System and method for managing personnel and resources in gaming establishment

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for managing personnel and resources in a gaming establishment. An information processor with access to a database provides a user interface that includes an employee module, a shift-scheduling module, a pit defining module, a table defining module, and a game defining module. Further, a scheduling module operates to assign a game to a respective area, and to assign a table in a respective area, and further to assign a shift to the game and is still further operable to assign an employee to the shift. The respective assignments occur as a function of the electronic game information, the electronic pit information, the electronic shift information and the electronic employee information, respectively.

1 . A system for managing personnel and resources in a gaming establishment, the system comprising:
 an information processor programmed and configured to communicate over a communication network;   at least one database accessible by the information processor and configured to store electronic information;   a user interface provided by the information processor and operable on a plurality of computing devices, wherein the user interface is programmed and configured to:
 display, on a computing device, a representation of all active and inactive games, and all active and inactive pits, within the gaming establishment; 
 identify, for each respective game represented via the user interface, a respective game class and a game, pit; 
 provide, on the computing device, a prompt for entering new game class information representing a new class of game in the gaming establishment; 
 receive, from the computing device in response to the prompt for entering new game class information, the new game class information representing the new class of game; 
 provide, on the computing device, a prompt for activating a pit in a gaming establishment; 
 receive, from the computing device in response to the prompt for activating the pit, an activate pit command for activating the pit in the gaming establishment; 
 provide, on the computing device, a prompt for deactivating a pit in the gaming establishment; and 
 receive, from the computing device in response to the prompt for deactivating the pit, a deactivate pit command for deactivating the pit in the gaming establishment. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface is further programmed and configured to receive an employee request for a call out or an early out, and further wherein the information processor is further programmed to assign an employee to a shift or reassign a different employee to a shift as a function of the request. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the user interface is further programmed and configured to include an option enabling a user to grant the request or to deny the request, and wherein the information processor further assigns an employee to the shift as a function of the granting or the denying. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information processor is further programmed and configured to open and close an area. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information processor is further programmed and configured to open or close a game. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface further is programmed and configured to display a data entry display screen that is exclusively provided for a roadmap administrator. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface is further programmed and configured to assign a predefined schedule for at least one of a table, an area, a shift or an employee. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the information processor is further operable to modify the skeleton schedule for customization. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information processor is further programmed and configured to provide data summary reports representing one or more of electronic employee information, electronic shift information, electronic pit information, electronic game information and assignment information. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the summary reports include information representing number of employee call outs, number of employee early outs and number of employee shifts assigned to a respective game or area. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface is further programmed and configured to:
 provide, on the computing device, a prompt for entering employee information for at least one employee of the gaming establishment; and   receive, from the computing device in response to the prompt for automatically entering employee information, employee information representing an employee's availability to work and respective proficiencies in a plurality of games.   
     
     
         12 . A method for managing personnel and resources in a gaming establishment, the method comprising:
 configuring an information processor to communicate over a communication network;   maintaining at least one database storing electronic information that is accessible by the information processor;   displaying, via a user interface, a representation of all active and inactive games, and all active and inactive pits, within the gaming establishment;   identifying, via the user interface for each respective game represented via a user interface, the respective game class;   providing via the user interface, a prompt for entering new game class information representing a new class of game;   receiving, via the user interface in response to the prompt for entering new game class information, the new game class information representing the new class of game;   providing, via the user interface on a prompt for modifying game class information representing a modified class of game;   receiving, via the user interface in response to the prompt for modifying game class information, the modified game class information representing the modified class of game;   providing, via the user interface, a prompt for selecting a respective game class;   receiving, via the user interface in response to the prompt for selecting a respective game class, a selection of a respective game class;   providing, via the user interface, a prompt for activating a pit in a gaming establishment;   receiving, via the user interface in response to the prompt for activating the pit, an activate pit command for activating the pit in the gaming establishment;   providing, via the user interface, a prompt for deactivating a pit in the gaining establishment; and   receiving, via the user interface in response to the prompt for deactivating the pit, a deactivate pit command for deactivating the pit in the gaining establishment.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising receiving a request for a call out or an early out, and assigning an employee to a shift or reassigning a different employee to a shift as a function of the request. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising granting the request or denying the request, and wherein the assigning an employee to the shift occurs as a function of the granting or the denying. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising opening or closing, by the information processor, an area. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising displaying via the user interface a data entry display screen that is exclusively provided for a roadmap administrator. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising assigning, by the information processor, a skeleton schedule for at least one of a table, an area, a shift or an employee. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising modifying, by the information processor, the skeleton schedule for customization. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising generating, by the information processor, data summary reports representing one or more of electronic employee information, electronic shift information, electronic pit information, electronic game information and assignment information. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the summary reports include information representing number of employee call outs, number of employee early outs and number of employee shifts assigned to a respective game or area.