Communication Management System for Mobile Workforce Efficiency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Managing large numbers of disparate communications types, such as emails and voicemails, is time-consuming and inefficient for mobile and geographically dispersed workforces, requiring a system that provides real-time, proactive management and coordination.

Innovation Solution

The active mobile collaboration (AMC) system uses client-server architectures with a facilitator and client application to dynamically manage communications, intelligently screen messages, and provide accessible enterprise and personal contact information, allowing users to prioritize interactions based on identity, urgency, and availability, while automatically provisioning and configuring applications on devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual management of communications is used, then users can handle communications, but it consumes large amounts of time and is inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication management efficiencyVSAvoidtime spent managing communications

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service through automatic message routing, filtering, and prioritization based on pre-configured user preferences. The communication management system automatically screens and organizes messages without requiring manual user intervention, allowing users to define rules once and have the system execute them continuously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Users configure their communication preferences and routing rules in advance before receiving messages. The system performs preliminary filtering and categorization based on these pre-set criteria, so when messages arrive, they are already organized and prioritized according to user specifications, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual sorting.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of manufacture

If automatic provisioning is implemented, then application deployment is streamlined, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication provisioning easeVSAvoidprovisioning system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces a provisioning server as an intermediary component that manages the complexity of application deployment. This mediator handles device detection, application selection, and configuration automatically, shielding end users from the underlying system complexity while enabling streamlined provisioning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The provisioning system is designed as a universal platform that can automatically provision and configure multiple types of applications across different device types. Rather than requiring separate provisioning processes for each application or device, a single multi-functional system handles diverse provisioning scenarios, reducing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS8767931B2Provisioning in communications systems

Publication Date: 2014.07.01 CISCO TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

Provisioning is described for use in communications systems. The provisioning includes receiving a message at an inbox of a device. The message includes information of an electronic location of a source device from which to download the appropriate application and device and user-specific information used for configuration of the application. An application is automatically transferred to the device in response to selection of the received message by a user of the device. The application is automatically installed on the device. The application is auto-started, at which time it self-configures using the original message.