Substitute fulfillment system

• US 20020029160A1
• Filed: 11/16/2001
• Published: 03/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Frontline Technologies Group LLC (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Frontline Placement Technologies Incorporated (Frontline Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Julius, Ralph, Blackstone, Michael S., Thompson, Roland R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,430,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• 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 10/063116 Schedule adjustment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment

Abstract

A system and method for automating the performance of substitute fulfillment. The system includes a server which receives absentee information representing an absent worker via a telephone communication link or an Internet communication link. In response to receiving the absentee information, the system generates a list of potential substitute workers. The system then contacts potential substitute workers until one is found or until the list is exhausted. The system can also post a list of positions that are available on a website allowing potential substitute workers to search for a position.

Claims

1. A substitute fulfillment system comprising:

a database comprising worker records, said worker records having information associated with workers for each of the organizations, and substitute records, said substitute records having information associated with at least one substitute worker; and

a server coupled to the database, the server is configured for;

receiving absentee information representing an absent worker via at least one communication link coupled to the server;

generating in response to receiving the absentee information a list of one or more potential substitute workers who can fill in for the absent worker using the worker records associated with the absent worker and the substitute records; and

contacting potential substitute workers listed on the generated list, via at least one communication link coupled to the server, until one of the substitute worker agrees to fill in for the absent worker or until the generated list is exhausted.

2. The substitute fulfillment system of claim 1 wherein each of the least one communication link is a link selected from the group consisting of a telephone communication link or an Internet communication link.

3. The substitute fulfillment system of claim 1 wherein the server generates the list of one or more substitute workers using a preferred list of substitute workers associated with the worker record for the absent worker.

4. The substitute fulfillment system of claim 1 wherein the server is further configured to generate a list of substitute workers and names of the absent workers who the substitute workers will be filling in for a given organization and to transmit the generated list of substitute workers and names of the absent workers who the substitute workers will be filling in for to the given organization via the at least one communication link.

5. The substitute fulfillment system of claim 1 further comprising an interactive voice response system controlled by the server for interacting with a potential substitute worker from the generated list of potential substitute workers via at least one telephone communication link whereby the potential substitute worker is secured for filling in for the absent worker.

6. The substitute fulfillment system of claim 1 wherein the server is further configured to receive a message via the at least one communication link and to forward the received message to the substitute worker who agrees to fill in for the absent worker via the at least one communication link.

7. The substitute fulfillment system of claim 1 wherein the organizations are unaffiliated.

8. The substitute fulfillment system of claim 1 wherein the workers are teachers and the substitute workers are substitute teachers.

9. A substitute fulfillment system that identifies and secures substitute workers for a plurality of different organizations comprising:

a database comprising worker records, said worker records having information associated with workers for each of the organizations, and substitute records, said substitute records having information associated with at least one substitute worker;

a server coupled to the database, the server is configured for;

receiving an absentee list of one or more absent workers from an organization via at least one communication link coupled to the server;

generating in response to receiving the absentee list one or more lists of one or more potential substitute workers who can fill in for each absent worker on the absentee list using the worker records associated with the absent worker and the substitute records; and

contacting potential substitute workers listed on each of the generated lists until one of the substitute workers in each of the generated lists agrees to fill in for the absent worker or until all of the generated lists are exhausted.

10. The substitute fulfillment system of claim 9 wherein each of the least one communication link is a link selected from the group consisting of a telephone communication link or an Internet communication link.

11. The substitute fulfillment system of claim 9 wherein the server generates the list of one or more substitute workers using a preferred list of substitute workers associated with the worker record for the absent worker.

12. The substitute fulfillment system of claim 9 wherein the server is further configured to generate a list of substitute workers and names of the absent workers who the substitute workers will be filling in for a given organization and to transmit the generated list of substitute workers and names of the absent workers who the substitute workers will be filling in for to the given organization via the at least one communication link.

13. The substitute fulfillment system of claim 9 further comprising an interactive voice response system controlled by the server for interacting with a potential substitute worker from the generated list of potential substitute workers via at least one telephone communication link whereby the potential substitute worker is secured for filling in for the absent worker.

14. The substitute fulfillment system of claim 9 wherein the server is further configured to receive a message via the at least one communication link and to forward the received message to the substitute worker who agrees to fill in for the absent worker via the at least one communication link.

15. The substitute fulfillment system of claim 9 wherein the organizations are unaffiliated.

16. The substitute fulfillment system of claim 9 wherein the workers are teachers and the substitute workers are substitute teachers.

18. The substitute fulfillment system of claim 17 wherein the server is further configured to generate a list of substitute workers and names of the absent workers who the substitute workers will be filling in for a given organization and to transmit the generated list of substitute workers and names of the absent workers who the substitute workers will be filling in for to the given organization via the at least one communication link.

19. The substitute fulfillment system of claim 17 wherein the server is further configured to remove a given position of an absent worker from the list of positions of absent workers being posted on the website when the server secures a substitute worker for the given position.

17. A substitute fulfillment system for performing substitute fulfillment for a plurality of different organizations comprising:

a database comprising worker records, said worker records having information associated with workers for each of the organizations, and substitute records, said substitute records having information associated with at least one substitute worker;

a server coupled to the database, the server is configured for;

receiving absentee information representing an absent worker via at least one communication link;

generating a list of positions of absent workers that need to be filled by substitute workers;

posting the list of positions of absent workers that need to be filled by substitute workers on a website;

receiving a response by a substitute worker selecting a posted position on the website via an Internet communication link; and

securing via the Internet communication link the substitute worker who selected the posted position to fill in for the absent worker.

20. A method for performing substitute fulfillment for a plurality of different organizations comprising:

receiving absentee information representing an absent worker via at least one communication link;

generating in response to receiving the absentee information a list of one or more potential substitute workers who can fill in for the absent worker using worker records having information associated with the absent worker and substitute records having information associated with at least one substitute worker; and

contacting potential substitute workers listed on the generated list until one of the substitute worker agrees to fill in for the absent worker or until the generated list is exhausted.

21. A method for performing substitute fulfillment for a plurality of organizations comprising:

receiving an absentee list of one or more absent workers from an organization via at least one communication link;

generating in response to receiving the absentee list a list of one or more potential substitute workers who can fill in for each absent worker on the absentee list using worker records having information associated with the absent worker and substitute records having information associated with at least one substitute worker; and

contacting potential substitute workers listed on each of the generated lists until one of the substitute worker in each of the generated lists agrees to fill in for the absent worker or until the generated list is exhausted for each generated list until all of the generated lists are exhausted.

22. A method for performing substitute fulfillment for a plurality of different organizations comprising:

receiving absentee information representing an absent worker via at least one communication link;

generating a list of positions of absent workers that need to be filled by substitute workers;

posting the list of positions of absent workers that need to be filled by substitute workers on a website;

receiving a response by a substitute worker selecting a posted position on the website via an Internet communication link; and

securing via the Internet communication link the substitute worker who selected the posted position to fill in for the absent worker.

23. A method for performing substitute fulfillment for a plurality of different organizations comprising:

generating a list of positions of absent workers that need to be filled by substitute workers in response to a connection to a server;

posting the list of positions of absent workers that need to be filled by substitute workers via an instant messaging system;

receiving a response by a substitute worker selecting a posted position on the website via the instant messaging system; and

securing via the instant messaging system the substitute worker who selected the posted position to fill in for the absent worker.

24. A computer-readable medium bearing instructions for performing substitute fulfillment for a plurality of different organizations, said instructions being arranged to cause one or more processors upon execution thereof to perform the steps of:

receiving absentee information representing an absent worker via at least one communication link;

generating in response to receiving the absentee information a list of one or more potential substitute workers who can fill in for the absent worker using worker records having information associated with the absent worker and substitute records having information associated with at least one substitute worker; and

contacting potential substitute workers listed on the generated list until one of the substitute worker agrees to fill in for the absent worker or until the generated list is exhausted.

25. A computer-readable medium bearing instructions for performing substitute fulfillment for a plurality of different organizations, said instructions being arranged to cause one or more processors upon execution thereof to perform the steps of:

receiving an absentee list of one or more absent workers from an organization via at least one communication link;

generating in response to receiving the absentee list a list of one or more potential substitute workers who can fill in for each absent worker on the absentee list using worker records having information associated with the absent worker and substitute records having information associated with at least one substitute worker; and

contacting potential substitute workers listed on each of the generated lists until one of the substitute worker in each of the generated lists agrees to fill in for the absent worker or until the generated list is exhausted for each generated list until all of the generated lists are exhausted.

26. A computer-readable medium bearing instructions for performing substitute fulfillment for a plurality of different organizations, said instructions being arranged to cause one or more processors upon execution thereof to perform the steps of:

receiving absentee information representing an absent worker via at least one communication link;

generating a list of positions of absent workers that need to be filled by substitute workers;

posting the list of positions of absent workers that need to be filled by substitute workers on a website;

receiving a response by a substitute worker selecting a posted position on the website via an Internet communication link; and

securing via the Internet communication link the substitute worker who selected the posted position to fill in for the absent worker.

27. A computer-readable medium bearing instructions for performing substitute fulfillment for a plurality of different organizations, said instructions being arranged to cause one or more processors upon execution thereof to perform the steps of:

generating a list of positions of absent workers that need to be filled by substitute workers in response to a connection to a server;

posting the list of positions of absent workers that need to be filled by substitute workers via an instant messaging system;

receiving a response by a substitute worker selecting a posted position on the website via the instant messaging system; and

securing via the instant messaging system the substitute worker who selected the posted position to fill in for the absent worker.