System or method for analyzing information organized in a configurable manner

• US 20050086239A1
• Filed: 05/06/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dana Automotive Systems Group, LLC (Dana, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dana Automotive Systems Group, LLC (Dana, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, Kevin, Hogan, Robert, West, Paul, Oban, Jason, Lescher, Elizabeth, Carter, Greg, Swann, Eric
• Application Number:
  US10/840,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20050086239A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A customized and configurable analysis system is disclosed for analyzing data captured from a wide variety of different sources, such as an asset management application. Regardless of the particular embodiment, the analysis system provides users with the ability to modify and customize the underlying data design to enhance the analytical functionality of the analysis system. The modification of the data design occurs through the use of various templates that are part of the user interface for the analysis system. Thus, persons without specialized database and data architect expertise can modify underlying data design in a timely and inexpensive manner.

Claims

1. An analysis system, comprising:

a data device, said data device including a plurality of attribute types in an embodiment of a data design, wherein said data device provides for the storage of said attribute records in accordance with said data design;

an application device, said application device including an application incorporating said data design, said application including a configurable template, wherein a modification to said configurable template automatically modifies said data design, and wherein said application provides for generating an analysis from the attribute records in said data device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of attribute types includes a transaction attribute type, an asset attribute type and an organization attribute type, and wherein each attribute type corresponds to a plurality of attribute records.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of assets and a plurality of local controllers, wherein said plurality of local controllers provide for the capturing of information from said plurality of assets, and wherein said information is stored as said attribute records in said data device in accordance with said data design.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of data hierarchies, said plurality of data hierarchies including an organization hierarchy, an asset hierarchy, and a transaction hierarchy.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said application can modify the number of configurable templates.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a web server, wherein said application resides on a web server, and wherein said application provides for interactions with a plurality of users associated with a plurality of organizations in a simultaneous or substantially simultaneous manner.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein access to said application is sold in accordance with an application service provider agreement.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of data designs, wherein each organization accessing said application does so in accordance with said data design associated with said accessing organization.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of configurable business rules, wherein said application provides for generating said analysis in accordance with at least one said business rule.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said application is an asset management program, and wherein said analysis relates to a cost-benefit analysis of at least one said attribute type.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said attribute records are populated by a manual data entry process.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said attribute records are populated by a batch upload process.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said attribute records are populated by an automated transfer process from a first computer to a second computer.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said attribute records are populated through a wireless data collection process.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said attribute records are populated automatically by an interfacing computer program.

16. An asset management system, comprising:

a database, said database including a data design, and a plurality of attributes, said plurality of attributes comprising a plurality of attribute types, and a plurality of attribute values;

wherein said plurality of attribute values are associated with said plurality of attribute types in accordance with said data design;

said plurality of attribute types comprising;

a plurality of asset attributes;

a plurality of organization attributes;

a plurality of transaction attributes;

an asset management application, said application including a plurality of templates, and an asset analysis;

wherein each template in said templates provides for the modification of a subset of said data design;

said plurality of templates including an asset template, an organization template, and a transaction template; and

wherein said application provides for generating said asset analysis from at least one said asset attribute, at least one said organization attribute, and at least one said transaction attribute.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said plurality of organization attributes include an organization hierarchy, a plurality of roles, and a plurality of business rules, wherein said organization hierarchy comprises a plurality of organization levels, including a first organization level and a second organization level, and wherein each organization level is associated with a subset of said roles and a subset of said business rules.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said plurality of transaction attributes include a plurality of transaction types comprising at least three of:

a lease;

a rent;

purchase;

a sale;

a depreciation;

an interest payment;

an asset management fee;

a maintenance contract;

a project management;

a repair;

an abuse;

a freight charge;

a tax; and

a travel cost.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein said plurality of asset attributes includes an accounting characteristic and a physical characteristic.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said asset analysis is a profitability analysis.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein said asset analysis does not relate to a monetary value.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein said asset analysis is created with an on-line analytical processing-based functionality.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein said application provides for creating additional templates.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein said application provides for creating additional attribute types.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein said application provides for modifying said attribute types.

26. A method for managing assets, comprising:

providing an application supported by an underlying data design;

capturing a plurality of organization attributes through the use of a first configurable template associated with an application;

receiving a plurality of asset attributes through the use of a second configurable template associated with an application;

defining a plurality of transaction attributes through the use of a third configurable template associated with an application;

modifying the data design through the use of at least one configurable template;

generating an analysis from data stored in accordance with the modified data design.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said first configurable template is also said second configurable template.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said third configurable template is also said first configurable template and said second configurable template.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the application is provided by an application service provider for access by multiple organizations in a simultaneous or substantially simultaneous manner.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising associating a particular transaction type with an accounting procedure.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising associating a particular business rule with a particular role in an organization.

32. The method of claim 26, further comprising associating the ability to possess assets to a particular sub-unit of an organization.

33. The method of claim 26, further comprising associating a transaction type with an asset type.

34. The method of claim 26, further comprising association an asset attribute, an organization attribute, and a transaction attribute with a business rule.

35. The method of claim 26, further comprising adding a configurable template to said application.