Enterprise gamification system for awarding employee performance

• US 8,768,751 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2012
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Jakowski, Juergen, McKellar, Brian Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Jarrett, Scott L
• Application Number:
  US13/456,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20130291065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.38, 705/7.42
• US Class Current: 705/7.42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Methods, computer-readable media, and systems for gathering gamification data from business applications. Common gamification data that describes a user that accesses a business software environment, and specific gamification data that describes the user and is specific to a particular computer system in the business environment are identified at a user interface of a client device in response to a request from a gamification engine. By executing gamification logic in the user interface, the common gamification data and the specific gamification data are collected at the user interface and provided to the gamification engine. For example, the gamification data can be gathered by monitoring interactions between the user and the client device that is connected to the gamification engine at the user interface, and provided to the gamification engine independent of the business computer system to which the client device is connected.

Claims

1. A method performed by data processing apparatus, the method comprising:

determining that a user has accessed a business software environment including a plurality of business computer systems using a client device that is connected to the business software environment, each business computer system implementing respective business computer software applications to perform respective business operations, the plurality of business computer systems including at least one of a sales computer system, a production computer system, or a marketing computer system;

determining that the user has accessed a particular business computer system of the plurality of business computer systems, wherein the particular business computer system implements business computer software applications to perform business operations that are unique to the particular business computer system;

identifying a user interface displayed at the client device by the particular business computer system, the user interface displayed by executing a gamification logic in a user interface client infrastructure executed by the particular business computer system without modifying a business software application executed by the particular business computer system;

receiving, through the user interface, consent from the user to participate in gamification;

in response to receiving consent from the user to participate in gamification, tracking interactions by the user with the user interface displayed at the client device, the interactions comprising inputs through the user interface by the user to the business software environment and the particular business computer system, and outputs on the user interface by the business software environment and the particular business computer system in response to the inputs;

receiving, from a gamification engine connected to the business software environment, a first request for common gamification data and a second request for specific gamification data, the common gamification data describing the user of the business software environment and the specific gamification data describing the user and being specific to gamification in the particular business computer system;

identifying the common gamification data and the specific gamification data based on tracking the interactions by the user with the user interface, the common gamification data including at least a portion of authentication data that the user provides to be authenticated as an authorized user of the business software environment and the specific gamification data including at least a portion of the inputs through the user interface by the user to the business software environment and the particular business computer system, the portion of the inputs indicative of the user'"'"'s performance; and

providing the common gamification data and the specific gamification data to the gamification engine in response to receiving the first request and the second request, respectively.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactions comprise operations performed at the user interface, the operations including one or more of operations performed by the user through the user interface, operations implemented by the business software environment through the user interface, or operations implemented by the particular business computer system through the user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is authorized to access a navigation structure assigned to an account on the plurality of business computer systems that is associated with the user, wherein the navigation structure references a plurality of applications that the user is authorized to access, and wherein determining that the user has accessed the particular business computer system comprises:

displaying the navigation structure in the user interface; and

determining that the user has selected a portion of the navigation structure that is specific to the particular business computer system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the specific gamification data includes:

gamification data that the user provides to or receives through the user interface;

gamification data received from a business computer software framework provided by the particular system in response to executing instructions to present the user interface; and

gamification data received from the business computer system based on interactions between the user and the particular business computer system.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the gamification engine determines a performance measure based on the common gamification data and the specification data, and wherein the method further comprises providing the gamification performance measure to the user through the user interface.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein providing the gamification performance measure to the user comprises displaying the gamification performance measure in the user interface.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the gamification engine, a plurality of tasks frequently performed by the user, one or more awards received by the user, and one or more reports describing the user'"'"'s performance in gamification; and

displaying the plurality of tasks frequently performed by the user, the one or more awards received by the user, and the one or more reports describing the user'"'"'s performance in gamification in the user interface.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly encoding computer program instructions executable by data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

determining that a user has accessed a business software environment including a plurality of business computer systems using a client device that is connected to the business software environment, each business computer system implementing respective business computer software applications to perform respective business operations, the plurality of business computer systems including at least one of a sales computer system, a production computer system, or a marketing computer system;

determining that the user has accessed a particular business computer system of the plurality of business computer systems, wherein the particular business computer system implements business computer software applications to perform business operations that are unique to the particular business computer system;

identifying a user interface displayed at the client device by the particular business computer system, the user interface displayed by executing a gamification logic in a user interface client infrastructure executed by the particular business computer system without modifying a business software application executed by the particular business computer system;

receiving, through the user interface, consent from the user to participate in gamification;

in response to receiving consent from the user to participate in gamification, tracking interactions by the user with the user interface displayed at the client device, the interactions comprising inputs through the user interface by the user to the business software environment and the particular business computer system, and outputs on the user interface by the business software environment and the particular business computer system in response to the inputs;

receiving, from a gamification engine connected to the business software environment, a first request for common gamification data and a second request for specific gamification data, the common gamification data describing the user of the business software environment and the specific gamification data describing the user and being specific to gamification in the particular business computer system;

identifying the common gamification data and the specific gamification data based on tracking the interactions by the user with the user interface, the common gamification data including at least a portion of authentication data that the user provides to be authenticated as an authorized user of the business software environment and the specific gamification data including at least a portion of the inputs through the user interface by the user to the business software environment and the particular business computer system, the portion of the inputs indicative of the user'"'"'s performance; and

providing the common gamification data and the specific gamification data to the gamification engine in response to receiving the first request and the second request, respectively.

9. The medium of claim 8, the interactions comprise operations performed at the user interface, the operations including one or more of operations performed by the user through the user interface, operations implemented by the business software environment through the user interface, or operations implemented by the particular business computer system through the user interface, and wherein identifying the common gamification data and the specific gamification data at the user interface comprises identifying the common gamification data and the specific gamification data based on monitoring the operations.

10. The medium of claim 8, wherein the user is authorized to access a navigation structure assigned to an account on the plurality of business computer systems that is associated with the user, wherein the navigation structure references a plurality of applications that the user is authorized to access and wherein determining that the user has accessed the particular business computer system comprises:

displaying the navigation structure in the user interface; and

determining that the user has selected a portion of the navigation structure that is specific to the particular business computer system.

11. The medium of claim 10, wherein the specific gamification data includes:

gamification data that the user provides to or receives through the user interface;

gamification data received from a business computer software framework provided by the particular system in response to executing instructions to present the user interface; and

gamification data received from the business computer system based on interactions between the user and the particular business computer system.

12. The medium of claim 10, wherein the gamification engine determines a performance measure based on the common gamification data and the specification data, and wherein the method further comprises providing the gamification performance measure to the user through the user interface.

13. The medium of claim 12, wherein providing the gamification performance measure to the user comprises displaying the gamification performance measure in the user interface.

14. The medium of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

receiving, from the gamification engine, a plurality of tasks frequently performed by the user, one or more awards received by the user, and one or more reports describing the user'"'"'s performance in gamification; and

displaying the plurality of tasks frequently performed by the user, the one or more awards received by the user, and the one or more reports describing the user'"'"'s performance in gamification in the user interface.

15. A system comprising:

one or more data processing apparatus; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly encoding computer program instructions executable by the one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising;

determining that a user has accessed a business software environment including a plurality of business computer systems using a client device that is connected to the business software environment, each business computer system implementing respective business computer software applications to perform respective business operations, the plurality of business computer systems including at least one of a sales computer system, a production computer system, or a marketing computer system;

determining that the user has accessed a particular business computer system of the plurality of business computer systems, wherein the particular business computer system implements business computer software applications to perform business operations that are unique to the particular business computer system;

identifying a user interface displayed at the client device by the particular business computer system, the user interface displayed by executing a gamification logic in a user interface client infrastructure executed by the particular business computer system without modifying a business software application executed by the particular business computer system;

receiving, through the user interface, consent from the user to participate in gamification;

in response to receiving consent from the user to participate in gamification, tracking interactions by the user with the user interface displayed at the client device, the interactions comprising inputs through the user interface by the user to the business software environment and the particular business computer system, and outputs on the user interface by the business software environment and the particular business computer system in response to the inputs;

receiving, from a gamification engine connected to the business software environment, a first request for common gamification data and a second request for specific gamification data, the common gamification data describing the user of the business software environment and the specific gamification data describing the user and being specific to gamification in the particular business computer system;

identifying the common gamification data and the specific gamification data based on tracking the interactions by the user with the user interface, the common gamification data including at least a portion of authentication data that the user provides to be authenticated as an authorized user of the business software environment and the specific gamification data including at least a portion of the inputs through the user interface by the user to the business software environment and the particular business computer system, the portion of the inputs indicative of the user'"'"'s performance; and

providing the common gamification data and the specific gamification data to the gamification engine in response to receiving the first request and the second request, respectively.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the interactions comprise operations performed at the user interface, the operations including one or more of operations performed by the user through the user interface, operations implemented by the business software environment through the user interface, or operations implemented by the particular business computer system through the user interface, and wherein identifying the common gamification data and the specific gamification data at the user interface comprises identifying the common gamification data and the specific gamification data based on monitoring the operations.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the user is authorized to access a navigation structure assigned to an account on the plurality of business computer systems that is associated with the user, wherein the navigation structure references a plurality of applications that the user is authorized to access, and wherein determining that the user has accessed the particular business computer system comprises:

displaying the navigation structure in the user interface; and

determining that the user has selected a portion of the navigation structure that is specific to the particular business computer system.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the specific gamification data includes:

gamification data that the user provides to or receives through the user interface;

gamification data received from a business computer software framework provided by the particular system in response to executing instructions to present the user interface; and

gamification data received from the business computer system based on interactions between the user and the particular business computer system.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the gamification engine determines a performance measure based on the common gamification data and the specification data, and wherein the method further comprises providing the gamification performance measure to the user through the user interface.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein providing the gamification performance measure to the user comprises displaying the gamification performance measure in the user interface.

21. The system of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

receiving, from the gamification engine, a plurality of tasks frequently performed by the user, one or more awards received by the user, and one or more reports describing the user'"'"'s performance in gamification; and

displaying the plurality of tasks frequently performed by the user, the one or more awards received by the user, and the one or more reports describing the user'"'"'s performance in gamification in the user interface.