Employee analysis based on results of an education business simulation

• US 6,944,596 B1
• Filed: 02/23/2000
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture LLP (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Gray, William A., Coons, Douglas S.
• Primary Examiner(s): COSIMANO, EDWARD R
• Application Number:
  US09/511,340
• Time in Patent Office: 2,029 Days
• Field of Search: 434/107, 434/109, 434/219, 434/322, 434/327, 434/362, 434/365, 434/366, 705/1, 705/7, 705/11, 705/34, 705/400
• US Class Current: 705/321
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1053 Employment or hiring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

Analyzing employees based on results of an education business simulation. A network is utilized to present a training simulation to a user for achieving a training goal. Information is integrated into the training simulated utilizing the network that helps motivate achievement of the goal by the user. Progress of the user towards achieving the goal is measured utilizing the network. For further motivating achievement of the goal, feedback is also provided to the user utilizing the network. There are three levels of feedback, where each is progressively more detailed and is selected based on the number of mistakes made by the user, the user'"'"'s progress towards the goal is subsequently reported to the employer of the user utilizing the network.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing performance in a network based training simulation, comprising the steps of:

(a) presenting across a network a goal-based training simulation to a user for achieving a goal, wherein the goal is improving a user'"'"'s decision-making process for his job;

(b) integrating information into the training simulated utilizing the network that motivates achievement of the goal by the user;

(c) measuring progress of the user towards achieving the goal utilizing the network;

(d) providing feedback to the user utilizing the network that further motivates achievement of the goal, wherein the feedback is selected from at least three levels of feedback such that each of the three levels of feed back is progressively more detailed and the level of feedback selected is proportionate to a number of mistakes made by the user;

(e) reporting the measured progress towards achievement of the goal utilizing the network;

(f) comparing the measured progress of the user to a measurement of a subsequent other user'"'"'s progress; and

(g) gauging effectiveness of the training simulation in teaching achievement of the goal to the user based on the measured progress and the feedback.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the goal is selected from at least one of:

service excellence, billing excellence, sales and marketing excellence, deregulation transition excellence, commercial/industrial excellence, credit and collections excellence, and back office excellence.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the goal includes at least one business objective and at least one learning objective.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of presenting information indicative of the goal utilizing the network prior to the presenting of the training simulation.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing the measurement of the user'"'"'s progress in a database utilizing the network.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the network is a wide area network capable of communicating using TCP/IP and IPX protocol.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the training simulation is displayed in a browser.

8. A computer readable medium containing a computer program which, when loaded on a computer and executed, causes the computer to perform the functions of:

utilizing a network to present a goal-based training simulation to a user for achieving a goal, wherein the goal is improving a user'"'"'s decision-making process and work related skills;

integrating information into the training simulated utilizing the network that motivates achievement of the goal by the user;

measuring progress of the user towards achieving the goal utilizing the network;

providing feedback to the user utilizing the network that further motivates achievement of the goal; and

reporting the user'"'"'s progress towards the goal utilizing the network.

9. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the goal is selected from at least one of:

service excellence, billing excellence, sales and marketing excellence, deregulation transition excellence, commercial/industrial excellence, credit and collections excellence, and back office excellence.

10. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the goal includes at least one business objective and at least one learning objective.

11. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 8, further comprising the function of presenting information indicative of the goal utilizing the network prior to the presenting of the training simulation.

12. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 8, further comprising the function of storing the measurement of the user'"'"'s progress in a database utilizing the network, and the function of comparing the measurement of the user'"'"'s progress to a measurement of the progress of subsequent other user.

13. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the network is a wide area network capable of communicating using TCP/IP and IPX protocol.

14. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the training simulation is displayed in a browser.

15. A system for analyzing performance in a network based training simulation, comprising;

(a) logic that presents across a network goal-based training simulation to a user for achieving a goal, wherein the goal is improving a user'"'"'s decision-making process and work related skills;

(b) logic that integrates information into the training simulated utilizing the network that motivates achievement of the goal by the user;

(c) logic that measures progress of the user towards achieving the goal utilizing the network;

(d) logic that provides feedback to the user utilizing the network that further motivates achievement of the goal, wherein the feedback is selected from at least three levels of feedback such that each of the three levels of feed back is progressively more detailed and the level of feedback selected is proportionate to a number of mistakes made by the user;

(e) logic that reports the measured progress towards achievement of the goal utilizing the network;

(f) logic that compares the measured progress of the user to a measurement of a subsequent other user'"'"'s progress; and

(g) logic that gauges effectiveness of the training simulation in teaching achievement of the goal to the user based on the measured progress and the feedback.

16. A system as recited in claim 15, wherein the goal is selected from at least one of:

service excellence, billing excellence, sales and marketing excellence, deregulation transition excellence, commercial/industrial excellence, credit and collections excellence, and back office excellence.

17. A system as recited in claim 15, wherein the goal includes at least one business objective and at least one learning objective.

18. A system as recited in claim 15, further comprising logic that presents information indicative of the goal utilizing the network prior to the presenting of the training simulation.

19. A system as recited in claim 15, further comprising logic that stores the measurement of the user'"'"'s progress in a database utilizing the network.

20. A system as recited in claim 15, wherein the network is a wide area network capable of communicating using TCP/IP and IPX protocol.

21. A method utilizing a network for analyzing employee performance in a network goal-based training simulation for improving employee decision-making skills, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a goal-based training simulation accessible by utilizing a network;

(b) presenting a training simulation to one or more than one employee for achievement of a goal;

(c) motivating achievement of the goal by the one or more than one employee by utilizing the network to integrate information into the training simulation;

(d) measuring progress of the one or more than one employee towards achievement of the goal in the training simulation;

(e) providing feedback to the one or more than one employee for further motivating achievement of the goal and improving employee decision-making skills of one or more than one employee utilizing the network; and

(f) reporting progress of the one or more than one employee towards achievement of goal.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein after the step of presenting further comprising the step of selecting a goal for achievement.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of measuring further comprising calculating a measurement indicative of the progress of the employee towards achievement of the goal.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising reporting the calculated measurement of the progress of the employee towards achievement of the goal.