Method, apparatus and article for project management

• US 20020082895A1
• Filed: 12/22/2000
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Paul S. Dimascio, Phyllis R. Budka, Polly Ann Van Nostrand
• Original Assignee: Paul S. Dimascio, Phyllis R. Budka, Polly Ann Van Nostrand
• Inventors: Van Nostrand, Polly Ann, DiMascio, Paul S., Budka, Phyllis R.
• Application Number:
  US09/747,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20020082895A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations

Abstract

A project tracking system includes a user interface includes a project window, a request window, and a task window, categorizing project related information, request related information and task related information, respectively. The project window is formatted to display project level information, a funding summary and a request list. The request window is formatted to display request level information and a list of user selectable tasks. The task window can be formatted to display task level information and a list of invoices. The system can determine if a user has authority to modify project level, request level, or task level information before allowing the user to modify such information in a number of fields in the corresponding project, request and task windows. Each of the project, request, and task windows can be a different appearance, such as a different color background.

Claims

1. A data structure for an automated project tracking system, the data structure residing in a computer readable memory and comprising:

a project window comprising a project identification field formatted to receive and display a project identifier and a project status field formatted to receive and display a project status;

a request window comprising a request identification field formatted to receive and display a request identifier and a request status field formatted to receive and display a request status; and

a task window comprising a task identification field formatted to receive and display a task identifier and a task status field formatted to receive and display a task status.

2. The data structure of claim 1 wherein the project window further comprises a request list, comprising:

a request identification field formatted to display a request identifier for each of a number of requests for a project; and

a request status field formatted to display a request status for each of the number of requests for the project.

3. The data structure of claim 1 wherein the request window further comprises a task list, comprising:

a task identification field formatted to display a task identifier for each of a number of tasks for a request for a project; and

a task status field formatted to display task status for each of the number of tasks for the request for the project.

4. The data structure of claim 1 wherein the task window further comprises an invoice list, comprising:

an invoice identification field formatted to display an invoice identifier for each of a number of invoices for a task; and

an invoice amount field formatted to display an invoiced amount for each of the number of tasks.

5. The data structure of claim 1 wherein the task window further comprises:

a committed amount field formatted to automatically display a cumulative total of amounts committed to a project;

an invoiced amount field formatted to automatically display a cumulative total of amounts invoiced to the project; and

a balance amount field formatted to automatically display a difference between the cumulative total of amounts committed to the project and the cumulative total of amounts invoiced to the project.

6. The data structure of claim 1 wherein the project window further comprises a funding source list, comprising:

a funding source identification field formatted to display a funding source identifier for each of a number of funding sources for a project; and

a funding amount field formatted to display a funding amount for each of the number of funding sources for the project.

7. The data structure of claim 1 wherein the request window further comprises a request list, comprising:

a request identification field formatted to display a request identifier for each of a number of requests for a project; and

a request status field formatted to display a request status for each of the number of requests for the project.

8. A display device for displaying a visual representation of a data structure stored in memory, the visual representation comprising:

a project window formatted to display project level identification information including a project identifier;

a request window formatted to display request level identification information including a request identifier; and

a task window formatted to display task level identification information including a task identifier.

9. The display device of claim 8 wherein the project window is further formatted to display:

a funding summary including an identification and an amount of each of a number of funding sources for a project; and

a request list including an identification and a status of each of a number of requests for the project.

10. The display device of claim 8 wherein the request window is further formatted to display:

a request list including an identification and a status of each of a number of requests for a project; and

a task list including an identification and a status of each of a number of tasks for a request.

11. The display device of claim 8 wherein the task window comprises:

a task list including an identification and a status of each of a number of tasks for a request; and

an invoice list including an identification and an amount of each of a number of invoices for a task.

12. The display device of claim 8 wherein the project window is further formatted to display:

a funding summary including an identification and an amount of each of a number of funding sources for a project; and

a request list including an identification and a status of each of a number of requests for the project,

the request window is further formatted to display;

the request list including the identification and the status of each of the number of requests for the project; and

a task list including an identification and a status of each of a number of tasks for the request, and

the task window comprises;

the task list including the identification and the status of each of the number of tasks for the request; and

an invoice list including an identification and an amount of each of a number of invoices for a task.

13. The display device of claim 8 wherein the visual representation of the project widow is in a first color, the visual representation of the request window is in a second color and the visual representation of the task window is in a third color.

14. The display device of claim 8 wherein only one of the project window, the request window and the task window is displayed at a time.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a request by a user to enter information a particular project;

determining if a user has authority to enter information for the particular project;

entering the information if the user has authority to enter information for the particular project; and

refusing to enter the information if the user does not have authority to enter information for the particular project.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a request by a user to modify information a particular project;

determining if a user has authority to modify information for the particular project;

entering the information if the user has authority to modify information for the particular project; and

refusing to enter the information if the user does not have authority to modify information for the particular project.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

automatically generating a form letter in response to a user input; and

automatically populating fields in the form letter with request level information and task level information for the selected request and the selected task.

15. A method in a data processing system of project management, comprising:

presenting a project window at a first time in response to a user request for project level information for a project, the project window comprising project level information related to the requested project and a list of user-selectable requests for the requested project;

presenting a request window at a second time in response to a user selection at the project window of one of a number of the requests in the list of user-selectable requests;

the request window comprising request level information related to the selected request and a list of user-selectable tasks for the selected request; and

presenting a task window at a third time in response to a user selection at the request window of one of the number of tasks in the list of user-selectable tasks, the task window comprising task level information related to the selected task and a list of invoices for the user selected task.

19. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computer system to present project management information by:

presenting a project window at a first time in response to a user request for project level information for a project, the project window comprising project level information related to the requested project and a list of user-selectable requests for the requested project;

presenting a request window at a second time in response to a user selection at the project window of one of a number of the requests in the list of user-selectable requests;

the request window comprising request level information related to the selected request and a list of user-selectable tasks for the selected request; and

presenting a task window at a third time in response to a user selection at the request window of one of the number of tasks in the list of user-selectable tasks, the task window comprising task level information related to the selected task and a list of invoices for the user selected task.