SBIR Phase II: OptDiverse: Innovative Technology to Enhance Workforce Diversity, Capabilities, and Performance

该小企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目旨在改进算法方法并开发用于劳动力优化的原型软件，重点是多样性规划和管理。该项目预计将实现以下四个主要目标：1)进一步增强和扩展第一阶段创造的核心技术，并赋予其额外的功能，这将对市场价值和有效性有价值；2)增强外部通信——软件必须与用户和数据库系统进行有效的通信。在第一阶段，建立了基本的通信。在第二阶段，该系统将大大加强，以便更有效地使用；3)将软件开发为服务架构——为了最大程度地渗透市场，软件将通过网络部署。系统架构将被重新设计以适应这一需求；4)进行alpha测试——内部和外部测试对于发布高质量的产品至关重要。第二阶段的研究将加强产品的技术方面，同时大大改善其使用的便利性，生产一个准备进入市场的系统。软件系统预期的商业应用程序首先是增强劳动力多样性计划的性能，然后演变为支持整个劳动力的优化。预计该技术将对更广泛地将代表性不足的人才纳入劳动力队伍产生重大影响。我们还期望该技术能够通过在招聘和保留所有员工方面做出更好的决策，从而提高组织绩效。该软件将允许组织在政策、程序、计划以及其他因素（如实践和补偿）之间建模和模拟关键模式。本研究的影响包括：1)设计一种更有效的方法（模拟/优化）来进行多样性规划和劳动力优化，提高劳动力多样性、能力和绩效；2)支持重大的社会和经济倡议；3)成为吸引投资的吸引力，因为它显著增加了回报，并将多样性和劳动力规划的风险降至最低；4)增加人力资源管理和决策科学的知识体系，这些知识可以用来进行更多的研究和发展。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project seeks to refine an algorithmic approach and develop prototype software for workforce optimization with a focus on diversity planning and management. This project is expected to achieve the following four major objectives: 1) further enhance and extend the core technology created during Phase I and endow it with added capabilities that will be valuable for marketability as well as effectiveness; 2) enhance external communications - the software must communicate effectively with the user and database systems. In Phase I, rudimentary communications were established. During Phase II, the system will be greatly enhanced to allow for more effective use; 3) develop software as a service architecture - for greatest market penetration, the software will be deployed via the web. The system architecture will be redesigned to accommodate this requirement; and 4) perform alpha-testing - internal and external testing is critical to releasing a high-quality product. The Phase II research will strengthen the technical aspects of the product while significantly improving its ease of use, producing a system ready to enter the market.The commercial applications anticipated for the software system are to first enhance the performance of workforce diversity planning and then evolve to supporting the optimization of the entire workforce. The technology is expected to have a significant impact on the broader inclusion of under-represented talent in the workforce. We also expect the technology to lead to improved organizational performance by enabling better decisions in recruitment and retention of all employees. The software will permit an organization to model and simulate critical patterns between policies, programs, initiatives, as well as other factors such as practices and compensation. The impacts of this research include the potential to: 1) design a more effective approach (simulation/optimization) to diversity planning and workforce optimization, increase workforce diversity, capabilities, and performance; 2) support a significant social and economic initiative; 3) become appealing to attract investments as it significantly increases return and minimizes risk in diversity and workforce planning; 4) add to the body of knowledge in human resource management and decision sciences that may be leveraged to permit additional research and development.