KR20020013839A - Computerized knowledge brokerage system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a user activation system, apparatus and method for the formation and sharing of knowledge via a computer network. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system, apparatus, and method for making online consulting services available to users of a computer network.

Description

Network Consulting Method {COMPUTERIZED KNOWLEDGE BROKERAGE SYSTEM}

With the advent of the Internet, today's businesses are being affected rapidly and over a wide range. This digital economy is changing the answer to basic business problems. However, not all companies have all the resources to solve their problems or events, nor can they do this in the so-called "Internet time." Therefore, companies suffering from these resources and time issues usually seek advice from consulting services. If the consultant already has an answer to the company's required question or is ready to access another resource that can provide an answer, the answer to the company's query is quite It may be provided quickly, but if not, the consultant will conduct a tailored research project to get a solution or answer to the company's questions. However, the cost of carrying out the above two cases is quite expensive. It is a significant expense to have prepared access to resources and to maintain skilled consultants. Similarly, in business, the costs and time associated with many research projects (typically six to twelve months) are often limited and / or unacceptable.

In addition, traditional consulting may not be appropriate for a particular business. For example, consultants typically spend only a short time (eg, one to two weeks) on their own to consult on a specific project, while the rest of the time is spent on travel and other client visits. Moreover, the first-time consultant assigned to the one client will not be able to perform urgent questions related to that client. Instead, the consultant may be unfamiliar and inexperienced with the original client's business. The retraining process for successor consultants is uneconomical both in terms of time and money. In addition, the final report output of traditional consulting is usually only a long and expensive report. Even if the report contains advice on the business, as mentioned earlier, the solution is often presented long after the business desperately needs an answer to the problem.

In contrast, currently available online consulting systems generally do not perform the level of analysis, research and reporting provided by traditional consulting services, so that the answers are quickly provided at an affordable price. Moreover, online consultants can (at least theoretically) work anytime, anywhere, eliminating the problem of "unavailable" consultants.

For small businesses, online consulting services provide consulting services from outside consultants in a time that is acceptable for the business's changing pace at a price that the business can pay. Even for large business companies, online consulting can supplement or replace traditional "mainstream" consultants. In a competitive global economy, quick and iterative judgments are essential, so few business companies spend their time seeking policy advice.

Some currently available online consulting services use "live" consultants to respond to these needs. For example, one known service makes it possible to find a live consultant's service at a fixed rate for a certain number of questions. The user typically submits the question to the service provider via the computer network by typing the question and sending it to an e-mail or web page. When the service provider receives the question, the "knowledge provider" (live employee) will send the question to a specific topic category so that the question can be forwarded to the appropriate consultant (or other expert on that question). Classify. Once the question is passed to the consultant, the consultant provides the answer directly to the questioner.

Another online consulting service provides "pre-packaged" information primarily targeted at the user's business sector. For example, users of these types of systems can access information and data that is constantly updated about different industries, computerized bulletin boards on different topics of interest, and a database of "best practices" about business worldwide. . These services allow companies to compare their practices with those of peers in the same and / or other business fields. This comparison appears to be syntactically desirable to improve one company's own practices. In terms of cost, the system will provide live consultant services on an hourly basis.

Since the current on-time consulting services are not research-centric, the accuracy of the consulting provided is often questionable. For example, for any service, if a question about a field does not exist in an existing survey database, this online consulting service will not be able to provide a satisfactory solution. As another example, suppose an online consulting service requires consultants to answer questions based only on the consultant's own knowledge. There is no service system available that can provide appropriate solutions to more complex questions, such as requiring customer industry research.

The present invention relates generally to a user-driven system, apparatus, and method for forming and sharing knowledge through a computer network, and more particularly to an online consulting service for users of a computer network. A system, apparatus and method for enabling a line consulting service).

1 is a block diagram of a network consulting system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a flowchart illustrating a network consulting method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Although online consulting is preferable to traditional consulting in providing answers to specific questions, many business firms are highly research-oriented, well-researched, with prompt responses to their business interests. It requires a "best of both worlds" approach that combines the answer of "analyzed" solutions. The present invention attempts to present several approaches to meet this need.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a networked consulting method. One group consists of two or more members. Within a first predetermined period, the first member of the group sends a message to the central location via the computer network. When this message is received at the central point, it is reviewed so that a query based on the message can be defined. This query is then sent from the central point to at least part of the group. Within a second predetermined period, a message is received at the central point in response to the query, the second message comprising a response to the query from a second member of the group. At the central point, an analysis of the question and answer is prepared and sent to the members of the group.

Embodiments of the present invention may include the following. In one embodiment, the analysis is sent only to group members who responded to the query. In another embodiment, the query is sent to the first member for approval before sending it to the group. In another embodiment, if no response is received at the central point in response to the query, the query is sent from the central point to a non-group member, such as a consultant, the response of the non-group member. An analysis is prepared based on this.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a network consulting method, comprising: forming a group comprising two or more members, and a member of the group at a first point within a predetermined first time period through a computer network. Receiving a plurality of first messages from the network, forming at least one set of queries based on at least some of the first messages, and transmitting at least a set of queries from the first point to the group Receiving a plurality of second messages that are responses of at least a portion of the above query set at a first point within a second predetermined period of time over a computer network, based on the queries within the set and any corresponding responses; Creating at least one analysis and transferring the analysis from the first point to the group.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description and claims.

1 shows a block diagram of a system that can implement one embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the central location 2 represents a computer capable of communicating over a network. In another embodiment of the invention, the central point 2 may be a computer communicating over a wide area network. In another embodiment, the central point 2 may be a "virtual" point that can communicate with other locations, such as web pages on the WWW. Typically, the central point 2 is a computer comprising at least a processor 3 and a memory 4.

The group members 6 and consultants 10 are connected via a computer network, such as a wide area computer network, so that all members and consultants are in electronic communication with the central point 2. Such communication may be in the form of electronic mail, access to one or more web pages, or other electronic communication system.

The execution group 5 comprises a plurality of group members 6. In one embodiment, this execution group 5 represents a set of group members 6 sharing some predetermined characteristics such as business area, executive position, company size, annual gross income, and the like. For example, an execution group 5 called "CEO" is an execution group in which each member 6 is made up of chief executive officers of the company. In some embodiments, one or more features may be used to define a group. For example, an executive group 5 called "Telecom HR" is an executive group consisting of the head talent of a telecommunications company with an annual gross income of more than $ 8 billion.

In one embodiment, the execution group 5 is configured to provide a set of members of a business community that is provided with a survey, query and other types of information set. In particular, any group member 6 having a question regarding a particular business issue may submit the question to other members within the execution group 5 using the following system. However, in the preferred embodiment, the group member 6 will submit the question to the central point 2 via the computer network without directly submitting the question to another member.

Note that the group member 6 does not only submit questions to the central point 2. In one embodiment, group member 6 may submit other information, such as statements about problems, observations, series of questions, and the like. Indeed, the message of the group member 6 may not contain the actual question or may contain the wrong question. That is, the group member 6 may have a problem, but may not know the question of deriving an answer (from the other group member 6) that helps solve the problem.

In order for the other members 6 of the execution group 5 to provide a useful answer to the query or controversial group member, the central point 2 takes a message from that group member and targets it. Or convert it into a series of queries. In a preferred embodiment this is done by communicating an original message from the group member 6 to one or more consultants 10 via a computer network. The consultant 10 is a "live" person, in particular a person sitting in front of a computer that communicates with the central point 2 via a computer network. The consultant 10 recognizes, refines, edits, summarizes, and / or rephrases the questions of the group members 6, thereby resolving the others of the execution group 5. A member is trained to make one or more queries that can be answered later and can yield useful information to that member 6 (and other group members 6).

In one embodiment, the central point 2 waits for a certain predetermined time before sending the query to its group member 6. Thus, this makes it possible for a plurality of group members 6 to ask questions, and also allows the consultant 10 to organize the questions into one or more surveys that are submitted to the group members 6. For example, in one embodiment the central point 2 may provide time for group members 6 to submit questions during a two week period. During this period, the central point receives the questions and messages from the group members 6 and provides them to one or more consultants 10 for refining. After a two week period, consultant 10 organizes the questions into a useful format, for example by category, to form a set of queries that effectively summarizes the received questions. Questions that do not fit a particular category may be stored in the memory 4, but are preferably separated into "Other" or "miscellaneous" type categories within the query set.

When consultant 10 refines the question into one or more queries, the query is sent to each group member 6 in execution group 5. In one embodiment, depending on the membership conditions of the group, each group member 6 is compelled to participate in the answer to the query sent to him from the central point 2. The query can be provided to the group member 6 from the central point 2 via several routes. In one embodiment, the query is sent in an electronic communication, such as an e-mail message, to which the group member will reply. In another embodiment, the query is provided on a web page accessed by group member 6. For example, depending on the condition of the execution group 5 to which it belongs, the group member 6 will have to access a particular web page at least once a month. When group member 6 accesses the web page, there are registered one or more "purified" queries from other group members. Thus, it appears that the central point 2 can cluster together questions received from different group members 6, which means that the invention is not limited to asking and answering one question at a time. do. In another embodiment, the submission of questions and responses may be performed via non-electronic communication means, such as conventional correspondence.

If the group member 6 responds to one or more queries received from the central point 2, the member sends the response to the central point 2. The central point 2 sends the answer to one or more consultants 10. The consultant 10 reviews the results for each query and prepares an analysis / summary of the results. Typically, the type and extent of the analysis depends on the subject area of the query, the complexity of the group member 6, the level of consulting service fees paid by the group member 6, and the like. When the analysis is complete, the consultant 10 sends it to the central point 2, which in turn is sent to all group members 6. Such transmission may be performed by conventional methods known in the art such as general mail transmission, electronic communication, web page registration, and the like.

In one embodiment, the present invention may provide some level of anonymity on demand. For example, in one embodiment, the identity of group member 6 who submitted a question is concealed to one or more other group member 6 or consultant 10. In another embodiment, the identity of one or more group members 6 providing a response is marked anonymously. In another embodiment, the group member 6 (which may or may not be anonymous) responding to the query from the central point 2 conceals his identity to the group member 6 who submitted the question within the response. You can indicate that you do not want to. Indeed, this responding group member 6 may explicitly indicate that it can receive communication directly from the asking group member 6. Similarly, the asking group member 6 may also indicate that other group members 6 can directly respond to their questions. This direct communication may in some cases be done without revealing the participant's identity.

The following example illustrates a method of implementing some embodiments of the present invention. Note that these examples are merely examples. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize other forms of questions and answers that may be used in connection with the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, it is assumed that one of the group members 6 has a problem as to whether to change the operating system used for his corporate computer to another. The group member 6 is a member of an executive group 5 consisting of companies in the financial services business. The group member 6 submits the following questions to the central point 2.

"I'm in the financial services business, but should I upgrade my operating system from X to Y? What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing this? And how much will it cost?" Should I leave it to you? "

The central point (2) sends this message to the consultant (10) to help find the answer to the question sent from the group member (6), who is the execution group (of the financial services industry member). A brief survey is sent out to members of the organization, which includes the following questions:

What operating system are you using?

Since when do you use it?

What operating system were you using before?

Why did you change that operating system?

How much did it cost?

Do you plan to upgrade your system?

If so, when?

What will you upgrade to?

Who did you use for this upgrade or who would you use it for?

The central point 2 then sends this set of queries to the members 6 of the execution group 5. Note that this set of queries may be as small or as large as the consultant 10 deems necessary. In addition, the question may be sent to other groups that consultant 10 believes may or may not be related to the answer.

As a response, the group members 6 send a reply to the central point 2 for the set of received queries. The central point 2 sends these responses to the consultant 10 and the consultant analyzes the results. Typically, the analysis involves tabulating the answers to the questions, finding trends or particularly helpful responses, writing advice based on those responses, and the like. After the analysis, the consultant 10 provides it to the central point 2, which transmits it to each group member 6. In this example, the analysis content to be sent to the group 5 based on the received response is as follows.

Q : "I'm in the financial services business, but should I upgrade my operating system from X to Y? What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing this? And how much will it cost to upgrade? Which company should I leave?

Answer based on service results : "I do not recommend upgrading your operating system to Y at this point. Less than 10% of your peers are currently using OS Y and only 5% will use OS Y in the future. Instead, nearly 45% of your peers have already upgraded to operating system Z and another 20% will upgrade to operating system Z in the next two years. (Used by 80% of companies currently upgrading and planning to upgrade). The average cost of upgrading is approximately $ 5000 per user. "

As can be seen in the above example, by using the system shown in FIG. 1, group members can obtain useful and immediately available advice directly related to their short and / or long term needs. Moreover, since the survey results are from other members of the peer group, the group member 6 can determine the "best practice" or course of a particular business area. This feature is also shown in the following example.

In this example, the group member submits a "best practice" type of question to the central point 2 as follows.

"What is the best practice for organizing cross-functional Internet teams for maximum results?"

Regarding the response, the central point 2 sends this message to the consultant 10, who writes the following survey for the group members 6:

Which one of these teams will be co-located during the project?

Are members of the Internet team motivated or incentive based on the results of the Internet team?

Do members of the Internet team have a direct or indirect reporting relationship to the head of the Internet project?

As in the previous example, the central point 2 sends this set of queries to the members 6 of the execution group 5.

The type of pre-executed execution group 5 helps to ensure the relevance of the information about the group members. For example, members of the aforementioned "Telecom HR" group may have very different interests and opinions than the CEO group or financial services industry group described above with regard to specific topics such as upgrading of computer systems. However, each group can provide valuable insight into the same problem. For group members of either group, the same questions as the example questions for upgrading computer systems discussed above may be submitted to other groups. This will identify whether you have a positive or negative view of operating system Y across the business world.

2 shows a flowchart of an online consulting method according to the present invention. After forming an execution group (step 100), the central point receives one or more messages from the group members (step 110), which is done during the first period (Fig. Step labeled 120). Limiting questions to a first period of time to accumulate questions ensures that group members' questions are left unanswered for an excessively long time. This also enables the central point to group related questions together, as described above.

At the end of the first time period for receiving a question, the central point provides the consultant with the received questions, which the consultant defines as a set of one or more questions based on the received questions (step denoted 130). The central point then sends this set of queries to the group 140. Responses to this query are received at the central point (step denoted 150), which is done until the second period expires. Like the first period, the second period is a setting for allowing the questions of the group members to be analyzed and answered as soon as possible. However, this second period is typically set to a time sufficient for group members to respond to the query. In one embodiment, each response is stored as-is at the central point until the second period expires (step denoted 160).

When the second period expires, one or more consultants review the responses to create an analysis based on one or more questions and each response (step indicated by 180). The consultant then sends the analysis to the central point, which sends it to the group (step denoted 190). In another embodiment (not shown in FIG. 2), the central point may store the analysis for later reference by group members and / or consultants.

Those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications, modifications and other implementations within the spirit of the invention as set forth in the claims below. Therefore, the present invention should not be construed as limited to the detailed description including the above-described embodiment, but instead the technical scope should be defined by the technical spirit of the following claims.

Claims (11)

As a networked consulting method, (a) forming a predetermined group comprising two or more members, (b) receiving, via a wide-area computer network, a first message from a first member of the group at a central location, within a predetermined first period of time; (c) defining a first query based on the first message; (d) sending the first query from the central point to at least a portion of the predetermined group; (e) receiving, via a wide area computer network, a message comprising a response to the first query from a second member of the group, at a central point, within a second predetermined period of time; (f) preparing an analysis of the first query and its response at a central point; (g) transmitting the analysis from the central point to the predetermined group via a wide area computer network Network consulting method comprising a. The method of claim 1, wherein step (g) further comprises transmitting the analysis only to members who have answered the first query within the predetermined group. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to sending the first query to a part of the group at a central point, submitting the first query to a first member at a central point for approval of the first member. Network consulting method comprising more. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises transmitting the first query to the predetermined group. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the first analysis at the central point so that members of the predetermined group can access the first analysis. The method of claim 1, (i) if no message is received within the second predetermined period of time, sending the first query to a non-group member at the central point; (ii) writing a nongroup analysis of the nongroup member's response to the first query; (iii) sending the nongroup analysis from the central point to at least a first member of the group Network consulting method comprising more. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises forming a predetermined group comprising two or more members required to respond to a query sent from a central point, wherein step (d) Sending a first query from the central point to the predetermined group, wherein step (g) further comprises transmitting the first analysis from the central point to the group. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity of the first member is kept anonymous. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity of the second member remains anonymous. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity of the predetermined group members is kept anonymous. As a network consulting method, (a) forming a predetermined group comprising two or more members, (b) receiving, via a wide area computer network, a first plurality of messages from members of the predetermined group at a central point within a first predetermined period of time; (c) forming a set of at least one query based on at least a portion of the first message; (d) sending the set of at least one query from the central point to the predetermined group; (e) receiving, via a wide area computer network, a plurality of second messages, in response to at least a portion of the set of queries, at a central point, within a second predetermined period of time; (f) creating at least one analysis based on queries and corresponding responses in the set at a central point; (g) sending said analysis from said central point to said predetermined group Network consulting method comprising a.