Business level metric for information technology

• US 20050086091A1
• Filed: 04/29/2003
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ent Services Development Corporation LP (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Trumbly, James E., Aerdts, Reinier J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,321,247 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for determining a business level metric for assessing the impact of performance degradation of IT components upon the revenue stream of an entity is provided. In one embodiment, the business level metric is determined by determining business functions that comprises a revenue stream for a line of business. Weights are then assigned to each business function, wherein the weights indicate the relative importance of each business function in relation to the other business functions. For each business function, the business processes that enable the completion of a specific business function are determined and weights. For each business process, critical service points for measuring the performance of supporting information technology components for the business process are determined and weights are assigned. The critical service points are then monitored and a partial business level metric raw score is determined.

Claims

1. A method for determining a business level metric for information technology, the method comprising:

determining business functions that comprises a revenue stream for a line of business;

assigning weights to each business function, wherein the weights indicate the relative importance of each business function in relation to the other business functions;

for each business function, determining business processes that enable the completion of a specific business function and assign weights of relative importance to each of the business processes;

for each business process, determining critical service points for measuring the performance of supporting information technology components for the business process and assign weights of relative importance to each of the critical service points;

monitoring the critical service points for specified events; and

responsive to the occurrence of a specified event, determining a partial business level metric raw score.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

creating a responsibility matrix which determines which entity is responsible for an information technology component.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the specified event occurred in a component for which an information technology vendor is not responsible, refraining from computing a partial business level metric raw score based on the specified event.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the partial business level metric is determined by:

determining an impact level for the specified event;

multiplying the impact level by each of the weights for each of the associated measurement points, associated applications, business processes, and business functions associated with the measurement point impacted.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

periodically summing each partial business level metric raw score to determine a business level metric score for a specified time period.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

comparing the business level metric score to a predetermined threshold score to determine the impact of the information technology on the revenue stream of the business.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the business level metric meets a specified relationship to the threshold score, assessing a penalty to the information technology vendor.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the business level metric meets a specified relationship to the threshold score, rewarding the information technology vendor.

9. A computer program product in a computer readable media for use in a data processing system for determining a business level metric for information technology, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for determining business functions that comprises a revenue stream for a line of business;

second instructions for assigning weights to each business function, wherein the weights indicate the relative importance of each business function in relation to the other business functions;

third instructions for each business function, for determining business processes that enable the completion of a specific business function and assign weights of relative importance to each of the business processes;

fourth instructions for each business process, for determining critical service points for measuring the performance of supporting information technology components for the business process and assign weights of relative importance to each of the critical service points;

fifth instructions for monitoring the critical service points for specified events; and

sixth instructions, responsive to the occurrence of a specified event, for determining a partial business level metric raw score.

10. The computer program product as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

seventh instructions for creating a responsibility matrix which determines which entity is responsible for an information technology component.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

eighth instructions, responsive to a determination that the specified event occurred in a component for which an information technology vendor is not responsible, for refraining from computing a partial business level metric raw score based on the specified event.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 9, wherein the partial business level metric is determined by:

seventh instructions for determining an impact level for the specified event; and

eighth instructions for multiplying the impact level by each of the weights for each of the associated measurement points, associated applications, business processes, and business functions associated with the measurement point impacted.

13. The computer program product as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

seventh instructions for periodically summing each partial business level metric raw score to determine a business level metric score for a specified time period.

14. The computer program product as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

eighth instructions for comparing the business level metric score to a predetermined threshold score to determine the impact of the information technology on the revenue stream of the business.

15. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

ninth instructions, responsive to a determination that the business level metric meets a specified relationship to the threshold score, for assessing a penalty to the information technology vendor.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

ninth instructions, responsive to a determination that the business level metric meets a specified relationship to the threshold score, for rewarding the information technology vendor.

17. A system for determining a business level metric for information technology, the system comprising:

first means for determining business functions that comprises a revenue stream for a line of business;

second means for assigning weights to each business function, wherein the weights indicate the relative importance of each business function in relation to the other business functions;

third means for each business function, for determining business processes that enable the completion of a specific business function and assign weights of relative importance to each of the business processes;

fourth means for each business process, for determining critical service points for measuring the performance of supporting information technology components for the business process and assign weights of relative importance to each of the critical service points;

fifth means for monitoring the critical service points for specified events; and

sixth means, responsive to the occurrence of a specified event, for determining a partial business level metric raw score.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

seventh means for creating a responsibility matrix which determines which entity is responsible for an information technology component.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

eighth means, responsive to a determination that the specified event occurred in a component for which an information technology vendor is not responsible, for refraining from computing a partial business level metric raw score based on the specified event.

20. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the partial business level metric is determined by:

seventh means for determining an impact level for the specified event; and

eighth means for multiplying the impact level by each of the weights for each of the associated measurement points, associated applications, business processes, and business functions associated with the measurement point impacted.

21. The system as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

seventh means for periodically summing each partial business level metric raw score to determine a business level metric score for a specified time period.

22. The system as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

eighth means for comparing the business level metric score to a predetermined threshold score to determine the impact of the information technology on the revenue stream of the business.

23. The system as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

ninth means, responsive to a determination that the business level metric meets a specified relationship to the threshold score, for assessing a penalty to the information technology vendor.

24. The system as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

ninth means, responsive to a determination that the business level metric meets a specified relationship to the threshold score, for rewarding the information technology vendor.