System and method for managing and implementing procedures and practices

Abstract

A method of implementing a procedure in one or more organizations includes storing content messages relating to procedures (such as best practices). A procedure to be performed by one or more responsible persons is identified. A workflow timeline for the procedure is generated. The workflow timeline includes actions for the procedure, a sequence for the actions, and responsible persons assigned to the actions. An activation for the workflow timeline is received from a timeline initiator. Times or due dates for performing actions on the workflow timeline, a responsible person to perform at least one of the actions, and content messages for at least one of the actions are automatically determined. The content messages provide information relating to the procedure. Content messages for one or more of the actions are automatically sent to the responsible person determined for the one or more actions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of implementing a procedure in one or more organizations, comprising:
 storing, in a memory of a computer system, one or more content messages relating to one or more procedures;   identifying a procedure to be performed by one or more responsible persons;   generating, by the computer system, a workflow timeline for the procedure, wherein the workflow timeline comprises one or more actions for the procedure, a sequence for at least one of the one or more actions, and one or more responsible persons assigned to one or more of the actions;   receiving, by the computer system, from a timeline initiator, an activation for the workflow timeline;   automatically determining, by the computer system, after receiving the activation for the workflow timeline:
 a time or a due date for performing one or more actions on the workflow timeline; 
 a responsible person to perform at least one of the one or more actions; and 
 one or more content messages for at least one of the actions, wherein the content message provides information relating to the procedure, wherein the content message is based on at least one of the content messages stored in the computer system; and 
   automatically sending, by the computer system, at least one of the content messages to the responsible person determined for the one or more actions.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the procedure comprises a best practice. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving one or more values for one or more situational variables, wherein the content message determined for at least one of the actions is based, at least in part, on at least one of the values received for the situational variables.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the value received for the situational variable modifies the procedure. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the value received for the situational variable filters at least one of the content messages for the procedure. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein a value for at least one of the situational variables is received from the timeline initiator. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the content messages sent to the responsible person is selected from one of the content messages stored in the computer system. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the content messages comprises one or more upcoming actions. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the content messages comprises one or more tips relating to one or more actions in the procedure. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the procedure comprises a marketing campaign. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the procedure comprises a best practice for using at least one media asset. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the procedure comprises online advertising. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving feedback from a user of one or more content messages in carrying out the procedure; and   modifying, based on the feedback, at least one content message applicable to the procedure.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the content messages is specific to a particular subscriber. 
     
     
         15 . A method of modifying a standard for actions in a procedure, comprising:
 retrieving, from a memory of a computer system, a message relating to a standard for one or more actions in the procedure;   sending, to one or more responsible persons within the organization, at least one message relating to one or more actions to be carried out by at least one of the responsible persons;   receiving, in the computer system, at least one feedback item from the at least one responsible person about at least one of the actions;   modifying, in the computer system, at least one standard based on the at least one feedback item received from the responsible person; and   storing, in the memory of the computer system, the modified standard.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the standard comprises a best practice. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the procedure comprises a marketing campaign. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the standard comprises a best practice for using at least one media asset, wherein the message provides information to at least one responsible person for using the best practice. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising providing one or more incentives to at least one user accessing the system for improving the standard. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more incentives to at least one of the users includes giving reward points to the user. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein providing the one or more incentives comprises providing at least one incentive to a content user for providing feedback relating to at least one content message. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein providing the one or more incentives comprises providing at least one incentive to a content owner for created or updating content for at least one message. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein providing the one or more incentives comprises providing at least one incentive to a content owner based, at least in part, on usefulness of content owned, created, or managed by the content owner. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein providing the one or more incentives comprises providing at least one incentive to a content owner based, at least in part, on a response time for updating content based on user feedback. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein providing the one or more incentives comprises providing at least one incentive to a content owner based, at least in part, on at least one measure of age of the content. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein providing the one or more incentives comprises providing at least one incentive to a timeline initiator related to establish the procedure. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising determining a score for at least one person accessing the system, wherein the score is based, at least in part, on one or more actions taken by the at least one person to improve the procedure. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising displaying a scoreboard to two or more persons accessing the system, wherein the scoreboard includes a running score for the at least two of the persons accessing the system, wherein the scores are based, at least in part, on actions taken by the persons to improve the procedure. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising updating at least one best practice stored in a knowledge management system based on the feedback. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein modifying at least one standard based on the at least one feedback item received from the responsible person comprises the computer system automatically modifying the standard based on the at least one feedback item. 
     
     
         31 . A system, comprising:
 a processor;   a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store program instructions executable by the processor to implement:
 retrieving, from a memory of a computer system, a message relating to a standard for one or more actions in the procedure; 
 sending, to one or more responsible persons within the organization, at least one message relating to one or more actions to be carried out by at least one of the responsible persons; 
 receiving, in the computer system, at least one feedback item from the at least one responsible person about at least one of the actions; 
 modifying, in the computer system, at least one standard based on the at least one feedback item received from the responsible person; and 
 storing, in the memory of the database, the modified standard. 
   
     
     
         32 . A tangible, computer readable medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:
 retrieving, from a memory of a computer system, a message relating to a standard for one or more actions in the procedure;   sending, to one or more responsible persons within the organization, at least one message relating to one or more actions to be carried out by at least one of the responsible persons;   receiving, in the computer system, at least one feedback item from the at least one responsible person about at least one of the actions;   modifying, in the computer system, at least one standard based on the at least one feedback item received from the responsible person; and   storing, in the memory of the database, the modified standard.   
     
     
         33 . A method of carrying out a procedure, comprising
 retrieving, from a memory of a database, information content relating to a standard for one or more actions in the procedure;   automatically generating, by a computer system, at least one message based on the retrieved information content, wherein the message relates to a standard for one or more actions to be carried out by at least one of the responsible persons in the procedure; and   automatically sending, by the computer system, to the at least one responsible person, the at least one message relating to one or more actions to be carried out by at least one of the responsible persons in the procedure.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the procedure is a marketing campaign. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the standard comprises a best practice for carrying out the action. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the content relating to the standard is retrieved from a knowledge management system. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein retrieving information content relating to the standard comprises:
 determining at least one milestone for the marketing campaign; and   retrieving content relating to at least standard associated with the milestone.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 determining one or more roles for at least one of the actions; and   assigning one or more responsible persons to at least one of the determined roles; and   sending at least one content message to at least one of the assigned responsible persons.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 determining one or more media groups for a marketing campaign; and   associating at least one of the media groups with at least one of the standards.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 receiving, in the computer system, at least one feedback item from the at least one responsible person about at least one of the actions;   modifying, in the computer system, at least one standard based on the feedback item received from the responsible person; and   storing, in the memory of the database, the modified standard.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising providing one or more incentives to at least one person accessing the system for improving the standard. 
     
     
         42 . A method for providing information to clients for carrying out procedures, comprising:
 storing, in a memory coupled to a computer system, content relating to one or more actions to be carried out by one or more clients in one or more procedures;   determining one or more milestones for at least one of the procedures;   retrieving content relating to at least one of the milestones;   generating, by the computer system, at least one content message relating to at least one of the milestones; and   sending the at least one content messages to one or more of the clients.   
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the at least one of the content messages relates to a best practice for carrying out at least one action in the procedure. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein at least one of the procedures to be carried out by a client is a marketing campaign. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein determining one or more milestones for at least one of the procedures comprises determining a first milestone for a first client, and a second milestone for a second client, and wherein sending the at least one content messages to one or more clients comprises:
 sending a first content message to the first client relating to the first milestone; and   sending a second content message to the second client relating to the second milestone.   
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein at least one of the content messages is unique to one of the clients. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein at least one of the content messages relates to a best practice that is unique to one of the clients. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein at least one of the content messages is the same for two or more clients. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising:
 receiving feedback from at least one of the clients relating to at least one of the content messages; and   modifying at least one practice or content message based on the feedback.   
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein at least one of the content messages is provided to at least one of the clients over a network. 
     
     
         51 . A system for managing standards for procedures in one or more organizations, comprising:
 a memory comprising a database configured to store data relating to one or more standards for one or more procedures of one or more organizations, wherein each of at least one of the procedures is associated with one or more content owners;   a procedure engine configured to:
 automatically send, to one or more content users, one or more content messages associated with a workflow timeline for one or more procedures, wherein at least part of the content messages are based, at least in part, on one or more of standards for the procedure; and 
 automatically receive, from one or more of the content users, feedback about one or more of the content messages associated with the workflow timeline for the procedure, 
   wherein the information relating to the at least one standard is based, at least in part, on the feedback from at least one of the content users.   
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein at least one of the standards for the procedure is a best practice. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein the system is configured to display graphically at least a portion of the workflow timeline. 
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein at least one of the content users providing feedback is a person responsible for performing an action associated with the content message. 
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein the procedure engine is configured to display information on the age of content. 
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein the procedure engine is configured to display information on the relevance of content.