METHOD FOR MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES

• US 20070061179A1
• Filed: 09/09/2005
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Weber, Mark, Henderson, Mark, Carr, Thomas, Garofolo, Philip, Eck, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,180 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1053 Employment or hiring

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an integrated method and system for managing human resources. Specifically, the method and system integrates several processes (e.g., a process for developing a strategy and particularly for developing a set of rules on how human resources will be managed and sourced, a process for developing a long-term strategic plan for sourcing human resources to satisfy demands, a process for developing a near-term operational plan recommending individual human resources be used to satisfy selected demands, a process for selecting and assigning individual resources to specific engagements, etc.). Thus, the method operates through a spectrum of time horizons from the strategic to real time, providing a coherent and cohesive system for matching supply to demand based on the priorities of the business as represented through the set of rules.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of managing human resources comprising:

providing a business strategy;

based on said business strategy, periodically developing a set of rules for specifying supply sources for human resource supplies and for assigning individual human resources to satisfy demands;

based on said set of rules, periodically developing first-level plans specifying said supply sources; and

based on a most-recent of said first-level plans and on said set of rules, periodically developing second-level plans for assigning at least one of said individual human resources to satisfy at least one selected demand, wherein said second level plans are developed more often said first-level plans and said first-level plans are developed more often than said set of rules.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said developing of said set of rules comprises at least one of the following:

identifying said supply sources that have said human resource supplies with different skills sufficient to satisfy said demands,

prioritizing said supply sources;

prioritizing application of said human resources supplies to satisfy said demands, and

setting at least one of target supply bench levels, target investment levels for training, and target investment levels for acquisition.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining and periodically updating a record of said human resource supplies including a list of different skills of each of said individual human resources and an indication of availability of each of said individual human resources.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said developing of said first-level plans comprises:

determining a demands list comprising a listing of demands for each different skill; and

determining which of said supply sources can satisfy each of said demands on said demands list based on said set of rules, wherein said supply sources comprise at least one of currently available supplies, supplies available through out-sourcing, supplies available through acquisition, and supplies available through skill development.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said developing of said first-level plans further comprises planning how many of each of said demands on said demands list should be satisfied by each of said supply sources.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said determining of said demands list comprises:

determining ongoing engagements, future engagements and possible engagements; and

determining each of said different skills required for each of said ongoing engagements, said future engagements, and said possible engagements.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said developing of said second-level plans comprises:

reviewing a most-recent of said first-level plans;

updating said demands list;

selecting said at least one selected demand from said demands list;

identifying said at least one individual human resource that is currently available, that has said different skills required to satisfy said at least one selected demand, and that can be assigned based on said set of rules; and

recommending assignment of said at least one individual human resource to satisfy said at least one selected demand.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining current availability of said at least one individual human resource recommended for assignment in said second-level plan;

reviewing pricing information; and

assigning said at least one individual human resource to satisfy said at least one selected demand based availability, on said pricing information, and on said set of rules.

9. A computer implemented method of managing human resources comprising:

providing a business strategy in a services environment;

based on said business strategy, periodically developing a set of rules for specifying supply sources for human resource supplies and for assigning individual human resources to satisfy demands;

based on said set of rules, periodically developing first-level plans for specifying said supply sources for said human resource supplies in order to satisfy demands such as ongoing demands, future demands and possible demands, over a first time period; and

based on a most-recent of said first plans and on said set of rules, periodically developing second-level plans for assigning at least one of said individual human resources to satisfy at least one selected demand within a second time period, wherein said second-level plans are developed more often than said first-level plans, wherein said first-level plans are developed more often than said set of rules, and wherein said second time period is shorter than said first time period.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said developing of said set of rules comprises at least one of the following:

identifying supply sources that have said human resource supplies with different skills sufficient to satisfy said demands,

prioritizing said supply sources,

prioritizing application of said human resource supplies to satisfy said demands, and

setting at least one of target supply bench levels, target investment levels for training, and target investment levels for acquisition.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising maintaining and periodically updating a record of said human resources supplies comprising a list of different skills of each of said individual human resources and an indication of availability of each of said individual human resources.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said developing of said first-level plans comprises:

determining a demands list comprising a listing of said ongoing demands, said future demands, and said possible demands for each different skill; and

determining which of said supply sources can satisfy each of said ongoing demands, said future demands, and said possible demands on said demands list based on said set of rules, wherein said supply sources comprise at least one of currently available supplies, supplies available through out-sourcing, supplies available through acquisition, and supplies available through skill development.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said developing of said first-level plans further comprises planning how many of each of said ongoing demands, said future demands, and said possible demands, on said demands list should be satisfied by each of said supply sources.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said determining of said demands list comprises:

determining ongoing engagements, future engagements and possible engagements; and

determining each of said different skills required for each of said ongoing engagements, said future engagements, and said possible engagements.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said developing of said second-level plans comprises:

reviewing a most-recent of said first-level plans;

updating said demands list;

selecting said at least one selected demand from said demands list;

identifying said at least one individual human resource that is currently available, that has said different skills sufficient to satisfy at least one selected demand, and that can be assigned based on said set of rules; and

recommending assignment of said at least one individual human resource to satisfy said at least one selected demand within said second time period.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising

determining availability of said at least one individual human resource recommended for assignment in said second-level plan;

reviewing pricing information; and

assigning said at least one individual human resource to satisfy said at least one selected demand based availability, on said pricing information, and on said set of rules.

17. A program storage device readable by computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by said computer to perform a method of managing human resources, said method comprising:

providing a business strategy;

based on said business strategy, periodically developing a set of rules for specifying supply sources for human resource supplies and for assigning individual human resources to satisfy demands;

based on said set of rules, periodically developing first-level plans for specifying said supply sources for said human resource supplies; and

based on a most-recent of said first-level plans and on said set of rules, periodically developing second-level plans for assigning of at least one of said individual human resources to satisfy at least one selected demand, wherein said second-level plans are developed more often than said first-level plan and wherein said first-level plans are developed more often than said set of rules.

18. The program storage device of claim 17, wherein said developing of said set of rules comprises at least one of the following:

identifying said supply sources that have said human resource supplies with different skills sufficient to satisfy said demands,

prioritizing said supply sources,

prioritizing application of said human resource supplies to satisfy said demands, and

setting at least one of target supply bench levels, target investment levels for training, and target investment levels for acquisition.

19. The program storage device of claim 17, wherein said method further comprises maintaining and periodically updating a record of said human resources supplies including a list of different skills of each of said individual human resources and an indication of availability of each of said individual human resources.

20. The program storage device of claim 17, wherein said developing of said first-level plans comprises:

determining a demands list comprising a listing of demands for each different skill; and

determining which of said supply sources can satisfy each of said demands on said demands list based on said set of rules, wherein said supply sources comprise at least one of currently available supplies, supplies available through out-sourcing, supplies available through acquisition, and supplies available through skill development.

21. The program storage device of claim 20, wherein said developing of said first-level plans further comprise planning how many of each of said demands on said demands list should be satisfied by each of said supply sources.

22. The program storage device of claim 20, wherein said determining of said demands list comprises:

determining ongoing engagements, future engagements and possible engagements; and

determining each of said different skills required for each of said ongoing engagements, said future engagements, and said possible engagements.

23. The program storage device of claim 20, wherein said developing of said second-level plans comprises:

reviewing a most-recent of said first-level plans;

updating said demands list;

selecting said at least one selected demand from said demands list;

identifying said at least one individual human resource that is currently available, that has said different skills required to satisfy said at least one selected demand, and that can be assigned based on said set of rules; and

recommending assignment of said at least one individual human resource to satisfy said at least one selected demand.

24. The program storage device of claim 17, wherein said method further comprises:

determining availability of said at least one individual human resource recommended in said second-level plan;

reviewing pricing information; and

assigning said at least one individual human resource to satisfy said at least one selected demand based availability, on said pricing information, and on said set of rules.

25. A system for managing human resources with different skills, said system comprising:

a first processor adapted to periodically develop a set of rules for specifying supply sources for human resource supplies and for assigning individual human resources to satisfy demands based on a business plan;

a second processor in communication with said first processor and adapted to periodically develop first-level plans for specifying said supply sources according to said set of rules; and

a third processor in communication with said second processor and adapted to periodically develop second-level plans for assigning at least one individual human resource to satisfy at least one selected demand according to said set of rules and according to a most-recent of said first-level plans, wherein said second processor develops said second-level plan more often than said first processor develops said first-level plan.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising a fourth processor in communication with said first processor, said second processor, and said third processor, wherein said fourth processor is adapted to periodically assign said at least one individual human resource to satisfy said at least one selected demand based on availability, on pricing information, on said second-level plan and on said set of rules.

27. The system of claim 25, further comprising a memory device accessible by said first processor, said second processor, said third processor and said fourth processor and adapted to maintain a most recent of said set of rules.

28. The system claim 27, wherein each of said demands comprises a demand for a different skill, wherein said most recent of said set of rules comprises at least one of a list of supply sources that may be used to acquire said different skills, a supply sources priority listing, a priority listing of said demands to be satisfied by said human resource supplies, and at least one of a target supply bench level, a target investment level for training, and target investment level for acquisition.

29. The system of claim 25, further comprising a memory device accessible by said first processor, said second processor, said third processor and said fourth processor and adapted to maintain a record of said human resources supplies comprising a list of said different skills of each of said individual human resource supplies and an indication of availability of each of said individual human resource supplies.

30. The system of claim 25, further comprising a memory device accessible by said first processor, said second processor, said third processor and said fourth processor and adapted to maintain a record of a most recent of said first-level plans and a most recent of said second-level plans.