Skills matching application

• US 20020095300A1
• Filed: 01/12/2001
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McCormack, Allison M., Parks, Russell E., Park, Jae K., Davide, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 7,219,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A tool, called the Skills Matching Application (SMA), allows a user, such as a hiring manager, to communicate requirements to technical service suppliers in a way that significantly reduces the process time and improves the accuracy of requests sent to suppliers. The SMA is accessed from a Web-based Requisition/Catalog (REQ/CAT) Web application. A user who needs to request a technical contractor accesses the REQ/CAT Web application which brings the user to the SMA Web site. The SMA application, after requiring a password and profile (for first time access) to be entered, takes the user through a series of screens which prompts the user to enter a Statement of Work (SOW) and complete a skills detail checklist for each of the technical skills requested. Once the request is completed, it is submitted to contracted suppliers who are sent an e-mail notification notifying the supplier that a new request has been entered into the SMA application for them to review and submit a candidate against. This e-mail has a standard formatted attachment which contains the statement of work and skills detail checklist. The suppliers, when they receive an e-mail request, access the Web site database to view the request details. A supplier provides a candidate or candidates by accessing the SMA Web site and submitting candidates and appending resumes as appropriate. The supplier provides a response to the SOW by responding to the entries with the candidate'"'"'s skills, experience, etc. The requestor views the supplier responses and associated resumes and can either accept or reject each candidate submitted but cannot accept more than the number of candidates requested.

Claims

1. A Skills Matching Application (SMA) which allows a user to communicate requirements to technical service suppliers in a way that significantly reduces the process time and improves the accuracy of requests sent to suppliers comprising the steps of:

accessing the SMA from a Requisition/Catalog (REQ/CAT) application;

prompting a user through a series of screens to enter a Statement of Work (SOW) and complete a skills detail checklist for each of the technical skills requested;

submitting the request to contracted suppliers by e-mail notification notifying the supplier that a new request has been entered into the SMA application for them to review and submit a candidate against;

receiving from a supplier a candidate or candidates with appended resumes as appropriate; and

displaying for the user the supplier responses and associated resumes.

2. The Skills Matching Application of claim 1, wherein the SMA and REQ/CAT applications are Web-based and an SMA Web site is provided for suppliers to access to view request details and submit a candidate or candidates.

3. The Skills Matching Application of claim 1, further comprising the step of responding to a user'"'"'s selection of a candidate or candidates by invoking an approval and procurement process.

4. A Web-based Skills Matching Application (SMA) which allows a user to communicate requirements to technical service suppliers in a way that significantly reduces the process time and improves the accuracy of requests sent to suppliers comprising the steps of:

accessing the SMA from a Web-based Requisition/Catalog (REQ/CAT) Web application;

selecting by a user who needs to request a technical contractor a SMA Web site;

prompting the user through a series of screens in the SMA Web site to enter a Statement of Work (SOW) and complete a skills detail checklist for each of the technical skills requested;

submitting the request to contracted suppliers who are sent an e-mail notification notifying the supplier that a new request has been entered into the SMA application for them to review and submit a candidate against;

accessing the SMA Web site database by a supplier to view the request details;

providing by a supplier a candidate or candidates by accessing the SMA Web site and submitting candidates and appending resumes as appropriate; and

viewing by the user the supplier responses and associated resumes and either accepting or rejecting each candidate submitted.

5. A computer system running Skills Matching Application (SMA) which allows a user to communicate requirements to technical service suppliers in a way that significantly reduces the process time and improves the accuracy of requests sent to suppliers comprising:

means for accessing the SMA from a Requisition/Catalog (REQ/CAT) application also running on the computer system;

a display system for prompting a user through a series of screens to enter a Statement of Work (SOW) and complete a skills detail checklist for each of the technical skills requested;

transmitting means for submitting the request to contracted suppliers by e-mail notification notifying the supplier that a new request has been entered into the SMA application for them to review and submit a candidate against; and

receiving means for receiving from a supplier a candidate or candidates with appended resumes as appropriate, said display system displaying for the user the supplier responses and associated resumes.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the SMA and REQ/CAT applications are Web-based and an SMA Web site running on the computer system is provided for suppliers to access to view request details and submit a candidate or candidates.

7. The computer system of claim 5, further comprising means for responding to a user'"'"'s selection of a candidate or candidates by invoking an approval and procurement process running on said computer system.