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Claims  |
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What is claimed is:
1. A process for predictive resource planning by a service provider to meet
a customer's predicted technical resource requirements, the process
implemented using a computer having a data storage device for storing data
in a data base repository, and the process comprising:
determining a technology baseline of a service provider and storing data
representing the technology baseline in the data base repository;
determining a technology direction for the customer and storing data
representing the customer technology direction in the data base
repository;
predicting technical resource requirements for servicing the customer based
upon the technology direction of the customer and storing the technical
resource requirements in the data base repository;
documenting a plurality of candidates' technical skill levels and storing
the plurality of candidates' technical skill levels in the data base
repository;
selecting candidates for providing the predicted technical resource
requirements;
creating an individual development plan to develop skills of selected
candidates as needed to provide the predicted technical resource
requirements; and
implementing each individual development plan in order to develop the
skills of the selected candidates such that the service provider can
develop a collection of trained candidates to meet the predicted technical
resource requirements of the customer.
2. The process of claim 1 further comprising:
comparing the technology baseline data with the technology direction data
to identify technical profiles appropriate to the technology direction of
the customer;
assessing the skill level of the candidates prior to selecting the
candidates; and
identifying a time period within which each individual development plan
should be completed in order to provide each candidate with the
appropriate skills to allow the service provider to provide the predicted
technical resource requirements to the customer.
3. The process of claim 2, wherein more than one of the steps of
determining a technology baseline, determining a technology direction,
predicting technical resource requirements, documenting a candidate's
technical skill levels, selecting candidates, creating an individual
development plan, implementing each individual development plan, comparing
the technology baseline, assessing the skill level, and identifying a time
period are performed by a computer.
4. The process of claim 1, further comprising:
evaluating the process to determine ways to improve the process.
5. The process of claim 1, further comprising:
periodically updating the service provider's technology baseline; and
periodically updating the customer's technology direction.
6. The process of claim 1, wherein determining the technology baseline
comprises:
identifying technical skills of personnel within the service provider and
identifying technical skills required for technologies prevalent in the
service provider's industry to establish the service provider's technology
baseline; and
linking the technical skills identified to a plurality of generic technical
profiles, the generic technical profiles each containing a set of skills
defining that technical profile.
7. The process of claim 1, wherein determining a technology direction for
the customer comprises:
identifying technologies currently in use by the customer and storing data
representing current customer technologies in the repository; and
identifying technologies the customer anticipates using in the future and
storing data representing future customer technologies in the repository.
8. The process of claim 1, wherein predicting technical resource
requirements comprises:
determining technical skills required to support the customer's technology
direction;
linking the technical skills required to support the customer's technical
direction to a plurality of technical profiles contained within the
repository to create a plurality of customer technical profiles; and
predicting a number of technical resources needed to support the customer
technical profiles.
9. The process of claim 1, wherein selecting candidates comprises:
inputting into a computer a set of search criteria defining a search of the
candidates, the search criteria selected to match a candidate to a
customer technical resource requirement;
performing a computer search based on the search criteria, the computer
search generating candidates meeting the search criteria; and
targeting a candidate to a customer technical profile based on the search
results.
10. The process of claim 1, wherein creating an individual development plan
comprises:
identifying skills a candidate must develop in order to satisfy skills in a
targeted technical profile and storing the identified skills needing
development in the repository in an individual development plan for the
candidate;
providing development activities to develop the identified skills and
storing data defining that development activity in the repository; and
identifying a time frame within which a candidate must complete each
development activity in order to meet the customer's technical resource
requirements.
11. The process of claim 1, wherein implementing each individual
development plan comprises:
reviewing all individual development plans to determine what identified
skills must be developed in each and to determine what development
activities should occur;
scheduling development activities according to the review;
registering candidates for the scheduled development activities; and
executing the scheduled development activities to develop the skills
necessary for a candidate to meet a target technical profile.
12. A system for predictive resource planning by a service provider to meet
a customer's predicted technical resource requirements, the system
comprising:
a computer having a data storage device for containing a repository of
data, the data base repository containing;
a technology baseline for the service provider;
a plurality of generic technical profiles, each technical profile defining
a set of skills;
a technology direction for the customer, the technology direction including
the technologies current in use by the customer, technologies the customer
plans to use in the future, and a time frame in which to implement the
technology direction;
skill levels of candidates available for targeting to a customer technical
profile;
development activities to develop a candidate to meet a customer technical
profile; and
a software program executed by the computer for manipulating data contained
within the repository, the software program operable to:
compare the service provider's technology baseline with the customer's
technology direction to identify the technical profiles required to meet
the customer's technology direction, thereby creating a plurality of
customer technical profiles;
search candidates' skill levels according to criteria selected by a user to
identify candidates to target to a customer technical profile;
create an individual development plan, including a development activity,
for each candidate that requires development to meet the customer
technical profile to which the candidate is targeted; and
create a schedule for executing the development activities in order to
provide candidates targeted to a customer technical profile within the
customer's time frame.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the software program is further
operable to:
deploy the data base repository to remote data storage sites; and
merge repository information from multiple remote sites.
14. The system of claim 12, wherein the software program is operable to
identify candidates by:
accessing a set of search criteria defining a search of the candidates, the
search criteria selected to match a candidate to a customer technical
resource requirement;
performing a search based on the search criteria, the computer search
generating candidates meeting the search criteria; and
targeting a candidate to a customer technical profile based on the search
results.
15. The system of claim 12, wherein the software program is operable to
create an individual development plan by:
identifying skills a candidate must develop in order to satisfy skills in a
targeted technical profile and storing the identified skills needing
development in an individual development plan for the candidate;
providing development activities to develop the identified skills and
storing data defining that development activity; and
identifying a time frame within which a candidate must complete each
development activity in order to meet the customer's technical resource
requirements.
16. A system for predictive resource planning directed by a computer
program, the system comprising:
a data storage device operable to store a computer program and data input
by a user to create a data base repository;
an input/output device coupled to the processor providing an interface
allowing the input of information into the data base repository;
a processor coupled to the data storage device operable to execute the
computer program for;
predicting technical resource requirements for servicing the customer based
upon a technology direction of the customer and storing the technical
resource requirements in the data base repository;
selecting candidates for providing the technical resource requirements
based on the candidates' skill levels related to the customer's technical
resource requirements; and
creating an individual development plan to develop skills of selected
candidates as required to provide the technical resource requirements;
the individual development plan thereby providing a means for developing
the skills of the selected candidates such that the service provider can
develop a collection of trained candidates with the skills to meet the
predicted technical resource requirements of the customer.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is operable to execute
the computer program for:
deploying the data base repository to remote data storage sites; and
merging repository information from multiple remote sites.
18. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is operable to execute
the computer program for selecting candidates by:
accessing a set of search criteria defining a search of the candidates, the
search criteria selected to match a candidate to a customer technical
resource requirement;
performing a search based on the search criteria, the computer search
generating candidates meeting the search criteria; and
targeting a candidate to a customer technical profile based on the search
results.
19. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is operable to execute
the computer program for creating an individual development plan by:
identifying skills a candidate must develop in order to satisfy skills in a
targeted technical profile and storing the identified skills needing
development in an individual development plan for the candidate;
providing development activities to develop the identified skills and
storing data defining that development activity; and
identifying a time frame within which a candidate must complete each
development activity in order to meet the customer's technical resource
requirements. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to the field of resource
management and, more particularly, to a process and system for predictive
resource planning to meet a customer's or series of customers' predicted
technical resource requirements.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Business strategies often require planning well in advance of
implementation. Many companies use service providers to provide skilled
personnel for use in implementing those companies' respective business
plans, because many service providers have a vast array of technically
trained personnel from which to staff business strategies. One key to
successful implementation of a business plan involves successfully
predicting the resources, such as appropriately trained personnel, needed
to carry out the business plan and implementing a strategy to ensure those
resources will be in place when needed.
It is important to accurately predict the technical resources needed to
carry out a future business plan for either an internal or external
customer. Typically, such resource planning involves analyzing the
business needs of a customer, determining the skills required for the
business plan of the customer, and training personnel, as necessary, in
the skills needed to implement the business plan. However, conventional
methods of resource planning have many limitations.
Conventional methods of resource planning typically require performing
manual searches for skilled resources and analysis and can prove time
consuming and costly. Conventional methods are especially problematic if
the market analysis is extensive, the service provider has a vast number
of candidates to search, or the customer needs highly specialized or large
numbers of skilled personnel. A service provider having a large number of
skilled candidates from which to fill a customer's needs can find
conventional manual methods burdensome. This time consuming effort can
result in a service provider not being able to provide the correct number
of personnel, with the correct skill levels, within the time available for
meeting the customer's needs. In other words, due to process limitations,
service providers often are unable to provide right people with the right
skills at the right time.
Conventional methods of resource planning involve manually searching a
personnel base to match appropriately qualified candidates to the
technical resource requirements of the customer. Such technical resource
requirements can include, for example, a pool of personnel that have the
technical skills needed to service a customer's needs. After candidates
are matched to the customer's needs, deficiencies in other skills may
remain. Conventional methods for selecting candidates to meet a customer's
technical resource requirements can not easily or efficiently identify
these deficiencies. Because conventional methods for providing personnel
to met customers' needs and accommodate future business plans do not
effectively compare candidates' skill levels to the customer's needs, the
service provider may have personnel assigned to a customer who are lacking
essential skills to perform the service required by the customer.
Conventional methods for resource planning are reactive and do not
effectively provide training plans to enhance potential candidates' skills
within the time available to meet the customer's technical resource
requirements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a process and system for predictive resource
planning that substantially eliminate or reduce disadvantages and problems
associated with previously developed methods of resource planning.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a process is provided
for predictive resource planning to allow a service provider to meet a
customer's predicted technical resource requirements. The process is
implemented using a computer having a data storage device for storing data
in a data base repository. The process involves determining a service
provider's technology baseline, determining a customer's technology
direction, and storing the data representing the technology baseline and
the technology direction in the data base repository. Based on the
technology direction of the customer, the customer's technical resource
requirements are predicted and stored in the data base repository. The
service provider then assesses the skill levels of its candidates and
selects candidates for providing the predicted technical resource
requirements. The service provider creates individual development plans to
develop skills of selected candidates as needed to provide the predicted
technical resource requirements. The service provider then implements
these individual development plans to develop the skills of the selected
candidates in order to meet the predicted technical resource requirements
of the customer.
A technical advantage of the present invention is that it allows a service
provider to anticipate and develop within its work force the technical
skills and capabilities required to meet its customers' business needs by
providing the customer with personnel having the correct skills at the
right time.
The present invention provides another technical advantage by allowing a
service provider to better position itself to meet current and future
customer technical service needs.
The present invention provides a further technical advantage by
establishing a repeatable process for anticipating and developing critical
skills within the service provider's technical work force.
Another technical advantage of the present invention is that it allows
resource planning: providing already properly trained personnel more
rapidly and cost effectively and providing a re-skilling plan to train
candidates to the skill level required by the customer within the
customers' required time frame.
The present invention provides an additional technical advantage by
allowing automatic searches of numerous candidates' skill levels to match
candidates to the customer's technical skill needs. By presenting a
candidate list, intended to meet a customer's skill requirements, in a
sequence ranging from most to least qualified, the present invention
allows a service provider to immediately assess its ability to meet a
customer's requirements in a given time frame. The present invention also
reduces the time involved in identifying the best suited candidates by
allowing a quick ranking relative to a customer's needs without having to
return to a review of resume's and risk misinterpreting certain skills.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages
thereof may be acquired by referring to the following description taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference
numerals indicate like features and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a process for predictive
resource planning according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of determining a service
provider technology baseline of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of determining a customer
technology direction of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of predicting technical resource
requirements of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of documenting candidate skill
levels of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of selecting conditions of FIG.
1;
FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of creating individual
development plans of FIG. 1;
FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of implementing development
plans of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of evaluating the predictive
resource planning process of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a process and system for predictive resource
planning and implementing a structured training process to enable a
service provider to anticipate and develop the service provider's
personnel to meet the predicted business requirements of a customer based
on the customer's technology direction. This predictive resource planning
process can help a service provider establish new business and more
effectively service both current and new business by ensuring timely
availability of adequately trained personnel. The predictive resource
planning process allows the service provider to anticipate, based on the
customers' current and future business and technology needs, the technical
skills the service provider's personnel will need to meet the customer's
requirements over the planning period, such as the next eighteen months to
five years. Information in the repository can also be used to analyze
trends in technology needs and to skill to those needs as an alternative
to skilling for a specific customer. Because not all customers reflect
signed business, this reduces the cost and risk to a service provider by
allowing an analysis of trends in requirements
The predictive resource planning method and system of the present invention
includes a software tool executable on a computer having a data storage
device for automatically implementing steps in the predictive resource
planning process. The system stores information necessary to support the
predictive resource planning processes into a repository of data such as a
relational database, searches and compares that data, selects candidates
based on criteria, provides information necessary to equate re-skilling
needs with training courses available, and creates individual development
plans as well as a variety of reports.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the software tool supports many
predictive resource planning functions. The software tool stores
information necessary to support the predictive resource planning process
and stores this stored information in a relational database. Once
information is stored in the database, the software tool can search, based
on customer skill requirements or profiles, to find candidates to fulfill
specific needs of the customer. The predictive resource planning software
tool also allows the service provider to match candidates for re-skilling
against customer needs. The software tool can also access the database to
compile a variety of reports including a report on the future employee
development needs of the service provider. The software tool also allows a
service provider to deploy the database to remote sites and allows
information to be merged from multiple remote sites. One embodiment of the
software tool has a WINDOWS based interface using a MICROSOFT ACCESS 2.0
DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. Reports in this embodiment are developed using
a CRYSTAL REPORTS 4.0 report creation product.
FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a predictive resource
planning process. Each of the steps shown in FIG. 1 are shown and
described in more detail with respect to FIGS. 2-9 according to the
teachings of the present invention.
Predictive resource planning is accomplished by a service provider and
includes determining a service provider's technology baseline in step 11.
The technology baseline represents the service provider's technical skills
and capabilities based, in part, upon the skills of its personnel and the
skills it deems necessary to meet market demands in the future. The
technology baseline can be updated periodically.
In step 12, the service provider determines a customer's technology
direction representing where the customer will be with respect to
technology in the future. A customer's technical direction will also
represent what type of technical skills the service provider will need to
provide in order to meet the customer's technology and business needs.
This evaluation can be done by industry, by market segment, and by
specific customer. This technology direction is stored in a repository of
data, along with the technology baseline, and allows the service provider
to understand and summarize both market segment and customer information.
For example, in a manufacturing sector, a service provider can have "x"
number of customers with "y" kinds of computer platforms, which can be
defined by tool name at the product level. The technology direction also
allows the service provider to know whether a customer is staying with
various technology platforms or migrating to a different tool in a
specified time frame. The repository of data allows a service provider to
synthesize this information to understand how many customers in a market
segment, for example, are using certain tools and in what time frame the
tools are to be implemented.
In step 13, based on the information stored in the previous steps, the
service provider can predict and store a customer's technical resource
requirements. Step 13 involves, in part, identifying the number, type, and
skill level of technical personnel required to meet the customers'
business needs, and the time frame within which the technical personnel
need to be available to meet the customer's needs.
The service provider then documents and stores the skill level of
candidates from the service provider's candidate pool in step 14. The
service provider's candidate pool frequently consists of employees who
typically have varying technical knowledge and skill levels. The technical
knowledge and skills involve specific products, platforms, methods
technologies, and software programs and can be defined down to the tool
level. For example, if a customer needs to develop graphical interfaces,
the service provider can determine what kinds of tools are needed for that
development and what personnel exist (or need to be trained) to provide
that graphical interface development. In step 15, the service provider
selects candidates within the candidate pool to be used to meet the
customer's technical resource requirements. This step typically involves
matching candidates with skills most compatible with the customer's needs.
It should be understood that steps 11 through 15 can be done concurrently.
The service provider then develops individual development plans in step 16
to develop technical skills of candidates, as needed, in order to meet the
technical resource requirements of the customer. Some candidates may not
need any additional skill development, whereas others may need some skill
development. The individual development plans list specific development
activities and projected time frames for completion of those activities.
In step 17, implementation of the individual development plans allows the
service provider to train the candidates and develop the appropriate skill
levels within the appropriate time frame. Successful completion of steps
11 through 17 will give the service provider a pool of properly trained
technical personnel to support the customer's technical resource
requirements as predicted in step 13. In step 18, the service provider
conducts an evaluation process to determine ways to improve the predictive
resource planning process.
Determine Service Provider Technology Baseline
FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of determining a service
provider technology baseline of step 11 of FIG. 1. A service provider can
be an entire business organization or can be an independent strategic or
business unit within a larger organization. Thus, the service provider can
service internal or external customers.
Step 21 of FIG. 2 involves setting up a repository of data, such as a
relational data base, to hold the various information collected and
manipulated during the predictive resource planning process. For example,
a repository administrator can load the repository according to the needs
of the service provider (for example, a stand alone versus a LAN set-up).
The repository administrator can also establish security sign-on records
for the predictive resource planning project team members. Initially,
technical profiles can be loaded into the repository. Technical profiles
represent a list or set of skills a person should possess to qualify for a
particular task. For example, one generic technical profile might be a
UNIX programmer. The technical profile for a UNIX programmer would list
skills required to qualify as a UNIX programmer.
In step 22, to establish the service provider technology baseline, the
technical skills and categories of personnel within a strategic unit are
identified to establish the service provider's technology baseline. A
skill represents the ability to use a product, tool, software program, or
other component within a technology. The service provider can establish
this technology baseline through business plans, technology reports, and
employee discussions. Identification of the technology baseline can begin
with a project manager using a category/skills report generated from the
repository to identify those technical category/skills (or technologies)
currently in use within the service provider, currently supported because
of the service provider's customer requirements, or anticipated because of
known future technical directions of the service provider. This
information provides the foundation for the service provider technology
baseline. Any technical categories/skills not currently on the
category/skills report can be added during step 22. The service provider
technology baseline establishes a template for gathering customer business
and technology requirements later in the predictive resource planning
process. Determining the service provider technology baseline can also
include evaluating technologies pervasive in the service provider's
industry served by the service provider. Determining the service provider
technology baseline can include, in step 23, validating the technology
baseline to ensure proper documentation of the current and future
technical direction of the service provider. This validation can be
performed, for example, by a guidance team.
In step 24, category/skills are linked to generic technical profiles. For
example, either a software tool or the project manager and lead
technologist can review the technical profiles loaded into the repository
to determine which technical profiles match the technologies within the
service provider. Each technology within the service provider and the
skills associated with that technology are linked to a skill set within a
technical profile. Thus, links defining the categories/skills available
within the service provider are established. These category/skill links to
technical profiles are used later in the predictive planning process to
determine customers' technical resource requirements based on selected
skill requirements and to identify which categories/skills to inquire
about on employee experience surveys.
In step 25, additional skills, categories, and technical profiles are
requested in order to update information developed in steps 23 and 24.
Step 25 involves generating a list of categories, skills, and technical
profiles that do not currently exist and should be added to the repository
to fully describe the service provider's technology baseline. Eventually,
all categories/skills within a service provider can be linked to a generic
technical profile. A service provider's personnel can accomplish step 25,
for example, by completing worksheets and transmitting the worksheets
electronically or via fax to a repository administrator or other person
responsible for updating repository information. The predictive resource
planning software tool can generate this predictive resource planning
worksheet and allow transmittal electronically.
In step 26, the repository is updated and new data is distributed, for
example, a repository administrator can document the service provider
requests for repository updates and review the requests to determine
whether the requested items already exist in the repository (for example,
under a different technical profile name). For example, the
categories/skills of a service provider not previously linked to a
technical profile might exist under a technical profile not previously
identified. Any service provider categories/skills not linked to a
technical profile are added to the predictive resource planning
repository.
In step 27, new data is imported into the repository. Any new data loaded
will be imported into the service provider's repository using, for
example, a transfer utility provided by the software tool.
In step 28, new category/skills are linked to technical profiles. For
example, a repository administrator can link newly imported categories and
skills to appropriate technical profiles.
When all technical skills and categories are linked with technical
profiles, new category/skills are added to the service provider technology
baseline in step 29. This completes the determination of the service
provider technology baseline. The technology baseline is stored in the
predictive resource planning repository. In step 29, a predictive resource
planning software tool can allow the service provider to print a report
describing the categories/skills and technical profiles within the service
provider technology baseline. It should be understood that the service
provider's technology baseline can be periodically updated by repeating
steps 21 through 29.
Determine Customer Technology Direction
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of determining customer
technology direction of step 12 of FIG. 1. In step 31, customer
information is collected and entered into the repository. For example,
managers can collect customer information on each customer supported by a
service provider from a customer contact and enter this information into
the repository. A manager can be the customer contact or any other
manager. The service provider's customer contact should be a person
responsible for knowing that customer's business requirements. The
information collected can include the name of the customer representative
with whom the service provider can discuss the customer's needs.
The service provider may be organized such that a group or organization
within the service provider serves one or several industry verticals. In
step 32, market segments are identified for each industry vertical
supported by the service provider. An industry vertical can represent a
broad definition of the service provider's customer base, such as the
financial, manufacturing, or government industries. A service provider can
further define its customers by market segment, which describes the
customers' specific type of business within the industry vertical. For
example, a service provider serving the financial industry vertical could
further define its customers by market segments of brokerage companies,
large financial institutions, small financial institutions, and credit
unions. Market segments may be areas where the service provider has few or
no existing customers but known markets exist into which the service
provider desires to grow.
The identified market segmentation can be validated in step 33 to ensure
that the current and future service provider direction is properly
documented. For example, this validation can be accomplished by a guidance
team. The identified market segments are then loaded into the repository
at step 34.
In step 35, the service provider assigns customers to market segments. Step
35 can include assigning a customer segment name to each individual
customer market segment that describes the relationship between the
customer and each identified market segment. For example, for a financial
institution customer, the steps to define it could be as follows:
1. Assign the customer to the financial industry vertical.
2. Identify the customer's first market segment, e.g., small financial
institutions.
3. Assign first customer segment name to be the name of the customer.
4. Identify the customer's second market segment, e.g., brokerage
companies.
5. Assign second customer segment name to be the name of the customer's
brokerage services.
In step 36, the service provider prepares for a customer requirements
interview. For example, managers can use the service provider technology
baseline to create an interview template for gathering customer business
and technology requirements. These templates would provide a guide when
gathering information to determine a customer's technology direction.
These templates can be created automatically using a predictive resource
planning software tool.
In step 37, customer business and technology requirements are gathered.
This is an important part of the predictive resource planning process
because the customer business and technology requirements drive the
remaining decisions in the predictive resource planning process. Step 37
involves documenting the customer's current and planned uses of
technology, including maintaining, increasing, or decreasing use of a
skill or technology in the future. The service provider should gather
information from a customer contact--a person best able to articulate the
customer's interests and intents in relation to technologies. In some
cases, this person would be the customer manager(s) within the service
provider for that industry vertical. In other cases, it may be more
appropriate to gather technology requirements directly from the customer.
When contacting customers directly, the size of the industry vertical may
dictate how to proceed. If an industry vertical is small enough, every
customer can be contacted. If an industry vertical is large, a
representative sampling method can approximate the entire customer
technology direction.
A typical interview can begin with the customer contact explaining the
customer's market, the business drivers influencing the customer's
business, and the customer's current and future business direction. A
customer's business direction may also encompass certain companies and/or
technical products the customer wants to use (for example, if the customer
prefers WINDOWS-based programs). For example, the customer may have
business requirements or plans that require the customer to maintain
NOVELL NETWARE but migrate to WINDOWS NT. The service provider then
translates the customer's business and technology plans into technology
requirements. For each technology in which the customer expresses an
interest, the service provider documents whether those technologies are
contained within the service provider technology baseline. If the customer
technology direction includes technologies with categories and/or skills
not included within the service provider technology baseline, the service
provider repeats steps 25 through 29 of the process of FIG. 2 to update
the technology baseline. Upon completion of step 37, the service provider
should have an understanding of the customer technology direction for an
industry vertical as well as the individual customer's technology
requirements.
In step 38, the service provider stores in the repository the skills and
categories requirements for each customer based upon the customer's
express intent for each technology. A predictive resource planning
software tool can allow the service provider to print a customer
technology intent report from this information. This report summarizes the
technical categories and skills (technology resources) needed by each
customer. In step 39, the service provider can review the customer
technology intent report to validate the information included on the
report. At this point, the service provider can fill in any gaps in
technologies required by any particular customer in an industry vertical.
The service provider can also identify customer technology intents and
directions not discussed during customer interviews and schedule follow-up
interviews to gather more information as to whether the customer will
require support in those technology areas in the future. Upon conclusion
of step 39, the service provider has the validated customer technology
direction and the categories/skills required for that technology
direction.
It should be understood that the service provider technology baseline can
be periodically updated by repeating steps 31 through 39.
Determine Technical Resource Requirements
FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of predicting technical resource requirements of
step 13 of FIG. 1. In step 41, an unlinked skills report is printed. For
example, a repository administrator can print an unlinked category/skills
report that identifies, for each customer, the categories and skills in
which the customer indicated an interest that were not already linked to a
technical profile in step 24 of FIG. 2. This identifies any unlinked
skills/categories entered into the repository of data. In step 42, the
unlinked category/skills are reviewed to determine whether to link those
skills to a general technical profile. For example, one of the unlinked
category/skills might be one in which the customer expressed a decreasing
usage. The service provider may decide not to link this type of
category/skill. On the other hand, one of the unlinked category/skills may
be important to the customer, and the service provider would decide to
link this category/skill. The unlinked skills that the service provider
decides to link can be linked to the appropriate technical profile as
determined, for example, by the lead technologist. The links are then
recorded in the repository of data.
After the category/skills have been linked to technical profiles, a
customer profile requirements table is built in step 43. This step can be
accomplished, for example, by a repository administrator. This step could
also be accomplished by a computer program. Building the customer profile
requirements table updates the repository to create links between the
customers' technology direction and the technical profiles needed to
satisfy that technical direction. Once the table is built, the predictive
resource planning software tool can allow the creation and printing of a
customer profile requirements report in step 44. For each customer, this
report identifies the categories and skills in which the customer
indicated an interest and the potential technical profiles that may be
required to provide those categories and skills.
In step 45, the customer profile requirements report is reviewed. For
example, a lead technologist or project manager can review the customer
profile requirements report for each customer and can determine the
technical profiles needed to support the cus | | |
