Method and system for strategy development and resource management for achieving a goal

• US 9,082,316 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2007
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Development Depot, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Goalscape Software GmbH
• Inventors: Baur, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Alan S
• Application Number:
  US11/705,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20070190499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,074 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-246, 715200-273, 715700-866, 715/961, 707600-674, 705 711- 742
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/18 Book-keeping or economics

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for strategy development and resource management for achieving a goal. The goal is divided into a plurality of first-generation sub-goals to form a goal hierarchy. At least one parameter is defined for the first-generation of sub-goals. The sub-goals are further divided into subsequent generations of sub-goals if the number of generations of sub-goals is less than a threshold value. A multi-level concentric representation of the goal hierarchy is created, based on the at least one parameter. The multi-level concentric representation is used for developing a strategy for achieving the goal.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for developing a strategy for achieving a goal, the computer implemented method comprising the steps of:

a. dividing the goal into a plurality of first-generation sub-goals to form a goal hierarchy;

b. dividing one or more of the plurality of first-generation sub-goals into one or more subsequent generations of sub-goals if a number of the one or more subsequent generations of sub-goals is less than a threshold value, wherein the threshold value represents a number of generations of sub-goals adequate to achieve the goal, each of the one or more subsequent generations of sub-goals being added to the goal hierarchy;

c. defining at least one parameter associated with each of the plurality of first-generation sub-goals and each of the one or more subsequent generations of sub-goals of the goal hierarchy;

d. determining a relative importance of each of the plurality of first-generation sub-goals and each of the one or more subsequent generations of sub-goals of the goal hierarchy based on the at least one parameter;

e. generating a multi-level concentric representation of the goal hierarchy based on the at least one parameter, the multi-level concentric representation being a visual representation of the goal hierarchy to assist in tracking the progress of the goal and the sub-goals of the goal hierarchy, wherein a level of the multi-level concentric representation represents a generation of the sub-goals of the goal hierarchy, and the level is divided into a plurality of sectors, each of the plurality of sectors representing a sub-goal on the level, the sector size of each of the plurality of sectors in the multi-level concentric representation representing the relative importance of the corresponding sub-goal of the goal hierarchy; and

f. coloring each of the plurality of sectors from the circumference of the corresponding sector towards the center of the multi-level concentric representation to track visually the progress of the corresponding sub-goal on the level,

wherein the above steps are performed by a microprocessor included in a computer system.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) flag on the level representing the corresponding generation of the sub-goals,

wherein the GUI flag is configured to change the size of each of the plurality of sectors representing the sub-goal on the level.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of

moving a first sub-goal from the displayed sub-goals to the center of the multi-level concentric representation based on the selection of the first sub-goal by a user.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter comprises one or more:

a definition, an importance coefficient, a lock state, a percentage and time of completion associated with the sub-goals.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the multi-level concentric representation comprises one or more of:

a two dimensional pie-chart, and a three dimensional pie-chart.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of locking the at least one parameter associated with at least one of the sub-goals,

wherein the step of locking locks the relative importance of the at least one of the sub-goals, and

wherein the step of locking indicates that the relative importance of the at least one of the sub-goals does not change in case a new sub-goal is added to the level associated with the at least one of the sub-goals.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when the relative importance of one of the sub-goals on the level increases, the corresponding relative importance of other of the sub-goals on the level decreases and wherein, when the relative importance of the one of the sub-goals on the level decreases, the corresponding relative importance of the other of the sub-goals on the level increases.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of storing at least one of the sub-goals as favorite based on a favorite state, the favorite state being associated with each of the sub-goals.

9. A computer implemented goal management system for developing a strategy for achieving a goal, the computer implemented goal management system comprising:

a. a microprocessor;

b. a display unit configured to interact with the microprocessor;

c. a division module, the division module configured to interact with the microprocessor to divide the goal into a plurality of sub-goals to form a goal hierarchy;

d. a configuration module, the configuration module configured to interact with the microprocessor to define at least one parameter associated with each of the plurality of sub-goals of the goal hierarchy;

e. a processing module, the processing module configured to interact with the microprocessor to determine a relative importance of each of the plurality of sub-goals of the goal hierarchy;

f. a graph-generating module, the graph-generating module configured to interact with the microprocessor to generate a multi-level concentric representation of the goal hierarchy based on the at least one parameter, the multi-level concentric representation being a visual representation of the goal hierarchy, wherein a level of the multi-level concentric representation represents a generation of the plurality of sub-goals, and the level is divided into a plurality of sectors, each of the plurality of sectors representing one of the plurality of sub-goals on the level, the sector size of each of the plurality of sectors representing the relative importance of the corresponding one of the plurality of sub-goals of the goal hierarchy,

wherein the graph-generating module is configured to color each of the plurality of sectors, at least one of;

from the circumference of the corresponding sector towards the center of the multilevel concentric representation or from the center of the multilevel concentric representation towards the circumference of the corresponding sector, to represent the progress of the corresponding one of the plurality of sub-goals on the level; and

g. a monitoring module, the monitoring module configured to interact with the microprocessor to track the progress of the goal and the plurality of sub-goals.

10. The computer implemented goal management system according to claim 9, wherein the configuration module comprises the processing module, the processing module processing the at least one parameter associated with the plurality of sub-goals of the goal hierarchy.

11. The computer implemented goal management system according to claim 9, wherein the monitoring module is configured to track the progress of the plurality of sub-goals of the goal hierarchy based on the at least one parameter.

12. The computer implemented goal management system according to claim 9, further comprising an information-transferring module, the information-transferring module transferring information related to the plurality of sub-goals from a first file format to a second file format.

13. The computer implemented goal management system according to claim 9, further comprising a plug-in module, the plug-in module integrating one or more plug-ins with the goal management system, the one or more plug-ins providing one or more functionalities to the computer implemented goal management system.

14. The computer implemented goal management system according to claim 9, further comprising an agenda generating module, the agenda generating module generating an agenda associated with the plurality of sub-goals of the goal hierarchy.

15. The computer implemented goal management system according to claim 9, wherein the shape of the multi-level concentric representation comprises one or more of:

a two dimensional pie-chart, and a three dimensional pie-chart.

16. The computer implemented goal management system according to claim 9, further comprising a locking module, the locking module locking the relative importance of at least one of the plurality of sub-goals,

wherein the locking indicates that the relative importance of the at least one of the sub-goals does not change in case a new sub-goal is added to the level associated with the at least one of the plurality of sub-goals.

17. The computer implemented goal management system according to claim 9, wherein, when the relative importance of the one of the plurality of sub-goals on the level increases, the corresponding relative importance of other of the plurality of sub-goals on the level decreases and wherein, when the relative importance of the one of the plurality of sub-goals on the level decreases, the corresponding relative importance of the other of the plurality of sub-goals on the level increases.

18. The computer implemented goal management system according to claim 9, further comprising a favorite module, the favorite module storing at least one of the plurality of sub-goals as a favorite based on a favorite state, the favorite state being associated with each of the plurality of sub-goals.

19. A computer program product for use with a computer, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein for developing a strategy for achieving a goal, the computer readable program code containing instructions for:

a. dividing the goal into a plurality of first-generation sub-goals to form a goal hierarchy;

b. dividing one or more of the plurality of first-generation sub-goals into one or more subsequent generations of sub-goals if a number of the one or more subsequent generations of sub-goals is less than a threshold value, wherein the threshold value represents a number of generations of sub-goals adequate to achieve the goal, each of the one or more subsequent generations of sub-goals being added to the goal hierarchy;

c. defining at least one parameter associated with each of the plurality of first-generation sub-goals and each of the one or more subsequent generations of sub-goals of the goal hierarchy;

d. determining a relative importance of each of the plurality of first-generation sub-goals and each of the one or more subsequent generations of sub-goals of the goal hierarchy based on the at least one parameter;

e. generating a multi-level concentric representation of the goal hierarchy based on the at least one parameter, the multi-level concentric representation being a visual representation of the goal hierarchy to assist in tracking the progress of the goal and the sub-goals of the goal hierarchy, wherein a level of the multi-level concentric representation represents a generation of the sub-goals of the goal hierarchy, and the level is divided into a plurality of sectors, each of the plurality of sectors representing a sub-goal on the level; and

f. coloring each of the plurality of sectors from the circumference of the corresponding sector towards the center of the multi-level concentric representation to track visually the progress of the corresponding sub-goal on the level.

20. The computer program product according to claim 19, wherein the computer readable program code further containing instructions for displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) flag on the level representing the corresponding generation of the sub-goals,

wherein the GUI flag is configured to change the size of each of the plurality of sectors representing the sub-goal on the level.

21. The computer program product according to claim 19, wherein the sector size of each of the plurality of sectors in the multi-level concentric representation representing the relative importance of the corresponding sub-goal of the goal hierarchy.

22. The computer program product according to claim 19, wherein the computer readable program code further containing instructions for locking the relative importance of at least one of the sub-goals,

wherein the locking indicates that the relative importance of the at least one of the sub-goals does not change in case a new sub-goal is added to the level associated with the at least one of the sub-goals.