Method and system for analyzing information transfer among a plurality of parties

• US 8,738,325 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2007
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mind-Alliance Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Mind-Alliance Systems LLC
• Inventors: Cloutier, Jean-Francois, Kamien, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): COSIMANO, EDWARD R
• Application Number:
  US12/373,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20110125839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,507 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/431, 370/464, 702/1, 702/127, 702/182, 702/187, 702/188, 705/1.1, 705/7.11, 705/7.12, 705/7.13, 705/7.14, 705/7.15, 705/7.23, 705/7.27, 705/300, 705/301, 705/345, 705/400, 709/223, 709/224, 709/226
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/32 with visual or acoustical indication of the functioning of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/40 Data acquisition and logging for input to computer G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 23/00 Apparatus or local circuits for systems other than those covered by groups H04L15/00 - H04L21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters

Abstract

A method and system for using a structured analytical process to model, analyze, plan and improve anticipated flows of information across agencies, department, companies etc. and across different disciplines and jurisdictions. The method includes a structured process for improving the flow of information through need-based communication planning. The method identifies the need for information, describes its availability and specifies the restrictions on its dissemination. It then uncovers information sharing opportunities, generates communication plans, discovers preventable communication breakdowns and prioritizes their remediations.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing information transfer among a plurality of parties, the method comprising the following steps:

identifying an event which may occur, and in connection therewith identifying a task which needs to be performed based on said event occurring;

identifying one or more parties associated with said event, and further identifying one or more parties involved in carrying out said task;

for each party involved in carrying out said task, determining information available to each said party involved in carrying out said task prior to said task being carried out, and also determining information not yet available but necessary for carrying out said task for each said party involved in carrying out said task prior to said task being carried out;

determining a need for communication of information by one or more of said parties to carry out said task;

determining whether said need for communication of information may be fulfilled based on information available to each said party, and if said need for communication may not be fulfilled, then determining whether said information which is not yet available may be satisfied from an available source and determining a corresponding expense for satisfying said information need; and

prioritizing said expense in relation to other expenses which may be necessary in fulfilling other information sharing needs.

2. A method for analyzing information transfer among a plurality of parties, the method comprising the following steps:

identifying the scope and parties involved in information transfer for a given information transfer project;

defining resources and scenarios for information sharing using terms commonly understood by said parties;

identifying constraints on the transfer of information;

profiling sources of information for the information transfer project;

assembling one or more scenarios, where each scenario is associated with an event and a task in response to said event;

identifying one or more parties associated with said event, and further identifying one or more parties involved in carrying out said task;

for each party involved in carrying out said task, determining information available to each said party involved in carrying out said task prior to said task being carried out, and also determining information not yet available but necessary for carrying out said task for each said party involved in carrying out said task prior to said task being carried out;

determining a need for communication of information not yet available by one or more of said parties to carry out said task;

identifying sharing needs by identifying a source of said as yet unavailable information;

creating a communications plan which satisfies said sharing need by transferring information from an available source of information to a party in need of said information available from said source.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the following steps:

defining a situation by performing at least the following steps;

describing the situation;

specifying at least one type of event that causes the situation to come into effect;

specifying at least one type of event that causes a termination of the situation;

identifying one or more resources which become operational for the situation;

identifying one or more resources which become non-operational for the situation;

identifying one or more policies which become applicable for the situation;

identifying one or more policies which become non-applicable for the situation.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the following steps:

describing a channel by performing the following steps;

determining whether the channel is normally operational;

identifying other channels interoperable with the channel;

determining the level of security and reliability associated with the channel;

identify a transmission latency for the channel.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising the following steps:

verifying that an intended recipient of information possesses a necessary clearance for the needed information.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising the following steps:

determining a sequence of communications to satisfy at least a part of an identified sharing of needed information, based on at least the following;

contact information of the source and intended recipient of the needed information;

access granted to the source and destination;

resources which are operational;

security and privacy of channels used;

information format supported by channels used.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising the following steps:

creating one or more information sharing agreements among the one or more parties.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising the following steps:

identifying an organization and a role for each party involved in said information transfer project.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the following steps:

profiling said role by performing the following steps;

determining whether the role is normally operational;

determining whether the role is internal;

determining whether the role is an accepted point of contact for the organization;

determining one or more managers for the role;

identifying one or more alternate roles to be contacted when the role is unreachable;

specifying the accessibility of the role;

specifying the role'"'"'s relevant expertise;

identifying one or more clearances a person in this role is to possess.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising the following steps:

identifying a need for information which cannot be satisfied based on currently available resources.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the following steps:

identifying a cause for failing to provide needed information, the cause being one or more of secrecy, privacy, policy, absence of sharing agreement, excessive delay or insufficient rights.

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising the following steps:

assembling a communication playbook.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the following steps:

determining a selected scenario and a selected role identifying communication acts which involve the selected role for the selected scenario;

for each identified communication act;

identifying one or more events or tasks which directly result in said communication act;

identifying constraints on said communication act;

identifying a person to be contacting said role and a person to be contacted by said role;

identifying contact information;

identify at least one person to contact in the event of a failure of communication.

14. The method of claim 2, further comprising the following steps:

performing an impact analysis on said communication plan to identify one or more communication problems, wherein said communication problems include one of a communication bottleneck and a communication single point of failure.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the following steps:

selecting an issue and determining what tasks may fail as a result of failure to share needed information;

propagating an impact of such failure on one or more other tasks and identifying indirect impacts of said issue;

assigning a severity level to such failure.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the following step:

estimating an expense associated with remediating said one or more communication problems.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the following steps:

prioritizing an expense in relation to other expenses which may be necessary in fulfilling other information sharing needs.

18. The method of claim 2, further comprising the following steps:

creating one or more scenarios, with each scenario including one or more storylines, wherein the creating of each scenario includes the following steps;

specifying at least one appropriate category for each element in said scenario;

adding at least one event or task to said scenario;

identifying one or more situations applicable to said scenario.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the following steps:

adding an event by performing the following steps;

assigning the event to one or more storylines in the scenario;

identify an event or task which may cause the occurrence of this event;

identify an expected duration of the event;

identify one or more tasks which may terminate the event.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising the following steps:

adding a task by performing the following steps;

assigning the task to one or more storylines in the scenario;

identifying a category of an objective of the task;

identifying an event or task which may cause the occurrence of the task;

identify an expected duration of the task.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising the following steps:

defining one or more categories used in identifying scenarios, wherein the defining of each category includes the following steps;

selecting an appropriate taxonomy for each type of element;

describing said category;

identifying other categories which may be implied by said category;

identifying a discipline associated with said category;

determining whether there is an applicable standard associated with said category.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the following steps:

associating an information template with a category by describing a group of one or more information items regarding an item in said category.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising the following steps:

identifying a role which needs information for a selected scenario;

identify an object of interest and specify information which is needed;

determining a criticality of the needed information.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the following steps:

identifying a source of available information for the needed information, where the available information matches needed information if at least one element of information in the available information matches at least one element of information in the needed information.

25. A system for analyzing information transfer among a plurality of parties, comprising:

a programmed processor;

a memory containing instructions for execution by the programmed processor, the instructions operative to perform the following steps;

identifying an event which may occur, and in connection therewith identifying a task which needs to be performed based on said event occurring;

identifying one or more parties associated with said event, and further identifying one or more parties involved in carrying out said task;

for each party involved in carrying out said task, determining information available to each said party involved in carrying out said task prior to said task being carried out, and also determining information not yet available but necessary for carrying out said task for each said party involved in carrying out said task prior to said task being carried out;

determining a need for communication of information by one or more of said parties to carry out said task;

determining whether said need for communication of information may be fulfilled based on information available to each said party, and if said need for communication may not be fulfilled, then determining whether said information which is not yet available may be satisfied from an available source and determining a corresponding expense for satisfying said information need;

and prioritizing said expense in relation to other expenses which may be necessary in fulfilling other information sharing needs.

26. A system for analyzing information transfer among a plurality of parties, comprising:

a programmed processor;

a memory containing instructions for execution by the programmed processor, the instructions operative to perform the following steps;

identifying the scope and parties involved in information transfer for a given information transfer project;

defining resources and scenarios for information sharing using terms commonly understood by said parties;

identifying constraints on the transfer of information;

profiling sources of information for the information transfer project;

assembling one or more scenarios, where each scenario is associated with an event and a task in response to said event;

identifying one or more parties associated with said event, and further identifying one or more parties involved in carrying out said task;

for each party involved in carrying out said task, determining information available to each said party involved in carrying out said task prior to said task being carried out, and also determining information not yet available but necessary for carrying out said task for each said party involved in carrying out said task prior to said task being carried out;

determining a need for communication of information not yet available by one or more of said parties to carry out said task;

identifying sharing needs by identifying a source of said as yet unavailable information;

creating a communications plan which satisfies said sharing need by transferring information from an available source of information to a party in need of said information available from said source.