Annotation of data in an operating plan data aggregation system

• US 20060080160A1
• Filed: 04/26/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ignite Enterprise Software Solutions, Inc. (Infonow Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Right90, Inc. (ESW Capital, LLC)
• Inventors: Skelton, Dean, Petiot, David, Orumchian, Kim, Stabenow, Art
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2228 Indexing structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/254 Extract, transform and load [ETL] procedures, e.g. ETL data flows in data warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/03 Data mining
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99956 File allocation

Abstract

In an embodiment a method is provided. The method includes receiving forecast information in a computer from a first group of users. The method also includes integrating the forecast information into a database and corresponding OLAP cube accessible by the computer. The method further includes receiving comments on specific entries of the forecast information in the computer from a second group of users. The method also includes receiving changes of the forecast information in the computer from a second group of users The method further includes integrating comments and changes into the database and OLAP cube. Moreover, the method includes providing a display of the comments and the changes to the first group of users in an interface to the computer.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving forecast information in a computer from a first group of users;

integrating the forecast information into a database and corresponding OLAP cube accessible by the computer;

receiving comments on specific entries of the forecast information in the computer from a second group of users;

receiving changes of the forecast information in the computer from a second group of users;

integrating comments and changes into the database and OLAP cube; and

providing a display of the comments and the changes to the first group of users in an interface to the computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the comments include textual information relating to the forecast information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the changes include alterations of the forecast data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the computer is a network of computers hosting the database and OLAP cube which appears to users as a single computer.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving requests from users to watch specific data of the forecast information; and

providing updates to users having sent the requests when specific data changes responsive to the requests to watch.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving judgments from the second group of users related to a set of data of the forecast information; and

changing the set of data of the forecast responsive to the judgments.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a first comment on a specific datum;

integrating the first comment into the database and OLAP cube;

receiving a second comment on the specific datum;

integrating the second comment into the database and OLAP cube; and

providing the first comment and the second comment to a user of the first group of users responsive to a request from the user of the first group of users.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the comments and changes are received through devices other than the computer, the devices are coupled to the computer for communication.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the forecast data is received and the comments are displayed through devices other than the computer that are coupled to the computer for communication.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the method is executed by a processor in response to instructions, the instructions embodied in a machine-readable medium.

11. A system comprising:

a user interface to receive forecast data;

an analysis server including an OLAP cube; and

an information database coupled to the analysis server to support the OLAP cube, the information database to embody the forecast data and to receive essentially real-time updates to the forecast data through the user interface; and

wherein the user interface is further to receive annotations to the forecast data over time and is to display the forecast data through the user interface with annotations as the annotations are entered over time.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

an identification server coupled to the information database.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a client coupled through the user interface to the analysis server and to the identification server.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the system is implemented across a network of computers having networked access to the database and OLAP cube and multiple user interfaces throughout the network.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the information database stores financial information.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a means for communicating remotely with the system coupled to the user interface.

17. A method of providing annotations from members of an organization on forecasts, comprising:

receiving the data for the forecasts from users in the organization in a computer;

storing the data for the forecasts within a database in conjunction with an OLAP cube as forecast information;

receiving comments on specific entries of the forecast information in the OLAP cube from the members of the organization in the computer;

receiving changes of the forecast information from the members of the organization in the computer;

integrating the comments and the changes as annotations into the OLAP cube and the database; and

providing a display of the annotations to the users in an interface to the computer.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

the computer providing a set of annotations to the users for specific data of the forecast data having the annotations associated therewith.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the method is executed by a processor in response to instructions, the instructions embodied in a machine-readable medium.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving requests to watch specific data of the forecast information; and

providing updates when specific data changes responsive to the requests to watch.