Patent ID: 6556974
Filing Date: 2003-04-29
Classification: G06Q,G09B

Abstract:
A method reliant upon anonymous responses to survey questions for quantifying predetermined criteria relating to the performance of an organization, comprising the steps of:providing a library of performance assessment surveys where each performance assessment survey includes a plurality of survey questions; providing a plurality of pools of respondents; providing an automated survey administrator; enabling said automated survey administrator to customize a survey by preselecting a performance assessment survey from said library of performance assessment surveys; further enabling said automated survey administrator to customize a survey by preselecting a pool of respondents from said plurality of pools of respondents; further enabling said automated survey administrator to conduct multiple surveys simultaneously where each survey is directed to a different pool of respondents; authenticating each member of a pool of respondents before enabling each member to answer said survey questions; acquiring information about each respondent that identifies what knowledge about the organization is held by said respondent; presenting survey questions to each respondent that call for information held by said respondent, and selecting said survey questions from a plurality of said performance assessment surveys if the knowledge of said respondent indicates an ability to answer said survey questions; providing a data-gathering interface connected to a global computer network by means of a remote web server, thereby enabling said pool of respondents to individually record answers to said survey questions in private and with anonymity; providing a database containing answers submitted by said pool of respondents; providing a predetermined formula for evaluating said answers; producing a quantified result, using said predetermined formula, based on said predetermined performance criteria; storing said quantified result in said database; retrieving from said database quantified results previously stored therein from earlier performance assessment surveys for comparison purposes; said step of retrieving fierier including the step of enabling said automated survey administrator to preselect quantified results from said earlier performance assessment surveys; wherein said automated survey administrator preselects which performance assessment surveys will be utilized, based upon the respective knowledge held by respondents in said pools of respondents; wherein said automated survey administrator preselects what pool of respondents will be enabled to participate in the survey; wherein said automated survey administrator conducts plural surveys simultaneously, directing a different survey at each pool of respondents and wherein said automated survey administrator directs a plurality of surveys to any preselected pool of respondents; wherein said automated survey administrator preselects what comparisons of quantified rests will be made; wherein the respondents are enabled to answer said questions in private and in anonymity; and wherein the quantified results of said performance assessment are available immediately after the performance assessment in commenced.