Development of a model for integration into a business intelligence system

• US 20040138933A1
• Filed: 04/18/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Clark, Michael C., Gilder, Mark R., Repoff, Thomas P., Aragones, Amy V., Gambhir, Snehil, Cheng, Hong, Johnson, Christopher D., LaComb, Christina A., Senturk, Deniz, Interrante, John A.
• Application Number:
  US10/418,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20040138933A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06395 Quality analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A process for developing a model and integrating the model into a business intelligence system includes: (a) defining at least one variable X to serve as an input to the model and at least one output variable Y to serve as an output of the model; (b) assessing whether there is sufficient data of sufficient quality to operate the model in the business intelligence system of the business, and creating a prototype design of the model; (c) further developing the prototype design of the model to produce a final model design, and validating output results provided by the final model design; (d) implementing the final model design to produce an implemented model, and developing an interface that enables a user to interact with the implemented model; and (e) integrating the implemented model and associated interface into the business intelligence system to provide an integrated model, and repetitively monitoring the accuracy of output results provided by the integrated model. A related method and system are also described.

Claims

1. A process for developing a model and integrating the model into a business intelligence system of a business, comprising:

defining at least one variable X to serve as an input to the model and at least one output variable Y to serve as an output of the model;

assessing whether there is sufficient data of sufficient quality to operate the model in the business intelligence system of the business, and creating a prototype design of the model;

further developing the prototype design of the model to produce a final model design, and validating output results provided by the final model design;

implementing the final model design to produce an implemented model, and developing an interface that enables a user to interact with the implemented model; and

integrating the implemented model and associated interface into the business intelligence system to provide an integrated model, and repetitively monitoring the accuracy of output results provided by the integrated model.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein the integrated model predicts a business metric that reflects one aspect of the business'"'"'s performance.

3. A process according to claim 1, wherein the integrated model receives at least one input variable X, and based thereon, generates the at least one output variable Y using a transfer function, where the output variable Y represents a predicted business metric based on the at least one input variable X.

4. A process according to claim 1, wherein:

the defining is performed in a first principal task of the process;

the assessing is performed in a second principal task of the process;

the developing is performed in a third principal task of the process;

the implementing is performed in a fourth principal task of the process; and

the integrating is performed in a fifth principal task of the process.

5. A process according to claim 4, wherein the first principal task of the process further comprises defining the scope of the process, the scope defining objectives which the process is intended to accomplish.

6. A process according to claim 4, wherein the first principal task of the process further comprises defining roles for a collection of participants in the process.

7. A process according to claim 6, wherein the defining of the roles comprises defining one or more individuals that will act as a steering committee, the steering committee performing the function of directing a flow of operations in the process and assessing whether a series of tollgate requirements have been met at respective points in the process.

8. A process according to claim 4, wherein the first principal task of the process further comprises determining whether the at least one X variable is actionable, wherein an actionable variable represents a metric that the business can manipulate.

9. A process according to claim 4, wherein the second principal task of the process further comprises assessing the predictive capabilities of the prototype design of the model.

10. A process according to claim 4, wherein the third principal task of the process further comprises determining whether there are any constraints on the functionality provided by the final model design.

11. A process according to claim 4, wherein the fourth principal task of the process further comprises testing and debugging the implemented model.

12. A process according to claim 4, wherein the fifth principal task of the process further comprises monitoring the benefits provided by the integrated model to ensure that the integrated model continues to serve a useful role in the business.

13. A process according to claim 4, further comprising accessing and using at least one tool to facilitate performance of at least one of the first through fifth principal tasks.

14. A process according to claim 13, wherein the at least one tool comprises a worksheet that provides a guideline for performing analysis in connection with at least one of the first through fifth principal tasks.

15. A process according to claim 13, wherein the at least one tool comprises at least one tool from the group comprising:

a scorecard for assessing the relative merits of a plurality of Y variables; and

a scorecard for assessing the relative merits of a plurality of X variables.

16. A method for developing a model and integrating the model into a business intelligence system, comprising:

providing first information regarding a structured process for developing and integrating the model, the first information specifying process operations including;

defining at least one variable X to serve as an input to the model and at least one output variable Y to serve as an output of the model;

assessing whether there is sufficient data of sufficient quality to operate the model in the business intelligence system of the business, and creating a prototype design of the model;

further developing the prototype design of the model to produce a final model design, and validating output results provided by the final model design;

implementing the final model design to produce an implemented model, and developing an interface that enables a user to interact with the implemented model; and

integrating the implemented model and associated interface into the business intelligence system to provide an integrated model, and repetitively monitoring the accuracy of the output results provided by the integrated model;

providing second information regarding at least one tool used in the process operations;

developing the model and integrating the model into the business intelligence system by performing the process operations specified in the first information using the at least one tool specified in the second information.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the integrated model predicts a business metric that reflects one aspect of the business'"'"'s performance.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein the first information and the second information are stored in a data storage device.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the providing of the first information comprises retrieving the first information from the data storage device and presenting the first information to a user via a display device, and wherein the providing of the second information comprises retrieving the second information from the data storage device and presenting the second information to a user via the display device.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the display device is communicatively coupled to a computer, and wherein the computer is configured to retrieve the first information and the second information from the data storage device.

21. A method according to claim 16, wherein the second information specifies a worksheet that provides a guideline for performing analysis in connection with at least one step in the process.

22. A method according to claim 16, wherein the at least one tool comprises at least one tool from the group comprising:

a scorecard for assessing the relative merits of a plurality of Y variables; and

a scorecard for assessing the relative merits of a plurality of X variables.

23. A system for assisting a user in developing a model and integrating the model into a business intelligence system, comprising:

a database providing;

(a) first information regarding a structured process for developing and integrating the model, the first information specifying process operations including;

defining at least one variable X to serve as an input to the model and at least one output variable Y to serve as an output of the model;

assessing whether there is sufficient data of sufficient quality to operate the model in the business intelligence system of the business, and creating a prototype design of the model;

further developing the prototype design of the model to produce a final model design, and validating output results provided by the final model design;

implementing the final model design to produce an implemented model, and developing an interface that enables a user to interact with the implemented model; and

integrating the implemented model and associated interface into the business intelligence system to provide an integrated model, and repetitively monitoring the accuracy of output results provided by the integrated model;

(b) second information regarding at least one tool used in the process operations;

an access device coupled to the database for retrieving the first information and the second information; and

an output device coupled to the access device for presenting the first information and the second information to the user.

24. A system according to claim 23, wherein the integrated model predicts a business metric that reflects one aspect of the business'"'"'s performance.

25. A system according to claim 23, wherein the access device comprises a computer.

26. A system according to claim 23, wherein the database is coupled to the access device via a network.

27. A system according to claim 23, wherein the output device includes a graphical user interface display.

28. A system according to claim 23, wherein the access device is configured to present an interface page on the output device that provides a visual representation of principal tasks in the process.

29. A system according to claim 23, wherein the access device is configured to present an interface page on the output device that provides a visual representation of the at least one tool.

30. A system according to claim 23, wherein the at least one tool comprises at least one tool from the group comprising:

a scorecard for assessing the relative merits of a plurality of Y variables; and

a scorecard for assessing the relative merits of a plurality of X variables