Patent ID: 8577713

Claim:
A computer implemented method of managing human resources comprising: maintaining and periodically updating, on a memory device of a computer system of a company, a record of human resource supplies, said human resource supplies comprising a plurality of individual human resources available from internal and external supply sources with respect to said company and said record of said human resource supplies comprising a list of different skills of each of said individual human resources and an indication of availability of each of said individual human resources; providing a business strategy that drives profitability and revenue targets; based on said business strategy and said record of human resource supplies, periodically developing, by said computer system, a set of rules providing guidelines for obtaining said human resource supplies and for assigning said individual human resources to satisfy demands on a demands list; based on said set of rules and on said record of human resource supplies, periodically developing, by said computer system, a first-level plan specifying which of said supply sources should be used, over a specified first time period, to satisfy said demands on said demands list, said first-level plan being periodically developed at shorter intervals than said set of rules; and based on said first-level plan, on said demands list, on said record of human resources supplies and on said set of rules, periodically developing, by said computer system, a second-level plan, said second-level plan recommending assignment of specific individual human resources to satisfy any specific demands that are on said demands list and that have required action times falling within a next specified second time period, said next specified second time period being within said specified first time period and said second-level plan being periodically developed at shorter intervals than said first-level plan such that said second-level plan comprises a short-term plan as compared to said first-level plan; and, when a required action time for a specific demand approaches within said next specified second time period, performing the following: determining current availability of a specific individual human resource recommended for assignment to said specific demand in said second-level plan; reviewing pricing information to determine whether a cost of assigning said specific individual human resource to satisfy said specific demand is within previously established cost guidelines; and assigning said specific individual human resource to satisfy said specific demand based on said current availability, on said pricing information, and on said set of rules.