Business solution management (BSM)

• US 20050021348A1
• Filed: 07/21/2003
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Nelson, Charles, Tarver, James, Hu, David Cheng, Landvoigt, Tim, Chan, Claribel
• Application Number:
  US10/624,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021348A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Systems and techniques to allow a user to design and manage business solutions. The business solution management system (150) comprises a portal layer (112), an application layer (104) and a data repository (106). The portal layer (112) comprises at least first and second agents (204, 208). The application layer (104) comprises at least first and second software applications (220, 224). The first and second agents (204, 208) provide user interfaces to the first and second software applications (220, 224). The first software application (220) is operable to allow a user to design a business solution with user parameters and user-selectable, pre-defined business process objects and pre-defined technology objects. The second software application (224) is operable to allow a user to manage the business solution. The data repository (106) comprises the pre-defined business objects (316) and pre-defined technology objects (314).

Claims

1. A business solution management system comprising software stored in a medium, the software being operable to allow a user to (a) design a business solution with user parameters and user-selectable, pre-defined business objects and pre-defined technology objects, and (b) manage the business solution designed by the user.

2. The business solution management system of claim 1, further comprising a portal layer, a software application layer and a data repository.

3. The business solution management system of claim 2, wherein the portal layer comprises at least first and second software agents, the application layer comprising at least first and second software applications;

the first and second agents providing graphical user interfaces to the first and second software applications;

the first software application being operable to allow a user to design a business solution with user parameters and user-selectable, pre-defined business objects and pre-defined technology objects;

the second software application being operable to allow a user to manage the business solution.

4. The business solution management system of claim 2, wherein the data repository stores the pre-defined business objects and pre-defined technology objects.

5. The business solution management system of claim 2, wherein the portal layer comprises an interview module operable to display questions to a user and receive answers from the user to be used by the first software application.

6. The business solution management system of claim 2, wherein the application layer comprises a business process engineer application operable to receive user parameters and design business processes with the pre-defined business process objects.

7. The business solution management system of claim 2, wherein the application layer comprises a solution technology engineer application operable to receive user parameters and design technology solutions with the pre-defined technology objects.

8. The business solution management system of claim 2, wherein the repository stores a plurality of business solutions, the second software application being operable to allow a user to select one of the business solutions.

9. The business solution management system of claim 2, wherein the application layer comprises a knowledge base management application operable to allow a user to manage a knowledge base.

10. The business solution management system of claim 2, wherein the application layer comprises a project management application operable to allow a user to manage a project from a project repository.

11. The business solution management system of claim 2, wherein the application layer comprises an integrated implementation management application operable to allow a user to manage an integrated implementation from an implementation repository.

12. The business solution management system of claim 2, wherein the application layer comprises a methodology management application operable to allow a user to manage a methodology from a methodology repository.

13. The business solution management system of claim 2, wherein the application layer comprises a solution landscape management application operable to allow a user to manage a solution landscape from a landscape version repository.

14. The business solution management system of claim 2, wherein the application layer comprises a business process analyzer and a control object repository.

15. The business solution management system of claim 2, wherein the application layer comprises a business process object management application and a technology object management application operable to allow a user to manage business process objects and technology objects.

16. The business solution management system of claim 2, wherein the application layer comprises a technology component identifier and a classification repository.

17. The business solution management system of claim 2, wherein the repository stores a plurality of user-selectable solution determination structures, each solution determination structure having a plurality of parameters and solution determination procedures.

18. The business solution management system of claim 17, wherein each solution determination procedure comprises control objects linked to routines.

19. The business solution management system of claim 17, wherein the repository stores a solution determination structure instantiation having a user-selectable initiative, business area, business process and business activity.

20. The business solution management system of claim 17, wherein the solution determination structure instantiation is linked to a plurality of templates, the templates being linked to pre-defined business process objects and pre-defined technology objects.

21. The business solution management system of claim 20, the templates comprising a solution template, a business object template, a technology object template and a project template.

22. The business solution management system of claim 17, wherein the application layer provides a primary work area with active solution variants and inactive solution variants.

23. The business solution management system of claim 17, wherein the application layer provides a primary work and an alternate work area.

24. The business solution management system of claim 1, further comprising an exchange infrastructure operable to allow applications in the application layer to communicate with external applications.

25. A method comprising:

providing at least first and second software applications, the first software application being operable to allow a user to design a business solution with user parameters and user-selectable, pre-defined business process objects and pre-defined technology objects, the second software application being operable to allow a user to manage the business solution; and

providing a data repository comprising the pre-defined business process objects and pre-defined technology objects.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising providing an exchange infrastructure operable to allow applications in the application layer to communicate with external applications.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising providing a plurality of solution determination structures.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising providing a plurality of user-selectable business process templates and technology object templates.

29. An article comprising a machine-readable medium storing instructions operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising:

prompting a user to select at least one business process object and one technology object;

receiving user parameters;

designing a business solution using the selected business process object, technology object and user parameters.

30. The article of claim 29, wherein the instructions are operable to cause one or more machines to organize business process objects, technology objects and user parameters in a linked structure.

31. The article of claim 29, wherein the instructions are operable to cause one or more machines to provide solution templates.