Patent Application
20050198564
The present invention relates to the field of data processing, and more particularly without limitation to data entry, in particular data entry of business related data for planning purposes.
Typically, business planning data is collected from line managers at more or less regular time intervals. The planning data is analyzed for various business purposes, such as budget planning, scenario planning, investment planning and/or risk assessment. The duty of providing planning data is an addition to the line manager's day to day business tasks. Therefore, there is a need for a method of collecting the data in a way which integrates with line manager's day to day business activities and tasks.
Moreover, there is a need to collect the data from the line managers in a way such that the further use of the collected data for various applications is facilitated, in particular in order to avoid a need for duplicated manual input of the data.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a data processing system comprising telecommunication means for providing a data entry form to a client device and for receiving user data that has been entered into the data entry form by a user, database means for storage of the user data, and program means for extracting application specific data from the database means.
For example, a line manager can connect to a web portal in order to obtain a pre-selected data entry form. The line manager can enter user data, such as business planning data, into the data entry form using his or her PC. After completion of the data entry, the user data is submitted for storage in a database that is coupled to the web portal. The uploaded user data is then extracted from the database in order to provide sub-sets of the user data to respective applications for further processing and analysis.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention the web portal has storage means for temporarily storing a partially filled out data entry form until data entry has been completed. This has the advantage that a line manager can interrupt the data entry process, e.g., in order to perform an intervening and/or more urgent business task or obligation. In this instance the line manager can store the partially completed data entry form in order to resume the data entry operation at a later point of time without having to restart from the beginning.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention a planning coordinator can select a data entry form from a plurality of stored data entry forms. In addition the planning coordinator can select a stored user group to which the selected data entry form is to be provided. For example, the user group is stored in the form of a list of email addresses to which the selected data entry form or a hyperlink to the selected data entry form is emailed.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention the data entry form has a sequence or “train” of icons. Each icon of the sequence is representative of a data entry window of the data entry form. The sequence of icons is roughly proportional to the amount of time it takes to enter the user data into the data entry form and can thus facilitate the line manager's time planning for the performance of the data entry during his or her business day.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention each data entry window of the data entry form has a completion button. The completion button is to be pressed when the entry of the user data into the data entry window has been completed. In response a completion mark, such as a check mark, is displayed next to the icon that represents the data entry window for which data entry has been completed. Hence, the progress of the data entry task is visualized for the user, e.g. the line manager.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention the data entry form has a portion for displaying a list of the data entry windows of that data entry form. User data is to be entered into each of the data entry windows for completion of the data entry into the data entry form.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention the last data entry window in the sequence of data entry windows serves for display of the previously entered user data in order to facilitate a user's review of the user data for completeness and correctness before the user data is submitted and uploaded to the web portal.
In another aspect the present invention relates to a client device that can be used for entry of data into a data entry form. For example, the client device has a web interface for receiving the HTML coded data entry form. The data entry form is displayed on a graphical user interface of the client device for entry of the user data.
The present invention is broadly applicable for various kinds of data entry tasks, including but not limited to business data, business planning data, financial data, human resources data, budget data, scenario planning data, and/or other business related data.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
In the following embodiments of the invention will be described in greater detail by way of example only making reference to the drawings in which:
Further, the data processing system 100 has storage 112 for storage of various target groups such as target group A, target group B, and target group C. Storage 112 may have other target groups in addition to target groups A, B, and C.
In one embodiment, each target group is constituted by a list of email addresses for identification of the members of each target group. Alternatively or in addition the target group can contain a list of other user identifiers.
The web portal 102 has an email program 114 for sending email messages. The database 116 of the web portal 102 serves for storage of user data that has been entered into the data entry forms and uploaded to the web portal 102. For example, the user data that has been entered by a user into one of the data entry forms is stored in the database 116 using an identifier of that user as a database key.
The temporary storage 118 of the web portal 102 serves for storage of partially completed user data, e.g. when a user has to interrupt the data entry process. Storage of the partially completed user data 120 with or without the respective data entry form has the advantage that the user does not need to re-enter the partially completed user data for when he or she resumes the data entry task at a later point of time.
Further, the web portal 102 has one or more services 122, i.e. programs for extracting application specific sets of user data from the database 116 in order to provide such application specific sets of user data to respective applications that are coupled to the data processing system 100.
In one embodiment, the server computer 124, the server computer 126 are coupled to the web portal 102 by means of a network 128. Although not shown in
Examples for the application programs 130 and 134 include financial applications, human resources applications, investment planning applications, budget planning applications, risk and scenario planning applications and/or other business related application programs.
A number of user devices 138, 140, 142, and 144 are coupled to the web portal 102 via a network 146. The network 146 may or may not be identical with the network 128. For example, the network 146 is an intranet, a virtual private network or the Internet. Although not shown in
The user devices 138, 140, 142, and 144 can be personal computers, portable computers and/or other electronic devices that have a telecommunication interface with HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) capability. Typically the HTML capability will be provided by a standard Internet browser program, such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Explorer.
In the example considered here, the user device 138 belongs to a planning coordinator whereas the user devices 140, 142, and 144 belong to line managers.
In operation the planning coordinator connects to the web portal 102 by means of his or her user device 138. The planning coordinator has access authorization for selection of one of the data entry forms 106, 108, and 110 from the storage 104, for editing of one of these data entry forms and/or for submission of a new data entry form for storage in the storage 104. Further, the planning coordinator has the authorization to select, and/or edit the target groups stored in the storage 112 and/or for adding a new target group. After selection of one of the data entry forms 106, 108, and 110 and after selection of one of the target groups from the storage 112 by the planning coordinator email messages are sent out automatically by the email program 114 to all members of the selected target group. Although not shown in
The receipt of the data entry form by the members of the selected target group serves as a trigger for performance of the respective data entry task. After data entry into the data entry form has been completed by one of the users of the selected target group, the respective user data is uploaded into the web portal 102 and stored in the database 116. If the data entry process needs to be interrupted by the one of the users the partially completed user data 120 that has already been entered into the data entry form is temporarily stored in the temporary storage 118 from where it is retrieved when the data entry is resumed by that user.
After completion of all data entries into the data entry form by all members of the target group the services 122 are invoked in order to extract application specific sub-sets of the user data from the database 116. The extracted sub-sets of the user data are then sent from the web portal 102 to the respective databases 132 and 136 for further use by the respective application programs 130 and 134.
The window 150 has a data entry field 152 for entry of a path to one of the data entry forms stored in the storage 104, a button 154 for selection of a respective data entry form and a button 156 for editing the data entry form. Likewise the window 150 has a data entry field 158 for entry of a path of one of the target groups stored in the storage 112 and a button 160 for selection of the respective target group and a button 162 for editing the respective target group identified by the path in the data entry field 158. As an option the planning coordinator can enter a date into the data entry field 164. Further, the window 150 has a submit button 166.
By clicking on the submit button 166 the selected data entry form, the selected target group and the start date, if any, is transmitted to the web portal 102 (cf.
If a start date has been indicated, the data entry form or hyperlink to the data entry form will be emailed to all members of the target group when the start date has been reached. Otherwise the email message with the data entry form or a hyperlink to the data entry form is sent out to all members of the selected target group immediately or after some delay.
The window 168 has a data entry window 172 that serves for entry of the user data, i.e. the planning data in the example considered here. The data entry window 172 has a number of tabs, i.e. ‘employees’, ‘assets’, ‘internal orders’, ‘license agreements’ for the line manager's entry of respective planning data related to the currently processed cost center, i.e. ‘DevFinAccounting’.
For completion of the data entry for the cost center ‘DevFinAccounting’ the line manager has to go through a sequence of data entry windows 172. This sequence of data entry windows 172 is represented by a sequence 174 of icons that is displayed above the data entry window 172. Such as sequence is also referred to as a ‘train’. The sequence 174 of icons has icon 1 ‘master data maintenance’, icon 2 ‘cost overview’, icon 3 ‘strategy and targets’, icon 4 ‘goals and tasks’, icon 5 ‘planned cost and cost drivers’, and icon 6 ‘risk’. Although not shown in
The data entry window 172 that is currently displayed in the window 168 is the ‘master data maintenance’ window that is represented by the icon 1. When the confirm button 176 of the data entry window 172 is clicked by the user this signals that entry of the planning data into the data entry window 172 has been completed. In response a check mark 178 is displayed next to the icon 1 ‘master data maintenance’.
By clicking on icon 2 ‘cost overview’ a respective data entry window opens for entry of the cost overview related user data, etc. After all user data has been entered for all cost centers shown in the portion 170 the user can click on the submit button 180 for uploading of the user data to the web portal.
If the user needs to interrupt the entry of the planning data he or she can save the previously entered data by clicking the save button 182. In response the partially completed user data is stored in the temporary storage of the web portal (cf. temporary storage 118 of
In step 202 the planning coordinator selects one of the target groups that are stored on the web portal. Alternatively the planning coordinator uploads a new target group for the collection of the user data. The planning coordinator may or may not specify the start date for the collection process of the user data. In step 204 the planning coordinator clicks on a submit button in order to upload the selection of the data entry form, the selection of a target group and the start date, if any, to the web portal in order to initiate the collection process of the user data.
The data entry form is received in step 300, such as an email attachment or as a hyperlink. In step 302 the user enters the business planning data into the data entry form by going through a sequence of data entry windows (cf. data entry window 172 of
If the line manager needs to interrupt the data entry due to a sudden more urgent business task the user data that has been entered so far by the line manager is temporarily stored in step 306. The temporary storage can be performed with or without the data entry form on the web portal and/or locally on the line manager's user device. When the line manager resumes the data entry in step 308 he or she does not need to re-enter the previously entered user data as these user data is recovered from the temporary storage.
After the completed data entry forms have been received from all users of the selected target group, the services (cf. services 122 of
In step 400 user data that is required by application program i is extracted from the database. In step 402 the extracted data is exported to the application program i for further processing by the application program i. In step 404 the index i is incremented in order to perform the same procedure for the consecutive application program.
Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.
The present application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/547,878 filed Feb. 27, 2004, titled EXPRESS METHOD PLANNING SYSTEM in the names of Werner SINZIG and Andreas VOGEL, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference to its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60547878 | Feb 2004 | US |
