Granted Patent B2

US 8,705,723 · App. 12/684,027 · Granted Apr 22, 2014

Abstract

Claims (34)

1. A computerized method for scheduling a workforce, the method comprising:

generating with a first processor a forecast requirement related to a volume of work to be handled by a first workforce and a second workforce, wherein the second workforce is remote from the first workforce;

generating with a second processor work schedules for personnel of the second workforce based on the forecast requirement and skills of the personnel of the second workforce;

receiving with the first processor information corresponding to the work schedules and the skills of the personnel of the second workforce that share work with the first workforce, wherein the work schedules comprise activities;

correlating with the first processor the skills contained in the information with skills that are to be used for scheduling personnel of the first workforce;

correlating with the fist processor the activities contained in the information with activities that are to be used for scheduling the personnel of the first workforce, wherein the correlating includes mapping the activities in the information with the corresponding activities of the first workforce; and

generating with the first processor work schedules for the personnel of the first workforce based, at least in part, on a correlation between the skills of the personnel of the second workforce and the first workforce and a correlation between the activities of the personnel of the second workforce and the first workforce.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the work schedules for the personnel of the first workforce is further based at least in part on an evaluation of the work schedules of the personnel of the second workforce.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the work schedules of the personnel of the second workforce are locked such that the work schedules of the personnel of the second workforce are not changed responsive to generating the work schedules for the personnel of the first workforce.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the work schedules for the personnel of the first workforce comprises evaluating potential schedules for the personnel of the first workforce based on service level goals computed using contributions of the personnel of the second workforce.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in receiving information, the information is received from a workforce manager application associated with the second workforce, of a disparate type with respect to a workforce manager application associated with the first workforce.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the skills contained in the information comprise a skill priority and a skill proficiency for each skill of each of the personnel of the second workforce.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activities comprise a meeting activity and a personal day activity.

8. A system for scheduling a workforce comprising:

a first processor configured to generate a forecast requirement related to a volume of work to be handled by a first workforce and a second workforce, wherein the second workforce is remote from the first workforce;

a second processor configured to generate work schedules for personnel of the second workforce based on the forecast requirement and skills of the personnel of the second workforce;

the first processor further configured to:

receive information corresponding to the work schedules and the skills of the personnel of the second workforce that share work with the first workforce, wherein the work schedules comprise activities;

correlate the skills contained in the information with skills that are to be used for scheduling personnel of the first workforce;

correlate the activities contained in the information with activities that are to be used for scheduling the personnel of the first workforce, wherein the correlating includes mapping the activities in the information with the corresponding activities of the first workforce; and

generate work schedules for the personnel of the first workforce based, at least in part, on a correlation between the skills of the personnel of the second workforce and the first workforce and a correlation between the activities of the personnel of the second workforce and the first workforce.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second processor generates the work schedules for the personnel of the first workforce based at least in part on an evaluation of the work schedules of the personnel of the second workforce.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the work schedules of the personnel of the second workforce are locked such that the work schedules of the personnel of the second workforce are not changed responsive to generating the work schedules for the personnel of the first workforce.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein to generate the work schedules for the personnel of the first workforce the second processor evaluates potential schedules for the personnel of the first workforce based on service level goals computed using contributions of the personnel of the second workforce.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein, the information is received from a workforce manager application associated with the second workforce, of a disparate type with respect to a workforce manager application associated with the first workforce.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the skills contained in the information comprise a skill priority and a skill proficiency for each skill of each of the personnel of the second workforce.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the activities comprise a meeting activity and a personal day activity.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having program instructions stored thereon for operating a computerized workforce management system that, when executed by the computerized workforce management system, direct the computerized workforce management system to:

generate a forecast requirement related to a volume of work to be handled by a first workforce and a second workforce, wherein the second workforce is remote from the first workforce;

generate work schedules for personnel of the second workforce based on the forecast requirement and skills of the personnel of the second workforce;

receive information corresponding to the work schedules and the skills of the personnel of the second workforce that share work with the first workforce, wherein the work schedules comprise activities;

correlate the skills contained in the information with skills that are to be used for scheduling personnel of the first workforce;

correlate the activities contained in the information with activities that are to be used for scheduling the personnel of the first workforce, wherein the correlating includes mapping the activities in the information with corresponding activities of the first workforce; and

generate work schedules for the personnel of the first workforce based, at least in part, on a correlation between the skills of the personnel of the second workforce and the first workforce and a correlation between the activities of the personnel of the second workforce and the first workforce.

Assignments (9)