SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DYNAMICALLY PRIORITIZED ELECTRONIC MAIL GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE, AND MEASURING EMAIL PRODUCTIVITY AND COLLABORATION TRENDS

• US 20080126951A1
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MessageMind LLC
• Original Assignee: C-Mail Corporation
• Inventors: Oberrotman, Alain, Ruan, Cheng-Rong, Sood, Manish Chander
• Granted Patent: US 8,161,122 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities

Abstract

A system and method for managing electronic communications more effectively utilizes electronic communications. The method assigns a prioritization score and category to each electronic communication so that a user can more effectively manage the communications. The user interacts with a graphical user interface to effectively manage electronic communications. The system arranges and displays the electronic communications according to prioritization scores and categories, and includes interactive modules to override a system assigned prioritization scores and assign any score or category the user selects. The method also measures productivity of users as a function of at least three different metrics, a decision-making metric; a communication metric; and a processing metric, and takes into account prioritization scores and the amount of time it takes users to effectively utilize the electronic communications. The method also generates reports of the productivity of individual users, and the productivity of relationships between multiple users of electronic communications.

Claims

1. A method for graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) based management of electronic communications, comprising the steps of;

receiving an electronic communication;

assigning a dynamic prioritization score to the electronic communication; and

determining a prioritization category for each electronic communication based on the dynamic prioritization score.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritization category comprises graphical images.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritization category comprises color codes.

4. A GUI system for managing electronic communications, comprising:

a prioritization engine configured to assign a prioritization score and a prioritization category to each electronic communication;

a database configured to store the prioritization score; and

an interactive module configured to provide a user interaction to allow a user to assign a user-defined prioritization score to any of the plurality of the electronic communications;

wherein the electronic communications are arranged and displayed in a GUI depiction.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the prioritization score is based on a system-calculated prioritization score.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a set of folders customizable according to a set of time duration and workflow rules; and

wherein the GUI depiction displays prioritization category of each of the plurality of electronic communications.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the user can use a single click to provide the user-defined prioritization score which overrides the system-calculated prioritization score, and the user-defined prioritization score is used in determining the prioritization score.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein user action provides feedback to the prioritization engine which the prioritization engine uses in assigning prioritization scores and categories.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the database stores the overridden prioritization score based on the system-calculated prioritization score so that the user can reset the prioritization score of an electronic communication back to the overridden prioritization score based on the system-calculated prioritization score.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the interactive module further comprises a feature where the user may assign a prioritization category for a sender or a recipient of an electronic communication.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the interactive module further comprises a lock function allowing the user to select a prioritization category for a given sender or a given recipient so that all electronic communications with the given sender or the given recipient is assigned the user selected prioritization category.

12. The system of claim 4, wherein the interactive module further comprises a plurality of single-click workflow action buttons that allow the user to take a plurality of actions in response to at least one of the electronic communications and update the system according to the user interaction.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of single-click workflow action buttons comprises a “

Defer”

function, allowing the user to select a date by which to respond to the electronic communication.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of single-click workflow action buttons comprises a “

To Do”

function, allowing the user to mark the electronic communication so that the user is reminded to take action in response to the electronic communication.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of single-click workflow action buttons comprises a “

Complete”

function, allowing the user to mark that an action associated with at least one of the electronic communications has been completed and the electronic communication is moved to a Completed Items folder or a prioritized archiving system, or any other processing specified by the user.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of single-click workflow action buttons comprises a quick action function, allowing the user to select one of a plurality of canned responses, wherein a type of response and content of response are customizable by the user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of canned responses includes at least one of “

Call Me” and

“

See Me.”

18. The system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of electronic communications are archived in different folders based on the prioritization score of the communication.

19. The system of claim 4, further comprising a search function that arranges a result of a search based on the prioritization score of the electronic communication where the result was found.

20. A method for determining a productivity score for an individual'"'"'s use of electronic communications, comprising the steps of:

assigning a prioritization score to each of a plurality of electronic communications;

determining values for at least a decision-making metric, a processing metric and a communication metric based on the individual'"'"'s use of electronic communications; and

calculating the productivity score as a function of at least the decision-making, processing and communication metrics.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the productivity score is calculated according to the following:

function(Email Productivity)_T=function(working on email in decreasing order of email priority)_T;

wherein T is a period of time over which the measure of productivity is measured.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the decision-making metric comprises:

a calculation based on the prioritization score associated with an electronic communication;

a length of time taken by the individual to complete an action associated with the electronic communication; and

prioritization scores associated with electronic communications upon which the user has not completed an action.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the decision-making metric is calculated according to the following:

R_D=function(S_D,M_D)×

100;

$S_D=\frac{\left[\underset{p><br><br>n}{\overset{w}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br><br><br>\left(\mathrm{Number}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{of}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{email}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{COMPLETE}\right)\right]}{\left[\underset{p><br><br>n}{\overset{w}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br><br><br>\left(\mathrm{Number}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{of}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{email}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{for}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{TO}<br><br>\text{-}<br><br>\mathrm{DO}\right)\right]}\times <br><br>\frac{\left[\underset{p=n}{\overset{n}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br><br><br>\left(\mathrm{Number}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{of}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{email}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{COMPLETE}\right)\right]}{\left[\underset{p=n}{\overset{n}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br><br><br>\left(\mathrm{Number}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{of}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{email}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{for}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{TO}<br><br>\text{-}<br><br>\mathrm{DO}\right)\right]};<br><br>$
M_D=function[t_D/t_{D avg.}];

wherein t_D is an Actual Time to Complete an email;

wherein t_{D avg} is an Overall Average Time to Complete based on <

T1>

, wherein T1 is a number of days a given prioritization category email is kept in a respective Prioritized View Folder;

wherein M_D is efficiency;

wherein R_D is the decision-making metric;

wherein S_D is the effectiveness;

n is the prioritization category of an electronic communication completed;

p is the prioritization category;

w is a positive integer;

wherein Σ

(number of email COMPLETE) is a cumulative number of emails set to COMPLETE in duration T;

wherein Σ

(number of email TO-DO) is a cumulative number of emails which are set to TO-DO in duration T; and

T is a duration (T2−

T1), T2 being an instant of time when a user marked a given email to COMPLETE.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the processing metric comprises:

a calculation based on the prioritization score associated with an electronic communication;

a length of time taken by the individual to read the electronic communication; and

prioritization scores associated with unread electronic communications.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the processing metric is calculated according to the following:

R_D=function(S_D,M_D)×

100;

$S_D=\frac{\left[\underset{p><br><br>n}{\overset{w}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br><br><br>\left(\mathrm{Number}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{of}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{email}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{READ}\right)\right]}{\left[\underset{p><br><br>n}{\overset{w}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br><br><br>\left(\mathrm{Number}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{email}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{RECEIVED}\right)\right]}\times <br><br>\frac{\left[\underset{p=n}{\overset{n}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br><br><br>\left(\mathrm{Number}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{of}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{email}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{READ}\right)\right]}{\left[\underset{p=n}{\overset{n}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br><br><br>\left(\mathrm{Number}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{email}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{RECEIVED}\right)\right]};<br><br>$
M_D=function[t_D/t_{D avg.}];

wherein t_D is an Actual Time to read an email;

wherein t_{D avg} is an Overall Average Time to read based on <

T1>

, wherein T1 is a number of days a given prioritization category email is kept in a respective Prioritized View Folder;

wherein M_D is efficiency;

wherein R_D is the processing metric;

wherein S_D is the effectiveness;

n is the prioritization category of an electronic communication read;

p is the prioritization category;

w is a positive integer;

wherein Σ

(number of email COMPLETE) is a cumulative number of emails set to READ in duration T;

wherein Σ

(number of email TO-DO) is a cumulative number of emails which are set to RECEIVED in duration T; and

T is a duration (T2−

T1), T2 being an instant of time when a user marked a given email to READ.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the communication metric comprises:

a calculation based on the prioritization score associated with an electronic communication;

a length of time taken by the individual to respond to the electronic communication; and

prioritization scores associated with electronic communications not yet responded to.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the communication metric is calculated according to the following:

R_C=function(S_C,M_C,A_C)×

100;

M_C=function[t_C/t_{C avg.}];

wherein R_C is the communication metric;

wherein S_C is effectiveness

wherein A_C is same email thread efficiency;

wherein M_C is efficiency;

wherein t_C is an Actual Time to reply to an email; and

wherein t_{C avg} is an Overall Average Time to reply based on <

T1>

, wherein T1 is a number.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the productivity score is computed according to the following:

wherein W is a weight;

wherein R is a result;

wherein E is an efficiency;

Productivity f(Decision Making)=f(W_D, R_D, E_D);

Productivity f(Processing)=f(W_P, R_P, E_P);

Productivity f(Communication)=f(W_C, R_C, E_C); and

29. A method for GUI reporting a productivity score, comprising the steps of:

calculating the productivity score for an individual for a plurality of electronic communications during a first specified time period;

plotting the productivity score against time for the first specified time period;

averaging the productivity score for the first specified time period; and

comparing the averaged productivity score to a pre-determined value of a productivity score.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the pre-determined value comprises a company'"'"'s established benchmark productivity score.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the pre-determined value comprises an average of the productivity score for a second specified time period.

32. A method for GUI reporting a measure of productivity of collaborative relationships, comprising the steps of:

calculating a measure of collaborative relationship productivity for an individual with at least one correspondent with whom the individual corresponds through a plurality of electronic communications; and

plotting the measure of collaborative relationship productivity associated with the at least one correspondent;

locating the individual at a center of a circular plot; and

plotting the at least one correspondent according to a first coordinate based on a first metric and a second coordinate based on a second metric.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the first metric comprises an average value of prioritization scores associated with all electronic communications between the individual and the at least one correspondent.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the second metric comprises an average value of at least one of a decision-making metric, a processing metric, and a communication metric;

wherein each metric is derived from the electronic communications between the individual and the at least one correspondent during a specified time duration.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the plot of the at least one correspondent comprises a plurality of information pertaining to the at least one correspondent.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the plurality of information includes at least one of a name, a designation, a listing of contact details, and a photograph.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein the measure of collaborative relationship productivity is provided to users, groups, and management for review so as to improve accuracy of prioritizing emails, calculating productivity metrics, and reporting of metrics and trends.