Abstract:
A management tool is disclosed that provides for the comprehensive management of the objectives, policies, tasks, documents, information and activities (collectively “activities”) to an organization. Activities across different levels of an organization and/or involving different groups within an organization can be managed using a single system. Metrics can be captured and analyzed at different levels in the organization. The tool enhances the ability of an organization to strategically align personnel and departments to facilitate the applicable objects and values of the organization. Transparency can be enhanced across different functional groups, and from top to bottom in the organization.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This utility patent application claims priority to a U.S. Provisional Patent Application titled “INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD” (Ser. No. 60/944,095) that was filed on Jun. 14, 2007, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates generally to systems and methods for managing information. More specifically, the invention is a system and method for managing the activities of an organization (collectively the “system”). 
         [0003]    Advances in information technology have greatly assisted efforts to manage organizations. Corporations, government agencies, non-profit groups, community organizations, religious groups, professional associations, hobby groups, and other organizations (collectively “organizations”) can benefit from a variety of different management tools. Unfortunately, such prior art tools are often one-dimensional and fragmented. Such tools often do not sufficiently empower groups and individuals within the organization to strategically align the various resources spread throughout the organization with the objectives of the organization as a whole. Moreover, such tools typically fail to integrate information relating to high-level objectives with more detailed information relating to the activities, documents, resources, and organizational groups necessary to achieve those objectives. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The invention relates generally to systems and methods for managing information. More specifically, the invention is a system and method for managing the activities of an organization (collectively the “system”). 
         [0005]    The system can be implemented in a wide variety of different embodiments. An organization subsystem can be used to define and track different resources within the organization, ranging from the organization as a whole and entire divisions and departments down to small teams and even individual employees and contractors. An activities subsystem can be used to define, monitor, and otherwise manage the activities performed at different levels within the organization. Managers within the organization can access roll-up or roll-down views of information that is important to group managed by the particular manager, while still being linked to goals and activities of the organization as a whole. Both the activities subsystem and the organization subsystem can define, process, and monitor information at different levels. Overarching organization goals can be tied to activities performed by departments which in turn can be tied to activities by teams and individual employees. 
         [0006]    The system can be more fully understood upon reading the accompanying drawings that are discussed briefly below. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0007]    The following drawings illustrate different user interfaces the embody different examples and embodiments of the system. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is an environmental diagram illustrating an example of certain hardware components that can be used to implement the system and some data elements that can be incorporated into the processing of the system. 
           [0009]      FIGS. 2   a - 2   b  are hierarchy diagrams illustrating examples of organization hierarchies that can be incorporated into the processing of the system. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 3   a - 3   b  are hierarchy diagrams illustrating examples of activity hierarchies that can be incorporated into the processing of the system. 
           [0011]      FIGS. 4   a - 4   b  are hierarchy diagrams illustrating examples of process hierarchies that can be incorporated into the processing of the system. 
           [0012]      FIGS. 5   a - 5   c  are block diagrams illustrating an examples of subsystem-level views of the system. 
           [0013]      FIGS. 6   a - 6   c  are flow chart diagrams illustrating examples of process flows that can incorporated into the processing of the system. 
       
    
    
       [0014]    Additional figures disclose examples of interface views that can be incorporated into the processing of the system. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     I. Overview 
       [0015]    The invention relates generally to systems and methods for managing information. More specifically, the invention is a system and method for managing the activities of an organization (collectively the “system”). 
         [0016]    The system provides organizations with a comprehensive integrated tool to align the resources of the organization with the objectives of the organization. Organization-wide objectives can be directly linked with specific activities to be performed by different sub-organizations or groups within the organization. The system can provide a new way for leaders and their teams to collaborate, coordinate, develop, communicate, implement and monitor the evolving strategic, operational and tactical plans and processes needed to manage an organization and its divisions, departments, sub-departments, work-groups and employees. The system can allow organizations to integrate strategic planning, project management, team-communication, operational standardization, policy management, knowledgebase management, comprehensive internal assessments, and the review of individual employees into a fully-integrated enterprise-wide application that can be easily accessed by those in the organization. Convergence of these elements can result in new levels of transparency, accountability, data accessibility, historical reference, continuity planning, change-management, process improvement, culture-alignment, team-building, leadership-development, and strategic insight. The system can be used to leverage, manage and improve the core capabilities and human resource utilization of an organization for maximum efficiency, effectiveness and results. 
         [0017]    The system can be implemented as a fully comprehensive and integrated system that simultaneously manages the people, processes, and strategies needed to create or strengthen the operational and leadership infrastructure of an organization. The system can be used to integrate leadership and management tools at all levels in an organization and utilize web methodologies to provide a fully integrated online system that simultaneously manages people, processes and strategies as they relate to an organizations evolving “business model.” The system as a whole can serve as an online interface between an organization and the people responsible for its development, operations, activities, management and oversight. A scaleable operational and leadership infrastructure can be used to support rapid growth while maintaining consistent quality and customer satisfaction. In many embodiments of the system, the system should not be characterized as “modular” because such embodiments do not merely throw together functions such as strategic planning, project management, team-communication, operational standardization, policy management, knowledgebase management, 360-degree assessment, and employee review as separate entities. To the contrary, such processing can be designed as part of an integrated system that presumes the comprehensive and integrated nature of the system. Such a framework can greatly enhance the ability of people within an organization to better strategically align the resources of different parts of an organization and to better pursue the objectives of the organization as a whole. 
         [0018]    The system can be used to provide a comprehensive online representation of an organization&#39;s business model where people, processes and strategies can be shared, review, communicated, coordinated and even franchised to outside entities. Functionality relating to project management, strategic planning, operational standardization, knowledge management, employee management, team-communication, etc. can be fully integrated to provide a common leadership framework and management language designed to standardize every aspect of an organization including an effective leadership routine. 
         [0019]    Use of the system can facilitate a wide variety of different organization goals, operations, and functions. By way of example, the system can be used as a team management tool. The system can facilitate the strategic alignment of all departments and employees with broad organizational objectives and values. The system can be used to achieve new levels of transparency and accountability as it relates to the design, implementation and reporting of an organization&#39;s qualitative as well as quantitative results. 
         [0020]    The system can provide a unique way to represent an organization&#39;s business model and prepare it for a merger, acquisition, sale, or franchise activities. For example a pizza shop in New Jersey can easily teach an entrepreneur in Chicago everything they need to launch a similar business. 
         [0021]    Continuity planning and talent management can be substantially enhanced through use of the system. The system can change the way that employees are reviewed and managed. Employees can take a more proactive role over their own careers, and take a part in the process of setting expectations and measurable performance goals in a career path that can serve both the organization and the individual employee. 
         [0022]    Change management activities for an organization can be enhanced by the system. Business transformation and optimization can be achieved by empowering individuals and groups within the organization to better coordinate their activities with respect to organization-wide goals. The system can also be used to eliminate redundancy. By integrating a wide variety of different data elements, the need for stand-alone applications with those functions can be eliminated. The system provides a replacement for such applications that is a very structured leadership, management, and communication methodology that utilizes well understood management methods and techniques in a new, useful, and non-obvious way. 
         [0023]    The system can be implemented in wide variety of different technical architectures. In some embodiments, the system is programmed in .net and should be permission based. One or more administrators with global authority can be empowered to assign permissions to an unlimited number of users, departments, etc. within an organization. 
         [0024]    The evolving strategic, operational and tactical methods and plans involved in managing the organization and its employees can be connected together and integrated through use of the system. The system can assist executive management achieve the difficult tasks of achieving the strategic alignment of organization resources and activities, obtaining buy-in from employees throughout the organization, and establishing ownership throughout the organization in the strategic vision and the efforts it takes to fulfill organization goals. The system can be a tool that brings to life the organizations strategic functions, and allows—at all levels—full talent engagement and ownership in the organization&#39;s planned direction and growth. The system can revolutionize the operating environment of an organization because the leaders of the organization and their teams can communicate, collaborate, coordinate, develop, implement and monitor transparently using the system which can be implemented in a single intuitively user-friendly, fully integrated, and customizable web-based application. 
         [0025]    The system can integrate best-management-practices related to strategic planning, project management, operational standardization, policy management, knowledge base management, 360-degree review, and talent management and review. The result is a new level of accountability, data accessibility, historical reference, and continuity of planning and strategic insight. The impact to the organization is optimized core capabilities and human resources to maximum efficiency and effectiveness. 
       II. Alternative Embodiments 
       [0026]    In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the principles and modes of operation of this invention have been explained and illustrated in preferred embodiments. However, it must be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than is specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope. 
       III. Introduction of Elements and Definitions 
       [0027]    The invention relates generally to systems and methods for managing information. More specifically, the invention is a system and method for managing the activities of an organization (collectively the “system”). 
         [0028]      FIG. 1  is an environmental diagram illustrating an example of certain hardware components that can be used to implement a system  100  and some data elements that can be incorporated into the processing of the system  100 . The system  100  can be implemented in a wide variety of different hardware configurations and in a wide variety of different organizational contexts. Different embodiments of the system  100  can involve substantially different configurations of data elements. 
         [0029]    A. Organizations 
         [0030]    The system  100  allows organizations to better manage the activities of the organization. Some organizations can be composed of as few as a single individual at a single location while others may have thousands or even millions of personnel dispersed throughout the globe. Examples of organizations that can benefit from use of the system  100  include businesses, government agencies, non-profit groups, religious institutions, community organizations, non-governmental organizations, education institutions, professional associations, and other types of organizations (collectively “organizations”). In some embodiments of the system  100 , an organization will operate the system  100 . In other embodiments of the system  100 , an outside entity, such as an application service provider (“ASP”) will operate the system  100  for the benefit of one or more organizations. Most of the data elements in  FIG. 1  are specific to a particular organization. For example, each organization can use the system  100  to define a particular rule  144  or a status  140  that impacts the processing of the system  100  with respect to that particular organization. However, it is possible for the system  100  to be configured in such a manner as to include inter-organization as well as intra-organization processing. For example, the system  100  can be configured to generate a benchmark metric  150  that is generated from multiple organizations. Similarly, an administrator  112  of the system  100  can define a system-wide rule  144  that would be applied to all organizations using that particular embodiment of the system  100 . 
         [0031]    B. Users and Administrators 
         [0032]    1. Users 
         [0033]    A user  102  of the system  100  is typically a human being who is associated in some way with an organization that is utilizing the system  100 . Common examples of users  102  can include employees, contractors, executives, directors, owners, partners, consultants, and members (collectively “personnel”). In some embodiments of the system  100 , users  102  can include personnel affiliated with the vendors or customers of the organization. Some embodiments of the system  100  may include non-human users  102 , such as industrial robots, online avatars, neural networks, artificial intelligence components, expert systems, barcode readers and other devices for tracking objects (collectively “non-human users”). Virtually any source of data can be integrated into the processing of the system  100  in order to enhance the benefits of using the system  100  for one or more organizations. 
         [0034]    2. Administrators 
         [0035]    An administrator  112  is a user of the system  100  who is authorized to configure the system  100 . In many embodiments of the system  100 , the administrator  112  is not associated with an organization utilizing the system  100  but is instead associated with the entity (such as an ASP) making the system  100  available to the organization. Administrators  112  are typically personnel, although non-human users can also serve as administrators  112 . 
         [0036]    C. Access Devices 
         [0037]    An access device  104  is any device capable of allowing communication with the system  100 . Users  102  can interact with the system  100  through a wide variety of different access devices. Different interactions and functions may influence the suitability of a particular access device  104 . For example, in some circumstances cell phone may be an acceptable access device  104  while in other circumstances use of a keyboard such as that used in desktop computing would be desirable. Different organizations and different users  102  can use different access devices  104  to interact with the system  100 . In many embodiments, the various access devices  104  are client devices on a computer network, such as the Internet. Access devices  104  can include desktop computers, laptop computers, mainframe computers, cell phones, satellite pages, personal digital assistants (“PDAs”), remote e-mail devices, or other devices (collectively “computer access devices”). In some circumstances, access devices can also be non-computer devices, such as fax machines, standard telephones with computerized answering options, and other communication mechanisms (collectively “non-computer access devices”  104 ). For many embodiments of the system  100 , certain interactions may require access to a web page, and thus the access device  104  will need to be able to provide access to the World Wide Web or similar network. In many embodiments of the system  100 , only limited access to the system  100  can be obtained through the use of non-computer access devices. 
         [0038]    An administrator access device  114  is any access device  104  used by an administrator  112 . 
         [0039]    D. Interfaces 
         [0040]    Access devices  104  are the hardware devices that allow interaction with the system  100 . Interfaces  106  are the foundational software mechanisms (e.g. operating instructions) that allow the hardware devices to support interactions with the system  100 . Web pages and graphic user interface (“GUI”) screens are common examples of interfaces  106  in computer access devices  104 . In many embodiments of the system  100 , the interfaces  106  can include a wide variety of different and even overlapping interfaces. Different parts of an organization hierarchy  128  can each be associated with their own views because each part of an organization hierarchy  128  is focused on different information or levels of information that are relevant to the organization. 
         [0041]    Even a single embodiment of the system  100  can use a variety of different interfaces  106 . Some embodiments of the system  100  allow users  102  to customize their respective interfaces  106  so that different interfaces  106  display different views of the organization and its activities. 
         [0042]    An administrator interface  116  is an interface used by an administrator to interact with the system  100 . To some extent in certain limited circumstances, can be necessary for administrators to directly interact with the source code or database tables that underlie the system  100  in order for the administrator  112  to interact with the system  100  as an administrator  112 . 
         [0043]    E. Application 
         [0044]    One or more software applications  120  can be used to provide the functionality of the system  100 . In some embodiments, the applications  120  are in the form of computer programs and other software files (collectively the “application”  120 ) that can be run on general purpose computers. In alternative embodiments, the applications  120  could be implemented in the form of embedded computers, programmable logic devices, or other forms of hardware. Although multiple organizations can run and rely upon identical applications  120  with data and processing rules  144  configured by the organizations in an organization-specific manner, typically only a single entity such as an ASP is responsible for creating, maintaining, and updating the application  120 . Other entities typically impact application functionality only through use of the application  120 , not through access to source code or other information technology components of the system  100 . 
         [0045]    The application  120  can be written in a wide variety of programming languages. In many embodiments, an object-oriented programming and/or web-based-language is used to create the application. If the system  100  utilizes the Internet or other type of computer network, it can be helpful to use a programming language conducive to the creation of web pages. 
         [0046]    F. Computer 
         [0047]    A computer  122  is any device or collection of devices and surrounding peripherals that can house and run the application  120  needed to functionality of the system  100 . In many embodiments, the computer  122  is a server accessible from various client locations so long as the appropriate security validation is successfully performed. In many embodiments, the computer  122  comprises one or more secure web server. 
         [0048]    Examples of computers  122  include servers, desktop computers, laptop computers, mini-computers, micro-computers, mainframe computers, programmable logic devices, embedded computers, work stations, LANs, WANs, and any other device or network capable of running the application  120  and interacting with one or more databases  124 . 
         [0049]    G. Database 
         [0050]    A wide variety of different databases  124  can be used to store information used by the system  100 . The database  124  can be virtually any mechanism or technique for storing and retrieving data. In a preferred embodiment, a relational database is used as the database  124  for the system, but object-oriented databases, hierarchical database, arrays, and flat file storage strategies can also be used. In some embodiments of the system  100 , the system  100  avoids creating duplicate copies of information, and instead links to the original sources for the information. 
         [0051]    The data designs incorporated into the database  124  can vary widely from embodiment to embodiment. The more sophisticated the rules  144  and processes  119  used by the system  100 , the more “normalized” the database will generally need to be. 
         [0052]    The system  100  typically performs its functions by creating, accessing, updating, and deleting a wide variety of different information that is stored on the database  124 . Such information can be referred to collectively as data elements. 
         [0053]    H. Management Tool 
         [0054]    The system  100  and its affiliated functionality and structure can be referred to as a management fool  120  that resides in an information technology operating environment.