Method, system and program product for performing an integrated information technology (IT) migration and inventory information collection

• US 20070061386A1
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Murray, Douglas, Martin, James, Hicks, Scott, Montgomery, William, Hancock, Tamera, Prince, Jeffrey, Pay, Nan, Oshiro, Shawn
• Application Number:
  US11/215,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20070061386A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Under the present invention, an IT migration and corresponding information collection are conducted in a single visit. A directory such as an electronic mail directory of an organization (i.e., for which the IT migration is being performed) is first analyzed to identify contacts (e.g., employees) for the IT migration. Then, a message is sent to each of the contacts containing instructions for the IT migration. The instructions will typically include, among other things, a schedule for performing the IT migration. Thereafter, each of the contacts is visited according to the schedule(s) with all components needed to perform the IT migration. At the single visit, the IT migration will be performed and inventory information collected for each of the contacts that are present when visited. Finally, transaction details corresponding to the IT migration and the inventory information are recorded.

Claims

1. A method for performing an integrated Information Technology (IT) migration and inventory information collection, comprising:

analyzing a directory of an organization to identify contacts for an IT migration;

sending a message to each of the contacts containing instructions for the IT migration;

visiting each of the contacts according to a schedule set forth in the instructions with all components needed to perform the IT migration;

performing the IT migration and collecting inventory information in a single visit for each of the contacts that are present when visited; and

recording transaction details corresponding to the IT migration and the inventory information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the directory is an electronic directory selected from the group consisting of an electronic mail directory, a telephone directory and an organization directory.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is an electronic message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions further contain actions for the contacts to take to prepare for the IT migration.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the IT migration is rescheduled for each of the contacts that is not present during the visiting step.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction details indicate an absence of each of the contacts that is not present during the visiting step, and further indicate a success of the IT migration and the inventory information collected for each of the contacts that is present during the visiting step.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the components include hardware and software components needed to perform the IT migration.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the inventory information identifies the components that were installed into computer systems for each of the contacts and labor that was needed to perform the IT migration.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing step comprises performing the IT migration on computer systems of each of the contacts that is present during the visiting step using the components.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising making a record of any components that were unsuccessfully migrated during the IT migration.

11. A system for performing an integrated inventory information collection and Information Technology (IT) migration, comprising:

a system for analyzing a directory of an organization to identify contacts for the IT migration;

a system for creating instructions for the IT migration, wherein the instructions include a schedule for performing the IT migration;

a system for sending a message containing the instructions to each of the contacts, wherein each of the contacts are visited according to the schedule with all components needed to perform the IT migration, and wherein the IT migration is performed and inventory information is collected in a single visit for each of the contacts that is present when visited; and

a system for recording transaction details corresponding to the IT migration and the inventory information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the directory is an electronic directory selected from the group consisting of an electronic mail directory, a telephone directory and an organization directory.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the message is an electronic message.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further contain actions for the contacts to take to prepare for the IT migration.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the IT migration is rescheduled for each of the contacts that is not present when visited.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the transaction details indicate an absence of each of the contacts that is not present when visited, and further indicate a success of the IT migration and the inventory information collected for each of the contacts that is present when visited.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the components include all hardware and software components needed to perform the IT migration.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the inventory information identifies the components that were installed into computer systems for each of the contacts.

19. A program product stored on a computer readable medium for performing an integrated inventory information collection and Information Technology (IT) migration, the computer readable medium comprising program code for performing the following steps:

analyzing a directory of an organization to identify contacts for the IT migration;

creating instructions for the IT migration, wherein the instructions include a schedule for performing the IT migration;

sending a message containing the instructions to each of the contacts, wherein each of the contacts are visited according to the schedule with all components needed to perform the IT migration, and wherein the IT migration is performed and inventory information is collected in a single visit for each of the contacts that is present when visited; and

recording transaction details corresponding to the IT migration and the inventory information.

20. The program product of claim 19, wherein the directory is an electronic directory selected from the group consisting of an electronic mail directory, a telephone directory and an organization directory.

21. The program product of claim 19, wherein the message is an electronic message.

22. The program product of claim 19, wherein the instructions further contain actions for the contacts to take to prepare for the IT migration.

23. The program product of claim 19, wherein the IT migration is rescheduled for each of the contacts that is not present when visited.

24. The program product of claim 19, wherein the transaction details indicate an absence of each of the contacts that is not present when visited, and further indicate a success of the IT migration and the inventory information collected for each of the contacts that is present when visited.

25. The program product of claim 19, wherein the components include all hardware and software components needed to perform the IT migration.

26. The program product of claim 19, wherein the inventory information identifies the components that were installed into computer systems for each of the contacts.