Information processing systems, information processing methods, and programs

Abstract

To provide information processing systems, information processing methods, and programs to support project management in business operations. [Solution] An information processing system comprising: a case information storage unit that stores case details for each case, including information indicating the status and / or schedule of the case; a case classification unit that classifies cases into categories according to their status in the target period for each unit period based on the case details; and a case list output unit that outputs a case list for each category based on the case classification results, and displays an action label indicating an action item according to the status of the category in the details column of each case shown in the case list.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] As a service for supporting business execution in resource management-type businesses, a system that matches (assigns) resources such as human resources to projects is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that calculates a score regarding the suitability between a project and human resources and then matches the most suitable human resources to the project.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a management system for projects and resources used in resource management-type businesses, not only a function for assisting in the allocation of resources to projects but also a framework including a plurality of functions such as management of actions for projects, management of tasks according to resources, and a function for creating business opportunities according to the matching status of projects and resources is required.

[0005] One of the objects of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program for assisting in the management of projects in a business.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An information processing system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is A case information storage unit stores case details for each case, including information indicating the case status and / or schedule, Based on the aforementioned detailed case information, the case classification unit classifies the aforementioned cases into categories according to their status during the target period, for each unit period. The system includes a case list output unit that outputs a case list for each category based on the classification results of the cases, The aforementioned case list output unit displays action labels in the detail column of each case shown in the case list, indicating the action items corresponding to the status of the category.

[0007] Because the information management system possesses the above characteristics, it can manage business projects according to their status and prompt actions appropriate to the project status.

[0008] Other issues and solutions disclosed herein will be made clearer by the embodiments and drawings of this disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the management server 1 shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating the software configuration of the management server 1 and user terminal 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a UI (User Interface) equipped with a first display unit and a second display unit. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a list of cases by category over a specified period. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of the UI. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a case registration screen. [Figure 8]Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a project plan registration screen. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of information processing related to case lists by category. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of information processing related to resource lists for each category. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, an information processing system relating to one embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the attached drawings, identical or similar elements are given identical or similar reference numerals and names, and redundant descriptions of identical or similar elements may be omitted in the description of the embodiment. The contents shown in each drawing are merely examples for explaining this embodiment and are only schematic examples to facilitate explanation of this embodiment. The contents of each drawing may be modified or changed to the extent that no technical problems arise.

[0011] <System Overview> The information processing system according to this embodiment is a system for supporting the management of projects and resources in resource management type businesses.

[0012] Herein, the "resource management type business" as described in this embodiment means a business model that appropriately allocates and manages finite resources in accordance with customer requirements, and generates revenue by utilizing such resources to provide services. Furthermore, "resources" means management resources such as personnel, machinery, equipment, and space that are directly owned or procured from external sources by a business operator that conducts the above-mentioned business.

[0013] The industry type to which the information processing system of this embodiment is applied is not particularly limited. For example, industries that mainly use human resources such as consulting, IT, human resource dispatching, accounting and law firms, construction, rental, industries that mainly use machinery or equipment such as data centers, transportation, taxi, rental car industries that mainly use vehicles, industries that mainly use facilities or spaces such as co-working spaces, event space operations, warehousing, and other industries that handle complex resources such as the event industry (resources: venue, equipment, staff), etc. It can be applied, and is particularly suitable for industries that mainly use human resources.

[0014] In the information processing system of this embodiment, a service for assisting in the management of projects and resources is provided with an operator who undertakes the resource management type business as described above as a user. Here, the "project" in this embodiment means an individual business unit that needs to invest resources that the user organization can own and / or procure in order to achieve defined results within a specific period based on requests from customers and / or the business plans of customer organizations. In this embodiment, for the sake of convenience of explanation, human resources are exemplified as resources and the operations performed by human resources are exemplified as projects to explain the details of the information processing system. However, as described above, the business forms applicable to the information processing system of this embodiment are not limited to the form that uses human resources as resources.

[0015] <Components of the Information Processing System> As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing system of the present embodiment includes a management server 1 and one or more user terminals 2. The management server 1 and the user terminal 2 are communicably connected via a network NW. In the present embodiment, the network NW is mainly assumed to be the Internet, but the network NW is not limited to the Internet and may be constructed by, for example, a public telephone line network, a mobile phone line network, a wireless communication network, Ethernet (registered trademark), or the like. Although not shown in FIG. 1, in the information processing system, a terminal owned by a related business operator with which the user's business operator has a business partnership or entrusts business may be communicably connected to the management server 1 via the network NW.

[0016] The management server 1 is an information processing device managed by an operating business operator that provides services related to the information processing system. The management server 1 may be a general-purpose computer such as a workstation and a personal computer, or may be logically realized by cloud computing. The user terminal 2 is an information processing terminal owned by a user who is a business operator engaged in a resource management type business or an employee of the business operator. In the information processing system, user terminals 2 respectively owned by a plurality of users belonging to one user organization may be connected to the management server 1 via a network. The user terminal 2 may be a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer, or may be a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet.

[0017] <Hardware Configuration of Management Server 1> As shown in FIG. 2, the management server 1 includes at least a processor 10, a memory 11, a storage 12, a transceiver 13, an input / output device 14, etc., and these are electrically connected to each other through a bus 16. Note that the illustrated configuration is an example, and the management server 1 may have other configurations.

[0018] The processor 10 is a computing unit that controls the operation of the entire management server 1, controls the transmission and reception of data between each element, and performs information processing necessary for application execution and authentication processing. For example, the processor 10 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and / or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). Each functional unit of the processing unit 100 of the management server 1 is realized by the processor 10 executing programs stored in the storage 12 and loaded into the memory 11.

[0019] Memory 11 includes main memory composed of volatile storage devices such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and auxiliary memory composed of non-volatile storage devices such as flash memory and HDD (Hard Disk Drive). Memory 11 is used as a work area for the processor 10 and also stores the BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) executed when the management server 1 starts up, as well as various configuration information.

[0020] Storage 12 stores various programs, such as application programs. A database containing data used for each process may be built in storage 12. For example, the memory unit 120 described later is implemented as part of the memory area of ​​memory 11 and / or storage 12.

[0021] The transmitting / receiving unit 13 is a communication interface for the management server 1 to communicate with various information processing terminals, such as user terminals 2 and / or terminals of related businesses, via a communication network. The transmitting / receiving unit 13 may further include short-range communication interfaces such as Bluetooth® and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) and / or USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminals.

[0022] The input / output device 14 includes information input devices such as keyboards and mice, and output devices such as displays. The input / output device 14 may also include a touch panel that combines both information input and output functions, and may include a printer, speaker, etc., as output devices.

[0023] Bus 16 is connected in common to all of the above elements and transmits, for example, address signals, data signals, and various control signals.

[0024] <Hardware configuration of user terminal 2> User terminal 2, like management server 1, is equipped with, for example, a processor, memory, storage, transceiver, input / output device, etc., which are electrically connected to each other via a bus. The above components of user terminal 2 are the same as those of management server 1 (processor 10, memory 11, storage 12, transceiver 13, input / output device 14, bus 16), and their description is omitted. Note that user terminal 2 may also have a configuration other than that described above, similar to management server 1.

[0025] <Management Server 1 Functions (Software Configuration)> Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating the functions (software configuration) implemented in the management server 1 and user terminal 2. The management server 1 may include, for example, a case classification unit 101, a resource classification unit 102, a case list output unit 103, a case information update unit 104, a resource list output unit 105, an assignment-related processing unit 106, a resource introduction processing unit 107, a case registration unit 108, a case introduction processing unit 109, and a case planning unit 110. The storage unit 120 of the management server 1 may also include various databases such as a case information storage unit 121 and a resource information storage unit 122. The various functional units provided in the processing unit 100 of the management server 1 shown in Figure 3 are illustrated as functional units realized by the processor 10 of the management server 1, but some or all of the various functional units may be realized by the processor of the user terminal 2.

[0026] The case information storage unit 121 is a database that stores information about individual cases managed by the user organization (hereinafter sometimes referred to as case-related information). The case information storage unit 121 may store basic case information, such as a case ID which is an identification number that uniquely identifies the case, the name of the case, customer information including information about the customer organization (company name, department, person in charge, etc.), and contract information indicating the contract type such as quasi-mandate, dispatch, or contract work. In addition, the case information storage unit 121 may store detailed information such as status-related information, schedule information, condition information, and assigned resource-related information in association with the case ID.

[0027] Case status-related information is information that indicates the current state of a case. For example, case status-related information may include information that identifies the basic status of the case, such as pre-order, ordered, or completed, and may also include information that identifies the detailed status corresponding to these basic statuses.

[0028] Detailed statuses in the pre-order stage may include, for example, one or more of the following: a status indicating that an order has not yet been placed; a status indicating that an order has been officially placed; and a status indicating that the negotiation has ended without an order being placed. Furthermore, the pre-order stage status may include statuses such as "Preparing Proposal" indicating that negotiations have not yet begun; "Proposal in Progress" indicating that negotiations with the customer have begun; "Quotation Submitted" indicating that a quotation has been submitted regarding the proposal; and "Quotation Under Adjustment" indicating that the quotation is being adjusted with the customer.

[0029] At the stage of receiving an order, one or more detailed statuses may be set, for example, a status indicating the status of the contract, a status indicating the status of the assignment, a status indicating the process in progress, a status indicating the progress, and a status indicating the status of the plan changes. Statuses related to the contract may include statuses such as "contract being drafted," "contract being reviewed," and "contract concluded." Statuses related to the assignment may include statuses such as "resource selection in progress," indicating the status of selecting the resources necessary to carry out the project, and "resource assigned," indicating the status of the completed allocation of resources.

[0030] Statuses indicating the ongoing process may include statuses such as "Preparation Phase" (indicating the start of the project), "Execution Phase" (indicating the actual execution of the project), and "Final Phase" (indicating the final work towards the completion of the project). Statuses related to progress may include statuses such as "On Going as Planned" (indicating progress according to schedule), "Caution" (indicating potential delays or other issues), and "Problem Occurred" (indicating delays or other issues have occurred). Furthermore, if a change in the plan becomes necessary, statuses related to the plan change may include statuses such as "Plan Change Under Consideration" (indicating the changes are being considered) and "Plan Change Confirmed" (indicating the plan changes have been finalized).

[0031] Detailed statuses at the closing stage may include, for example, one or more of the following: status related to completion procedures, status related to ongoing negotiations, and archived status, which indicates that all procedures in the case have been completed and the case is managed as a past case. Status related to completion procedures may include statuses such as: deliverables delivered, final review in progress, acceptance certificate received, and payment confirmed. Status related to ongoing negotiations may include statuses such as: preparing for ongoing negotiations, proposing ongoing contracts, confirmed ongoing contracts, and no ongoing contracts.

[0032] The classification of status-related information for projects described above is merely illustrative, and the setting of status-related information is not limited to the examples above. For example, the basic status may be divided into more detailed groups than those described above, and intermediate classifications such as the status during the preparation phase before project execution and the status during execution may be included. Furthermore, the classification of status-related information, such as the basic status and detailed status, may be dynamically set by the user or the system operator depending on the industry or characteristics of the project. In addition, if a single project includes multiple tasks and / or multiple processes, the status-related information for the project may include status information for each task and / or for each process.

[0033] The case information storage unit 121 may store both the scheduled schedule information set for each case and the actual schedule information. In this case, the pre-set schedule, such as the scheduled date, may be replaced with actual information, such as the date and time registered as the actual date (actual date). The case schedule information (scheduled and / or actual) may include, for example, one or more of the following: the contract schedule, the deliverable schedule, and the case execution period schedule.

[0034] Contract schedules include the contract start date and contract completion date. Deliverable schedules may include the delivery date and acceptance date for the final deliverable, the delivery date for intermediate deliverables, and other deadlines set for the project. For these planned deadlines for deliverables, if an actual date is registered, the system may be configured to refer to the actual date instead of the planned date.

[0035] The project execution period is information indicating the period during which resources are operational within the contract period, and is defined, for example, by the project start date (which may be the start month) and end date (which may be the end month). The schedule information regarding the execution period includes the planned execution period (planned period), which is set at predetermined times, such as before receiving an order, when the order is confirmed, at the time of contracting, or when the project plan is formulated or the plan is changed, based on the user's forecast, negotiation status, or contract details. The previously set planned period (for example, the planned period set at the stage before receiving an order) may be updated at a later time (for example, after the order is confirmed). The information regarding the execution period may include not only the planned period mentioned above, but also the actual period (which may be defined in months) as defined by the actual project start date and / or end date. If a project has multiple tasks and / or multiple processes, the schedule information regarding the execution period may include the execution period (planned and actual) for each task and / or the execution period (planned and actual) for each process.

[0036] The project condition information is information that indicates the various setting conditions required for a project, and this condition information is registered in the project information storage unit 121 for each project. The project condition information may include, for example, setting conditions related to the amount, setting conditions related to the man-hours, and setting conditions related to the skills.

[0037] The setting conditions regarding the amount may be, for example, the budget amount that the client, who is a customer of the user organization, will allocate to the project, the estimated amount set by the user organization, or the contract amount agreed upon between the user organization and the customer at the time of contract signing. The setting conditions regarding man-hours represent the amount of work required of the resources to complete the project. Man-hours are expressed in units such as "person-hours" (a unit representing the amount of work that one person can complete in one hour), "person-days" (a unit representing the amount of work that one person can complete in one day), or "person-months" (a unit representing the amount of work that one person can complete in one month). The setting conditions regarding skills are, for example, settings that define the skills of the resources required to carry out the project. Skills include, but are not particularly limited to, various skills such as qualifications, experience, and proficiency required of the resources. Each project may have one of the above conditions set as condition information, or it may have multiple conditions set.

[0038] Resource-related information refers to information indicating the resources assigned to a project as the assigned or candidate for the assigned resource. For example, resource-related information may include assigned resource information indicating the ID and role of the resource assigned to the project, candidate resource information indicating the ID of a resource being considered as a candidate for the project, and information regarding changes in assignment (e.g., requests for assignment changes received from the client, history of assignment changes, etc.). Each project may be handled by one resource, or multiple resources may be assigned to one project. The number of assignment slots for a single project is not particularly limited and may be set on a case-by-case basis depending on the content of the project. If multiple resources are assigned to a single project, the allocation of man-hours to each resource in that project may be set. If external resources are assigned to a project, information identifying those external resources and information regarding the man-hours allocated to those external resources may be included in the resource-related information.

[0039] The information stored in the case information storage unit 121 is not limited to the basic information and detailed information (status-related information, schedule information, condition information, and assigned resource-related information) described above. For example, the case information storage unit 121 may store information indicating the likelihood of securing an order for a case before it is secured. The likelihood of securing an order is an indicator of the probability of securing an order and may be expressed as a step-by-step indicator, such as "Probability A" indicating a high probability of securing an order, "Probability B" indicating a moderate likelihood of securing an order, and "Probability C" indicating a low or uncertain likelihood of securing an order. The case information storage unit 121 may also store document data related to a case in association with the case ID. Document data related to a case may include, but is not particularly limited to, proposals, quotations, purchase orders, contracts, invoices, outsourcing-related documents, and documents related to deliverables. Furthermore, a single case may have multiple tasks and / or multiple processes set up, and the case information storage unit 121 may store detailed information for each task and / or each process as detailed information for the case.

[0040] The resource information storage unit 122 is a database that stores information about individual resources available to the user organization (hereinafter sometimes referred to as resource-related information). The resource information storage unit 122 stores basic information, such as a resource ID which is an identification number that uniquely identifies a resource, the name of the resource, and basic attribute information (for example, date of birth, gender, date of employment, etc.). The resource information storage unit 122 may also store detailed information such as personnel information, sales information, assignment information, skill information, career information, and operational status information, associated with the resource ID.

[0041] Personnel information may include, for example, information about the resource's affiliation, position, and work status. Information about work status includes, for example, remaining paid leave days, information about planned paid leave, information about leave status, and information about reduced working hours. Resource sales information includes, for example, information indicating the resource's basic man-hours and basic unit price. Basic man-hours refer to the amount of work that a resource can do per unit period and are expressed in units such as "man-hours," "man-days," and "man-months." For example, the basic man-hours per month are generally expressed as 1.0 man-month, but the resource's detailed information may also include the effective basic man-hours as man-hour setting information related to the resource. The effective basic man-hours refer to the man-hours obtained by subtracting the man-hours that are effectively unassignable to a project from the basic man-hours (the maximum man-hours that can be allocated per unit period).

[0042] For example, if information regarding work status such as planned paid leave, leave of absence, or reduced working hours is registered, the effective basic man-hours may be set by subtracting the man-hours for paid leave, leave of absence, and reduced working hours from the basic man-hours. Also, if a resource is responsible for internal tasks such as administrative work in addition to external projects, the effective basic man-hours may be set by subtracting the man-hours for such internal tasks from the basic man-hours. The basic unit price may be an amount equivalent to the salary per unit period, or it may be the unit price for performing work of the basic man-hours per unit period (i.e., the unit price per unit man-hour). As information related to the basic unit price, an individual unit price per project may also be set. If an effective basic man-hours are set for a resource, the effective unit price may be set instead of the basic unit price, or together with the basic unit price. The effective unit price is calculated by multiplying the basic unit price per unit period by the effective basic man-hours.

[0043] Assignment information is information that shows the status of a resource's assignment to a project. For example, assignment information may include information that identifies projects to which a resource has been assigned as a responsibility or projects to which a resource is being considered as a candidate, using the project ID. Projects registered in a resource's assignment information may include not only current and future projects, but also archived past projects. Assignment information may include information that identifies a project, as well as information indicating the responsibility category for each project (e.g., main responsibility, sub-responsibility, etc.), the assignment period (start date and end date), the man-hours allocated to the resource for each project, and the role (e.g., project manager, technical leader, etc.). This assignment information may be managed in association with the resource-related information for projects stored in the project information storage unit 121.

[0044] Skill information indicates the technical skills a resource possesses. For example, skill information may include qualifications held, acquired technologies, areas of expertise, and proficiency levels in each technology (e.g., expert, advanced, intermediate, etc.). Experience information indicates the resource's work experience and may include information such as past projects, years of work experience, and customer industries they have worked with.

[0045] The resource information storage unit 122 may store operational status information calculated by the resource classification unit 102 (described later) in association with resource IDs. Operational status information is information indicating the operational status of a resource. Operational status information may include not only the current operational status but also operational performance showing past operational status and operational schedule showing future operational status. Operational status information is aggregated for unit periods such as monthly, weekly, daily, or hourly, and updated regularly or at arbitrary timings. Operational status may be expressed in terms of allocated man-hours or available man-hours for a unit period, or as an utilization rate (which may also be called an allocation rate) shown as the ratio of allocated man-hours to basic man-hours, or as a sales rate in monetary terms instead of man-hours. When expressing operational status, the man-hours used as the basis may be effective basic man-hours instead of basic man-hours.

[0046] In this embodiment, the resource information storage unit 122 may be configured to manage information separately according to the type of resource. For example, the resource information storage unit 122 may include an internal resource DB 1221 and an external resource DB 1222.

[0047] The internal resource DB 1221 is a database that stores information about internal resources owned by the user organization (for example, internal resources such as employees). In the internal resource DB 1221, the basic and detailed information of the resource information storage unit 122 described above is registered for internal resources directly managed by the user organization.

[0048] The external resource DB 1222 is a database that stores information about related businesses (i.e., subcontractors) with which a user organization partners or outsources work in the execution of a project. These subcontractors may be individuals or external companies. The external resource DB 1222 may store basic information such as a unique business ID, business name, and address. It may also store detailed information such as project completion records, areas of expertise, and available skills, associated with the business ID. Furthermore, the external resource DB 1222 may also store information about individual resources managed by the related businesses in the same format as the resource information storage unit 122 described above. However, the content and update frequency of resource information in the external resource DB 1222 may be restricted based on contracts and operational policies with the related businesses.

[0049] The information stored in the resource information storage unit 122 is not limited to the basic information and detailed information (personnel information, sales information, assignment information, skill information, career information, and operational status information) described above. For example, the detailed information of a resource may include performance information, such as projects the resource has handled in the past and information on clients (customers) with whom the resource has handled projects in the past. The resource information storage unit 122 may also store information indicating the career aspirations of each resource, and the assignment process for a resource to a project may be performed by referring to this aspiration information. The information management method in the resource information storage unit 122 is not limited to the internal / external distinction described above. For example, information may be managed separately according to the type of resource (personnel, equipment, machinery, etc.), or according to geographical divisions such as the location or region of responsibility of the resource.

[0050] The case classification unit 101 classifies cases into categories according to their status within a given period, based on the detailed information for each case stored in the case information storage unit 121. Here, the unit period may be a quarter, a month, a week, a day, etc., and is not particularly limited. The setting of categories for classifying cases is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate according to the nature of the case, the form of work in the case, etc. For example, the categories for classifying cases may be set according to the basic status items set in the case status-related information, and the categories according to the status may include "starting stage category," "continuing stage category," and "completion stage category." The case classification unit 101 divides the period from a predetermined point in the past to the present, and from the present to a predetermined point in the future, into unit periods, and then refers to the status-related information and / or schedule information of each case to classify each case into a category according to its status within each divided unit period.

[0051] For example, the case classification unit 101 may classify cases as follows, depending on the period to be classified. For periods including the present, cases are classified based on status-related information (information indicating the current case status) registered in the detailed information of each case in the case information storage unit 121. For periods past the present, cases are classified by identifying the status of each case for each past period by referring to status-related information indicating the current situation and schedule information registered as actual results. For periods in the future, cases are classified by identifying the predicted status of each case for each future period by referring to status-related information indicating the current situation and schedule information registered as planned. In this case, when classifying cases using the classification settings of "starting stage," "continuing stage," and "completion stage," cases that have not yet been formally ordered in the target period are classified into the "starting stage," cases that are in progress in the target period are classified into the "continuing stage," and cases that are scheduled to be completed within the target period are classified into the "completion stage."

[0052] The case classification unit 101 classifies the cases into categories according to the status described above and aggregates the number of cases in each category. The case classification unit 101 then displays the aggregated results for each unit period on the first display unit of the user interface (hereinafter referred to as UI) provided by the application program of the information processing system.

[0053] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the UI screen presented on user terminal 2. In Figure 4, the first display section is presented on the left side of the screen, and the second display section is presented on the right side. The first display section is a display area that provides macro information showing the overall status of cases and resources for each period. The second display section is a display area that presents the case list or resource list described later, and provides micro information showing the individual status of cases or resources for a predetermined target period.

[0054] In the first display section of Figure 4, the number of cases in each category is presented as an aggregate result, along with icons representing each category of cases for each period. The aggregate result may be shown numerically, as in Figure 4, or it may be displayed as an icon of a size appropriate to the number of cases in each category. The selection of a list of cases for a specific period to be displayed in the second display section may be performed, for example, via the icons of each category presented in the first display section. Note that the UI shown in Figure 4 is merely an example, and the UI provided by the information processing system is not limited to the example in Figure 4.

[0055] The resource classification unit 102 classifies resources into categories according to their operational status during a given period, based on the detailed information for each resource stored in the resource information storage unit 122. The unit period may be quarterly, monthly, weekly, or daily, similar to the classification of projects, and is not particularly limited. The number of categories according to operational status and the thresholds separating the categories are not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate depending on the type of resource, the type of work in the project, etc.

[0056] For example, the classification based on operational status may include a "available category (available resource category)" that classifies resources with available manpower, and a "fully utilized category" that classifies resources with little to no available manpower. It may also include an "outsourced category" that classifies external resources that are not subject to operational status tracking. In this example classification, internal resources with an operational rate below a predetermined threshold (or with available manpower above a predetermined value) may be classified as "available," and internal resources with an operational rate above a predetermined threshold (or with available manpower below a predetermined value) may be classified as "fully utilized." In other words, the definition of fully utilized is not limited to an operational rate of 100%, and a value less than 100% (for example, 90%) may be set as the threshold to take into account factors such as taking paid leave.

[0057] The above example shows how to classify internal resources into two categories, "available" and "fully utilized," using a single threshold. However, the classification of internal resources is not limited to this example. For example, multiple thresholds for utilization status may be set, and internal resources may be classified into more granular categories than those shown above using multiple thresholds. In other words, the "available" category may be divided into two or more categories.

[0058] Resource classification may be performed in the following manner, for example. The resource classification unit 102 first divides the period from a predetermined point in the past to the present, and from the present to a predetermined point in the future, into unit periods. First, it divides the period from a predetermined point in the past to the present, and from the present to a predetermined point in the future into unit periods. Then, it identifies the man-hours allocated to the resources in each period from the assignment information and / or the schedule information of each identified project. The resource classification unit 102 calculates the operational status for each period from the allocated man-hours in each period and generates operational status information.

[0059] Specifically, the operational status for periods past the present may be identified based on assignment information (particularly information on the man-hours allocated to resources for each project) and actual schedule information, specifying the man-hours allocated to resources in past periods and the operational status calculated from those man-hours. Furthermore, if data from previous classifications is available, past operational status may be identified by referring to the operational status information from those previous classifications. For periods including the present, the operational status may be calculated from the information on the man-hours allocated to resources for each project during the current period, which is included in the assignment information. For periods in the future, the operational status may be identified based on assignment information and planned schedule information. The resource classification unit 102 classifies each resource into categories corresponding to its operational status for each period based on the identified operational status information.

[0060] The resource classification unit 102 classifies resources into categories according to their operating status as described above, and aggregates the number of resources in each category. The resource classification unit 102 then displays the aggregated results for each unit period in the first display unit of the UI. In the first display unit of Figure 4, the number of resources in each category is presented as an aggregated result, along with icons representing each category of resources for each period. The aggregated results may be shown as numerical values ​​for the number of resources in each category, as in Figure 4, or as icons of a size appropriate to the number of resources in each category. The selection of a resource list for a specific period to be displayed in the second display unit may be performed, for example, via the icons of each category presented in the first display unit.

[0061] Furthermore, the detail column for each period in the first display unit may show not only the aggregated results for each category of projects and resources, but also the results of an evaluation of the degree of balance between projects and resources. The processing unit of the management server 1 may also be equipped with an evaluation unit function that evaluates the degree of balance between projects and resources for each unit period.

[0062] In this case, the evaluation unit may calculate the degree of balance based on man-hours and the degree of balance based on monetary value, and the first display unit may be able to switch between displaying the evaluation result of the degree of balance based on man-hours and the evaluation result of the degree of balance based on monetary value, depending on the user's selection. The degree of balance based on man-hours may be expressed, for example, as the ratio of the total man-hours set for each project during the target period to the total basic man-hours of each internal resource. The degree of balance based on monetary value may be expressed, for example, as the ratio of the total amount set for each project during the target period to the total basic unit price of each internal resource. In addition to the above, the denominator of the degree of balance may be a target value during the target period (man-hours corresponding to target sales amount, target number of projects), etc.

[0063] Furthermore, when calculating the degree of balance, the projects included are those that have not yet been awarded during the target period and those that have already been awarded (excluding projects that have been completed in past periods (archived projects)). The evaluation results of the degree of balance may be presented in the first display section in a manner that allows for the identification of the proportion of unawarded projects and the proportion of awarded projects. The first display section may also display an evaluation result based on the above proportions indicating whether there is a shortage of resources (a state of too many projects) or a shortage of projects (a state of too many resources).

[0064] The case list output unit 103 generates a case list for each category based on the case classification results from the case classification unit 101. The case list for each category is a list that presents a list of cases classified into the target category for each unit period, along with a detail column that displays information about each case. The case list output unit 103 displays an action label in the detail column of each case shown in the case list, indicating an action item corresponding to the status of the category.

[0065] Here, in the information processing system of this embodiment, "action" refers to an operation that concretizes information related to a case (case-related information), and "action item" refers to a data item that is the target of concretization operations such as recording and / or updating. The actions that concretize the information are linked to actual business operations (sales negotiations, planning, etc.) that occur in actual cases of the user organization. In other words, the action label has the function of promoting actual business operations such as sales negotiations by presenting the information that should be concretized according to the status classification of the case.

[0066] The action items displayed in the action label are set according to the status of the case as defined in the category, and different items are set for each category. The action items displayed in the action label have the function of displaying the data already registered in the target item in a viewable format, and also function as information input items that accept the registration of new data and the updating of data for the target item. The specific content of the action items displayed in each category is not particularly limited, and may include, for example, an item that represents the detailed status corresponding to the basic status that defines the category. For example, in the second display section on the left side of the screen in Figure 4 (an example of a case list for the initial stage category), an action label corresponding to the initial stage is shown as an example, in the example of a case list for the final stage category shown in Figure 5(a), an action label corresponding to the final stage is shown as an example, and in the example of a case list for the continuing stage category shown in Figure 5(b), an action label corresponding to the continuing stage is shown as an example.

[0067] As illustrated in Figure 4, in the case list for the initial stage, action labels may be displayed in the details column of each case to concretize the negotiation work toward formal order. Specifically, the action label may include one or more items as action items from among items indicating the order status of the case, items for detailed negotiation information such as negotiation notes, and items related to the resources to be assigned to the case. The item indicating the order status may include items that represent detailed status such as "Not Ordered," "Order Confirmed," or "Cancelled," and / or items that represent the probability of ordering, visualizing the detailed status of work for securing the order and / or the possibility of ordering, thereby promoting negotiation toward formal order. Items related to the resources to be assigned to the case are items that represent resource-related information such as the number of resources to be assigned to the case, specific assigned resources, and candidate resources, thereby promoting the concretization of the case execution system. Items for detailed negotiation information are items that register and display information related to the content of the negotiation, such as negotiation notes, in a prescribed format (which may be text format or document format), thereby promoting the concretization of the content of the negotiation and sharing within the user organization.

[0068] In addition to the above, the action labels for the initial stage may also include action items related to the contract information of the case. These action items related to contract information may be items that represent the contract type of the case, such as "quasi-mandate," "dispatch," "contract work," or "other," and it may be possible to register and update contract information through these action items.

[0069] As illustrated in Figure 5(a), in the case list for the closing stage, action labels may be provided in the details column for each case to facilitate further negotiations. Specifically, these action labels may include items indicating the negotiation status, such as whether the case can be continued. These items indicating the negotiation status, such as "continued" or "not continued," represent the detailed status at the closing stage and encourage the clarification of the status of further negotiations. Furthermore, action labels corresponding to the closing stage may include items for detailed negotiation information, such as notes taken during negotiations, similar to those for the opening stage.

[0070] As illustrated in Figure 5(b), in the case list for the ongoing phase, action labels may be provided in the details column for each case to specify the progress of the case. Specifically, these action labels may include items indicating the progress of the case as action items. Items indicating the progress of the case are items that represent the detailed status of the ongoing phase, such as "on track," "caution," and "problem occurred," and encourage the specification of the progress in actual work and sharing within the user organization. In addition, action labels corresponding to the ongoing phase categories may include items related to the resources assigned to the case. Items related to resources are items that represent resource-related information such as the assigned resources and their number, and operations on these items allow for changes to the assigned resources, encouraging information sharing within the user organization and specification of changes to the case execution system.

[0071] The action labels shown in Figures 4 and 5 are merely examples, and the display format and content of the action labels are not limited to the above examples and can be set as appropriate according to the content of the case, the type of business, etc. In addition to the action labels mentioned above, the details column for each case in the case list may also display setting information for the target case (case name, amount, setting man-hours, setting period, sales representative, etc.), and other information that may be helpful to the user when performing actions on the action labels may also be displayed.

[0072] The case list output unit 103 may display a case list corresponding to the selected period and category in the second display unit when the user selects an icon for a predetermined period category presented in the first display unit (a selection operation of the period and category by the user via the aggregated results of the first display unit). In the example in Figure 4, by selecting the icon for the "January 2025" start category, the case list corresponding to the "January 2025 start category" is displayed in the second display unit.

[0073] The case information update unit 104 performs a process to update case-related information for the target case in response to the user's operation on the action label presented in the case list for each category. For example, if the user performs an operation to select the detailed status of the target case for an item representing the detailed status (e.g., clicking one of the icons for "Order Received," "Not Ordered," or "Cancelled" for a start category case, clicking one of the icons for "Continued" or "Not Continued" for a finish category case, or clicking one of the icons for "On Going Well," "Caution," or "Problem" for a continuing category case), the case information update unit 104 updates the status-related information (especially the detailed status information) of the target case in response to the user's selection.

[0074] Furthermore, the case information update unit 104 may perform a process to update resource-related information for the target case based on the user's operation on "resource-related items" presented in action labels such as the starting stage classification and the continuing stage classification. For example, if a user performs an operation to select an icon indicating a resource frame presented in an action label for any case in the case list (a selection operation to specify a target case and request assignment), the case information update unit 104 may output an assignment registration screen on the UI for assigning resources to the target case in response to the selection operation. The assignment registration screen may display a list of assignable resources, and may also display condition information for the target case, including one or more setting conditions related to amount, man-hours, and skills.

[0075] Here, in the resource list on the assignment registration screen, resources may be sorted and displayed based on their suitability (matching rate) for the target project, with resources that have a high degree of suitability being placed at the top. The degree of suitability may be expressed as the ratio of the resource's detailed information (basic unit price (effective unit price), basic man-hours (effective basic man-hours), skills, etc.) to the target project's condition information (amount, man-hours, skills, etc.). When sorting resources, a sorting condition related to available man-hours may be set so that resources with more available man-hours during the period specified in the first display section are placed at the top. For sorting resources, either the sorting condition based on suitability or the sorting condition based on available man-hours may be applied, or one of them may be used as a priority condition and applied in combination with the sorting condition based on suitability and the sorting condition based on available man-hours.

[0076] When a user selects a resource from the resource list, the case information update unit 104 assigns the selected resource to the target case as either the "responsible person" or "candidate for responsible person," and updates the resource-related information. The user may specify whether to assign the selected resource as the "responsible person" or as a "candidate for responsible person." Furthermore, the assignment registration screen may allow for the sequential assignment of multiple resources to the target case. The same processing as described above may be used when assigning or changing resources via action labels in the continuation stage. Note that the processing related to the assignment of resources to the target case described above may be implemented by the assignment-related processing unit 106, described later, instead of the case information update unit 104.

[0077] The case information update unit 104 may accept input of negotiation memos, documents related to negotiations, etc., through the "negotiation details item" presented in action labels such as the initial stage category and the continuation stage category. This negotiation details may be entered by the user in text format, in the form of a document attached by the user, or in other selection input format. The case information update unit 104 stores the entered negotiation details in the case information storage unit 121, associating them with the ID of the target case. The registered negotiation details may be made viewable from the negotiation details item of the action label. In addition, the case information update unit 104 may accept registration or update of the probability of securing a sale through the item representing the probability of securing a sale presented in the action label of the initial stage category. The case-related information updated by the case information update unit 104 differs depending on the item presented in the action label and is set appropriately according to the status of each category.

[0078] The resource list output unit 105 generates resource lists for each category according to their operating status, based on the resource classification results from the resource classification unit 102. The resource list for each category is a list that presents a list of resources classified into the target category for each unit period, along with a detail column that displays information about each resource. The resource list output unit 105 displays reference information in the detail column of each resource shown in the resource list, according to the operating status of the category related to the resource. The reference information is set for each category and is not particularly limited.

[0079] For example, the reference information presented under "Full Operation Category" may include information identifying the projects to which the target resource is assigned. Similarly, the reference information presented under "Outsourcing Category" may include information identifying the projects to which each related company (outsourcing partner) listed has been outsourced. In the resource reference information, each project may be presented with a predetermined icon, and detailed information for the specified project may be displayed in response to the user's selection of any of the icons.

[0080] The second display section of the UI illustrated in Figure 6 shows an example of a resource list in the "available" category. In the resource list in the "available" category, resources may be sorted and presented so that resources with low utilization rates (sales rates) during the target period (resources with many available man-hours) are placed at the top. The resource list output unit 105 may also display one or more of the following as reference information in the detail column of each resource in the "available" category resource list: information on candidate projects, information on proposed projects, and information on assigned projects. Candidate projects refer to projects to which the target resource has been tentatively assigned as a candidate; proposed projects refer to projects currently being proposed to customers (unordered projects or projects in the proposal stage); and assigned projects refer to projects to which the target resource has already been assigned as a responsible party. In the reference information in each detail column of Figure 6, icons representing proposed projects, candidate projects, and assigned projects, respectively, and the number of each project are displayed.

[0081] The "Availability" reference information may have a similar function to the action labels in the case list. In other words, the icons for each data item shown in the reference information (in the example in Figure 6, the proposed case icon, the candidate case icon, and the assigned case icon) may have the function of displaying the data already registered for the target item in a viewable format, and may also function as information input items that accept the registration of new data and the updating of data for the target item. For example, the resource list output unit 105 may display a list of cases, detailed information, etc., corresponding to the selected icon when the user performs an operation to select one of the icons for proposed cases, candidate cases, or assigned cases. Furthermore, it may be possible to perform a process to assign target resources to a case via the proposed case icon and the candidate case icon, and it may be possible to perform a process to set up a case for customer proposals via the proposed case icon.

[0082] Furthermore, if internal resources are classified into three or more categories based on multiple thresholds related to their operational status, the same reference information as for the "available" category described above may be applied to categories with available manpower. For categories with an operational rate above a predetermined value, the information corresponding to the proposed project may be excluded from the reference information.

[0083] The resource list output unit 105 may display a resource list corresponding to the selected period and category on the second display unit in response to the user selecting an icon for a predetermined period category presented on the first display unit (a user selection operation of the period and category input via the aggregated results of the first display unit). In the example in Figure 6, by selecting the "Available Category" icon for "January 2025", the resource list corresponding to the "Available Category for January 2025" is displayed on the second display unit.

[0084] The assignment-related processing unit 106 executes an assignment process to assign the target resource specified by a user's operation on reference information in the resource list of available resources to a predetermined case. For example, the assignment-related processing unit 106 outputs an assignment registration screen for assigning the target resource specified by a user's selection operation on a candidate case icon or a proposed case icon presented as reference information in the details field of any resource in the resource list.

[0085] On the assignment registration screen, if the user selects the icon for a proposed project, a list of projects registered as proposed projects is displayed. If the user selects the icon for a candidate project, a list of projects registered as proposed projects is displayed. When the user selects any of the projects from the list displayed on the assignment registration screen, the assignment-related processing unit 106 assigns the target resource to the project selected by the user and updates the assignment information of the target resource (and other resource-related information for the selected project). If the selected project is a proposed project, the target resource may also be registered as a candidate for that project.

[0086] The assignment registration screen may display a list of proposed or candidate projects set for the target resource, and may also display other resources that are assigned as candidates or assigned to projects included in that list, alongside the list of projects. This presentation allows users to select projects to which the target resource should be assigned, taking into account the assignment status of other candidates or assigned personnel. Furthermore, when the assignment-related processing unit 106 displays the list of projects on the assignment registration screen, it may refer to one or more pieces of information from the target resource's basic unit price, basic man-hours, skill information, or preference information, and execute a process to sort the projects so that projects that match the detailed information of the target resource are placed at the top. The appearance and content of the assignment registration screen are not limited to the above example and can be set as appropriate according to the user's industry and the characteristics of the projects.

[0087] The resource introduction processing unit 107 executes a process to introduce the target resource specified by the user's operation on the reference information in the resource list of available resources to the customer. For example, checkboxes may be provided in the details column of each resource in the resource list of available resources to allow the user to select one or more resources. When the user performs an operation to request a proposal of target resources to the customer (for example, by clicking a proposal icon), the resource introduction processing unit 107 generates introduction information to introduce the selected resources to the customer. At this time, the resource introduction processing unit 107 may also accept the user's specification of the customer to whom the proposal should be made. For example, a list of customers may be displayed on the UI screen, and the user may select one or more customers from the list.

[0088] Introduction information includes information that identifies the target resource. For example, introduction information may include one or more of the following: basic information such as the resource's name, affiliation, and position; skill information of the target resource (qualifications held, acquired skills, proficiency level, etc.); work history information (years of work experience, customer industries handled, etc.); and schedule information indicating the period during which new requests can be accepted. Note that the information items to be included in introduction information may be restricted based on the contract with the customer and operational policies. For example, restrictions may be imposed such as excluding personally identifiable information or limiting the description of skills and experience to a general overview.

[0089] The resource referral processing unit 107 may notify the user organization's sales representative of the generated referral information. In this case, the sales representative may provide the customer with referral information indicating the target resource. Alternatively, the resource referral processing unit 107 may notify the customer's contact person specified by the user of the generated referral information. The notification method may be email, or other communication applications or programs, and is not particularly limited; any publicly known notification method can be used. By providing such referral information, the customer can understand the information on resources available for use within the user organization and consider requesting new projects that can utilize those resources. Upon receiving the notification, the customer can make decisions such as, "There are projects where we can utilize the skills and experience of this resource," or "If this resource is available, let's request this project from the user organization," which can lead to the acquisition of new projects within the user organization.

[0090] As described above, the processing unit 100 of the management server 1 may include a resource introduction processing unit 107 that notifies customers of resources with available manpower, or it may have a function (the case registration unit 108 below) that creates customer proposal cases related to resources, either in place of the resource introduction processing unit 107 or together with the resource introduction processing unit 107.

[0091] The case registration unit 108 outputs a case registration screen for creating a customer proposal related to the target resource specified by the user's operation on the reference information in the resource list of available resources. For example, Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a case registration screen. The case registration screen may be output by clicking the sub-icon of the "+" mark attached to the proposal case icon in Figure 6, for example, and the method of outputting the case registration screen is not particularly limited. The output button for the case registration screen may be placed outside the details field of each resource, and the case registration screen may be output without specifying the target resource. Also, when outputting the case registration screen, multiple resources may be specified as target resources from the resource list of available resources.

[0092] As shown in Figure 7, the project registration screen may include input fields for registering basic information such as project name, sales representative, target customer (multiple customer candidates may be registered), and contract type, and may also include input fields for registering detailed information such as status, probability of winning the order, estimated man-hours, estimated amount, estimated period, candidate resources to assign, and other proposal details. In the input field for the target customer, a list of potential customers may be presented as reference information, such as customers that the target resource has handled in the past, and / or customers that match the target resource's skill information. The customer list may be presented in the form of a pop-up, drop-down list, etc., and the method of presenting the customer list is not particularly limited.

[0093] Furthermore, if a standardized proposal package exists that is used in sales activities within the user organization (and such a package is registered in the storage unit 120), candidate packages to be proposed may be presented in the detailed information input field. When the case registration screen is output after specifying the target resource, the candidate resource registration field may display information that identifies the target resource, as well as information that is useful when creating a proposal, such as skill information and information on past projects. The method of presenting such reference information regarding the target resource (Figure 7 shows examples of skill / qualification information, career information, and past project information) is not particularly limited, and links to the reference information may be placed on the case registration screen. In addition to the above, the case registration screen may also display other reference information that is useful for creating customer proposals.

[0094] The case registration unit 108 registers the case corresponding to the information entered via the case registration screen described above in the case information storage unit 121 as a case to be proposed to the customer. Note that the case registration screen shown in Figure 7 is merely a schematic example, and the form of the case registration screen, input items, and reference information presented are not particularly limited.

[0095] The case introduction processing unit 109 extracts unassigned cases for which resource allocation has not been completed, based on the case-related information stored in the case information storage unit 121, and executes processing related to the recruitment of resources for those unassigned cases. Specifically, the case introduction processing unit 109 refers to the resource information for each case registered in the case information storage unit 121 and extracts cases for which at least one slot is undetermined and no assigned or candidate has been set. The case introduction processing unit 109 may identify the extracted cases as unassigned cases as they are, or it may identify cases as unassigned cases after narrowing them down according to predetermined conditions.

[0096] For example, filtering criteria for unassigned projects may include one or more of the following: project status, start date, man-hours, amount, and required skills. More specifically, filtering criteria may be set so that projects that have already been confirmed, projects with an approaching start date, projects exceeding a certain man-hours, projects exceeding a certain amount, and / or projects requiring specific skills are extracted as unassigned projects. In addition to the above conditions, or in place of the above conditions, filtering criteria may be set according to the nature of the project, such as projects that may require external resources (for example, projects requiring a large amount of man-hours, projects with high skill requirements, etc.).

[0097] The case introduction processing unit 109 may identify cases selected by the user from the initially extracted unassigned cases as cases for which resources will be solicited (recruitment target cases). The user may select recruitment target cases from the list of initial extraction results, or from the case list output unit 103 outputting cases in each category. For example, each case in the case list may have a checkbox to specify that it should be a recruitment target case. In addition to selection by the user, recruitment target cases may also be automatically extracted from unassigned cases based on predefined filtering conditions.

[0098] The project referral processing unit 109 may be capable of executing both recruitment patterns targeting internal resources and recruitment patterns targeting external resources. In recruitment targeting internal resources, unassigned projects or projects narrowed down from those are notified to internal resources via email or other means. Internal resources that receive the notification can access the application link included in the notification. The project referral processing unit 109 registers the internal resources that accessed the link as candidates to be assigned to the recruiting projects. If multiple recruiting projects are notified in a list, the resource will be registered as a candidate to be assigned to the project selected from the list. Furthermore, resources that access the link when applying may be required to enter certain information.

[0099] In recruitment targeting external resources, the projects targeted for external recruitment may be more selective than those targeted for internal resources. The project introduction processing unit 109 may identify projects to which internal resources cannot be assigned from among the unassigned projects, such as projects for which there are no internal resources that meet the project's condition information, or projects for which there are no internal resources that can be assigned due to the volume of projects, and define such projects as projects targeted for external recruitment. Projects targeted for external recruitment may be identified by predetermined filtering conditions, such as the project's order status (e.g., projects that have been confirmed), the project's man-hours (e.g., projects with man-hours exceeding a predetermined value), or the project's skill requirements (e.g., projects requiring a technical level above a certain value). Alternatively, similar to recruitment for internal resources, they may be identified by a user selection operation. User selection may be configured to select from the initial extraction results of unassigned projects, or to select from a list of projects for each category output by the project list output unit 103. For example, each project in the project list's details section may have checkboxes for internal recruitment and external recruitment, allowing users to specify which projects to recruit for and whether they are internal or external via the project list.

[0100] The project introduction processing unit 109 identifies projects for external recruitment based on predetermined filtering conditions or user selections, generates project summary information summarizing the outline of the projects, and notifies external resources of this project summary information. The content of the project summary information is not particularly limited. For example, if there are multiple projects for recruitment, the project summary information may include a list of those projects, and may also include information about the outline of each project. The outline of each project may consist of information extracted from the basic and detailed information of the project based on predetermined extraction conditions or user selections. When notifying external resources, a link to the project summary information may be presented on the notification screen.

[0101] When recruiting external resources, the process from notifying external resources (potential outsourcing partners) to registering the assigned personnel can be basically the same as for internal resources. However, in the case of external resources, the person responsible for notification may be predetermined. Furthermore, when applying, the person in charge at the external resource may select and specify the resources from the outsourcing organization's resources to be assigned to the recruitment project and then register their application. Note that the method of notifying internal or external resources of the recruitment project is not limited to email; any publicly known notification method, such as a communication application or program, can be used.

[0102] The project planning unit 110 outputs a project plan registration screen corresponding to the contract type of the project selected by the user in response to the user's operation on the details field of any of the projects shown in the project list. For example, the project planning unit 110 may output a project plan registration screen to accept the formulation of a plan for the project specified by the user's selection operation on the details field of any of the projects presented in the project list for the initial stage. Alternatively, the project planning unit 110 may output a project plan registration screen to accept a plan change for the project specified by the user's selection operation on the details field of any of the projects presented in the project list for the continuation stage. Note that in the details field of each project in the project list, a button (icon) for transitioning to the project plan registration screen may be set in the action label, or it may be possible to transition to the project plan registration screen from a field showing basic project information such as the project name.

[0103] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a project plan registration screen corresponding to the initial stage. This project plan registration screen may have different input fields depending on the contract type, such as "quasi-mandate," "dispatch," or "contract work."

[0104] For example, Figure 8(a) is an example of a project plan registration screen output for a quasi-delegation type project. In the case of a quasi-delegation type contract, the project plan registration screen may include fields for setting the number of resource slots to handle the project and fields for setting the assigned resources. In other words, resource allocation to a project may be performed not only from the assignment registration screen mentioned above, but also from the project plan registration screen. In addition, the project plan registration screen for a quasi-delegation type contract may include fields for accepting the setting of skill requirements such as skills and experience required for the project for each resource slot (i.e., assigned resource), fields for accepting the setting of individual unit prices for each resource to be applied to the target project, fields for accepting the setting of the working hours that each resource is expected to spend on the target project for each unit period, and fields for setting the sales price of each resource for each unit period. Figure 8(a) is merely an example, and the project plan registration screen for a quasi-delegation type may have input fields other than those listed above.

[0105] The project plan registration screen generated for dispatch-type projects may include the same input fields as those for the quasi-delegation type described above, and may also include other input fields specific to dispatch-type projects.

[0106] Figure 8(b) shows an example of a project plan registration screen output for a contract-type project. In the case of a contract-type project, the project plan registration screen may include an item for allocating the total budget or planned sales amount specified by the user's customer to each resource's slot (each assigned resource). The project planning unit 110 may have a function to automatically allocate the total budget or planned sales amount equally to each resource, or it may have a function to automatically allocate it according to the unit price of the assigned resource. Alternatively, it may accept a specification from the user for the allocation ratio to each resource and execute the allocation of the budget or sales amount to each resource based on the specified ratio. The user may be able to select from various methods of allocation, such as automatic equal allocation, allocation according to unit price, or allocation according to a specified ratio. In addition to the above, the project plan registration screen output for a contract-type project may also include an item for setting the number of resource slots to handle the project, an item for setting the assigned resources, etc.

[0107] The project plan registration screens shown in Figures 8(a) and (b) are merely examples, and the input items to be set on the project plan registration screen for each contract type are not particularly limited and may include items other than those shown above depending on the attributes of the contract type. Also, when accepting changes or modifications to the project plan for projects in the ongoing phase, the same project plan registration screen as in the initial phase may be output according to the contract type. For projects in the ongoing phase, if a detailed status such as "Caution" or "Problem Occurred" is registered, it may be necessary to change the plan, such as changing the assigned resource and / or adding a assigned resource. In this case, the presentation of the project plan registration screen may be requested from the project list, and changes and modifications to the plan may be accepted through that screen.

[0108] The project planning unit 110 may, after receiving user input information for the items described above, evaluate the validity of the plan based on that input information and display the evaluation results on the project plan registration screen. For example, in the case of quasi-delegation and / or dispatch type projects, as shown in the lower part of Figure 8(a), the degree of balance between the sales price and the unit price of the resources may be evaluated, and the evaluation results indicating whether or not the sales price exceeds the unit price of the resources may be displayed on the project plan registration screen. In Figure 8(a), the validity on a project-by-project basis is evaluated by comparing the average sales price set for the resources with the average unit price of the resources. Instead of such an evaluation, or in conjunction with such an evaluation, the degree of balance between the sales price and the unit price may be evaluated for each resource, and the evaluation results for each resource may be displayed on the project plan registration screen.

[0109] Furthermore, if a project involves one or more external resources (e.g., external contractors), the system may evaluate the degree of balance between the revenue (sales price) generated by those external resources and the outsourcing fees paid by the user organization to those resources, and display the evaluation result showing the profit margin of the outsourcing on the project plan registration screen. In the case of contract-type projects, the system may evaluate whether the budget or revenue set for the project matches the total amount allocated to each resource, and display the evaluation result on the project plan registration screen.

[0110] The evaluation of plan validity for each contract type described above is merely illustrative, and the validity of the plan may be evaluated using different evaluation criteria than those described above. Furthermore, the project planning unit 110 may perform a plan validity evaluation and display the evaluation results on the screen each time the user performs an input operation. When formulating and / or revising a project plan, the user can confirm the validity of the project plan based on the evaluation results output by the project planning unit 110 as described above, and make decisions regarding changes and / or finalizations to the input content.

[0111] The project planning unit 110 may receive input information regarding the project plan from the user via the project plan registration screen, and then perform a process to update detailed project information (e.g., information on assigned resources) and / or detailed resource information (e.g., assignment information, operational status information (especially operational status of future plans)) based on this input information. Alternatively, the project planning unit 110 may generate project plan information showing this information based on the information entered via the project plan registration screen and perform a process to register it in the project information storage unit 121.

[0112] <Functions of User Terminal 2> As shown in Figure 3, the user terminal 2 may include a display control unit 201 and an operation information receiving unit 202. The display control unit 201 receives information about the UI (for example, output data for display such as the first display unit, second display unit, assignment registration screen, and case registration screen) and information processing results transmitted from the management server 1, and then performs processing to reflect the received data in the display unit of the user terminal 2. The operation information receiving unit 202 receives operation information entered by the user in response to the UI displayed on the user terminal 2 and transmits said operation information to the management server 1.

[0113] <An example of an information processing method> Next, an example of information processing performed by the information processing system of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart illustrated in Figures 9-10.

[0114] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of information processing related to case lists for each category, showing the flow of information processing from case classification to updating case-related information. This information processing is performed, for example, by the case classification unit 101, case list output unit 103, and case information update unit 104, which are located in the processing unit 100 of the management server 1.

[0115] The user launches an application program provided on the internet or downloaded and installed on their terminal, enters a predetermined user ID, and logs in to the application program. The user then requests the output of a status summary screen (a screen comprising a first display unit and a second display unit) as shown in Figure 4 on the application program's UI (step SQ101). In response to this request, the case classification unit 101 classifies the cases into categories according to their status in the target period for each unit period (step SQ102), and displays the aggregated results for each unit period in the first display unit (step SQ103). The case list output unit 103 accepts the user's selection operation for a period and category via the aggregated results presented in the first display unit (step SQ104), and displays a list of cases in the category corresponding to the selection operation in the second display unit (step SQ105). The case information update unit 104 accepts the user's input operation for the action label items presented in the case list (step SQ106), and updates the case status-related information based on the input operation (step SQ107).

[0116] In the second display section, which presents a list of cases in the initial stage, the system may accept requests from the user to formulate a case plan. In the second display section, which presents a list of cases in the continuation stage, the system may accept requests from the user to revise a case plan (step SQ108). Requests to formulate or revise a case plan may be accepted through the details section of each case presented in the case list (this may be a tab that displays basic case information, or a dedicated button within the action label). The user performs an operation to select the case for which to formulate or revise a case plan from the details section of such a case list.

[0117] When a user requests the formulation or revision of a project plan ("Request received" in step SQ108), the project planning unit 110 outputs a project plan registration screen corresponding to the contract type of the target project (step SQ109). This project plan registration screen is a UI that accepts input items related to the plan for the formulation and / or revision of the project plan, and the screen presents input items according to the contract type. The project planning unit 110 receives input information regarding the project plan from the user via the project plan registration screen. Then, based on this input information, it updates the project details and / or resource details (step SQ110).

[0118] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of information processing related to resource lists for each category, showing the flow of information processing from resource classification to the registration or updating of resource-related information and / or case-related information. This information processing is performed, for example, by the resource classification unit 102, resource list output unit 105, assignment-related processing unit 106, and case registration unit 108, which are located in the processing unit 100 of the management server 1.

[0119] In response to a user request (step SQ101), the resource classification unit 102 classifies resources into categories according to their operating status during the target period (step SQ202), and displays the aggregated results for each period on the first display unit (step SQ203). The user selects a period and category based on the aggregated results displayed on the first display unit (step SQ204), and the resource list output unit 105 displays a resource list for the category corresponding to the selection on the second display unit (step SQ205).

[0120] When the resource list is displayed and a user requests a resource allocation (step SQ206; request received), the assignment-related processing unit 106 outputs an assignment registration screen for assigning the target resource to a case (step SQ207), accepts the user's selection of a case on the assignment registration screen, and executes the assignment of the target resource to the selected case (step SQ208). Also, when introducing resources with available manpower to a customer (step SQ209; request received), the resource introduction processing unit 107 accepts the user's operation to select a target resource to introduce to the customer from the resources presented in the resource list, and generates introduction information for introducing that target resource (step SQ210). The resource introduction processing unit 107 then notifies the customer of the introduction information thus generated (step SQ211). The introduction information may also be notified to the sales representative of the user organization and provided to the customer by the sales representative. Furthermore, if there is a request to create a customer proposal (step SQ212; request received), the case registration unit 108 outputs a case registration screen for creating a customer proposal related to the target resource (step SQ213), and registers a new case with the target resource as an assignment candidate based on the input information on the case registration screen (step SQ214).

[0121] The flowcharts shown in Figures 9 and 10 are merely examples of information processing, and the flow, the order of each step, and the content of the processing performed at each step may be changed as appropriate. For example, the flowchart in Figure 9 may be modified so that the status-related information is updated only when the user's input operation for the action label requests an update of the case status-related information. Also, in the flowchart in Figure 10, the processes related to resource assignment (steps SQ206-SQ208), the processes related to introducing available resources to customers (steps SQ209-SQ211), and the processes related to registering cases for customer proposals (steps SQ212-SQ214) may be executed in any order.

[0122] The information processing system of this embodiment includes a case information storage unit 121 that stores case details for each case, including information indicating the case status and / or schedule. It also includes a case classification unit 101 that classifies cases into categories according to their status in a target period, based on the case details, and a case list output unit 103 that generates a case list for each category based on the case classification results. The case list output unit 103 then displays action labels in the details column of each case shown in the case list, indicating action items corresponding to the status of the category.

[0123] As described above, classifying and managing projects into categories according to their status for each unit period makes it easier to grasp the overall status of projects for each period. Furthermore, by displaying action labels in the details column of each project shown in the project list, which indicate the action items corresponding to the status of the category, it is possible to clarify the necessary actions according to the status of each project and encourage appropriate action at the right time. In addition, by displaying appropriate action items according to the status, such as negotiations toward formal order in the initial stage category, negotiations toward continuation in the final stage category, and actions for status confirmation and organization in the continuation stage category, it is possible to efficiently proceed with the necessary tasks at each stage of the project.

[0124] In this embodiment of the information processing system, the status-related information of a case is updated in response to the user's selection operation on an action label. This configuration allows the actual work content to be reflected in the case information via the action items, enabling management that is in line with the reality of the case. Furthermore, in this embodiment of the information processing system, detailed information such as a case list or resource list can be dynamically displayed on the second display unit in response to the user's selection operation on the first display unit. In other words, the status of a case or resource can be dynamically checked by specifying the period and category, enabling management with excellent operability.

[0125] Furthermore, in this embodiment of the information processing system, reference information corresponding to the operating status is presented in resource lists for each category according to the operating status. In particular, for the category of available resources, information regarding candidate projects and proposed projects is presented as reference information, and assignment processing and / or processing related to customer proposals can be executed from this reference information. The functions of the assignment-related processing unit 106 enable the efficient allocation of available resources to projects. In addition, by introducing resources with available manpower to customers through the resource introduction processing unit 107, the effective utilization of resources can be promoted, leading to the securing of new projects.

[0126] Furthermore, the information processing system of this embodiment includes a function to extract unassigned cases for which resource allocation has not been completed and to solicit applications from internal and / or external resources. With this configuration, it is possible to reliably secure the resources necessary to carry out a case, and to establish a system for carrying out cases that cannot be handled by internal resources alone.

[0127] As described above, the information processing system of this embodiment can comprehensively and efficiently support the management of projects and resources in a business, ensuring the successful execution of projects and enabling the creation of business opportunities in accordance with the matching status of projects and resources.

[0128] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative to facilitate understanding of this disclosure and are not intended to limit it. This disclosure may be modified and improved without departing from its intent, and its equivalents are included.

[0129] For example, in the above embodiment, the categories of cases were defined as "initial stage," "continuation stage," and "completion stage," but this is just an example, and it is possible to set more detailed or different categories depending on the industry or characteristics of the case. Also, while examples of action label items such as order status, progress status, and negotiation status (whether or not to continue) were given, these are just examples, and appropriate action items can be set according to the type of work. Furthermore, although a UI configuration with a first display unit and a second display unit was given as an example, the configuration of the display units is not limited to the above, and for example, the first display unit and the second display unit can be displayed as separate windows, or they can be integrated and displayed in a single display unit.

[0130] The information processing system described herein may be implemented as a single device, or it may be implemented by multiple devices (e.g., cloud servers) that are partially or entirely connected by a network. For example, the functions of the control unit (processor 10) and storage 12 of the management server 1 may be implemented by different servers that are connected to each other by a network.

[0131] Furthermore, the series of processes performed by the information processing system described herein may be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. It is also possible to create a computer program to implement each function of the management server 1 according to this embodiment and implement it on a PC or the like. A computer-readable recording medium on which such a computer program is stored can also be provided. Examples of recording media include magnetic disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, flash memory, etc. In addition, the above-mentioned computer program may be distributed, for example, via a network, without using a recording medium.

[0132] Furthermore, the effects described herein are merely descriptive or illustrative and not limiting. In other words, the technology relating to this disclosure may produce other effects that will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description herein, in addition to or in lieu of the effects described herein.

[0133] The information processing system, information processing method, and program disclosed herein may have the following configuration. [Item 1] A case information storage unit stores case details for each case, including information indicating the case status and / or schedule, Based on the aforementioned detailed case information, the case classification unit classifies the aforementioned cases into categories according to their status during the target period, for each unit period. The system includes a case list output unit that generates a case list for each category based on the classification results of the aforementioned cases, The aforementioned case list output unit is an information processing system that displays action labels indicating action items corresponding to the status of the aforementioned category in the detail column of each case shown in the case list. [Item 2] The information processing system according to item 1, further comprising a case information update unit that updates the status-related information of the case in response to a user's selection operation for the action label. [Item 3] The classification according to the status includes the classification of the initial stage, the classification of the continuation stage, and the classification of the completion stage, as described in item 1 or 2. [Item 4] The action label corresponding to the aforementioned starting stage classification is an information processing system as described in item 3, which includes an item indicating the order status of the case as an item of the action. [Item 5] The action label corresponding to the aforementioned continuation stage classification is an information processing system as described in item 3, which includes an item indicating the progress status of the case as an item of the action. [Item 6] The action label corresponding to the aforementioned termination stage is an information processing system as described in item 3, which includes an item indicating the status of negotiations regarding whether the case can be continued, as an item of the action. [Item 7] The aforementioned case classification unit displays the aggregated results for each unit period, which classify the cases according to their status, on the first display unit. The information processing system according to item 1 or 2, wherein the case list output unit causes the user to select a period and a category via the aggregation results of the first display unit, and displays a list of cases for the category corresponding to the selection operation on the second display unit. [Item 8] A resource information storage unit stores resource details for each resource, including assignment information that shows the allocation status of the resource to the aforementioned project, A resource classification unit classifies the resources into categories according to their operating status during the target period, based on the resource details, The information processing system according to item 1 or 2, comprising: a resource list output unit that generates a resource list for each category according to the operating status based on the classification results of the aforementioned resources. [Item 9] The resource list output unit provides reference information in the details column of each resource shown in the resource list, according to the operating status of the category of the resource, as described in item 8. [Item 10] The classification according to the aforementioned operating status includes a free resource classification that classifies resources that have available manpower during the target period. The information processing system described in item 9, wherein the resource list output unit presents, as reference information corresponding to the available resource category, information related to candidate projects to which the target resource has been tentatively assigned as a candidate, and information related to proposed projects currently being proposed to the customer, in the details column of each resource in the resource list. [Item 11] The information processing system according to item 10, further comprising: an assignment-related processing unit that outputs an assignment registration screen for assigning resources to a project in response to a user's selection operation for an icon corresponding to a candidate project or an icon corresponding to a proposed project presented in the resource list of the available resource category. [Item 12] The information processing system according to item 8, further comprising a resource referral processing unit that generates referral information for introducing the selected target resource to the user's customer in response to the user's selection operation for a resource displayed in the resource list. [Item 13] The information processing system according to item 8, further comprising: a case registration unit that outputs a case registration screen for creating a customer proposal related to a resource corresponding to a user's selection operation for a resource displayed in the resource list. [Item 14] The resource classification unit displays the aggregated results for each unit period, which classify the resources according to their operating status, on the first display unit. The information processing system described in item 8, wherein the resource list output unit causes the user to select a period and a category, which are input via the aggregation results of the first display unit, to display a resource list for the category corresponding to the selection operation on the second display unit. [Item 15] The information processing system described in item 1 further comprises a case referral processing unit that extracts unregistered assignment cases for which resource allocation has not been completed and executes processes related to the recruitment of resources for said unregistered assignment cases. [Item 16] The aforementioned case introduction processing unit identifies cases to which the user's internal resources cannot be allocated from the aforementioned unassigned cases, generates case summary information for the identified cases, and notifies external resources of the said case summary information, as described in item 15. [Item 17] The information processing system described in item 1, further comprising: a project planning unit that outputs a project plan registration screen corresponding to the contract type of the project selected by a user operation on the details field of any of the projects shown in the project list. [Item 18] Store detailed case information for each case, including information indicating the case status and / or schedule, Based on the aforementioned detailed case information, the cases are classified into categories according to their status during the target period, for each unit period. Based on the classification results of the aforementioned cases, a list of cases for each category will be output. An information processing method performed by a computer, which involves displaying action labels indicating items of action corresponding to the status of the aforementioned category in the details column of each case shown in the aforementioned case list. [Item 19] Store detailed case information for each case, including information indicating the case status and / or schedule, Based on the aforementioned detailed case information, the cases are classified into categories according to their status during the target period, for each unit period. Based on the classification results of the aforementioned cases, a list of cases for each category will be output. A program to cause a computer to perform the following actions: displaying action labels in the detail column of each case shown in the aforementioned case list, indicating the action items corresponding to the status of the aforementioned category. [Explanation of symbols]

[0134] 1. Management Server 2 User terminals

Claims

1. A case information storage unit stores detailed case information for each case, including information indicating the case status and / or schedule, Based on the aforementioned detailed case information, the case classification unit classifies the cases into categories according to their status during the target period, for each unit period. The system includes a case list output unit that generates a case list for each category based on the classification results of the aforementioned cases, The aforementioned case list output unit is an information processing system that displays action labels indicating action items corresponding to the status of the aforementioned category in the detail column of each case shown in the case list.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a case information update unit that updates the status-related information of the case in response to a user's selection operation for the action label.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the classification according to the status includes a classification for the starting stage, a classification for the continuing stage, and a classification for the ending stage.

4. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the action label corresponding to the classification of the initial stage includes an item indicating the order status of the case as an item of the action.

5. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the action label corresponding to the classification of the continuation stage includes an item indicating the progress status of the case as an item of the action.

6. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the action label corresponding to the classification of the termination stage includes an item indicating the status of negotiations regarding whether the case can be continued, as an item of the action.

7. The aforementioned case classification unit displays the aggregated results for each unit period, which classifies the cases according to their status, on the first display unit. The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the case list output unit causes the user to select a period and a category via the aggregation results of the first display unit, and displays a case list for the category corresponding to the selection operation on the second display unit.

8. A resource information storage unit stores resource details for each resource, including assignment information that shows the allocation status of the resource to the aforementioned project, A resource classification unit classifies the resources into categories according to their operating status during the target period, based on the resource details, The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: a resource list output unit that generates a resource list for each category according to the operating status based on the classification results of the resources.

9. The information processing system according to claim 8, wherein the resource list output unit presents reference information in the details column of each resource shown in the resource list, according to the operating status of the category relating to the resource.

10. The classification according to the aforementioned operating status includes a free resource classification that classifies resources that have available manpower during the target period. The information processing system according to claim 9, wherein the resource list output unit presents, as reference information corresponding to the available resource category, information related to candidate projects to which the target resource has been provisionally assigned as a candidate, and information related to proposed projects currently being proposed to the customer, in the details column of each resource in the resource list.

11. The information processing system according to claim 10, further comprising: an assignment-related processing unit that outputs an assignment registration screen for assigning resources to a project in response to a user's selection operation for an icon corresponding to a candidate project or an icon corresponding to a proposed project presented in the resource list of the available resource category.

12. The information processing system according to claim 8, further comprising a resource introduction processing unit that generates introduction information for introducing the selected target resource to the user's customers in response to a user's selection operation for a resource displayed in the resource list.

13. The information processing system according to claim 8, further comprising: a case registration unit that outputs a case registration screen for creating a customer proposal related to a resource corresponding to a user's selection operation for a resource displayed in the resource list.

14. The resource classification unit displays the aggregated results for each unit period, which classify the resources according to their operating status, on the first display unit. The information processing system according to claim 8, wherein the resource list output unit causes the user to select a period and a category, which are input via the aggregation results of the first display unit, to display a resource list for the category corresponding to the selection operation on the second display unit.

15. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: a case introduction processing unit that extracts unregistered assignment cases for which resource allocation has not been completed, and executes processing related to the solicitation of resources for said unregistered assignment cases.

16. The information processing system according to claim 15, wherein the case introduction processing unit identifies cases to which the user's internal resources cannot be allocated from the unassigned cases, generates case summary information for the identified cases, and notifies external resources of the case summary information.

17. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: a case planning unit that outputs a case plan registration screen corresponding to the contract type of the case selected by a user operation on the details field of any of the cases shown in the case list.

18. Store detailed case information for each case, including information indicating the case status and / or schedule, Based on the aforementioned detailed case information, the cases are classified into categories according to their status during the target period, for each unit period. Based on the classification results of the aforementioned cases, a list of cases for each category will be output. An information processing method performed by a computer, which involves displaying action labels indicating items of action corresponding to the status of the aforementioned category in the details column of each case shown in the aforementioned case list.

19. Store detailed case information for each case, including information indicating the case status and / or schedule, Based on the aforementioned detailed case information, the cases are classified into categories according to their status during the target period, for each unit period. Based on the classification results of the aforementioned cases, a list of cases for each category will be output. A program to cause a computer to perform the following actions: displaying action labels in the detail column of each case shown in the aforementioned case list, indicating the action items corresponding to the status of the aforementioned category.

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