Automated Tour Planning System for Sales Appointment Scheduling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Salespersons face challenges in efficiently planning and managing appointments due to manual processes, which result in inefficient use of time and ineffective sales efforts, often lacking proper criteria and communication among salespeople.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that utilize customer and appointment information, along with planning drivers, to plan and monitor tours of activities, generate status reports, and summarize activities, utilizing a processor and memory to automate the scheduling and reporting processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual appointment scheduling is used, then salespersons can plan their own appointments, but the process is time-consuming and inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveappointment schedulingVSAvoidtime for planning appointments

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables salespersons to automatically generate their own appointment schedules using the automated scheduling system, which analyzes customer availability and planning criteria to create optimized tours without manual intervention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The manual mechanical process of telephone calls and manual calendar management is replaced with an automated computer-based system that uses algorithms to optimize appointment scheduling based on multiple criteria simultaneously

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Adaptability or versatility

If manual appointment scheduling is used, then salespersons have flexibility in planning, but the use of salesperson time is inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility in appointment planningVSAvoidefficiency of salesperson time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides dynamic scheduling that can adapt to changing conditions while automatically optimizing for productivity, allowing salespersons to adjust plans based on real-time availability while maintaining efficient routing and time utilization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system allows modification of planning criteria and parameters to balance flexibility and productivity, enabling salespersons to adjust weightings of different factors such as customer priority, geographic location, and time of day while maintaining automated optimization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If salespersons focus on convenience criteria, then appointment scheduling is easier, but sales efforts are not optimized

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveappointment schedulingVSAvoideffectiveness of sales efforts

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system transforms the scheduling approach by changing the parameters used for optimization from convenience-based to effectiveness-based criteria, allowing easy scheduling while simultaneously improving sales productivity through multiple customizable planning drivers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides multi-functional planning capabilities that simultaneously optimize for multiple objectives including sales effectiveness, geographic efficiency, and personal preferences, replacing single-criteria convenience-based scheduling with a comprehensive multi-objective optimization system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Device complexity

If information about customers and prior sales trips is not utilized, then planning is simpler, but sales trip efficiency is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplanning process complexityVSAvoidsales trip efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of customer information and historical sales data before generating appointment schedules, automatically incorporating lessons from prior trips and customer preferences into future planning without increasing apparent complexity for the user

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback loops that continuously incorporate information from completed sales trips and customer interactions into future scheduling decisions, automatically learning and adapting to improve sales trip efficiency based on accumulated experience

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS7783511B2System and method for planning a tour of activities

Publication Date: 2010.08.24 SAP SE

AI summary

A method and system for managing scheduled events facilitates the planning of a tour of activities. Customer information and appointment information is received. A tour of activities is planned based on the customer information, the appointment information, and planning drivers. A status is generated for the tour of activities, a particular activity, or a particular customer, and a summary is generated.