Cascaded planning of an enterprise planning model

• US 20040162744A1
• Filed: 02/19/2003
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cognos Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Thier, Adam
• Granted Patent: US 7,155,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

In general, the invention is directed to techniques for developing an enterprise planning model in cascaded planning stages. For example, an enterprise planning system receives data that defines an enterprise planning session from a set of analysts in cascaded planning stages. The analysts associated with each subsequent planning stage refine the enterprise planning model defined by analysts associated with previous planning stages. In this manner, the set of analysts may define an enterprise planning model that may allow large, diverse organizations to establish planning standards across dozens or hundreds of business units, while allowing the business units to extend the planning standards to further refine the planning sessions.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving model data from a set of enterprise users associated with a multi-level enterprise hierarchy, wherein the model data defines an enterprise planning model, and the enterprise users associated with each level refine the model data received from the enterprise users associated with higher levels of the hierarchy; and

executing an enterprise planning session in accordance with the defined enterprise planning model.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising constraining model data defined by enterprise users associated with lower levels with the model data defined by enterprise users associated with higher levels.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein constraining model data defined by enterprise users associated with lower levels with the model data defined by enterprise users associated with higher levels includes:

determining whether the model data defined by the enterprise users associated with lower levels complies with the model data provided by enterprise users associated with the higher levels; and

rejecting the model data defined by the enterprise users associated with the lower level when the model data provided by the enterprise users associated with the lower levels does not comply.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the enterprise hierarchy defines a plurality of hierarchically arranged nodes, each enterprise user being associated with at least one of the nodes, and receiving data comprises receiving data from the users in an order based on the nodes of the hierarchy with which the users are associated.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving data from the enterprise users in an order based on the nodes of the hierarchy with which the users are associated includes:

receiving data that defines at least a portion of the enterprise planning model from an enterprise user associated with a first level of the hierarchically arranged nodes in a first planning stage; and

receiving data from an enterprise user associated with a second level of the hierarchically arranged nodes in a second planning stage, wherein the data received in the second planning stage refines the portion of the enterprise planning model defined in the first enterprise planning stage.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein refining the portion of the enterprise planning model defined in the first planning stage includes further defining another portion of the enterprise planning model.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first level is higher in the hierarchy of nodes than the second level.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first level and second level are consecutive levels in the hierarchy of nodes.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving data that refines the enterprise planning model includes receiving data that modifies the plurality of hierarchically arranged nodes.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving data that modifies the plurality of hierarchically arranged nodes includes at least one of adding a node to the hierarchy and removing a node from the hierarchy.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving data that refines an enterprise planning model includes receiving data that assigns enterprise users to the nodes.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving data that assigns enterprise users to the nodes includes receiving data that adds an enterprise user to one of the nodes.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving data that assigns enterprise users to the nodes includes receiving data that removes an enterprise user from one of the nodes.

14. The method of claim 5, further comprising notifying the enterprise user of the second level to modify the enterprise planning model upon the enterprise user of the first level submitting the data defining a portion of the enterprise planning model.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein notifying the enterprise user of the second level of the hierarchy may include sending an electronic mail message to the enterprise user of the second level.

16. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving data defining an enterprise planning model includes receiving corporate target data for each of the nodes.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving data that refines the enterprise planning model includes receiving data that updates the corporate target data of a portion of the nodes.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving data that updates the corporate target data of the nodes includes data that distributes the corporate target data among the nodes.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving data defining an enterprise planning model includes receiving data that defines templates for collecting contribution data.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein receiving data that refines the enterprise planning model includes receiving data that modifies the defined templates.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein receiving data that refines the enterprise planning model includes receiving data that defines a new template.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the enterprise planning session in accordance with the enterprise planning model includes:

receiving contribution data from enterprise users beginning with the lowest level of the hierarchy and working up the enterprise hierarchy; and

aggregating the contribution data from the enterprise users to reconcile the data with target data in real-time.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

allowing an enterprise user to view the aggregated contribution data;

receiving a rejection from the enterprise user viewing the aggregated contribution data; and

notifying the enterprise user that input the contribution data of the rejection.

24. A system comprising:

an analysis module to interact with a set of enterprise users to obtain data that defines an enterprise planning model in subsequent planning stages, wherein the users associated with each subsequent planning stage refine data from the previous planning stages; and

a database to store the data that defines the enterprise planning model, wherein the system executes an enterprise planning session in accordance with the data stored in the database that defines an enterprise planning model.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the enterprise planning model defines a plurality of hierarchically arranged nodes, each enterprise user being associated with at least one of the nodes, and the analysis module obtains data in an order based on the nodes of the hierarchy with which the users are associated.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the analysis module obtains data that defines at least a portion of the enterprise planning model from an enterprise user associated with a first level of the hierarchically arranged nodes in a first planning stage, and obtains data from an enterprise user associated with a second level of the hierarchically arranged nodes in a second planning stage, wherein the data obtained in the second planning stage refines the portion of the enterprise planning model defined in the first enterprise planning stage.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the data obtained in the second planning stage further defines another portion of the enterprise planning model.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the data obtained from the enterprise user associated with the second level modifies the hierarchically arranged nodes.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the data obtained from the enterprise user associated with the second level adds a node to the hierarchically arranged nodes.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the data obtained from the enterprise user associated with the second level removes a node from the hierarchically arranged nodes.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein the data obtained from the enterprise user of the first level associates an enterprise user with at least one of the nodes of the hierarchy.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the data obtained from the enterprise user associated with the second level modifies the association between at least one of the nodes and the enterprise user associated with the node.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the data from the enterprise user associated with the second level associates an additional enterprise user with one of the nodes.

34. The system of claim 26, wherein the data obtained from the enterprise user associated with the first level defines target data for the enterprise.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the target data is defined for each of the nodes of the hierarchy.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the data obtained from the enterprise user associated with the second level modifies the target data.

37. The system of claim 26, wherein the data obtained from the enterprise user associated with the first level defines one or more templates for collecting contribution data.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the data obtained from the enterprise user associated with the second level modifies at least one of the defined templates.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the data obtained from the enterprise user associated with the second level defines a new template.

40. The system of claim 26, wherein the first level is higher in the hierarchy of nodes than the second level.

41. The system of claim 26, wherein the first level and second level are consecutive levels in the hierarchy of nodes.

42. The system of claim 24, further comprising a contribution module that interacts with enterprise users to obtain contribution data.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the contribution data is stored in the database and the contribution module interacts with enterprise users to allow for review of the contribution data.

44. A computer-implemented method comprising:

presenting an interface to receive model data from a set of enterprise users associated with a multi-level enterprise hierarchy, wherein the model data defines an enterprise planning model, and the enterprise users associated with each level refine the model data received from the enterprise users associated with higher levels of the hierarchy;

constraining the model data defined by enterprise users associated with lower levels, with the model data defined by enterprise users associated with higher levels; and

executing an enterprise planning session in accordance with the defined enterprise planning model via a computer network.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the enterprise hierarchy defines a plurality of hierarchically arranged nodes, each enterprise user being associated with at least one of the nodes, and presenting an interface to receive data comprises presenting an interface to receive data from the users in an order based on the nodes of the hierarchy with which the users are associated.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein presenting an interface to receive data from the users in an order based on the nodes of the hierarchy with which the users are associated includes:

presenting an interface to receive data that defines at least a portion of the enterprise planning model from an enterprise user associated with a first level of the hierarchically arranged nodes in a first planning stage; and

presenting an interface to receive data from an enterprise user associated with a second level of the hierarchically arranged nodes in a second planning stage, wherein the data received in the second planning stage refines the portion of the enterprise planning model defined in the first enterprise planning stage.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein the network comprises one of a local area network, a wide area network, and a wireless area network.