Method and system for multidisciplinary research collaboration

• US 9,990,599 B1
• Filed: 12/16/2014
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
• Inventors: Kannan, Gopika, Fabrizi, Jennifer, Polkowski, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart, Matthew S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kyereme-Tuah, Akosua
• Application Number:
  US14/571,464
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function

Abstract

A system and method for multidisciplinary team collaboration may include an algorithm for determining suitable relationships between the team members; a visualization interface for illustrating and managing members in separate groups according to their profiles, expertise, work output, and/or project roles; and the analysis of how members interact and use knowledge content. In the disclosed method, lived-work practices and/or knowledge content may be incorporated in the system to account for human behavior and expand upon existing documented work processes.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying, by a computer, records in a database associated with each of a plurality of users, wherein a record of each of the plurality of users comprises a user profile;

determining, by the computer, the records of the plurality of users that are related to each other based on attributes associated to the records, wherein the attributes associated to the records comprises at least a level of expertise associated to each of the plurality of users;

generating, by the computer, one or more teams containing users to execute one or more tasks, wherein each of the one or more teams comprises users from the plurality of users that are related to each other based on attributes of their records;

determining, by the computer, lived-work practices of the users of each of the one or more teams for executing the one or more tasks, wherein the lived-work practices comprises a process undertaken by the users to complete the one or more tasks;

collecting, by the computer, raw data comprising exchange of interactions between the users of each of the one or more teams generated from a plurality of interactions on a plurality of social networking sources between the users of each of the one or more teams and a plurality of user interfaces, wherein the plurality of user interfaces are displayed, by the computer, on a plurality of computing devices associated with the plurality of users, wherein the raw data is stored in the database;

tagging and indexing, by the computer, the raw data to generate preprocessed data and storing the preprocessed data in the database;

determining, by the computer, the preprocessed data associated to each of the plurality of users and the attributes associated to each of the users within their respective record;

receiving, by the computer, from a client computing device, a request associated with execution of a new project;

determining, by the computer, whether the execution of the new project requires knowledge or information associated to the plurality of users based on analysis of tasks within the new project;

upon determining that the request is for the knowledge associated to the plurality of users, automatically generating, by the computer, a plurality of groups comprising users from the plurality of users to execute the tasks of the new project based on the preprocessed data associated to each of the plurality of users and the attributes associated to each of the users within their respective record, wherein each user is assigned to one of the plurality of groups; and

upon determining that the request is for the information associated to the plurality of users, automatically generating, by the computer, a plurality of groups comprising users from the plurality of users to execute the tasks of the new project based on the the lived-work practices of each of the users of each of the one or more teams while executing the one or more tasks and the attributes associated to each of the users within their respective record, wherein each user is assigned to one of the plurality of groups.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying, by the computer, a graphical user interface on the computing device of each of the plurality of users that provides a profile of a user and one or more groups associated with the user.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining, by the computer, relationship between the users on each of the one or more teams with the users outside of their team.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the each of the one or more teams comprises the users having a same job title or discipline.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the at least one team of the one or more teams comprises managers.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the each of the one or more teams comprises the users having a same job function.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the each of the one or more teams comprises developers, consultants, or engineers.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising optimizing, by the computer, the links based upon how the users interact with knowledge content.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the one or more teams is based upon a profile, role, or expertise of the users.

10. A system comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer instructions that when executed by a processor render a graphical user interface displayed by a computer and configured to;

identify records in a database associated with each of a plurality of users, wherein a record of each of the plurality of users comprises a user profile;

determine the records of the plurality of users that are related to each other based on attributes associated to the records, wherein the attributes associated to the records comprises at least a level of expertise associated to each of the plurality of users;

generate one or more teams containing users to execute one or more tasks, wherein each of the one or more teams comprises users from the plurality of users that are related to each other based on attributes of their records;

determine lived-work practices of the users of each of the one or more teams for executing the one or more tasks, wherein the lived-work practices comprises a process undertaken by the users to complete the one or more;

collect raw data comprising exchange of interactions between the users of each of the one or more teams generated from a plurality of interactions on a plurality of social networking sources between the users of each of the one or more teams and a plurality of user interfaces, wherein the plurality of user interfaces are displayed, by the computer, on a plurality of computing devices associated with the plurality of users, wherein the raw data is stored in the database;

tag and index the raw data to generate preprocessed data and storing the preprocessed data in the database;

determine the preprocessed data associated to each of the plurality of users and the attributes associated to each of the users within their respective record;

receive from a client computing device a request associated with execution of a new project;

determine whether the execution of the new project requires knowledge or information associated to the plurality of users based on analysis of tasks within the new project;

upon determining that the request is for the knowledge associated to the plurality of users, automatically generate a plurality of groups comprising users from the plurality of users to execute the tasks of the new project based on the preprocessed data associated to each of the plurality of users and the attributes associated to each of the users within their respective record, wherein each user is assigned to one of the plurality of groups; and

upon determining that the request is for the information associated to the plurality of users, automatically generate a plurality of groups comprising users from the plurality of users to execute the tasks of the new project based on the lived-work practices of each of the users of each of the one or more teams while executing the one or more tasks and the attributes associated to each of the users within their respective record, wherein each user is assigned to one of the plurality of groups.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the graphical user interface of the computing device of each of the plurality of users provides information about assessment of skills of the user.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the instructions are further configured to make a role recommendation for each of the plurality of users based upon the assessment of their lived-work practices.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein each of the one or more teams is based upon a profile or role of each user.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein each of the one or more teams comprises the users having a same job title.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein each of the one or more teams comprises managers.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein each of the one or more teams comprises the users having a same job function.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein each of the one or more teams comprises developers, consultants, or engineers.

18. The system according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of groups are separated based on how the users interact with knowledge content.

19. A system for generating a relationship model, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions that when executed by the processor is configured to;

execute an algorithm for determining at least one relationship between at least two of a plurality of users, wherein the at least one relationship is determined based on common attributes between the at least two users, and wherein the attributes comprising at least a level of expertise associated to each of the plurality of users is stored in a database;

generate one or more teams containing users to execute one or more tasks, wherein each of the one or more teams comprises users from the plurality of users that are related to each other based on attributes of their records;

determine lived-work practices of the users of each of the one or more teams for executing the one or more tasks, wherein the lived-work practices comprises a process undertaken by the users to complete the one or more;

collect data comprising exchange of interactions between the users of each of the one or more teams generated from a plurality of interactions on a plurality of social networking sources between the users of each of the one or more teams and a plurality of user interfaces, wherein the plurality of user interfaces are displayed, by the computer, on a plurality of computing devices associated with the plurality of users, wherein the raw data is stored in the database;

tag and index the raw data to generate preprocessed data and storing the preprocessed data in the database;

determine interaction data associated to each of the plurality of users and the attributes associated to each of the users within their respective record;

receive from a client computing device, a request associated with execution of a new project;

determine whether the execution of the new project requires knowledge or information associated to the plurality of users based on analysis of tasks within the new project;

upon determining that the request is for the knowledge associated to the plurality of users, automatically generate a plurality of groups comprising users from the plurality of users to execute the tasks of the new project based on the preprocessed data associated to each of the plurality of users and the attributes associated to each of the users within their respective record, wherein each user is assigned to one of the plurality of groups; and

upon determining that the request is for the information associated to the plurality of users, automatically generate a plurality of groups comprising users from the plurality of users to execute the tasks of the new project based on the the lived-work practices of each of the users of each of the one or more teams while executing the one or more tasks and the attributes associated to each of the users within their respective record, wherein each user is assigned to one of the plurality of groups.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the database is communicatively coupled to the processor.

21. The system according to claim 19, wherein the database comprising data of knowledge content.