Score-based alerting in business logic

• US 20070112607A1
• Filed: 11/16/2005
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lim, Chen-I, Tien, Ian, Hulen, Corey, Tang, Zhenyu
• Application Number:
  US11/280,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20070112607A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis

Abstract

Score-based alerting is provided in a business logic application to provide summary status information on heterogeneous measures such as KPI'"'"'s and Objectives, which are derived from aggregated KPI'"'"'s, for monitoring organizational performance. Criteria for alerts are based on comparison of raw data to threshold values, trends of aggregated scores, and comparisons of aggregated scores to threshold values or ranges. Alert criteria are dynamically modified when score calculation parameters are modified. Alerts can be selected from a template by a subscriber across different levels of aggregated scores, scoring methods, and user-defined criteria.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a score-based alert, comprising:

determining a condition for the score-based alert based on at least one score, wherein the score is determined from a performance measure;

testing the condition; and

issuing the score-based alert when the condition is met.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the score is one of:

a Key Performance Indicator (KPI), an objective, and a goal.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the condition is met if the score is one of:

less than a threshold value, higher than a threshold value, within a range, outside a range, and substantially unequal to a target value (off-target).

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising issuing the score-based alert in response to one of:

a predetermined status indicator for at least one score and a result of the condition transitioning from one value to another value.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising issuing the score-based alert in response to a modification of at least one score calculation parameter.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically modifying the condition in response to a modification of at least one score calculation parameter.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising determining a schedule for testing the condition.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the schedule for testing the condition is determined by one of:

a default parameter and a user-defined parameter.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a recipient of the score-based alert is provided with a template of a plurality of predetermined conditions such that the recipient selects among the conditions in the template and is provided with an opportunity to customize the selected conditions.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising determining at least one additional score-based alert based on another condition, wherein the conditions are based on one of:

the same score and different scores.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising issuing the score-based alert in response to a change in a trend associated with the score.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the score is calculated based on at least one of:

a multi-dimensional data source, a user input, and an analytical data model.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising issuing the score-based alert in response to testing a plurality of conditions associated with at least one score.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer instructions for a unified model providing score-based alerts in a business logic application, the instructions comprising:

determining at least one condition for a score-based alert based on a plurality of scores, wherein the scores are determined from hierarchically structured performance measures in a scorecard;

determining a schedule for testing the condition; and

testing the condition at an interval determined by the schedule;

issuing the score-based alert when the condition is met.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the plurality of scores are determined from performance measures of at least one distinct hierarchy levels, and wherein the condition is based on scores from at least one scorecard column.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the condition is met when the score is one of:

less than a threshold value, higher than a threshold value, within a range, outside a range, and substantially unequal to a target value (off-target).

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions further include providing a subscriber with a template of a plurality of default conditions such that the subscriber selects among the conditions in the template and is provided with an opportunity to customize the selected conditions and scheduling of the score-based alert.

18. A system for providing score-based alerts, the system comprising:

a database that includes data associated with performance evaluation measures;

a score-calculation engine configured to;

determine a condition for an alert based on at least one score, wherein the at least one score is determined from the hierarchically structured performance evaluation measures;

determine a schedule for testing the condition; and

test the condition at an interval determined by the schedule;

issue the alert when the condition is met; and

a communication application configured to provide the alert to a subscriber.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the score-calculation engine is configured to test the condition by determining at least one of:

a comparison of the score to one of a threshold value and a range, a comparison of the score to a target value, a temporal trend of the score, and a status indicator associated with the score.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the communication application is configured to provide the alert to the subscriber as one of:

an electronic mail, an instant message, a text message, and a facsimile.