Abstract: The substitution of employees in a service engagement is a computer based method designed to consider a set of attributes that describe the resource capabilities required for delivering a services engagement and identify the actual real-world human assets that can be substituted and/or matched to these attributes. The method will produce an allocation plan that provides the set of permissible substitutes for a given resource demand, given a set of allowable substitute resources for a particular resource attribute, and substitution and matching rules for the given resource demand. A set of metrics is created that identify which substitutions are best relative to the ideal match of resources to the demand.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for allocating human resources to tasks using constraint satisfaction programming, where fictitious persons are used to satisfy required constraints, to ensure that the solution process continues until a solution is found, and capability constraints and job constraints are relaxed until a solution is found. Tasks using fictitious persons are identified, and information about task capability requirements not met and capabilities of unallocated human resources are displayed so that constraints may be relaxed and fictitious persons removed. There is provision for handling multi-task jobs where if a fictitious person is assigned to any task then all tasks will be assigned a fictitious person.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for optimizing a sourcing strategy for potential services offerings of large, multinational services organizations. This optimization method considers existing capabilities, resource skills, locations of the resources, costs of the resources, desired profit margins and other strategic sourcing policies to produce an optimized service offering staffing plan.

Abstract: A method for invoking an arbitrary sorting technique in a type-safe way. In one aspect, the method comprises the steps of providing a hierarchical schedule class comprising a schedule float subclass and a sorting schedule float subclass, subsumed by the schedule float subclass. The sorting schedule float subclass, in turn, comprises a schedule attribute class; a filter class; and a pair compare class. The method further includes using the hierarchical schedule class with each of an independent group consisting of a schedule attribute strategy, a filter strategy and a pair compare class strategy.

Abstract: A tool including a framework suitable for manufacturing logistics decision support. The tool comprises means for providing an object-oriented technology framework, the framework comprising: means for defining objects representing manufacturing logistics problems; means for transforming a subject of the above objects into representations commonly used in a mathematical solver, wherein the representations in the solver have predefined relationships based on their properties; and, means responsive to selective changes in the objects for modifying the behavior of the framework for developing anew manufacturing logistics decision support application.

Abstract: The invention discloses an apparatus for conveying higher dimensional tabular information to people using a lower dimensional output device. The apparatus is such that original information in the higher dimensional expression can be mapped to the lower dimensional output device, while preserving invariant a content and relationship of the original information.