System and method for program management

• US 20050197879A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Judy, Deborah J.
• Application Number:
  US10/952,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20050197879A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis

Abstract

System and method for managing a program plan includes creating a business needs statement by determining a scope and concept; developing an understanding of objective'"'"'s for a solution; designing, developing, and testing the solution; implementing the solution; and maintaining the solution. The system may include a computer implemented interface between a user and a suite of applications that track and monitor the program'"'"'s progress at a central storage location.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for tracking a program plan by one or more clients, said method comprising the steps of:

defining a business need statement, the business need statement comprising one or more solutions;

establishing the program plan for the solutions;

designing the program plan;

implementing the program plan; and

tracking the implementation of the program at a central storage location by the one or more clients.

2. A system for monitoring a schedule of a program plan, said system comprising:

a plurality of clients; and

a server accessible by the plurality of clients;

wherein the server includes a central storage location having a login area accessible by one or more clients that are authenticated with a security measure;

wherein the central storage location further includes areas accessible by the one or more authenticated clients; and

wherein the areas comprise an area for lessons learned, an area for the one or more authenticated clients to form an online community, an area that allows the one or more authenticated clients access to a knowledge repository, and an area for the one or more authenticated clients to propose changes.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of clients and the server may be associated with one another on a computer network.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the security measure comprises a username and password associated with the one or more authenticated clients.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the login page allows the one or more authenticated users access to areas of the website that allow customization of the program plan and viewing the schedule of the program plan.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the login page allows the one or more authenticated clients access to a baseline for the program.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the login page allows access to reports for the one or more authenticated clients.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the knowledge repository comprises deliverables or program documents from other programs.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the knowledge repository is searchable.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the community allows the one or more authenticated clients to vote on changes proposed in the proposed changes area.

11. A system for creating and tracking a project plan, said system comprising:

an ISM application;

a business case system which enables creation of a business case;

a client funding agreement system for providing a cost estimate based upon the business case;

a program tracking and reporting system for establishing a schedule for the program plan and tracking costs of the program plan;

a project cost tracking system for reporting costs associated with program plan;

a financial data mart for providing information associated with the costs; and

a contract management enterprise tracking system for keeping records of invoices and contracts associated with the program plan;

wherein the ISM application allows electronic access by authenticated users to a central storage location providing access to the business case system, the client funding agreement system, a program tracking and reporting system, a project cost tracking system, a national program cost tracking system, a financial data mart, and a contract management enterprise tracking system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein business case system determines a rank of the business case based upon a cost benefit analysis.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the cost estimate is based upon a cost model integrated with the client funding agreement system.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein an indicator denotes a status of a milestone of the schedule.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein an indicator denotes a violation of costs associated with the program.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein client funding agreement system may monitor changes to the schedule.