Method and apparatus for real time automated intelligent self-scheduling

A method for allowing staff members to submit schedule modification requests using a schedule modification interface which indicates requests which would be automatically accepted, wherein the method is performed for a staff member after a schedule for the staff member is generated, the schedule for the staff member comprising a time span covering a plurality of future time periods, being generated based on demand information from a workforce management system comprising, for each future time period from the plurality of future time periods, a projection of demand for work by the staff member during that future time period, and the plurality of future time periods comprising a set of scheduled time periods during which the staff member is contractually obligated to perform tasks for an employer, the method comprising a set of tasks performed by a computer, the set of tasks comprising:

• a) after the schedule is generated and after a schedule modification interface request is received from a remote computing device associated with the staff member, the computer identifying one or more selectable activities for the staff member, wherein:
• i) for each of the identified one or more selectable activities there is a set of one or more available time periods during which that selectable activity is available for the staff member;
• and
• ii) the computer identifies the one or more selectable activities by performing acts comprising:
• A) determining which rules from a set of rules specified by the employer for evaluating potential schedule changes should be applied to evaluate contemporaneous schedule modification requests from the staff member;
• and
• B) applying the rules determined for evaluating contemporaneous schedule modification requests from the staff member with information corresponding to parameters specified in the rules using a rules engine;
• b) generating, in response to the schedule modification interface request, a set of data operable to configure the remote computing device associated with the staff member to present the schedule modification interface, wherein the schedule modification interface:
• i) comprises a grid comprising slots corresponding to two or more periods from the plurality of future time periods;
• ii) indicates:
• A) for each period from the two or more periods having corresponding slots in the grid, whether that period is comprised by the set of scheduled time periods;
• B) each of the identified one or more selectable activities having an available time period comprised by the two or more periods having corresponding slots in the grid and no other selectable activities;
• iii) is operable by the staff member to generate a schedule change request based on manipulation of one or more slots comprised by the grid;
• c) receiving, via the schedule modification interface, the schedule change request, wherein the schedule change request requests that a selectable activity from the identified one or more selectable activities be added to the schedule for the staff member during a time period from the set of available time periods for that selectable activity;
• d) based on receiving the schedule change request and by executing a set of instructions stored in a memory using a processor:
• i) automatically adding, to the schedule for the staff member, the selectable activity requested in the schedule change request during the time period requested for that selectable activity in the schedule change request;
• and
• ii) updating staff data used by the workforce management system to create staffing level projections to include the staff member to whose schedule the selectable activity requested in the schedule change request is automatically added performing the selectable activity during the period requested for the selectable activity in the schedule change request;
• wherein the computer is configured with instructions operable to cause it to, between receiving the schedule modification interface request and the schedule change request:
• A) obtain updated information corresponding to parameters in the rules specified by the employer for evaluating potential schedule changes;
• B) repeat the step of identifying one or more selectable activities for the staff member using the then most recent information corresponding to the parameters in the rules specified by the employer for evaluating potential schedule changes;
• and
• C) selectively, based on concurrency controls and the then most recent information corresponding to the parameters in the rules specified by the employer for evaluating potential schedule changes, send interface update data to the remote computing device associated with the staff member, the interface update data operable to update the schedule modification interface to indicate the one or more selectable activities most recently identified by the computer.