Method and system for assigning human resources to provide services

Abstract

A system for assigning human resources to service tasks. A long term forecasting module enables one or more users simultaneously working on that module to assign tasks that should be fulfilled in the each specific region, based on analysis of past demand and actual service operations. A mid-term planning module enables one or more users simultaneously working on that module to roughly allocate resources to fulfill actual future tasks and expected task demands. A short-term scheduling module enables one or more users simultaneously working on that module to roughly allocate specific human resources to fulfill actual tasks. A coordination module immediately propagates any change in the parameters of the human resource assignments resulting at any one of the forecasting, planning or scheduling modules to effect the other two modules. An analyzing module repeatedly checks the assignment actual status upon any introduction of an assignment update by the forecasting and planning modules to detect discrepancies and to generate alerts to correct those discrepancies.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to the field of managing service organizations. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and system for human-resource assigning. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] A critical role of process management is ensuring the match of available resources to the tasks the organization is required to perform. In service processes, the main resources are the service professionals (such as field service engineers, help desks or call center agents, insurance assessors, business consultants, etc.) with their available work hours. Other resources include vehicles, tools and equipment, spare parts, office space (e.g., meeting rooms), etc. [0003] The service tasks are usually initiated by customer demands, and typically, they are not predictable or the micro-level. There is no way to predict when a specific customer will call and request a service. [0004] Thus, the service organization faces lie challenge of accurately managing...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0037] The invention is comprised of a set of integrated tools, databases, communication protocols and methods, that together offer a smooth back-and-forth transition between macro and micro decisions.

Problems solved by technology

The service tasks are usually initiated by customer demands, and typically, they are not predictable or the micro-level.

There is no way to predict when a specific customer will call and request a service.

Thus, the service organization faces lie challenge of accurately managing the size, mix of skills and regional allocation of is resources to meet future unknown and unpredictable demands.

Erring by allocating too few resources results in failing to meet customer expectations, risking losing customers, and sometimes also requiring the service organization to par contract-specified penalties.

Erring by allocating too many resources results in spending excessive money on resources that are not fully utilized.

Time cannot be stored, and thus every hour that a resource is not utilized is lost forever (this is in contrast to manufacturing of physical goods, in which extra machine capacity may be used to produce a stock which will be sold later).

Obviously, it is not enough to decide on one group of service professionals for the whole organization.

The service-management decision process of the prior art generally suffers from the following drawbacks: Each phase must be completed and fully committed before a successive stage begins; No way to back-track; Work intensive, which results in the need of excessive manpower.

Once a step is performed, it must be completed across all its dimensions (e.g., before moving into capacity planning, you need to do the forecasting for all regions and all task types), and there is no efficient way of moving back and forth across these steps.

In today's world, such a structure is no longer effective, because of factors such as: Outsourcing is very prevalent: larger organizations are created by consolidating smaller ones, and independent organizations tend to cooperate or be in some “competitive” modes: The tasks become more and more complex; and The customers expectations become higher.

These procedures are not a good match for real planning needs.

Service organizations do not really save several discrete problems, e.g. one for capacity planning and one for fine-tuned scheduling.

Rather, they have a continuum of problems, in which part of the demand is presently managed at a macro level and another par, of the demand is managed at a micro level.

All the methods described above have not yet provided satisfactory solutions to the problem of human resource assigning to provide services.

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