Method and system for improving efficiency in an organization using process mining

• US 8,073,731 B1
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ProcessProxy Corporation
• Original Assignee: ProcessProxy Corporation
• Inventors: Rajasenan, Terry
• Primary Examiner(s): PATS, JUSTIN
• Application Number:
  US11/562,857
• Time in Patent Office: 1,840 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.37, 705/7, 705/11, 705/7.42, 705/7.38
• US Class Current: 705/7.42
• 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 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for improving processes in a healthcare organization by mining historical data for information that can be used to more effectively allocate resources and process components. Factors used for the analysis include time, information, motivation, skills, and authority for particular resources. Arbitrage processing is used to minimize opportunity costs and increase efficiency.

Claims

1. A method for improving efficiency in an organization, the organization having a plurality of roles performing a plurality of actions, the method comprising:

process mining using an evaluation subsystem of a computer system to obtain data element samples concerning the plurality of actions performed in the organization at a plurality of sampling intervals and to evaluate the data element samples by determining (1) data element changes during each sampling interval of the plurality of sampling intervals; and

(2) a probability that particular actions were performed based on the data element changes;

identifying an organizational inefficiency;

identifying a first role of the plurality of roles performing first role actions that contribute to the identified organizational inefficiency based on the evaluated data element samples;

identifying a second role of the plurality of roles performing second role actions that contribute to the identified organizational inefficiency due to an incentive for the second role to perform the second role actions;

changing, using the computer system in an effort to repair the identified organizational inefficiency, at least one of a motivation for the first role to continue to perform the first role actions and an authority for the first role to continue to perform the first role actions to reduce the incentive for the second role to perform the second role actions such that productivity of a third role of the plurality of roles is increased;

generating, using a daily action plan generator implemented on the computer system, an individual daily action plan for each of the plurality of roles in accordance with the changed at least one of the motivation and authority for the first role to continue to perform the first role actions and the reduced incentive for the second role to perform the second role actions; and

distributing to each of the plurality of roles the associated individual daily action plan, such that organizational efficiency is improved through each of the plurality of roles acting in accordance with the daily action plan.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing at least one of;

providing additional time to the first role;

providing additional information to the first role;

increasing motivation of the first role;

assisting the first role in a particular skill; and

changing authority of a role to assist the first role.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein process mining comprises creating a case evolution timeline.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the daily action plan includes processing event logs, ontology and tagging to develop an item sequence.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising evaluating actions in view of the case evolution timeline for validation.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising evaluating actions in view of the case evolution timeline to identify missing steps.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising profiling the plurality of roles and developing countering tactics under the daily action plan based on time, information, motivation, skill, and authority associated with the plurality of roles.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising developing the countering tactics iteratively.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a fishbone using the process mining to identify factors leading to the identified organizational inefficiency;

using the fishbone to determine a causality that increases the identified organizational inefficiency, wherein the first role actions lead to the causality that increases the identified organizational inefficiency;

inferring a reason for the first role to engage in the first role actions, and

determining a counter measure from the inferred reason to apply to the first role to prevent the first role from engaging in the first role actions and to reduce the incentive for the second role to perform the second role actions.

10. A computer system for improving efficiency in an organization, the organization having a plurality of roles performing a plurality of actions, the computer system comprising:

an evaluation subsystem executing on the computer system, the evaluation subsystem configured to;

evaluate, via process mining, data element samples concerning the plurality of actions with respect to the plurality of roles, by determining (1) data element changes during a plurality of sampling intervals; and

(2) a probability that particular actions were performed based on the data element changes;

identify a first role of the plurality of roles performing first role actions that contribute to an identified organizational inefficiency based on the evaluated data element samples;

identify a second role of the plurality of roles performing second role actions that contribute to the identified organizational inefficiency due to an incentive for the second role to perform the second role actions; and

change, in an effort to repair the identified organizational inefficiency, at least one of a motivation for the first role to continue to perform the first role actions and an authority of the first role to continue to perform the first role actions to reduce the incentive for the second role to perform the second role actions such that productivity of a third role of the plurality of roles is increased; and

a daily action plan generator executing on the computer system, the daily action plan generator configured to;

process the plurality of actions based on the plurality of roles; and

generate an individual daily action plan for each of the plurality of roles in accordance with the changed at least one of the motivation and authority for the first role to continue to perform the first role actions and the reduced incentive for the second role to perform the second role actions that, when followed by each of the plurality of roles, improves organizational efficiency;

wherein the computer system is further configured to distribute to each of the plurality of roles the associated individual daily action plan, such that organizational efficiency is improved through each of the plurality of roles acting in accordance with the daily action plan.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the computer system is configured to perform at least one of:

providing additional time to the first role;

providing additional information to the first role;

increasing motivation of the first role;

assisting the first role in a particular skill; and

changing authority of a role to assist the first role.

12. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the evaluation subsystem is configured to generate a case evolution timeline.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the evaluation subsystem is configured to develop an item sequence responsive to event logs, ontology and tagging.

14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the evaluation subsystem is configured to evaluate actions in view of the case evolution timeline for validation.

15. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the evaluation subsystem is configured to evaluate actions in view of the case evolution timeline to identify missing steps.

16. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the system is configured to profile the plurality of roles and develop countering tactics under a daily action plan based on time, information, motivation, skill, and authority associated with the plurality of roles.

17. The computer system of claim 10, where by productivity of the second role is increased.

18. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the system is configured to develop the countering tactics iteratively.

19. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the evaluation subsystem is configured to:

generate a fishbone using the process mining to identify factors leading to the identified organizational inefficiency;

use the fishbone to determine a causality that increases the identified organizational inefficiency, wherein the first role actions lead to the causality that increases the identified organizational inefficiency;

infer a reason for the first role to engage in the first role actions; and

determine a counter measure from the inferred reason to apply to the first role to prevent the first role from engaging in the first role actions and to reduce the incentive for the second role to perform the second role actions.