Patent ID: 7210119

Claim:
A computer-implemented apparatus for scheduling tasks to be performed using a plurality of resources, comprising: a first processing system arranged to generate schedule data comprising a plurality of schedules, each of the schedules comprising data indicative of tasks that individual ones of the resources are to carry out, prepared from task data concerning the tasks to be carried out and resource data concerning characteristics of resources available to carry out the tasks over a given period, said characteristics including location of the resource, wherein the first processing system is arranged to provide unscheduled task data concerning a task not included in the schedules, and to transmit the schedule data and the unscheduled task data to a second, different, processing system; said second processing system being arranged to review the schedule data so as to identify at least one candidate resource to perform the unscheduled task corresponding to the unscheduled task data, wherein the second processing system is responsive to selection of said unscheduled task so as to identify two or more said candidate resources to perform the unscheduled task and to assign a ranking to each said candidate resources on the basis of the location the task and the location of the candidate resource, the second processing system being arranged to display data indicative of the identified two or more candidate resources.