System and method for network-based project management

• US 20040068517A1
• Filed: 10/02/2002
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Bank One Corporation (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Scott, Kelly W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,058,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A system for managing a project and its associated information over a network is presented. The system includes a project information database associated with the network and a project information management tool. The project information database stores information associated with a project being carried out by a corporate entity having at least one sub-entity. The project information management tool includes a project information module to manage the information associated with the project, and at least one cross-sub-entity project-component module. The cross-sub-entity project module manages and tracks overall information and sub-entity specific information, of the information associated with the project, related to the project-component.

Claims

1. A project management system, comprising:

a project database associated with a network, the project database storing information associated with at least one project being carried out by at least a first entity having at least one sub-entity; and

a project management tool including

a project information module to manage information associated with the at least one project, and

at least one project-component module to manage at least sub-entity specific project information, in cooperation with the project information module.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one user system connected to the network to access the project management tool over the network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the project management tool is accessible by all user systems on the network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sub-entity comprises at least one of a line of business of a corporation, a division of a corporation, a subsidiary of a corporation and a support unit of the corporation.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the project database comprises a relational database.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the project management tool is configured to interface with at least one other project management system, so that a one time entry allows a user to access the at least one other project management system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the project management tool further comprises a search module to search the project database for information requested by other modules within the project management tool to create at least one of displays and reports.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one project-component module comprises at least one or more of a home module, a project information module, a milestones module, an issues module, a change controls module, a documents module, a project status reports module, a team member status reports module, a contacts module, a management decisions module, a meetings module, an action items module, a financials module, a new items module, a search module, an archive module, a project management system coordinator module and a central project management system administrator module.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one project-component module allows each sub-entity of the first entity to produce at least one report, wherein the at least one report comprises at least one of a consolidated report and a individualized sub-entity report.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the project database stores information associated with a plurality of projects.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the project-component module allows a user to create a customized representation of the project-component module related information in the project database.

12. A method for managing a project comprising:

a) storing project information for a first project, with associations to at least one project component so that all of the project information related to each project component is accessible by a user on a network when the at least one project component is retrieved, the project information including project information related to at least one sub-unit of an entity performing the project;

b) generating at least one project component record based on the associations to the at least one project component for managing the project; and

c) generating a project component display, customized to a project component and based on the at least one project component record, when the at least one project component is accessed by a user, the project component display having links to project component related documents and project component related reports and available to at least one user system over the network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step c) of generating the project component display comprises a step of d) generating a project component web page.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one project component comprises at least one or more of a home page module, a project information module, a milestones module, a issues module, a change controls module, a documents module, a project status reports module, a team member status reports module, a contacts module, a management decisions module, a meetings module, an action items module, a financials module, a new items module, a search module, an archive module, a project management system coordinator module and a central project management system administrator module.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein generating the at least one project component record comprises automatically creating the at least one project component record if a link to the project related record is selected by a user.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the step b) of generating the at least one project component record comprises a step of e) creating the at least one project component record based on user input.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising a step of f) receiving the project information from a user connected to the network.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising a step of g) checking a status identifier of a user, wherein the step of b) of generating the project component record comprises a step of g) generating a project component record based on the user status and the step c) of generating the project component display comprises a step of h) generating the project component display based on the user'"'"'s status.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising steps of

i) determining the users status based on predetermined formula;

j) presenting the user with reader intended project management sub-units if the user has a reader status;

k) presenting the user with editor intended project management sub-units if the user has an editor status;

l) presenting the user with a coordinator intended project management sub-units if the user has a coordinator status; and

m) presenting the user with a central administrator status if the user has a central administrator status.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising a step of o) assigning a reader status to a user if the user does not have an associated status and the user is a first type user;

and assigning a no access status to a user if the user does not have an associated status and the user is a second type user.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein a first type user comprises an employee of the entity performing the project and a second type user comprises at least one of a vendor and a contractor of the entity performing the project.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising a step of n) creating at least one project related report.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step n) of creating the at least one project related report comprises a step of o) automatically creating the at least one project related report if a link to the project related report is selected by a user.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of n) creating the at least one project related report comprises a step of p) creating the at least one project related report based on user input.

25. A system for managing a project comprising:

means for storing project information, for a first project, with associations to at least one project component so that all of the project information related to each project component is accessible by a user on a network when the project component is retrieved, the project information including project information related to at least one sub-unit of an entity performing the project;

means for generating at least one project component record based on the associations to the at least one project component for managing the project; and

means for generating a project component display, customized to a project component and based on the at least one project component record, when the project component is accessed by a user, the project component display having links to project component related documents and project component related reports and available to at least one user system over the network.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the means for generating the project component display comprises means for generating a project component web page.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one project component comprises at least one or more of a home module, a project information module, a milestones module, a issues module, a change controls module, a documents module, a project status reports module, a team member status reports module, a contacts module, a management decisions module, a meetings module, an action items module, a financials module, a new items module, a search module, an archive module, a project management system coordinator module and a central project management system administrator module.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the means for generating the at least one project component record comprises means for automatically creating the at least one project component record if a link to the project related record is selected by a user.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the means for generating the at least one project component record comprises means for creating the at least one project component record based on user input.

30. The system of claim 25, further comprising means for receiving the project information from a user connected to the network.

31. The system of claim 25, further comprising means for checking a status identifier of a user, wherein the means for generating the project component display comprises means for generating a project component display based on the user status and means for generating the project management record comprises generating the project management record based on the user'"'"'s status.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising means for determining the users status based on predetermined formula;

means for presenting the user with reader intended project management sub-units if the user has a reader status;

means for presenting the user with editor intended project management sub-units if the user has an editor status;

means for presenting the user with a coordinator intended project management sub-units if the user has a coordinator status; and

means for presenting the user with a central administrator status if the user has a central administrator status.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising means for assigning a reader status to a user if the user does not have an associated status and the user is a first type user, and means for assigning a no access status to a user if the user does not have an associated status and the user is a second type user.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein a first type user comprises an employee of the entity performing the project and a second type user comprises at least one of a vendor and a contractor of the entity performing the project.

35. The system of claim 25, further comprising means for creating at least one project related report.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the means for creating the at least one project related report comprises automatically means for creating the at least one project related report if a link to the project related report is selected by a user.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the means for creating the at least one project related report comprises means for creating the at least one project related report based on user input.