MERGER INTEGRATION TOOLKIT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MILESTONE TRACKING

• US 20080040140A1
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Kiene, Bruce, Dailey, Jill, Lila, Ali, Aleong, Richard, Ficery, Kristin, Bosco, P., Ebner, Dorree, McGogney, Connor, Bert, Arthur
• Granted Patent: US 9,406,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

The present invention provides for a method and a computer system for providing functionality for electronically managing and supporting a merger integration of businesses, using software and other computer-implemented tools. In one aspect of the invention, the method and system provide program milestone tracking for an integration of businesses, where the businesses are subject to a merger or acquisition. The system provides a collaboration environment computer program for assisting a group of individuals performing the integration of businesses. The collaboration environment computer program provides administrative controls and communication among the group of individuals. A project management computer program assists the group of individuals and is configured to manage project schedules, budgets, and timeframes. A program milestone component is established and configured to facilitate creating and tracking program milestones for the collaboration environment computer program. The program milestone component also configured to interface the collaboration environment computer program and the project management computer program such that the collaboration environment computer program directly links to the project management computer program and receive program milestone updates.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for providing program milestone tracking for an integration of businesses, the businesses being subject to a merger or acquisition therebetween, comprising:

providing a collaboration environment computer program for assisting a group of individuals performing the integration of businesses, the collaboration environment computer program being an electronic tool configured to provide administrative controls and communication among the group of individuals performing the integration;

providing a project management computer program for assisting the group of individuals, the project management computer program being an electronic tool configured to manage project schedules, budgets, and timeframes; and

establishing a program milestone component configured to facilitate creating and tracking program milestones for the collaboration environment computer program, wherein said program milestone component is further configured to interface the collaboration environment computer program and the project management computer program such that the collaboration environment computer program directly links to the project management computer program to receive program milestone updates.

2. The method in a computer system for providing program milestone tracking of claim 1, wherein said program milestones define necessary steps for completing the merger integration.

3. The method in a computer system for providing program milestone tracking of claim 1, wherein the collaboration environment computer program receives program milestone updates by importing a file.

4. The method in a computer system for providing program milestone tracking of claim 1, wherein the project management computer program resides and runs on a project server.

5. The method in a computer system for providing program milestone tracking of claim 4, wherein the collaboration environment computer program directly links to the project management computer program by connecting to the project server.

6. A system for providing program milestone tracking for an integration of businesses, the businesses being subject to a merger or acquisition therebetween, comprising:

a collaboration environment computer program for assisting a group of individuals performing the integration of businesses, the collaboration environment computer program being an electronic tool configured to provide administrative controls and communication among the group of individuals performing the integration;

a project management computer program for assisting the group of individuals, the project management computer program being an electronic tool configured to manage project schedules, budgets, and timeframes; and

a program milestone component configured to facilitate creating and tracking program milestones for the collaboration environment computer program, wherein said program milestone component is further configured to interface the collaboration environment computer program and the project management computer program such that the collaboration environment computer program directly links to the project management computer program to receive program milestone updates.

7. The system for providing program milestone tracking of claim 6, wherein said program milestones define necessary steps for completing the merger integration.

8. The system for providing program milestone tracking of claim 6, wherein the collaboration environment computer program receives program milestone updates by importing a file.

9. The system for providing program milestone tracking of claim 6, wherein the project management computer program resides and runs on a project server.

10. The system for providing program milestone tracking of claim 9, wherein the collaboration environment computer program directly links to the project management computer program by connecting to the project server.

11. A computer program on a computer readable medium for providing program milestone tracking for an integration of businesses, the businesses being subject to a merger or acquisition therebetween, comprising:

a code segment for providing a collaboration environment computer program for assisting a group of individuals performing the integration of businesses, the collaboration environment computer program being an electronic tool configured to provide administrative controls and communication among the group of individuals performing the integration;

a code segment for providing a project management computer program for assisting the group of individuals, the project management computer program being an electronic tool configured to manage project schedules, budgets, and timeframes; and

a code segment for establishing a program milestone component configured to facilitate creating and tracking program milestones for the collaboration environment computer program, wherein said program milestone component is further configured to interface the collaboration environment computer program and the project management computer program such that the collaboration environment computer program directly links to the project management computer program to receive program milestone updates.

12. The computer program for providing program milestone tracking of claim 11, wherein said program milestones define necessary steps for completing the merger integration.

13. The computer program for providing program milestone tracking of claim 11, wherein the collaboration environment computer program receives program milestone updates by importing a file.

14. The computer program for providing program milestone tracking of claim 11, wherein the project management computer program resides and runs on a project server.

15. The computer program for providing program milestone tracking of claim 14, wherein the collaboration environment computer program directly links to the project management computer program by connecting to the project server.