AU2011221395A1

AU2011221395A1 - Performance monitoring system

Info

Publication number: AU2011221395A1
Application number: AU2011221395A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Adwin Lorance; Biju Payyoor Mana; Giridhar Prasad; Revathi Ragunathan; Ramesh Kumar Ramakrishnan; Samyak Avinash Sheri
Original assignee: Tata Consultancy Services Ltd
Current assignee: Tata Consultancy Services Ltd
Priority date: 2010-09-27
Filing date: 2011-09-08
Publication date: 2012-04-12
Also published as: NZ595093A

Abstract

I LU'.k lw&.jyri N ',IU I L & U 1- '.f I %J0AL The present subject matter relates to a performance monitoring system (102) comprising a parameter analysis module configured to determine values of a plurality of performance parameters based at least in part on preset parameter rules. The plurality of performance parameters indicate the performance of an organization at a hierarchical level of the organization and the preset parameter rules link a performance parameter, from among the plurality of performance parameters, defined for one hierarchical level of the organization to the performance parameter defined for another hierarchical level of the organization. The performance monitoring system (102) furthers comprises a user interaction module (218) configured to provide the values of at least one performance parameter selected from among the plurality of performance parameters based on a subscription to the at least one performance parameter. P010878_Speci (5577878v1) PERFORMANCE MONITORING SYSTEM 102 PROCESSOR(S) 1/O INTERFACE(S) PERFORMANCE MONITORING MODULE iQ DATA EXTRACTION MODULE PARAMETER ANALYSIS MODULE USER INTERACTION MODULE OTHER MODULES PROFILE DATA ANALYSIS DATA ( PARAMETER DATA OTHER DATA 224 226 Fig. 2 5578018v (P010878_Drawings)

Description

S&F Ref: P010878 AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name and Address Tata Consultancy Services Limited, of Nirmal Building, of Applicant: 9th Floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400021, India Actual Inventor(s): Revathi Ragunathan Biju Payyoor Mana Adwin Lorance Ramesh Kumar Ramakrishnan Samyak Avinash Sheri Giridhar Prasad Address for Service: Spruson & Ferguson St Martins Tower Level 35 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) Invention Title: Performance monitoring system The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 5845c(5578441_1) PERFORMANCE MONITORING SYSTEM TECHNICAL FIELD 100011 The present subject matter relates, in general, to monitoring systems, and in particular, to a system for monitoring performance of an organization. BACKGROUND 100021 Performance monitoring has become an integral part of a majority of organizations. For the success of an organization, it is important to monitor the performance of the organization, teams within the organization, and all the employees regularly; and inform them about team progress with respect to a target set by the organization so as to achieve overall success for the organization within a given timeframe. 100031 Generally, performance of an organization and its employees is evaluated in terms of various defined parameters. A number of techniques are currently being used to monitor and evaluate the performance of organizations and their employees and for subsequent analysis and representation of data relating to the performance monitoring. However, most of the techniques use performance-related data that may be collated from various sources and stored in a central server from where the data can be accessed at a later instance. The data is collected, monthly, quarterly, or annually, and analyzed to track the performance of the organization in terms of parameters like revenue generated, products delivered, quality etc. 100041 However, it is generally not easy to centrally track the performance of teams at different levels of hierarchy. For example, in an organization where multiple employees working at a lower level of hierarchy of a team are responsible for carrying out different parts of a single project, a supervisor at a higher level of hierarchy may get to know about the status of the completed project only and not how individual teams at each level of hierarchy have contributed in the project. In such a case, if the outcome of the project does not meet the expectations, it becomes difficult to determine the individual teams responsible for such an outcome. 100051 Further, implementation of a system to track the performance of the teams in an organization involves tedious steps of going through a number of files pertaining to 1 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) performance related data of all the teams and the employees in the team, generally available as unstructured data. This requires considerable amount of time and resources. SUMMARY 100061 The subject matter described herein relates to a system and method for performance monitoring for various departments of an organization, and teams of employees within each department. In one implementation, input data pertaining to performance related data of the various teams in the organization is received from a plurality of sources and is processed to extract performance data. Further, a plurality of performance parameters is defined in the system. The values of these performance parameters for each level of hierarchy of the departments or teams in the organization are calculated on the basis of the performance data using preset parameter rules. Further, the preset parameter rules are applied to the performance parameters defined for a level in the organizational hierarchy to link them to the performance parameters defined for next level. The values of the performance parameters are provided to various users, such that each user is presented with the values of only those parameters, which the user subscribes to. [0006A] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a performance monitoring system comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising, a parameter analysis module configured to determine a plurality of performance parameters based at least in part on preset parameter rules, wherein: each of the plurality of performance parameters indicates the performance of an organization at a hierarchical level of the organization, and the preset parameter rules link a performance parameter, from among the plurality of performance parameters, defined for one hierarchical level of the organization to the performance parameter defined for another hierarchical level of the organization; and a user interaction module configured to provide at least one performance parameter from among the plurality of performance parameters based on a subscription to the at least one performance parameter. 2 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) [0006B] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer implemented method for performance monitoring comprising: processing input data to extract performance data; applying preset parameter rules on the performance data for determining a plurality of performance parameters, wherein each of the plurality of performance parameters indicates the performance of an organization at a hierarchical level of the organization, and wherein the preset parameter rules link a performance parameter, from among the plurality of performance parameters, defined for one hierarchical level of the organization to the performance parameter defined for another hierarchical level of the organization; interpolating perspective values of the plurality of performance parameters, based on current and past values of the plurality of performance parameters; and providing a comparison between values of the plurality of performance parameters and the perspective values. 10006C] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer readable medium having computer executable instructions which when executed, implement a method comprising: processing input data to extract performance data; applying preset parameter rules on the performance data for determining a plurality of performance parameters, wherein each of the plurality of performance parameters indicates the performance of an organization at a hierarchical level of the organization, and wherein the preset parameter rules link a performance parameter, from among the plurality of performance parameters, defined for one hierarchical level of the organization to the performance parameter defined for another hierarchical level of the organization; interpolating perspective values of the plurality of performance parameters, based on current and past values of the plurality of performance parameters; and providing a comparison between values of the plurality of performance parameters and the perspective values. [00071 These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present subject matter will be better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form. This 3 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 100081 The above and other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will be better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, where: 100091 Fig. I illustrates an exemplary network environment implementing a performance monitoring system, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter. 100101 Fig. 2 illustrates exemplary components of the performance monitoring system, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter. [00111 Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary method for performance monitoring, according to an implementation of the present subject matter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [00121 With growing competitive conditions in industry, organizations employ various performance monitoring systems to keep a track of progress of the organization with respect to set targets. For the successful achievement of the targets, it is important to monitor the performance of the organization, departments within the organization, and the teams of employees in each department, regularly and inform them about their progress. 100131 Conventionally, the organizations monitor the performance of the departments and the teams within a department using parameters that are defined for each department and for the teams at each level of hierarchy within the department. A performance data is generally collected from all the employees in various teams at each level of hierarchy and is analyzed to gauge the performance of the whole department at certain predefined intervals. Similarly, a data of all the departments is analyzed together to gauge the performance of the organization. The collection and analysis of data, i.e., mining the data from different sources to derive valid inferences at different levels is typically done manually resulting in consumption of considerable amount of time and resources. 4 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) [0014] Of late, computerized systems for performance measurement have been developed. However, the systems mainly concentrate on collation of performance data of various departments to project the achievements at the end of an assessment period. Such systems are not capable of providing real time performance data. In other words, it is not possible to obtain projection of the current trend at any given instance to ascertain whether with the given rate of progress a department is likely to meet the set targets or not. Further, in organizations where systems do exist for collation of real time performance data, it is left to the management people to log onto the system and monitor the performance data. Additionally, there exists no provision for the performance data to be pushed to the management through their preferred communication channel, such as emails, mobiles, or desktops at the right time, thus leaving room for lag of actions. Consequently, the management is unable to foresee any unfavorable consequences in advance and fails to take corrective measures at an appropriate point in time. In addition, the system is not able to provide future predictions of the organization's performance foresee ability generally desired by the management. 100151 Further, the data provided to a supervisor may only indicate the progress of the departments, and not how various teams of employees at each level in the various departments have contributed in the progress. In such a case, if the progress of the department does not meet the expectations, it becomes difficult to determine the teams responsible for such an outcome. For example, a finance head of an organization may be provided with details about the revenue generated for a given time period, say a quarter. However, if the revenue generated for the period does not meet the expectations, the finance head may not be able to identify the cause for such an outcome, like whether the sales team has not been able to achieve the set targets or whether the invoicing team has not been able to generate invoices on time. [00161 Further, in conventional systems certain predefined performance parameters are calculated and made available to all the supervisors, generally in the form of reports or presentations. However, management personnel might not be interested in viewing all the performance parameters. For example, a sales manager heading the sales department of an organization may be interested only in tracking parameters related to the sales target achieved and not revenue collected by the account department of the organization. In such cases, 5 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) conventional performance monitoring systems and techniques may not prove to be helpful as they are not able to provide a personalized view to the user, based on the parameters of his or her interest. [0017] Typically tracking the performance in the conventional systems is inefficient because the performance related data provided to the system is not structured, due to which the system is not able to collate the data properly. The collation may be accurately done if the data is available in the form of a specific template to the system. However, using a specific template mandates that the data should be provided to the system in the specific format only. Such a restriction may not be feasible since performance related data is available in varied formats like spreadsheets or mail attachments. This is typically a problem in huge organizations where the sources for performance data are varied. 100181 The present subject matter relates to a performance monitoring system and method for monitoring performance in an organization by tracking one or more performance parameters based on performance data. The performance data, in one example, may include data related to the performance parameters, such as revenue generated, amount of time spent on a particular project by a team of employees, a department of the organization, quality of a delivered project, number of fixed time employees, pipeline value of projects, percentage utilization of employees, profitability, organizational competencies, and customer satisfaction index, etc. 100191 In one embodiment, the performance monitoring system is a computer implementable device and may be coupled to a network such as a LAN or WAN of the organisation. The performance monitoring system interacts with the employees of the organization, for example, over the network, to allow tracking of the performance parameters. 10020] In an implementation, the performance data is collected from the employees through varied sources like emails and organizational systems. The emails can include, in the form of an attachment, a file that contains the performance data for an employee. In another example, the performance data may be attached in the form of a spread sheet. In one example, the system may extract data from the organizational system that is regularly updated about an employee's work progress. The performance monitoring system processes the files received from the varied sources to extract the performance data. The performance data may 6 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) be saved in a database associated with the performance monitoring system. In one embodiment, the performance data may be used to determine values of the performance parameters that are defined in order to track the performance of the team or the department the employee is working in. 10021] In one embodiment, different performance parameters may be defined for different level(s) of hierarchy in the department. Further, the performance parameters defined for one level of hierarchy is related with the performance parameters for other levels of hierarchy. In one implementation, preset parameter rules are applied to the performance parameters defined for a level in the organizational hierarchy to link them to the performance parameters defined for next level. For example, a first set of preset parameter rules may be defined to determine a particular performance parameter for the teams at a given level, say a lowermost level in the hierarchy. Similarly, a second set of preset parameter rules may be defined to link them to the performance parameter defined for a given level to the ones define for a next level. 100221 Further, at each level of hierarchy, a performance parameter takes into account the performance of a team at that level and of those directly below that level. For example, for the performance parameter number of fixed time employees, a preset parameter rule may be defined to calculate the value of the performance parameter, i.e., 'number of fixed time employees' of a team at a particular level by calculating the count of employees in the team. Another preset parameter rule may be defined to calculate value for the performance parameter 'number of fixed time employees' at a higher level of hierarchy, by calculating a sum of all employees across all teams directly below the level. In this way, the performance parameters of teams at a lower level in the hierarchy are reflected in the performance parameter defined for a higher level of hierarchy. Hence, the performance parameter is rolled up across the different levels of hierarchy, i.e., the value of the performance parameter available to a supervisor of the department reflects the performance of the teams at all levels of hierarchy of the department. Thus, the achievement of a particular team is directly dependant on the achievements of all the teams directly below the particular team. [00231 The performance monitoring system is so configured that, for example, if eight performance parameters are defined for say level '0' then the preset parameter rules in 7 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) the performance monitoring system link these eight performance parameters to, say, four performance parameters defined for the next level, i.e., level '1'. For instance, in a services department of an organization, level '0' may have performance parameters, such as number of service request received, number of hours spent on servicing, number of service requests satisfied. However, the level '1' may have fewer performance parameters, such as the total service revenue. Here, the performance parameter total service revenue may be determined on the basis of number of hours spent on servicing and number of service requests satisfied in accordance with a preset parameter rule relating the two performance parameters of level '0' to the one of level '1'. In one embodiment, the preset parameter rules for the lowest level of hierarchy may be configured to calculate the value of the performance parameters only at that level. However, the value of performance parameters for all levels above the lowest level of hierarchy may be calculated based on different preset parameter rules which may be dependant on one or more performance parameters below that level. The preset parameter rules are applied based on how a particular performance parameter is broken into and cascaded to the lower levels. In another embodiment, same preset parameter rules may be applied at all levels of hierarchy, but the aggregation of the value of the performance parameters for a particular team may still be based on all teams which are directly below the particular team in the organizational hierarchy. 100241 Rolling up of the performance parameters ensures that the performance of teams at a lower level can be tracked from the performance parameters defined at the higher level. Rolling up the performance parameters further helps in ensuring that the values of performance parameters provided to users at all the levels of hierarchy is same. Accordingly, the value of performance parameters at a particular level can be used to track the performance of employees and their teams at all the levels below that particular level with respect to those performance parameters. In this way, one can track the performance of a department till the bottommost level, by drilling down any performance parameter. Drilling down of a performance parameter, in one example, may be defined as determining the contribution of each employee and its team, at different levels, to that performance parameter. In one embodiment, the values of the performance parameters may be saved in the database. The performance parameters and their values can be presented to the users in the form of texts or graphs. 8 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) [00251 The system is further configured to provide the performance parameters to the users in a personalized manner, that is, the user is provided with only those performance parameters, which he or she wishes to monitor with a higher priority than the other performance parameters. The performance parameters that the user needs to monitor can be based on his or her role in the organization, such as the department that he works in or the position that he holds in the organization. For example, an employee supervising revenue team in the accounts department may monitor performance parameters related to revenues only. Whereas, an accounts head supervising accounts department may monitor performance parameters related to teams at all levels of hierarchy of the accounts department, i.e., the invoicing team, revenue team, pay-roll team etc. Similarly, a financial head of the organization may monitor performance parameters related to teams at all levels of hierarchy in departments related to finance, such as sales and accounts. Accordingly, the performance monitoring system is customized for each user who is to monitor the performance of the organization. Further, the user may also configure the frequency of monitoring the performance of the organization. For example, if a user wishes to monitor the values of a certain performance parameter on a weekly basis, the user can configure the performance monitoring system to provide a weekly update for the performance parameter rather than a daily update. 100261 In an implementation, the value of a performance parameter may be compared with various targets, such as an expected target set by the organization or a benchmark value set for the performance parameter. The comparison of the values of the performance parameters and the expected target is performed in real time so that the users at each level of hierarchy in the department can be informed whether they are working in the right direction or not, i.e., whether their progress meets the expectations or not. Further, the performance parameters may also be used to predict future performance data for the organization. The future predictions may thus be used by the management to take corrective measures, if required. In an implementation, the values of the performance parameters may also be compared against the future predictions. [00271 In one implementation, the performance parameters, their values, and data related to the comparisons are displayed to the users on a desktop dashboard gadget, for example a graphical user interface application running on a user device, such as a desktop 9 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) computer and a mobile device. The user device communicates with the performance monitoring system over the network, and after a valid authentication, the user device may be provided with the set of performance parameters and their values which the user intends to track. The system provides the performance parameters and their values in the form of texts and graphs that may be then displayed by the user device on the desktop dashboard. In an implementation, the performance monitoring system sends the performance parameters and their values to the user device in the form of really simple syndication (RSS) feeds. 100281 The manner in which the performance monitoring system is implemented shall be explained in detail with respect to the figures. While aspects of systems and methods can be implemented in any number of different computing systems, environments, and/or configurations, the embodiments are described in the context of the following exemplary system architecture(s). 100291 Fig. I illustrates a network environment for implementing a system for performance monitoring according to the present subject matter. In one embodiment, a network environment 100 includes a performance monitoring system 102 communicating with one or more employee devices 104-1, 104-2, 104-n, collectively referred to as employee devices 104, and with one or more user devices 106-1, 106-2, 106-n, collectively referred to as user devices 106. The performance monitoring system 102, hereinafter referred to as system 102 communicates with the employee devices 104 and the user devices 106 over a network 108. [00301 The network 108 may be a wireless network, wired network, or a combination thereof. The network 108 can also be an individual network or a collection of many such individual networks, interconnected with each other and functioning as a single large network, e.g., the Internet or an intranet. The network 108 can be implemented as one of the different types of networks, such as intranet, local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), the internet, and such. The network 108 may either be a dedicated network or a shared network, which represents an association of the different types of networks that use a variety of protocols, for example, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), etc., to communicate with each other. Further, the network 108 may include network devices, such as 10 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) network switches, hubs, routers, HBAs, for providing a link between the system 102, the employee devices 104, and the user devices 106. The network devices within the network 108 may interact with the system 102, employee devices 104, and the user devices 106 through communication links. [00311 The employee devices 104 are used by employees of an organization to send input data, having one or more files, to their subordinates or other team members through varied sources, such as emails, reports, spreadsheets, organizational systems, and websites. The files, in one implementation, may contain performance data, i.e., data related to the performance of an employee. The system 102 is configured to extract the performance data from the varied sources. The performance data, in one example, may include data related to a plurality of performance parameters, such as revenue generated or amount of time spent on a particular project by an employee, a team of employees, or a department, of the organization, quality of a delivered project, number of fixed time employees, pipeline value of projects, percentage utilization of employees, profitability, organizational competencies, and customer satisfaction index, etc. The performance parameters may thus indicate the progress made by the employee on the projects allotted to him. 100321 The input data containing the files are extracted from the varied sources by the system 102. The system 102 includes a performance monitoring module 110, among other modules. The performance monitoring module 110, upon receiving the input data, processes the input data to extract the performance data from the files. In one embodiment, the performance data may be used to determine the performance parameter(s), hereinafter referred to as parameter(s), that are defined in order to track the performance of the department the employee is working in. For example, the performance data related to projects completed by 25 full time employees (FTE) of a team may be used to determine the parameter 'revenue' of the team. The one or more parameters are provided, through the user devices 106, to a user, such as the employee, a manager, a supervisor, or a team lead, at each level of hierarchy in a department of the organization, who wishes to track the performance of the organization. In the above example, the parameter 'revenue' of the team may be made available to a team lead of the team for tracking the progress of the team. In case the team lead believes that the revenue generated is not up to the organization's expectation he may take corrective measures, such as, reducing the number of hours spent per project. 11 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) 10033] In one embodiment, different parameters may be defined for different level(s) of hierarchy in the departments and the organization. Further, the parameters defined at a particular level of hierarchy, hereinafter referred to as a level, may be related to the parameters defined at other levels. In one implementation, preset parameter rules are applied to the parameters defined for a level in the organizational hierarchy to link them to the parameters defined for next level. For example, a first set of preset parameter rules may be defined to determine the achievement of a particular parameter for teams at a given level, say a lowermost level in the hierarchy. Similarly, a second set of preset parameter rules may be defined to link them to the next level. 100341 Further, at each level of hierarchy, a parameter takes into account the performance of a team at that level and of those directly below that level. For example, a parameter defined at a particular level may provide a measure of progress of different tasks of a project allotted to different teams of employees, hereinafter referred to as team(s), at a level lower than the particular level. In such a case, a parameter defined at the particular level can give a measure of the progress of the whole project, as a sum of the progress made by all the teams at the lower level. This is achieved by configuring the preset parameter rules in the system 102 to link the parameters at the lower level to the parameters at the higher level. In a sales department, for example, a parameter indicating monthly revenue generated by a team at a particular level may also indicate the monthly revenue generated by all the teams at levels lower than the particular level. 100351 Hence, the parameters are rolled up across the different levels of hierarchy, i.e., the parameters available to a user at a particular level of the department reflects the performance of the teams at all levels below the particular level. In one embodiment, the preset parameter rules for the lowest level may be configured to calculate the parameters only at that level. However, the parameters for all the levels above the lowest level of hierarchy may be calculated based on different preset parameter rules which may be dependant on one or more parameters below that level. This depends on how a particular parameter is broken into and cascaded to the lower levels. In another embodiment, same preset parameter rules may be applied at all levels of hierarchy, but the aggregation of the parameters for a particular team may still be based on all the teams which are directly below the particular team in the organizational hierarchy. 12 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) 100361 Rolling up of the parameters and their values ensures that the performance of teams at a lower level can be tracked from the parameters defined at the higher level. Rolling up the performance data further helps in ensuring that the performance data provided to users at all the levels of hierarchy is same. Accordingly, a parameter at a particular level can be used to track the performance of teams at all the levels below that particular level with respect to that parameter. In this way, one can track the performance of the department up to the bottommost level, by drilling down any parameter. Drilling down of a parameter, in one example, may be defined as determining the contribution of performance of each team, at different levels, to that parameter. [0037] Thus, parameters at higher levels in a department may be related to various parameters defined for lower levels due to which the user at a higher level may be able to access the parameters at the lower level by drilling down a parameter at the higher level. In another example, a parameter defined at the higher level can give a measure of the number of employees required for a particular task, by taking into account the time spent and progress made by the teams at the lower level. 10038] In one embodiment, the users, to track the performance of the teams, and thereby of the organization as a whole, may send a request to the system 102 through the user devices 106. In one implementation, the user may send a request to subscribe to a set of parameters, which he wishes to monitor to indicate the set of parameters to the system 102. The user can subscribe to the parameters once and thereafter, until the user sends a request to change the specified set of parameters, the user is provided with the parameters that he has subscribed to. Further, the user may modify the subscription at later stages. The request is received by the performance monitoring module 110, and based on the request; the performance monitoring module 110 transmits the values of the parameters which the users at the user device 106 have subscribed to. In another implementation, supervisors of each department can set a key parameter that needs to be monitored by users at all the levels. 100391 Further, the user may also configure a frequency of monitoring the performance of the organization. For example, if a user wishes to monitor a certain parameter on a weekly basis, the user can configure the system 102 to provide a weekly update for the parameter, rather than a daily update. The system 102 based on a request from the user may 13 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) set a parameter transmission frequency for transmitting all the parameters configured to by the user. 100401 Fig. 2 illustrates exemplary components of the performance monitoring system 102, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter. The performance monitoring system 102 includes one or more processor(s) 202, input-output (1/0) interface(s) 204, and a memory 206. The processor(s) 202 can be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries, or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the processor(s) 202 are configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions and data stored in the memory 206. [00411 The I/O interfaces 204 may include a variety of software and hardware interfaces, for example, interfaces for peripheral device(s) such as a keyboard, a mouse, an external memory, a printer, etc. and a web interface allowing the system 102 to interact with the employee devices 104 and the user devices 106. Further, the /0 interfaces 204 may enable the system 102 to communicate with other computing devices, such as web servers and external databases. The I/O interfaces 204 may facilitate multiple communications within a wide variety of protocols and networks, such as the network 108, including wired networks, e.g., LAN, cable, etc., and wireless networks, e.g., WLAN, cellular, satellite, etc. For the purpose, the 1/0 interfaces 204 may include one or more ports for connecting to a number of computing devices or to another server. [00421 The memory 206 may be implemented as any computer-readable medium known in the art including, for example, volatile memory (e.g., RAM) and/or non-volatile memory (e.g., flash, etc.). In one implementation, the memory 206 includes module(s) 208 and data 210. In an embodiment, the module(s) 208 include the performance monitoring module 110 and other modules 212. The performance monitoring module 110 includes a data extraction module 214, a parameter analysis module 216, and a user interaction module 218. The other module(s) 212 include programs that supplement applications implemented by the system 102. In one embodiment, the data 210 serves as a repository for storing data processed, received, and generated by the module(s) 208. In one implementation, the data 210 includes profile data 220, analysis data 222, parameter data 224, and other data 226. 14 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) [00431 The data extraction module 214 receives the files containing the performance data from the employee devices 104, through the varied sources, such as a website and email attachments. The files generally in the form of attachments, such as template based forms or spreadsheet and compressed files are generally extracted by the data extraction module 214 from the varied sources and are temporarily stored in the other data 226. The data extraction module 214 processes the received files at periodic intervals, say everyday or after every few hours, to extract the performance data. For example, the data extraction module 214 may include an email agent program, which runs periodically and scan all the relevant emails that embed performance information to extract the files from the emails and stores the files in the other data 226. The data extraction module 214 may further include an extractor program that extracts the files which are in the form of archives. Similarly, another extractor program may be configured to extract the files from other sources, such as website. Further, a converter program may be included, which if required, carries out conversion of files to a format that can be processed by the data extraction module 214. The performance data obtained after the processing of these files is stored in the other data 226. As described in the description of Fig. 1, the performance data includes data related to the plurality of parameters indicating the progress made by teams of employees on the projects allotted to them. 100441 The parameter analysis module 216 then determines the parameters using the performance data. As will be understood, determining the parameter includes determining value of the parameters. The parameter analysis module 216 calculates the values of the parameters on the basis of the preset parameter rules and saves the values and the parameters in the parameter data 224. The values of the parameters, which give a measure of the progress made by the employees and their teams at a lower level, are calculated based on the performance data related to the employees and their teams at the lower level. However, the values of the parameters defined at a higher level, which give a measure of the progress of the entire organization may be calculated using the performance data related to the teams at the higher level as well as the lower level. This ensures that the performance of teams at a lower level is reflected in the parameters of teams at a higher level. It further ensures that users at all the levels see data that is consistent and from the same source. 100451 In addition to determining the value of various parameters at a level, the parameter analysis module 216 applies preset parameter rules to the parameters determined at 15 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) a lower level to determine the parameters at a higher level. For example, the parameter analysis module 216 calculates the value of the parameter 'number of billable employees' at the lowermost level as a sum of billable employees in every team at the lowermost level. At a higher level, however, the parameter analysis module 216 calculates the value as a sum of billable employees from all teams directly below the level. 100461 In one embodiment, the system 102 is configured to provide real time data about the parameters and their values to the users at each level of hierarchy in the organization. For example, the system 102 may provide the parameters and their values at periodic intervals, say, after every few hours or everyday, to extract the performance data. As explained earlier, the system 102 is further configured to provide the parameters and their values to the users in a personalized manner, i.e., the user is provided with data about only those parameters, which he or she needs to monitor with a higher priority than the other parameters. For example, an employee supervising revenue team in the accounts department may monitor parameters related to revenues only. Accordingly, the system 102 is customized for each user who is to monitor the performance of the organization. [00471 In an implementation, each user has a profile defined in the profile data 220. The profile of the user is created by the user interaction module 218 when the user registers for the first time with the system 102. The user interaction module 218 then provides login credentials, such as a login ID and a password to the user, which can be used by the user to login the system 102 in future. Relevant details such as the designation of the user in the organization, the set of parameters selected by the user may be defined in the profile. The profile information may be used by the system 102 to define the set of parameters that the user can access. For example, the system 102, based on the designation of the user, may define an employee's level of access, i.e., the level up to which the user may access the values of the parameters. The system 102 allows the user to update his profile details, such as the subscribed set of parameters at any point of time and accordingly the changes are reflected in his profile. For example, in case of promotion of an employee, the designation of the employee is updated. For making the changes in the profile, the user devices 106 may send a profile updation request to the client interaction module 218. Accordingly, the performance monitoring system 102 may allow the employee to view performance monitoring parameters that were restricted to him prior to the promotion. Further, the users 16 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) though the user devices 106 can send a request to the system 102 for subscribing to the set of parameters which they wish to monitor. In one implementation, the set of parameters may include only one parameter. 100481 The request for subscription in one implementation is received by the user interaction module 218 that interacts with the user devices 106 through the network 108. The user interaction module 218 upon receiving a request from the user devices 106 first authenticates the user who has sent the request. The authentication can be done by comparing login credentials, which are sent by the user devices 106, with the login credentials of the user stored in the profile data 220. 10049] For the purpose of authentication, the user at a user device, say the user device 106-1 first sends his login credentials to the system 102. In an implementation, the login credentials of the user may be encrypted at the user devices 106 and sent to the system 102 in an encrypted form. The login credentials may be then decrypted at the system 102 using a decryption algorithm. The login credentials are then verified, by the user interaction module 218. 100501 After the verification of the login credentials, the user devices 106 send the request for subscription of the set of parameters, which are of interest to the user. The request to the system 102 can be sent in the form of AJAX (asynchronous Javascript and XML). Upon receiving the request, the user interaction module 218 accesses the parameter data 224 to extract and transmit the values of the set of parameters to the user devices 106. 100511 For example, a manager may access the system 102 through a user device; say the user device 106-1, to monitor performances of his department. For the purpose, the manager is required to register himself with the system 102. During the registration, the manager is provided with details of all the parameters that are accessible to him, such as, the parameters that are defined at his level and below his level. From amongst the provided parameters, the manager selects a set of parameters that he wishes to track and his subscription is saved by the user interaction module 218. Also, his login credentials are registered. After a one-time registration, the manager is provided with a login ID and a password for authentication on the system 102 for every subsequent interaction with the system 102. The system 102, based on the user's profile, defines the role of the user in the 17 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) organizational hierarchy to define the user's level of access. Thereafter, the user is provided with the values of the set of parameters subscribed by the user, at predetermined time intervals, say everyday or after few hours, as selected by the user, or in response to a request from the user. [00521 The user interaction module 218 is configured to provide the value of at least one parameter to the user device 106. In an implementation, the user interaction module 218 transmits the values of the set of parameters subscribed by the user to the user devices 106 in the form of RSS feeds. The RSS feeds containing the values of the parameters are provided to the user device 106 at predetermined time intervals, and the respective values of the parameters are displayed at the user device 106, for example, on a desktop dashboard. The desktop dashboard can be a gadget, which can be developed to operate in most commonly used environments. Further, as the RSS feeds are compatible with mobile devices, such as cellular phones and other hand held devices, hence the user may also view the set of parameters and their values on mobile devices. The parameters can be displayed on the gadget in the user devices 106 in both textual and graphical forms. 100531 At the desktop dashboard, each user is presented with the set of parameters, which he or she has subscribed to, i.e., as defined in his or her profile. Hence, the desktop dashboard is personalized for each user. This provides an efficient means for tracking the performance of the organization, as one does not have to go through all the parameters and look for the relevant ones among all the parameters. Further, the periodic transmission of the values and the parameters ensures that the users are alerted real time about the targets and the current progress of the departments. Apart from the desktop dashboard that is displayed on the user devices 106, each user can also view the parameters through the web interface. In one implementation, the system 102 can be accessed by the user device 106 through a web interface after authentication, using a login ID and a password. The web interface provides the user device 106 with the set of parameters based on the profile of the user. Further, the users may also be provided with the value of the key parameter, i.e., the parameter that needs to be monitored by users at all the levels. The key parameter may be set by supervisors of each department. For example, supervisor of the accounts department may set the parameter revenue as the key parameter of the month that needs to be monitored by users at all the levels. 18 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) [00541 Further, the system 102 is configured to analyze the parameter data 224 and provide alerts depicting the organization's progress by plotting the values of the parameters against expected target values. In an implementation, the parameter analysis module 216 is configured to analyze the parameter data 224 to generate an analysis data 222. The parameter analysis module 216 compares the values of the parameters with an expected target set by the organization and saves the comparison in the analysis data 222. The comparison of the values of the parameters and the expected target is performed real time so that the users at each level of hierarchy in the department can be informed whether they are working in the right direction or not, i.e., whether their progress meets the expectations or not. In an implementation, the value of a performance parameter may be compared with various targets, such as an expected target set by the organization or a benchmark value set for the performance parameter. For example, the user device 106 may request the system 102 to project a comparison of revenue generated for a reporting period, like a quarter or month against the work hours spent by employees of the organization, or a department, or a team within the department for that reporting period. The parameter analysis module 216 may then generate and provide the analysis data 222 projecting the comparison to the user device 106. In one implementation, the parameter analysis module 216 may generate and provide the analysis data 222 in the form of reports and graphs. In this way, the user can monitor the performance of his department and accordingly, take corrective measures. 100551 Further, the parameter analysis module 216 may provide a graphical representation of the analysis data 222 in the form of various colour bands with each band representing a range of the values of the parameters. For example, the analysis data 222 may be provided in the form of three colour bands, red, amber, and green, with each ban representing a range of the values of the parameters. If the values of the parameters exceed the range set for a band, say the red band, a first type of alert may be provided to the users. Similarly, when the values of the parameters exceed the range set for the amber band and the green band, a second type and a third type of alert, respectively, may be provided to the users. The range for the colour bands, in one implementation, may be set by the users at the supervisory levels, say a team lead of a team or a manager of a department, for the dashboards of all the employees within the team or the department. For example, the green band may indicate that the performance of the organization is satisfactory. Similarly, the red 19 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) band may indicate that the performance is not satisfactory and an action needs to be taken immediately. The amber band may indicate that the performance of the organization is between satisfactory and not satisfactory and the supervisor may need to confirm whether any action needs to be taken. Further, the supervisors may be required to report corrective and preventive actions that need to be taken for parameters in red and amber bands. The measures may be cascaded to the above levels real-time for validation and further monitoring. 100561 Further, the analysis data 222 may also include reports and graphs projecting predicted future values of the parameters. In one embodiment, the parameter analysis module 216 may interpolate perspective performance parameters, i.e., project the future values on the basis of past and current values of the parameters, using statistical algorithm, for example, using a method of standard deviation. In one implementation, the parameter analysis module 216 may also generate the analysis data 222 comparing the past and current values of the parameters with future predictions of the value. This may help the user to monitor whether the set targets could be achieved if the organization continues with the current trend of performance or does the organization needs to take any corrective measures. 100571 The parameter analysis module 216 may also generate the analysis data 222 comparing the past and current values of the parameters to see how the organization has progressed. The system 102 is configured to generate past performance trends at a defined frequency of monitoring, say every month, quarter, or year to analyze how a particular level and the levels below have performed over a period of time. This may help the subordinates to determine how they and their sub-ordinates have performed in the past and accordingly define further course of action. 10058] In addition, the users may also request the system 102 to generate a graph comparing two parameters that are proportionally related to each other. For example, the system 102 may compare a lag parameter, say revenue whose value should be proportional to a lead parameter, say full time employees (FTE). The system may compare the lead and the lag parameters to determine whether FTE employed by the organization are generating the required revenue, i.e., whether the lag parameter is proportional to the lead measure or not. Based on the comparison, the supervisors may or may not take measures to improve the lead parameter to achieve the desired value of the lag parameter. In the said example, if the FTEs 20 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) are constantly increasing in the organization but the revenue remains same; then the supervisor may recognize that this is a problem area and a corrective measure need to be taken. 100591 In an implementation, the system 102 is configured to provide the parameters even when the user device 106 is in an offline mode, i.e., when the user device 106 is not connected to the system 102 through the network 108. For this, the system 102 may store the parameters at the user device 106, in a data storage medium. The values of the parameters stored at the user device 106 are updated whenever the user device 106 is connected to the system 102. The user device 106 may be synchronized with the system 102 when it is connected to the network 108 and a snapshot of the graph displaying the analysis data 222 is automatically stored in the user device 106 once it is synchronized with the system 102. The snapshot may then be persistently available on the user device 106 even when the system 102 is offline. 100601 Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary method 300 for performance monitoring, according to the present subject matter. The exemplary method 300 may be described in the general context of computer executable instructions. The method 300 may be a computer implementable method. Generally, computer executable instructions can include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules, functions, and the like that perform particular functions or implement particular abstract data types. The method may also be practiced in a distributed computing environment where functions are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communication network. In a distributed computing environment, computer executable instructions may be located in both local and remote computer storage media, including memory storage devices. [00611 The order in which the method is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order to implement the method, or an alternate method. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the method without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the method can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof. 100621 In accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter, the method 300 may be implemented in the previously described system 102. However, it will be appreciated 21 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) by one skilled in the art that such an implementation is not limiting. The method 300 may be implemented in a variety of systems such as performance monitoring systems and the like. 100631 At block 302, input data containing files having performance data are received by a performance monitoring system, such as the system 102 from one or more varied sources of an organization. In one embodiment, the input data is extracted from the varied sources, such as emails and websites and processed, for example, by the system 102 to obtain the files having the performance data. In one embodiment, the files which are received in the form of archives are first extracted from the archive. Further, if required, conversion of files to a format which can be processed, for example, by the data extraction module 214 is also carried out. 100641 At block 304, the input data is processed to extract a performance data. The performance data can be stored in a database, for example the other data 226. In one embodiment, the files are processed, for example, by the data extraction module 214 to obtain the performance data. In one embodiment, the files are processed by every time a new data is to be stored and a checking for a duplicate entry is carried out. The files that are not required after being processed may be deleted. 100651 At block 306, the parameters are determined. In an implementation, the parameters are determined by a parameter analysis module, for example, the parameter analysis module 216, based on the performance data. The parameter analysis module 216 analyses the performance data and applies preset parameter rules to calculate values of the parameters and saves the values in the parameter data 224. In addition to determining the value of various parameters at a level, the parameter analysis module 216 applies the preset parameter rules to the parameters determined at a lower level to determine the parameters at a higher level. 100661 At block 308, the parameters and their values are provided to users at user devices, for example, the user devices 106. In an implementation, the values of the parameters are displayed at the user devices 106 on a desktop dashboard, which is a graphical user interface (GUI) application, for example, a desktop gadget. In one embodiment, only a set of parameters subscribed by the user is provided at the user device 106 has. The system 102 may provide graphs and reports depicting various analyses of the parameters. For 22 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) example, the system 102 may provide graphs and reports depicting comparison of the values and the set targets or projecting future trends of the parameters. 100671 Although embodiments for a performance monitoring system have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methods, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to the specific features or methods described. Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed as exemplary implementations for the performance monitoring system. 23 P010878_Speci (5577878v1)

Claims

1. A performance monitoring system comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising, a parameter analysis module configured to determine a plurality of performance parameters based at least in part on preset parameter rules, wherein: each of the plurality of performance parameters indicates the performance of an organization at a hierarchical level of the organization, and the preset parameter rules link a performance parameter, from among the plurality of performance parameters, defined for one hierarchical level of the organization to the performance parameter defined for another hierarchical level of the organization; and a user interaction module configured to provide at least one performance parameter from among the plurality of performance parameters based on a subscription to the at least one performance parameter.

2. The performance monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameter analysis module is configured to determine the plurality of performance parameters based at least in part on performance data.

3. The performance monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user interaction module is configured to create a profile based on a registration request, and wherein the user interaction module is configured to select the at least one performance parameter based at least in part on the profile.

4. The performance monitoring system as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a data extraction module configured to receive the performance data from at least one employee device.

5. The performance monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameter analysis module is configured to analyze the plurality of performance parameters for generating analysis data. 24 P010878_Speci (5577878v1)

6. The performance monitoring system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the analysis data is generated in the form of graphs and charts.

7. The performance monitoring system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the analysis data is provided in the form of a plurality of color bands, and wherein each of the plurality of color bands corresponds to a range of the values of the plurality of performance parameters.

8. The performance monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameter analysis module is configured to analyze the plurality of performance parameters for generating an analysis data, and wherein the analysis data includes perspective performance parameters.

9. The performance monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameter analysis module is configured to link the plurality of performance parameters such that the performance parameter for the one hierarchical level is based on the performance of at least one team working at the one hierarchical level and at least one team working at the another hierarchical level, and wherein the another hierarchical level is below the one hierarchical level.

10. The performance monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user interaction module is configured to provide the values of the at least one performance parameter to at least one user device in the form of really simple syndication (RSS) feeds.

11. A computer implemented method for performance monitoring comprising: processing input data to extract performance data; applying preset parameter rules on the performance data for determining a plurality of performance parameters, wherein each of the plurality of performance parameters indicates the performance of an organization at a hierarchical level of the organization, and wherein the preset parameter rules link a performance parameter, from among the plurality of performance parameters, defined for one hierarchical level of the organization to the performance parameter defined for another hierarchical level of the organization; interpolating perspective values of the plurality of performance parameters, based on current and past values of the plurality of performance parameters; and 25 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) providing a comparison between values of the plurality of performance parameters and the perspective values.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the applying comprises: generating at least one performance parameter for each level of hierarchy in the organization; and linking the plurality of performance parameters such that the performance parameter for the one hierarchical level is based on the performance of at least one team working at the one hierarchical level and at least one team working at the another hierarchical level, and wherein the another hierarchical level is below the one hierarchical level.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising providing a set of performance parameters from among the plurality of performance parameters, based on a subscription to the set of performance parameters.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the set of performance parameters are provided at predetermined time intervals.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the providing further comprises a comparison between values of the performance parameters and expected target values.

16. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions which when executed, implement a method comprising: processing input data to extract performance data; applying preset parameter rules on the performance data for determining a plurality of performance parameters, wherein each of the plurality of performance parameters indicates the performance of an organization at a hierarchical level of the organization, and wherein the preset parameter rules link a performance parameter, from among the plurality of performance parameters, defined for one hierarchical level of the organization to the performance parameter defined for another hierarchical level of the organization; interpolating perspective values of the plurality of performance parameters, based on current and past values of the plurality of performance parameters; and 26 P010878_Speci (5577878v1) providing a comparison between values of the plurality of performance parameters and the perspective values.

17. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 16, wherein the applying comprises: generating at least one performance parameter for each level of hierarchy in the organization; and linking the plurality of performance parameters such that the performance parameter for the one hierarchical level is based on the performance of at least one team working at the one hierarchical level and at least one team working at the another hierarchical level, and wherein the another hierarchical level is below the one hierarchical level.

18. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 16, further comprising providing a set of performance parameters from among the plurality of performance parameters, based on a subscription to the set of performance parameters.

19. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 18, wherein the set of performance parameters are provided at predetermined time intervals.

20. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 16, wherein the providing further comprises a comparison between values of the performance parameters and expected target values. DATED this 8th Day of September 2011 TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES LIMITED Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON&FERGUSON 27 P010878_Speci (5577878v1)