System, method and program product for managing communications pursuant to an information technology (IT) migration

• US 20060224676A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Murray, Douglas G., Martin, James A. Jr., Hicks, Scott D., Mummey, Donald P., DelGaudio, Carol I., Prince, Jeffrey E., Henderson, Anne M., Locke, Victoria A., Rauch, Diane C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Under the present invention, a distribution list of message recipients within an organization undergoing the IT migration is generated by analyzing the infrastructure of the organization. Once the message recipients are known, they can be grouped into a set of mailing groups. Thereafter, specific message templates can be assigned to each group, and a schedule for sending messages to the message recipients can be set. Messages will then be generated and sent to the message recipients using the message templates assigned to their respective mailing group(s) and the schedule. Responses to the messages will be tracked and processed, and records associated with the message recipients will be updated based thereon. Follow-up messages containing additional questions and/or instructions can be generated and sent using any data that is contained in the responses. Also, “non-responses” can be tracked so that reminder messages can be sent.

Claims

1. A system for managing communications, comprising:

means for analyzing an infrastructure of an enterprise to generate a distribution list of message recipients;

means for grouping the message recipients into a set of mailing groups;

means for assigning message templates to the set of mailing groups;

means for configuring a schedule for sending messages to the message recipients;

means for generating and sending the messages to the message recipients based on their assigned message templates and the schedule;

means for tracking and processing responses to the messages; and

means for updating records associated with the message recipients based on the responses.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for tracking a status of the responses; and

means for sending reminder messages to the message recipients if the responses are not received in a predetermined amount of time after the messages are sent.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications are managed pursuant to an Information Technology (IT) migration.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one database for storing a status of the responses, and for storing data received in the responses.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the messages each comprise an executable file, which when executed, prompts the message recipients to input data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the infrastructure analyzed by the means for analyzing is selected from the group consisting of an electronic mail directory, a telephone switch and an electronic company directory.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for generating and sending follow-up messages based on data received in the responses.

8. A method for managing communications, comprising:

analyzing an infrastructure of an enterprise to generate a distribution list of message recipients;

grouping the message recipients into a set of mailing groups;

assigning message templates to the set of mailing groups;

configuring a schedule for sending messages to the message recipients;

generating and sending the messages to the message recipients using the templates assigned to their respective mailing groups and the schedule;

tracking and processing responses to the messages; and

updating records associated with the message recipients based on the responses.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

tracking a status of the responses; and

sending reminder messages to the message recipients if the responses are not received in a predetermined amount of time after the messages are sent.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the communications are managed pursuant to an enterprise-wide Information Technology (IT) migration.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing at least one database for storing a status of the responses, and for storing data received in the responses.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of generating the messages comprises generating executable files for the messages, which when executed, prompts the message recipients to input data.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the infrastructure is selected from the group consisting of an electronic mail directory, a telephone switch and an electronic company directory.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating and sending follow-up messages based on data from received in the response.

15. A program product stored on a computer readable medium for managing communications, the computer readable medium comprising program code for performing the following steps:

analyzing an infrastructure of an enterprise to generate a distribution list of message recipients;

grouping the message recipients into a set of mailing groups;

assigning message templates to the set of mailing groups;

configuring a schedule for sending messages to the message recipients;

generating and sending the messages to the message recipients based on their assigned message templates and the schedule;

tracking and processing responses to the messages; and

updating records associated with the message recipients based on the responses.

16. The program product of claim 15, wherein the computer readable medium further comprises program code for performing the following steps:

providing the message templates;

tracking a status of the responses; and

sending reminder messages to the message recipients if the responses are not received in a predetermined amount of time after the messages are sent.

17. The program product of claim 15, wherein the communications are managed pursuant to an enterprise-wide Information Technology (IT) migration.

18. The program product of claim 15, further comprising at least one database for storing a status of the responses, and for storing data received in the responses.

19. The program product of claim 15, wherein the messages each comprise an executable file, which when executed, prompts the message recipients to input data.

20. The program product of claim 15, wherein the infrastructure analyzed by the analyzing is selected from the group consisting of an electronic mail directory, a telephone switch and an electronic company directory.

21. The program product of claim 15, wherein the computer readable medium further comprises program code for performing the following step:

generating and sending follow-up messages based on data received in the responses.

22. A method for deploying an application for managing communications, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

analyze an infrastructure of an enterprise to generate a distribution list of message recipients;

group the message recipients into a set of mailing groups;

assign message templates to the set of mailing groups;

configure a schedule for sending messages to the message recipients;

generate and send the messages to the message recipients based on their assigned message templates and the schedule;

track and processing responses to the messages; and

update records associated with the message recipients based on the responses.

23. Computer software embodied in a propagated signal for deploying an application for managing communications, the computer software comprising instructions to cause a computer system to perform the following functions:

analyze an infrastructure of an enterprise to generate a distribution list of message recipients;

group the message recipients into a set of mailing groups;

assign message templates to the set of mailing groups;

configure a schedule for sending messages to the message recipients;

generate and send the messages to the message recipients based on their assigned message templates and the schedule;

track and processing responses to the messages; and

update records associated with the message recipients based on the responses.