Invitation Triggered Automated Search for Resource Allocation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Large organizations face inefficiencies and costs in finding and allocating resources for projects due to manual processes and lack of awareness about available personnel across departments, leading to time-consuming management efforts.

Innovation Solution

An automated system that performs an invitation-triggered search using a query engine to identify resources by extracting attributes from project invitation messages and searching multiple sources, providing relevant information to project managers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If manual processes are used to find and allocate resources for projects, then management can identify available personnel across departments, but the process becomes time-consuming and costly in terms of setup time and management hours

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveawareness of available personnelVSAvoidsetup time and management hours
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service by automatically searching multiple sources and identifying resources without requiring manual management intervention. The automated query engine scans repositories, calendars, and contact information to find available personnel, allowing the system to serve itself rather than requiring manual management effort for each resource search

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical manual process of searching for resources with an automated electronic system. The query engine automatically queries multiple data sources, processes responses, and compiles results without human intervention, substituting manual mechanical searching with automated electronic information retrieval

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

2Adaptability or versatility

If project staffing occurs on a per-department or per-division basis, then recruitment is simplified within each department, but management cannot access resources available across the entire organization

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess to organization-wide resourcesVSAvoidsearch process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system achieves universality by designing a single query engine that can search multiple different data sources including organizational charts, email repositories, calendar systems, and contact databases. This multi-functional capability allows the same system to access resources across all departments and divisions while maintaining a unified search interface

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The query engine acts as an intermediary between management and multiple scattered data sources. It mediates the search process by automatically querying various repositories, synthesizing results from different departments, and presenting unified resource availability information, thereby simplifying access to organization-wide resources

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Quantity of substance

If organization-wide repositories are manually populated and searched, then centralization of information is achieved, but the repositories do not contain the desired information and searching remains inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevolume of resources storedVSAvoidsearch efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces manual searching of repositories with automated electronic queries. The query engine automatically scans repository contents, filters results based on search criteria, and identifies relevant resources without human intervention, dramatically improving search efficiency while maintaining access to the full volume of stored information

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

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous useful action by automatically and continuously searching multiple sources in parallel. Rather than manual intermittent searching, the automated system continuously queries repositories, calendars, and contact information, ensuring that the most current and relevant resources are always identified without interruption or delay

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS8676792B1Method and system for an invitation triggered automated search
Publication Date: 2014.03.18 INTUIT INC
  • US8676792B1 patent drawing
  • US8676792B1 patent drawing
  • US8676792B1 patent drawing

AI summary

A method for performing an invitation triggered search by a query engine, involving receiving an invitation message associated with a project, wherein the query engine is a recipient of the invitation message, extracting at least one attribute from the invitation message, searching a plurality of sources to identify a plurality of resources associated with the at least one attribute, and sending a reply message including a display of the plurality of resources associated with the at least one attribute to a sender of the invitation message.