Michael Scott Carr

US Patent:

20070050238, Mar 1, 2007

Filed:

Sep 1, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/218409

Inventors:

Michael Carr - Dallas TX, US
Sidney Morgan - Jacksonville FL, US
Tina Cummings - Jacksonville FL, US
Joel Spurling - Jacksonville FL, US

International Classification:

G06F 11/34

US Classification:

705011000

Abstract:

An interactive computer-implemented apparatus and method for capturing and monitoring performance in a call center, and for promoting competition in productivity and quality metrics among employees comprising: a relational database, for use by all employees in the call center, comprising a competencies module defining competency requirements for each job in the call center, an individual employee development plan module linked to the competencies module a performance appraisal module for automatically calculating an overall performance rating for each employee, and a query and reporting facility, a database of employee demographic information, functional knowledge database comprising pre-defined employee functional knowledge elements required across all job codes of the call center organization; a competencies database comprising the organization's pre-defined employee competencies, the competencies linked to strategic goals of the call center organization, each competency assigned one or more proficiency levels, each proficiency level comprising one or pre-defined milestones, each job code assigned a targeted competency proficiency level; a development plan database for capture of employee-inputted development goals for one or more competencies, development goals selected from milestones per the competencies database, the selected development goals reviewed by a supervisor; a performance appraisal database for capture of the employee's supervisor-inputted performance ratings for a specified period, the performance ratings comprising distinct components of quality, productivity, and behavior, the behavior component further comprising a development rating, the development rating based on the employee's attainment of one or more employee's development goals per the development plan database, the rating for each component assigned a weight, the weight being a percentage of the maximum merit increase rate, the overall performance rating being the sum of the performance ratings for each component, the overall performance rating used to calculate the employee's merit increase, a periodic performance review database for capture of supervisor-inputted information from periodic performance reviews held with an employee, and a reports facility comprising instructions enabling administrators, employees, and supervisors to query one or more databases, the reports facility generating viewable and printable reports on-demand.

US Patent:

20130062160, Mar 14, 2013

Filed:

Sep 14, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/232329

Inventors:

Jeffrey J. Steinbach - Eagle WI, US
Robert G. Lyon - Bluffdale UT, US
Paul K. Gines - Kaysville UT, US
Michael G. Thomas - Layton UT, US
Ardalan Noordeh - Pewaukee WI, US
Michael Carr - Alexandria KY, US
Gabriel E. Kahl - Florence KY, US
Michael C. Anderson - Watertown WI, US

International Classification:

B65G 47/52

US Classification:

19837003, 198617

Abstract:

An article-handling system and method of handling articles with article trays having a support surface and a plurality of generally parallel grooves in said support surface includes loading articles on trays with an article-traying subsystem and unloading articles from trays with an article-detraying subsystem. The article-traying subsystem has a tray conveyor and a loading article conveyor. The loading article conveyor has a plurality of fingers adapted to fit within the grooves of a tray traveling on the tray conveyor at the article conveyor. An article is transferred to the tray support surface with the loading article conveyor. The article-detraying subsystem has a trayed article conveyor and an unloading article conveyor. The unloading article conveyor has a plurality of fingers adapted to fit within the grooves of the tray of a trayed article traveling on the trayed article conveyor at the unloading article conveyor. An article is removed from the tray support surface with the unloading article conveyor.