and/or that are not yet created, with the jobs on the first list selected based at least in part on job parameters specified by the particular worker and that the particular worker is eligible to fill;

post the first list of the plurality jobs that are filled and/or that are not yet created and that the particular worker is eligible to fill, by a server configured in the one or more computers, to a respective individual worker webpage for the particular worker that is accessible by a password, with a wait list designator displayed indicating that the particular worker may be placed on a wait list for the associated job that is currently filled or not yet created by taking a first electronic action;

receive, by the one or more computers, an electronic communication indicating that the first electronic action has been taken by the particular worker for at least two of the jobs on the first list;

place, by the one or more computers, the particular worker on at least two respective wait lists, with each of the wait lists associated with a different one of the at least two respective jobs, wherein the respective wait lists have respective wait list orders;

generate a communication to the particular worker when one of the jobs on the first list becomes open and the particular worker comes up according to the wait list order for that respective job, by the one or more computers, indicating that the particular worker may accept the job; and

secure automatically assignment, by the one or more computers, the one job to the particular worker when an acceptance is received.

14. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein the one or more computers are further configured to:

prevent, by the one or more computers, inclusion of a job on the first list to be served if the worker has a previous commitment reservation with a time range parameter that overlaps a time range parameter for the job.

15. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein the one or more computers are further configured to:

include, by the one or more computers, a job on the first list to be served with a date and time range parameter only in a period designated as a willing to work period for that one worker.

16. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein the generate a list step operates to prevent inclusion of a job order on the first list if a number of workers already on the wait list is equal to a predetermined number.

17. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein the one or more computers are further configured to provide information to be posted to the particular worker for the one job on first list indicating how many workers are currently on the wait list for the one job.

18. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein the one or more computers are further configured to:

receive information that the electronic action has been taken to place one of the workers on the respective wait list for each of a plurality of different jobs, but with at least one of the jobs being designated electronically as preferred; and

generating and serving, by the one or more computers, when the one worker next connects to his/her web page a list of one or more existing jobs that the particular worker is eligible to work, with the job designated as preferred differentiated in the list.

19. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein the electronic criterion is that particular worker has connected to a server and logged onto his/her respective web page.

20. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein the electronic criterion is that a computer search program set up by the particular worker has found a job that the worker is qualified to fill.

21. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein the electronic criterion is that the particular worker is using an associated electronic appliance and is accessible electronically.