Business intelligence monitor method and system

• US 20030004742A1
• Filed: 02/19/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Alder, Mark, Miler, Grant, Bailey, Charles, Pollard, Stephen, Pignon, Dean, Palmer, Simon James, Craig, Michael John
• Granted Patent: US 7,349,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a business intelligence monitor method and system. The method, leveraging the functionality of an existing business information-reporting infrastructure, includes the step of authoring a monitor document derived from a determined methodology by creating one or more intelligence indicators, establishing thresholds for the one or more created intelligence indicators and selecting status definitions for the established thresholds. The method further includes the step of building a report guided by the authored monitor document by retrieving data from a data source for each of the one or more intelligence indicator, assigning statuses to each of the one or more intelligence indicators based on the retrieved data and generating a report incorporating one or more intelligence indicators, retrieved data and assigned statuses. The method further includes the step of publishing the built report by parsing one or more selected instruction templates to obtain publishing instructions and publishing predicated on the obtained publishing instructions.

Claims

1. A business intelligence monitor method, leveraging the functionality of an existing business information-reporting infrastructure, the method comprising the steps of:

(i) authoring a monitor document derived from a determined methodology by;

a) creating one or more intelligence indicators;

b) establishing thresholds for the one or more created intelligence indicators; and

c) selecting status definitions for the established thresholds;

(ii) building a report guided by the authored monitor document by;

a) retrieving data from a data source for each of the one or more intelligence indicator;

b) assigning statuses to each of the one or more intelligence indicators based on the retrieved data; and

c) generating a report incorporating one or more intelligence indicators, retrieved data and assigned statuses; and

(iii) publishing the built report by;

a) parsing one or more selected instruction templates to obtain publishing instructions; and

b) publishing predicated on the obtained publishing instructions.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(i) formulating one or more roll-up rules predicated on a determined methodology, and

(ii) applying the formulated one or more formulated roll-up rules to a plurality of intelligence indicators to establish intelligence indicator relationship.

3. The method according to claim 1, further including one or more feedback elements to enable external input.

4. The method according to claim 1, further including one or more underlying data access elements to access foundational data.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the authoring step is automated to facilitate one or more manual tasks.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein one or more intelligence indicators can be weighted predicated on user-defined importance.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein intelligence indicators can be grouped together to form an intelligence indicator group.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein an intelligence indicator group can contain one or more other intelligence indicator groups.

9. The method according to claim 1, further including enabling access to a plurality of existing business information-reporting infrastructures.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the enabled access further includes access to two or more disparate reporting infrastructures.

11. A business intelligence monitor system, leveraging the functionality of an existing business information-reporting infrastructure, the system comprising:

an administrator for authoring a monitor document derived from a determined methodology, the administrator including;

an intelligence indicator creator for creating one or more intelligence indicators;

a threshold establisher for establishing indicator thresholds; and

a status definition selector for selecting threshold status definitions; and

a builder for building a report guided by the monitor document, the builder including;

a data retriever for retrieving data from a data source for each intelligence indicator;

a status assignor for assigning statuses to each intelligence indicator based on retrieved data;

a report generator for generating a report incorporating intelligence indicators, retrieved data and assigned statuses; and

a publisher for parsing one or more selected instruction templates to obtain instructions to publish the built report.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

(i) means for formulating one or more roll-up rules predicated on a determined methodology, and

(ii) means for applying the one or more formulated roll-up rules to a plurality of intelligence indicators to establish intelligence indicator relationship.

13. The system according to claim 11, further including one or more feedback elements to enable external input.

14. The system according to claim 11, further including one or more underlying data access elements to access foundational data.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein authoring is automated to facilitate one or more manual tasks.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein one or more intelligence indicators can be weighted predicated on user-defined importance.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein intelligence indicators can be grouped together to form an intelligence indicator group.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein an intelligence indicator group can contain one or more other intelligence indicator groups.

19. The system according to claim 11, further including enabling access to a plurality of existing business information-reporting infrastructures.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the enabled access further includes access to two or more disparate reporting infrastructures.

21. A business intelligence monitor system, leveraging the functionality of an existing business information-reporting infrastructure, the system comprising:

means for authoring a monitor document derived from a determined methodology including;

means for creating one or more intelligence indicators;

means for establishing thresholds for the one or more created intelligence indicators; and

means for selecting status definitions for the established thresholds;

means for building a report guided by the authored monitor document including;

means for retrieving data from a data source for each of the one or more intelligence indicator;

means for assigning statuses to each of the one or more intelligence indicators based on the retrieved data; and

means for generating a report having incorporating one or more intelligence indicators, retrieved data and assigned statuses; and

means for publishing the built report including;

means for parsing one or more selected instruction templates to obtain publishing instructions; and

means for publishing predicated on the obtained publishing instructions.

22. The system according to claim 21, further comprising:

means for formulating one or more roll-up rules predicated on a determined methodology, and

means for applying the one or more formulated roll-up rules to a plurality of intelligence indicators to establish intelligence indicator relationship.

23. The system according to claim 21, further including one or more feedback elements to enable external input.

24. The system according to claim 21, further including one or more underlying data access elements to access foundational data.

25. The system according to claim 21, wherein the authoring means is automated to facilitate one or more manual tasks.

26. The system according to claim 21, wherein one or more intelligence indicators can be weighted predicated on user-defined importance.

27. The system according to claim 21, wherein intelligence indicators can be grouped together to form an intelligence indicator group.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein an intelligence indicator group can contain one or more other intelligence indicator groups.

29. The system according to claim 21, further including enabling access to a plurality of existing business information-reporting infrastructures.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein the enabled access further includes access to two or more disparate reporting infrastructures.

31. A storage medium readable by a computer encoding a computer process to provide a business intelligence monitor method, leveraging the functionality of an existing business information-reporting infrastructure, the computer process comprising:

a processing portion for authoring a monitor document derived from a determined methodology including;

a processing portion for creating one or more intelligence indicators;

a processing portion for establishing thresholds for the one or more created intelligence indicators; and

a processing portion for selecting status definitions for the established thresholds;

a processing portion for building a report guided by the authored monitor document including;

a processing portion for retrieving data from a data source for each of the one or more intelligence indicator;

a processing portion for assigning statuses to each of the one or more intelligence indicators based on the retrieved data; and

a processing portion for generating a report having incorporating one or more intelligence indicators, retrieved data and assigned statuses; and

a processing portion for publishing the built report including;

a processing portion for parsing one or more selected instruction templates to obtain publishing instructions; and

a processing portion for publishing predicated on the obtained publishing instructions.

32. The method according to claim 31, further comprising:

a processing portion for formulating one or more roll-up rules predicated on a determined methodology, and

a processing portion for applying the one or more formulated roll-up rules to a plurality of intelligence indicators to establish intelligence indicator relationship.

33. The method according to claim 31, further including one or more feedback elements to enable external input.

34. The method according to claim 31, further including one or more underlying data access elements to access foundational data.

35. The method according to claim 31, wherein authoring is automated to facilitate one or more manual tasks.

36. The method according to claim 31, wherein one or more intelligence indicators can be weighted predicated on user-defined importance.

37. The method according to claim 31, wherein intelligence indicators can be grouped together to form an intelligence indicator group.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein an intelligence indicator group can contain one or more other intelligence indicator groups.

39. The method according to claim 31, further including enabling access to a plurality of existing business information-reporting infrastructures.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the enabled access further includes access to two or more disparate reporting infrastructures.