Decision Support Tool for Optimal Human Resource Deployment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Businesses face challenges in optimally matching labor resources with dynamically varying demand, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs due to limited visibility and ineffective resource allocation tools, resulting in unassigned practitioners and open seats.

Innovation Solution

A decision support tool that assimilates and transforms open seat and practitioner data into attributes, assesses viability based on predetermined criteria, and determines globally optimal matches using integer programming to maximize business metrics, providing recommendations through a user interface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual or simple tools are used for matching practitioners with open seats, then ease of operation is maintained, but productivity and matching optimality deteriorate due to inability to handle dynamic demand efficiently

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource allocation efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a decision support tool as an intermediary system between practitioners and open seats. This tool assimilates open seat data and practitioner data, transforms them into structured attributes, assesses viability based on matching criteria, and determines optimal matches using integer programming algorithms. The intermediary handles the complexity of optimizing resource allocation while presenting simplified recommendations to users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual matching processes with automated computational systems. Integer programming algorithms and computer-based assessment mechanisms substitute human judgment and manual coordination, enabling efficient processing of dynamic demand variations and large volumes of practitioner and seat data to determine globally optimal matches.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If advanced optimization tools are implemented, then productivity and matching quality improve, but ease of operation deteriorates due to increased system complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematching speed and optimalityVSAvoiduser interface complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The decision support tool serves as an intermediary that shields users from computational complexity. It handles integer programming algorithms, data transformation, and viability assessment internally, then presents simplified match recommendations through an accessible user interface. This allows advanced optimization capabilities while maintaining ease of operation for end users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If comprehensive data assimilation is performed, then measurement precision and matching accuracy improve, but loss of time increases due to data processing requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematching accuracyVSAvoiddata processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary data transformation by converting raw open seat data and practitioner data into structured attributes before assessment. This preprocessing step organizes data in advance, enabling faster viability assessment and matching determination. By preparing data structures beforehand, the system reduces processing time during critical matching operations while maintaining comprehensive data analysis for accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8818832B2Decision support system and method for distributed decision making for optimal human resource deployment
Publication Date: 2014.08.26 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION
  • US8818832B2 patent drawing
  • US8818832B2 patent drawing
  • US8818832B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A decision support tool which takes a high-level view of supply and demand in the realm of labor resources and produces globally-optimal recommendations for assignment of practitioners to open seats. These assignments preferably optimize a utility function composed of different business metrics and can be customizable for different organizations and priorities.