DE10349735A1 - Computerized appointment management system combines notes fields relating to particular persons, e.g. for available visiting times, with personal data to optimize a visiting sequence and output an easy-to-understand summary - Google Patents

Abstract

Data management system for optimizing visiting sequences using a personal data memory for recording and making available personal data (16), such as names, address and job, and a notes memory (14) for recording and making available notes (22) relating to particular persons. A multiplicity of appointment windows (26) is made available based on a combination of the personal data and the note data. The appointment or visit windows are output in a graphical summary.

Description

The The invention relates to a data management system for optimizing Visit sequences according to the preamble of claim 1.

One known system provides a list of addresses in which all Customers are included. Sorted to determine the visit sequence the representative in a first step the customer data e.g. geographically and by profession. The partial lists thus obtained give the Representatives an overview of relevant Customers for a visit sequence. In a second step, the representative looks for on the basis of the partial list, the customers and asks for a conversation or a visit.

adversely In this system is that the representative on the basis of the partial lists individual visits can not coordinate and thus time-consuming Waiting times at the customer result.

A well-known data management system is in the DE 199 03 548 C2 shown. The system serves on the one hand to avoid scheduling conflicts and on the other hand to select the optimal means of transport and routes. In this regard, it has an appointment memory and a transport-and-way memory, which communicate with each other via a control unit. To determine a visit sequence, travel data such as location and time are entered in the main, and the system determines the visit sequence from these and from the stored appointment and traffic data. For appointment collisions, the representative can intervene on a priority-setting basis.

adversely On the known system is that the dates basically in Apron be agreed and this subsequently in the system for determination the optimal visit sequence are entered and only then eventual Collisions are determined. That Spontaneous visits can not be considered become. Furthermore, it is disadvantageous that the known system is very Complex and it is built by taking into account the means of transport and ways of a permanent intensive data maintenance is required. There is also a short-term change the sequence of visits is difficult there basically a complete visit sequence including the ones to choose Transportation and routes is created.

task The invention is a data management system for visiting sequences to create that easy to handle as well as a quick overview of one possible Visit sequence allows to generate the greatest possible flexibility and thereby increase efficiency.

These Task is solved by a data management system having the features of the claim 1.

The Data management system has a personal data storage and a Notebook memory. In the personal data memory, e.g. the names the customers to be visited, their addresses, as well as their occupations and personal notes in Notepad. According to the invention is a Time field provided in which a large number of visitor windows in dependence composed of the personal data and / or the notes in such a way be that results in a matrix-like structure, from the one flexible visit sequence is graphically derivable.

Advantageous at the solution according to the invention, that textual data from the personal data and the note memory are translated into graphic images and these in a single Matrix temporally opposed become. Thus it is possible, fast a graphical overview of possible visit times and to obtain dates and by appropriate stringing together in advance to combine, so that through this optimized visit sequence the customer visits are made efficient and the waiting times be avoided by the customers. Also, the business relationship between the representative and the customer improved, because also representable is which customer asks for a prior appointment.

simultaneously The representative can make changes respond flexibly to the visit, as he can see at a glance on his graphic compilation recognizes which customer in principle to which Times visits receive and, for example, by a geographic sorting by postal code Recognizes which customer is in geographical proximity, so that on the one hand can quickly make up a date with the customer, and on the other hand, the freed up time with a replacement visit to one other customers who are in close proximity.

at an embodiment The compilation of data is created by days. These can turn be divided into units of time a 15 or 30 minutes. While are even smaller time units conceivable, but these can to a certain complexity to lead.

The clarity is particularly high when the graphic representation is colored and / or provided with different patterns and the colors or patterns according to individual criteria, such as address, occupation, specialty and visitability, subdivide. The quick overview is of particular importance in that it is common The day before only a rough planning is possible, the exact visit sequence turns out only during the actual visit day.

It is advantageous if the personal data is compiled according to the addresses are. Furthermore, it is advantageous if the personal data in a subsequent step are structured according to the subjects, so that the agent concentrates on a field of study one day Serve profession and prepare accordingly.

Under the personal data in the memo pad will be at a embodiment the preferred visiting days incl. times, special events, special wishes of the customer, and the like understood.

Preferably A visitor vitality store is provided in which the customers are stored in classes according to their importance. The classes the representative can determine himself, for example in sales figures oriented.

When sorting options are e.g. the address, the profession, the field of study, the importance of the visit, preferred visit times, periods or an alabetic criterion. The individual can options be combined with each other as desired.

Preferably the data are stored electronically and the representative prints day by day to visit his customers. Especially advantageous an electronic system construction is that then a Data exchange with other systems, e.g. a static evaluation system over visiting frequencies, a business system via sales figures, done can, as well as the data maintenance is facilitated.

preferably, serves the data management system for pharmaceutical representatives to determine the optimal visits to doctors, Pharmacists and hospitals.

other advantageous embodiments are Subject of further subclaims.

in the The following are preferred embodiments the invention explained in more detail with reference to schematic representations. It demonstrate

1 a first structure of a data management system with incorporated data, and

2 a second structure with the data from 1

1 shows a preferred embodiment of the data management system according to the invention 2 for the determination of an optimal visit sequence, in particular of pharmaceutical representatives at doctors, pharmacists and hospitals.

The data management system 2 has a table 4 to store relevant customer data that is in a memory field 6 and a time field 8th divided.

The memory field 6 is built in columns and has a personal data storage 10 , a visit vitality store 12 and a memo pad 14 on.

In the personal data store 10 are personal data 16 of customers in individual address sectors 18 stored like a list. These are primarily the name, profession, field of study, address and telephone number.

In the visit vitality store 12 Customers are in classes for their importance 38 divided and list-like in class sectors 20 stored. The classes 38 subdivide into A, B and C customers. A customers are very important to the agent, B customers are important and C customers are still worth visiting. The award of these classes 38 the representative takes on selected criteria, such as turnover.

In the notepad 14 become personal notes 22 , such as preferred visiting hours, best time to request for a visit, days off, special events such as birthdays, professional anniversaries, etc., in individual note sectors 24 saved. This note data 16 represent an essential part of the "inside knowledge" as these note data 16 can only be obtained through sufficient practice and sufficient experience. In this respect, temporary workers who temporarily and temporarily take over a customer base of a representative can also draw on the "inside knowledge" and organize their work efficiently and successfully.

The time field 8th has a matrix-like structure and is used to graphically display the data 16 . 22 from the personal data storage 10 and / or the memo pad 14 in one day. The data 16 . 22 become in individual visit windows 26 stored, the line by line the personal data 16 assigned. Columnwise are the visit windows 26 chronological time units 28 , here each one hour, assigned. Thus, it is possible to target a visit window 26 with a graphic information.

The graphic representation of the visit window 26 takes place in the illustrated embodiment via patterns 30 . 32 . 34 , but also colored elements can be chosen. Preferably, each pattern or symbol corresponds 30 . 32 . 34 . 36 or any color of a particular piece of information, so that several different information in the visit window 26 can be stored.

According to 1 indicates the circle symbol 36 the general practice times of the doctors for patients. However, these practice times do not automatically mean that the doctors then want to receive representatives. The information relevant to the representatives about visiting times or times for appointments during or outside of office hours is given by the diagonal pattern 30 , the web pattern 32 , and the parallel pattern 34 displayed. An exception Seam, in principle to his practice times (see circle symbol 36 ) also receives representatives.

The diagonal pattern 30 indicates that Dr. Bump, Dr. Plaster, dr. Hammer, Dr. Bones and dr. Mustermann prefers to receive Mondays at certain times visit. The mesh pattern 32 on the other hand, indicates that Dr. Bad and Dr. Flea so-called "Dentists" are, which lay their fixed dates in the correspondingly marked times. The parallel pattern 34 indicates to the representative that Dr. Tooth on Mondays basically does not receive a visit. The wave pattern 36 reminds the representative that Flea only available on Mondays from 1pm to 2pm for visits.

In the following, three concrete visit sequences with reference to the 1 described. The representative has printed out the doctors alphabetically for a field of study in a specific postal code area - here Bruchhausen - for the corresponding day of the week, the arrows are used only to illustrate the planning made by the representative. It should be mentioned that the representative as far as possible takes into account the visit of the doctors.

According to a first sequence - solid arrow lines - the representative looks first between 7 o'clock and 8 o'clock. Bad, because this is a "deadline doctor" and he made an appointment for this day at 7 o'clock. Afterwards, the representative will look for Dr. Bones for a visit. From 9 o'clock and 10 o'clock the representative Dr. To visit Mustermann. After visiting Dr. med. Mustermann recognizes the representative at a glance at his time field 8th that Dr. Bump in the morning from 10 o'clock to 12 o'clock and with Dr. med. Hammer from 11am to 12pm offers the opportunity to visit them. In order to avoid a time gap or a waiting time between 10 o'clock and 11 o'clock, the representative searches from 10 o'clock to 11 o'clock. Bump and then from 11 o'clock to 12 o'clock. Hammer on. After the lunch break from 12 o'clock to 13 o'clock the representative searches from 13 o'clock to 14 o'clock. Flea on, because this is also a "deadline doctor" and has agreed in advance an appointment. Finally, from 2 pm to 3 pm, the representative Dr. Gypsum and from 3 pm to 4 pm Seam to speak.

According to a first alternative sequence - dotted arrow lines - when visiting Dr. med. Mustermann has shown that this morning from 9:00 to 10:00 he has no time to receive the representative. However, he offers the representative an appointment from 10 am to 11 am Based on the time field 8th the representative recognizes that Dr. med. Bump from 9 o'clock to 10 o'clock visit receives and dr. Seam the whole day during his practice times, so that he due to the higher visitor schedule inflexibility or better Ausweichsmöglichkeiten of Dr. med. Suture alternatively Dr. Bump from 9 clock to 10 clock visits, and thus avoids a gap or interruption in his visit sequence from 9 o'clock to 10 o'clock. The following visit after the appointment with dr. Mustermann from 10 o'clock to 11 o'clock are set in this example according to the first sequence.

According to one third alternative sequence - dash-dotted Arrow lines - has following the second alternative Bump also at 9 o'clock No time, but he offers the agent an appointment of 11 Clock until 12 o'clock. Consequently, the representative decides from 9 o'clock until 10 o'clock Seam to get an idle up to his Appointment at 10 o'clock at dr. To avoid Mustermann. After the visit at Dr. Mustermann from 10 o'clock to 11 o'clock takes the representative accordingly from 11 am to 12 pm his appointment with Dr. Ing. Bump true. After Lunch break, the representative Dr. Flea from 1pm to 2pm to speak. Finally the representative is looking for from 2 pm to 3 pm Plaster and from 15 o'clock until 4 pm Hammer on.

Due to the graphical implementation and composition of the representative immediately recognizes which alternative visits result and can compile accordingly short term optimal visit success. This avoids gaps and delays between visits and collisions with fixed visits. Similarly, the compilation of the visit sequence takes much less time than conventional systems, as the representative can see at a glance which customer basically receives visits at what time. For example, he refrains from visiting Dr. med. Zahn for a visit on Monday or he refrains from visiting Dr. med. Flea without a fixed appointment outside 13 o'clock to 14 o'clock. Consequently, the representative can use the data management system according to the invention 2 arrange much more visits in a day and perceive as a representative with conventional systems. This means that the salesman increases his efficiency in several respects: on the one hand, he can compile faster and more binding suitable attendance sequences, and on the other hand, he can react extremely flexibly to spontaneous changes of fixed or free visit dates and times. The representatives of the data management system according to the invention profit from this 2 who usually spontaneously visit their customers, or their fixed visit dates are subject to frequent changes, as these representatives at a glance at the time field 8th be able to recognize and work out alternative visitor sequences immediately. Furthermore, especially as mentioned above, temporary workers and inexperienced representatives benefit from the data management system according to the invention 2 because they also have the "insider knowledge" at their disposal, with which they too can quickly and easily put together an optimal visit sequence.

According to 2 It is also conceivable, the personal data storage 10 , the visit vitality store 12 and the memo pad 14 each in rows and the time units 28 in at least one column.

In this embodiment, the personal data memories are in this embodiment 10 sorted in ascending order from the left according to the addresses, the fields of study and the preferred visiting hours. By sorting after the visit times is in the time field 8th on the one hand, a chronologically ordered chronological sequence of visits already displayed. On the other hand, the representative particularly easily recognizes which customers offer essentially the same visit times and are thus available to each other for alternative dates.

The three visit sequences correspond to the under 1 explained sequences, so that reference is made to the local sequence.

Possible sorting options of customer data 16 . 22 . 38 are address, profession, specialty, visitability, alphabetical, preferred visiting times, periods and days of the week. These sorting options can be viewed individually or combined with each other. The sorting is preferably done by the day.

in the Below, by way of example, various sorting possibilities will be exemplified clarified.

In one embodiment (cf. 1 ) In a first step, the customers in terms of their address and in a second step in terms of their profession in the people's memory 10 to sort. The addresses can again be sorted according to postal codes, postcode areas, eg Greater Munich, or into representative specific parameters, such as eg pharmaceutical representatives in regional pharmaceutical index circles (RPI circles) or RPI segments. In a third step, the profession is restricted to a specific field. Finally, the names are displayed in alphabetical order.

Subsequently, the data from the personal data storage 10 and / or the memo pad 14 into the graphically marked visit window 26 transfer. In accordance with the choice of graphic patterns or colors, the user can immediately recognize which customers of the same field of study can or should, if possible, be visited in one day or on a route.

In another embodiment, the personal data 16 sorted by their addresses in a first step, sorted according to their preferred visiting times in a second step and then translated and output graphically. Such a sorting gives the agent a very high degree of flexibility, since the customers are issued across professional and interdisciplinary channels, whereby the sorting according to the preferred visit times directly gives them a presorted optimal mailing sequence.

In another embodiment, the personal data 16 sorted by the periods. Under period is meant a period that extends over a plurality of consecutive visit times. This can divide the day into sections such as mornings and afternoons. A sorting by periods is advantageous, among other things, if the representative offers no opportunity in the morning to pay visits, because he is for example at a meeting, so that he can spend only the customers, which he can visit in the afternoon.

In another embodiment, the personal data 16 in a first step by profession and then sorted by address. This functionality is useful for determining a follow-up sequence of customers who are only active at individual sites, such as doctors in hospitals.

The data management system according to the invention 2 is preferably managed electronically, with the representative, for example, creates a daily expression with the customer according to its respective sorting. A particular advantage of electronic data management is that the data management system 2 can be connected to other electronic management, management systems or route planners and thus a data exchange between these systems is possible. Thus, it is possible, for example, to statistically evaluate the frequency of visits, sales figures or the last routes daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.

It is also conceivable, the time field 8th not to limit to one day, but to extend it over several days, such as a week cycle, so that the agent recognizes which customer offers alternative visit days and accordingly relocates customer visits to another day without efficiency gains. Likewise, the time unit 28 the visit window 26 not one hour, but they can be composed of smaller time units, such as 15 or 30 minutes.

It is of course also conceivable that the data management system according to the invention 2 to extend to other professions. Basically, it can be applied to all service providers with field service, such as insurance.

Disclosed is a data management system for optimizing visit sequences with a personal data storage and a memo storage, wherein in a time field in dependence from the data in the personal data store and / or the notebook storage be presented graphically, so that a flexible and optimized Visit sequence is deducible and thus the efficiency is crucial increases.

2

Data Management System

4

table

6

storage box

8th

time field

10

Personal data storage

12

Visit importance memory

14

notebook memory

16

personal data

18

address sector

20

class sector

22

note

24

notebook sector

26

visit window

28

time units

30

diagonal pattern

32

mesh pattern

34

parallel pattern

36

circle symbol

38

class

Claims (13)

Data management system for optimizing visit sequences with a personal data storage ( 10 ) for the collection and provision of personal data ( 16 ), such as name, address, profession, and a memo pad ( 14 ) for the collection and provision of personal notes ( 22 ), characterized by a time field ( 8th ), in which a large number of visitor windows ( 26 ) depending on the personal data ( 16 ) and / or the notes ( 22 ) are assembled in a matrix, so that from the compilation graphically a visit sequence can be derived. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the matrix-like composition can be applied after days. Data management system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the time field ( 8th ) in time units ( 28 ) of preferably 30 minutes. Data management system according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the personal data memory ( 10 ) is structured according to the addresses and / or the professional field of study. Data management system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the notes ( 22 ) in the memo store ( 14 ) are an optimal visiting day, a preferred visit time and the like. Data management system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a visit vitality memory ( 12 ), in which customers are classified according to their importance in classes ( 38 ) are stored. Data management system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein as a sorting criterion of the data ( 16 . 22 . 38 ) the address, the occupation, the field of study, the importance of the visit, an alphabetical criterion, preferred visiting times and periods are provided. The data management system of claim 7, wherein the sorting options can be combined as desired. Data management system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the data ( 16 . 22 ) are filed electronically. Data management system according to claim 9, wherein said data management system ( 2 ) is networked with other systems, such as statistical evaluation systems, GPS systems, for data exchange. Data management system according to one of the preceding Claims, the graphic composition is multicolored. Data management system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the graphical Compilation various patterns ( 30 . 32 . 34 . 36 ) having. Data management system according to one of the preceding Claims, in particular for Pharmaceutical representatives to optimize the follow-up of doctors, pharmacists and hospitals provided is.