System and method for generating multi-phase construction plans

• US 20050137931A1
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Craig N. Janssen
• Original Assignee: Craig N. Janssen
• Inventors: Janssen, Craig N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,635,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque

Abstract

A method includes identifying a plurality of facilities in a complex. Each facility is associated with a construction project. The method also includes determining a potential revenue associated with at least one of the facilities. The method further includes determining a cost associated with at least one of the facilities. In addition, the method includes generating a schedule of the construction projects using the identified potential revenue and the identified cost.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying a plurality of facilities in a complex, each facility associated with a construction project;

determining a potential revenue associated with at least one of the facilities;

determining a cost associated with at least one of the facilities; and

generating a schedule of the construction projects using the identified potential revenue and the identified cost.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising predicting a number of people who may use at least one of the facilities;

and

wherein determining the potential revenue associated with at least one of the facilities comprises determining the potential revenue associated with at least one of the facilities using the predicted number of people.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the cost associated with at least one of the facilities comprises:

identifying a size of at least one of the facilities based on the predicted number of people; and

determining the cost of at least one of the construction projects based on the identified size.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying the size of the at least one facility comprises identifying a plurality of sizes for the at least one facility.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the plurality of facilities comprises receiving an identification of the facilities from a user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the schedule comprises, for each construction project, receiving from a user an identification of one of a plurality of phases during which the construction project would occur.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising identifying a cost of each phase.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the potential revenue associated with at least one of the facilities comprises identifying potential donations to be received during one or more fund-raising campaigns.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying an amount of borrowing needed to pay for the construction projects; and

identifying an amount of debt to be paid off each year.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing a user to alter data used to generate the schedule; and

showing the user in real time how the changes affect the schedule.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing a user to place a constraint on data used to generate the schedule; and

showing the user in real time how the constraint affects the schedule.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the complex comprises a church;

at least one of the facilities comprises an auditorium in the church; and

determining the potential revenue comprises;

estimating a number of people who may attend church services in the auditorium; and

determining an amount of potential donations given to the church by the estimated number of people.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the potential revenue associated with at least one of the facilities and the identified cost associated with at least one of the facilities are used to estimate a cash flow, the cash flow used to generate the schedule.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified cost associated with at least one of the facilities comprises at least one of operating costs, general and administrative expenses, construction costs, and staffing costs associated with at least one of the facilities.

15. A system, comprising:

a memory operable to store information identifying a plurality of facilities in a complex, each facility associated with a construction project; and

one or more processors collectively operable to;

determine a potential revenue associated with at least one of the facilities;

determine a cost associated with at least one of the facilities; and

generate a schedule of the construction projects using the identified potential revenue and the identified cost.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the one or more processors are further collectively operable to predict a number of people who may use at least one of the facilities;

the one or more processors are collectively operable to determine the potential revenue associated with at least one of the facilities using the predicted number of people; and

the one or more processors are collectively operable to determine the cost associated with at least one of the facilities by;

identifying a size of at least one of the facilities based on the predicted number of people; and

determining the cost associated with at least one of the facilities based on the identified size.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are collectively operable to generate the schedule by:

for each construction project, receiving from a user an identification of one of a plurality of phases during which the construction project would occur; and

identifying a cost of each phase.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the one or more processors are collectively operable to determine the potential revenue associated with at least one of the facilities by identifying potential donations to be received during one or more fund-raising campaigns; and

the one or more processors are further collectively operable to;

identify an amount of borrowing needed to pay for the construction projects; and

identify an amount of debt to be paid off each year.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further collectively operable to:

allow a user to at least one of alter data used to generate the schedule and place a constraint on the data used to generate the schedule; and

show the user in real time how the at least one change and constraint affects the schedule.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the potential revenue associated with at least one of the facilities and the identified cost associated with at least one of the facilities are used to estimate a cash flow, the cash flow used to generate the schedule.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the identified cost associated with at least one of the facilities comprises at least one of operating costs, general and administrative expenses, construction costs, and staffing costs associated with at least one of the facilities

22. A system, comprising:

a memory operable to store information identifying a plurality of facilities in a complex, each facility associated with a construction project; and

an analysis module operable to;

determine a potential revenue associated with at least one of the facilities;

determine a cost associated with at least one of the facilities; and

generate a schedule of the construction projects using the identified potential revenue and the identified cost.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

a constraints module operable to allow a user to place a constraint on data used to generate the schedule; and

an optimization module operable to show the user in real time how the constraint affects the schedule.

24. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium and operable to be executed by a processor, the computer program comprising:

computer readable program code for identifying a plurality of facilities in a complex, each facility associated with a construction project;

computer readable program code for determining a potential revenue associated with at least one of the facilities;

computer readable program code for determining a cost associated with at least one of the facilities; and

computer readable program code for generating a schedule of the construction projects using the identified potential revenue and the identified cost.

25. The computer program of claim 24, wherein:

the computer program further comprises computer readable program code for predicting a number of people who may use at least one of the facilities; and

the computer readable program code for determining the potential revenue uses the predicted number of people.

26. The computer program of claim 25, wherein the computer readable program code for determining the cost associated with at least one of the facilities comprises:

computer readable program code for identifying a size of at least one of the facilities based on the predicted number of people; and

computer readable program code for determining the cost of at least one of the construction projects based on the identified size.

27. The computer program of claim 24, wherein the computer readable program code for generating the schedule comprises:

computer readable program code for receiving from a user, for each construction project, an identification of one of a plurality of phases during which the construction project would occur; and

computer readable program code for identifying a cost of each phase.

28. The computer program of claim 24, wherein:

the computer readable program code for determining the potential revenue comprises computer readable program code for identifying potential donations to be received during one or more fund-raising campaigns; and

the computer program further comprises;

computer readable program code for identifying an amount of borrowing needed to pay for the construction projects; and

computer readable program code for identifying an amount of debt to be paid off each year.

29. The computer program of claim 24, wherein the computer program further comprises:

computer readable program code for allowing a user to at least one of alter data used to generate the schedule and place a constraint on the data used to generate the schedule; and

computer readable program code for showing the user in real time how the at least one change and constraint affects the schedule.

30. The computer program of claim 24, wherein the potential revenue associated with at least one of the facilities and the identified cost associated with at least one of the facilities are used to estimate a cash flow, the cash flow used to generate the schedule.

31. The computer program of claim 24, wherein the identified cost associated with at least one of the facilities comprises at least one of operating costs, general and administrative expenses, construction costs, and staffing costs associated with at least one of the facilities.