System and method for determining suggested activities for a worker based on business objectives

Abstract

A system and method for managing workflow including the ability to manage system-level workflow strategy, manage individual workflow activity, and provide suggestions to optimize individual workflow activity, is provided. The system may provide suggestions to workers based on their schedules and activities that the workers have to perform. Users of the system may configure the criteria used in determining which suggestions to provide to workers. The system may refine the suggestions provided to workers based on feedback received regarding the suggestions previously provided.

1 . A system for recommending activities for a worker relating to sales of products of a company, the system comprising:
 one or more physical processors configured to execute computer readable instructions comprising:   a suggestion management component configured to:
 determine a first activity and a second activity for the worker, wherein the first activity is related to promoting a first product of the set of products to a first customer of the set of customers and wherein the second activity is related to promoting a second product of the set of products to a second customer of the set of customers; 
 calculate a first set of scores for the first activity based on a predetermined set of factors, wherein the first set of scores represents a first value of performing the first activity; 
 calculate a second set of scores for the second activity based on the predetermined set of factors, wherein the second set of scores represents a second value of performing the second activity; 
 select the first activity to output to the worker based on a comparison of the first set of scores and the second set of scores. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the suggestion management component is configured to:
 determine a rationale for the first activity based on the calculation of the first set of scores for the first activity, wherein the rationale comprises a narrative including information related to the first value of the first activity to the first customer associated with the first activity; and   wherein the system comprises an activity management component configured to:   output, to the worker, the rationale for the first activity with the first activity.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the suggestion management module is configured to:
 calculate the score associated with the first suggested activity based on one or more of: the a first weight applied to a first factor of the set of factors, an application of a bonus based on information related to the first activity, or an application of a penalty based on information related to the first activity.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the suggestion management component is configured to:
 facilitate selection of one or more factors for use in calculating the first score;   update the set of predetermined factors based on the selection of the one or more factors; and   display expected performance metrics related to execution of the first activity and the second based on the updated set of predetermined factors.   
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the suggestion management component is configured to:
 facilitate selection of a first pre-set combination of weighted factors configured to achieve a first goal related to execution of the first activity and the second activity.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the suggestion management component is configured to:
 update a first weight applied to a first factor of the predetermined set of factors based on feedback related to previously selected activities.   
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the suggestion management component is configured to:
 facilitate selection of a group for which the first activity is selected, wherein selection of the group is based on one or more of a: a strategy related to a company goal, a workflow related to an implementation of the company goal, a team of workers of the company, a first worker of the company, a product sold by the company, or a customer of the company; and   automatically provide expected performance metrics based on the selected group.   
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A method for recommending activities for a worker relating to sales of products of a company, the method being implemented in a computer system comprising one or more physical processors configured to execute computer readable instructions, the method comprising:
 determining, by the one or more physical processors, a first activity and a second activity for the worker, wherein the first activity is related to promoting a first product of the set of products to a first customer of the set of customers and wherein the second activity is related to promoting a second product of the set of products to a second customer of the set of customers;   calculating, by the one or more physical processors, a first set of scores for the first activity based on a predetermined set of factors, wherein the first set of scores represents a first value of performing the first activity;   calculating, by the one or more physical processors, a second set of scores for the second activity based on the predetermined set of factors, wherein the second set of scores represents a second value of performing the second activity;   selecting, by the one or more physical processors, the first activity to output to the worker based on a comparison of the first set of scores and the second set of scores.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining, by the one or more physical processors, a rationale for the first activity based on the calculation of the first set of scores for the first activity, wherein the rationale comprises a narrative including information related to the first value of the first activity to the first customer associated with the first activity; and   outputting, by the one or more physical processors, to the worker, the rationale for the first activity with the first activity.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 calculating, by the one or more physical processors, the score associated with the first suggested activity based on one or more of: the a first weight applied to a first factor of the set of factors, an application of a bonus based on information related to the first activity, or an application of a penalty based on information related to the first activity.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 facilitating, by the one or more physical processors, selection of one or more factors for use in calculating the first score;   updating, by the one or more physical processors, the set of predetermined factors based on the selection of the one or more factors; and   displaying, by the one or more physical processors, expected performance metrics related to execution of the plurality of activities based on the selected one or more factors.   
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 facilitating, by the one or more physical processors, selection of a first pre-set combination of weighted factors configured to achieve a first goal related to execution of the first activity and the second activity.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 updating, by the one or more physical processors, a first weight applied to a first factor of the predetermined set of factors based on feedback related to previously selected activities.   
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 facilitating, by the one or more physical processors, selection of a group for which the first activity is selected, wherein selection of the group is based on one or more of a: a strategy related to a company goal, a workflow related to an implementation of the company goal, a team of workers of the company, a first worker of the company, a product sold by the company, or a customer of the company; and   automatically providing, by the one or more physical processors, expected performance metrics based on the selected group.   
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory electronic storage media storing information related to determining activities for a worker, the stored information comprising:
 computer readable instructions configured to cause a client computing device to:
 determine a first activity and a second activity for the worker, wherein the first activity is related to promoting a first product of the set of products to a first customer of the set of customers and wherein the second activity is related to promoting a second product of the set of products to a second customer of the set of customers; 
   calculate a first set of scores for the first activity based on a predetermined set of factors, wherein the first set of scores represents a first value of performing the first activity;   calculate a second set of scores for the second activity based on the predetermined set of factors, wherein the second set of scores represents a second value of performing the second activity;   select the first activity to output to the worker based on a comparison of the first set of scores and the second set of scores.   
     
     
         22 . The non-transitory electronic storage media of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions are configured to cause a client computing device to:
 determine a rationale for the first activity based on the calculation of the first set of scores for the first activity, wherein the rationale comprises a narrative including information related to the first value of the first activity to the first customer associated with the first activity; and   output, to the worker, the rationale for the first activity with the first activity.   
     
     
         23 . The non-transitory electronic storage media of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions are configured to cause a client computing device to:
 calculate the score associated with the first suggested activity based on one or more of: the a first weight applied to a first factor of the set of factors, an application of a bonus based on information related to the first activity, or an application of a penalty based on information related to the first activity.   
     
     
         24 . The non-transitory electronic storage media of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions are configured to cause a client computing device to:
 facilitate selection of one or more factors for use in calculating the first score;   update the set of predetermined factors based on the selection of the one or more factors; and   display expected performance metrics related to execution of the first activity and the second based on the updated set of predetermined factors.   
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . The non-transitory electronic storage media of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions are configured to cause a client computing device to:
 facilitate selection of a first pre-set combination of weighted factors configured to achieve a first goal related to execution of the first activity and the second activity.   
     
     
         27 . The non-transitory electronic storage media of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions are configured to cause a client computing device to:
 update a first weight applied to a first factor of the predetermined set of factors based on feedback related to previously selected activities.   
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . The non-transitory electronic storage media of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions are configured to cause a client computing device to:
 facilitate selection of a group for which the first activity is selected, wherein selection of the group is based on one or more of a: a strategy related to a company goal, a workflow related to an implementation of the company goal, a team of workers of the company, a first worker of the company, a product sold by the company, or a customer of the company; and   automatically provide expected performance metrics based on the selected group.   
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the suggestion management component is configured to:
 determine the rationale based on the calculation of the first set of scores by:
 determining a subset of the predetermined set of factors which had the most influence on the first set of scores, and 
   wherein the narrative comprises information related to the subset of the predetermined set of factors.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the suggestion management component is configured to:
 rank the first activity and the second activity based on the comparison of the first set of scores and the second set of scores;   output, with the first activity, a first rank associated with the first activity.   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the suggestion management component is configured to calculate the first set of scores by:
 calculating a first score based on performing the first activity at a predetermined time;   calculating a second score based on performing the first activity based on a company-level strategy associated with promoting the first product to the first customer; and   calculating a third score based on the availability of the first customer.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining, by the one or more physical processors, the rationale based on the calculation of the first set of scores by:
 determining a subset of the predetermined set of factors which had the most influence on the first set of scores, and 
   wherein the narrative comprises information related to the subset of the predetermined set of factors.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 ranking, by the one or more physical processors, the first activity and the second activity based on the comparison of the first set of scores and the second set of scores;   outputting, by the one or more physical processors, with the first activity, a first rank associated with the first activity.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein calculating the first set of scores comprises:
 calculating, by the one or more physical processors, a first score based on performing the first activity at a predetermined time;   calculating, by the one or more physical processors, a second score based on performing the first activity based on a company-level strategy associated with promoting the first product to the first customer; and   calculating, by the one or more physical processors, a third score based on the availability of the first customer.   
     
     
         37 . The non-transitory electronic storage media of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions are configured to cause a client computing device to:
 determine the rationale based on the calculation of the first set of scores by:
 determining a subset of the predetermined set of factors which had the most influence on the first set of scores, and 
   wherein the narrative comprises information related to the subset of the predetermined set of factors.   
     
     
         38 . The non-transitory electronic storage media of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions are configured to cause a client computing device to:
 rank the first activity and the second activity based on the comparison of the first set of scores and the second set of scores;   output, with the first activity, a first rank associated with the first activity.   
     
     
         39 . The non-transitory electronic storage media of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions are configured to cause a client computing device to calculate the first set of scores by:
 calculating a first score based on performing the first activity at a predetermined time;   calculating a second score based on performing the first activity based on a company-level strategy associated with promoting the first product to the first customer; and   calculating a third score based on the availability of the first customer.