Non-Iterative Workforce Task Assignment Revision for Forecast Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional workforce management systems generate one-size-fits-all schedules that do not adapt to organizational realities, requiring substantial manual work to align task assignments with forecast workload volumes, and fail to consider employee capabilities and jurisdictional conditions, leading to impractical and inefficient scheduling.

Innovation Solution

A non-iterative revising tool that exports and revises workforce management records to align task assignments with forecast workload volumes while considering employee capabilities and organizational practices, allowing a single-pass revision that adheres to employment conditions and practicality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If conventional WFM tools perform one-size-fits-all scheduling, then scalability and computational power are achieved, but adaptability to organizational requirements deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovescalabilityVSAvoidadaptability to organizational requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the scheduling process into automated computational scheduling and manual human discretion phases. The system maintains scalability through automated algorithms while enabling adaptability by allowing manual revision of schedules to match specific organizational requirements, effectively dividing the workload between automated processing and human customization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces dynamic revision capabilities that allow schedules to evolve from automated generation to manual customization. The system enables flexible modification of task assignments, employee schedules, and workload allocations, transforming a static one-size-fits-all schedule into a dynamic, organization-specific plan that can be adjusted in response to changing conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If schedules are generated by automated WFM tools, then computational efficiency is improved, but ease of modification deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomputational efficiencyVSAvoidease of modification

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the computational scheduling function from the manual modification process. By separating automated schedule generation from manual revision capabilities, the system maintains computational efficiency for initial scheduling while providing intuitive interfaces for manual adjustment, allowing users to modify schedules without re-running complex algorithms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary automated scheduling to establish a baseline schedule, then enables manual modifications to refine the schedule according to organizational needs. This preliminary action approach allows computational efficiency to be achieved once, with subsequent manual adjustments being simpler and more straightforward.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If manual revision of schedules is performed, then adaptability to organizational needs is improved, but loss of time deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to organizational needsVSAvoidtime for manual revision

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables partial revision of schedules, allowing users to modify only specific portions that need adjustment rather than re-scheduling entire workforces. This selective revision approach maintains adaptability to organizational needs while significantly reducing the time required compared to complete schedule regeneration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS20250328834A1Exporting workforce management service records and non-iteratively revising task assignments

Publication Date: 2025.10.23 STATE FARM MUTAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY

AI summary

A non-iterative revising tool is provided, which interfaces with a WFM service running on one or more WFM hosts. The non-iterative revising tool can configure a client computing device to export timetable records and staffing forecast records from a WFM service; non-iteratively revise, for a referent employee, task assignments of timetable records to fulfill forecast workload volumes of a primary task type according to conditions not implemented by conventional WFM services; and import revised timetable records into the WFM service after work task assignments have been at least partially aligned with forecast workload volumes based on an alignment objective. The non-iterative revising tool and the WFM services configuring client computing devices and WFM hosts in conjunction allows numerous data records to be exported from WFM hosts running the WFM services, revised over a single pass by client computing devices running the non-iterative revising tool, and imported back to the WFM hosts running the WFM services, in just minutes.