SERVICE ENGAGEMENT MANAGEMENT USING A STANDARD FRAMEWORK

• US 20080301698A1
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chavda, Kavita, Denesuk, Matthew, Hochheiser, Felicia A., Martin, Joanne L., Badaloo, Moonish, Ernest, Leslie M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,152,931 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A solution for managing a service engagement is provided. A service delivery model for the service engagement is defined within an engagement framework. The engagement framework, and consequently the service delivery model, can include a hierarchy that comprises a service definition, a set of service elements for the service definition, and a set of element tasks for each service element. The set of element tasks can be selected from a set of base tasks, each of which defines a particular task along with its input(s), output(s), and related asset(s). As a result, service engagements can be managed in a consistent manner using a data structure that promotes reuse and is readily extensible.

Claims

1. A method of managing a service engagement, the method comprising:

obtaining a set of base tasks, each base task including a set of task inputs, a set of task outputs, and a set of related assets for generating the set of task outputs based on the set of task inputs;

defining a service delivery model for the service engagement within an engagement framework, the service delivery model including;

a service definition including a set of service inputs and a set of service outputs for the service engagement;

a set of service elements for generating the set of service outputs based on the set of service inputs; and

a set of element tasks for a service element in the set of service elements, the set of element tasks selected from the set of base tasks; and

managing the service engagement using the service delivery model.

2. The method of claim 1, the defining including customizing an element task in the set of element tasks based on the service engagement.

3. The method of claim 1, the service delivery model further including a set of sub-tasks for an element task in the set of element tasks.

4. The method of claim 1, the defining including selecting at least one of the set of element tasks based on a group in which the at least one of the set of element tasks is included.

5. The method of claim 1, the set of service elements including:

a solution framing element for defining a solution;

a plan and design element for designing the solution; and

an implementation element for implementing the solution.

6. The method of claim 5, the solution framing element including a client documentation task, an assessment task, and an approach task.

7. The method of claim 5, the plan and design element including a detailed client task, a solution approach task, a macro design task, a micro design task, and a detailed assessment task.

8. The method of claim 5, the implementation element including:

a build task, a testing task, and a deployment task.

9. The method of claim 1, the set of element tasks for the service element including a transition task for transitioning to another service element.

10. The method of claim 1, the managing enabling a user to update the service delivery model based on the service engagement.

11. The method of claim 1, the obtaining including:

obtaining a service task template; and

defining a base task in the set of base tasks within the service task template.

12. A system for managing a service engagement, the system comprising:

a system for obtaining a set of base tasks, each base task including a set of task inputs, a set of task outputs, and a set of related assets for generating the set of task outputs based on the set of task inputs;

a system for defining a service delivery model for the service engagement within an engagement framework, the service delivery model including;

a service definition including a set of service inputs and a set of service outputs for the service engagement;

a set of service elements for generating the set of service outputs based on the set of service inputs; and

a set of element tasks for a service element in the set of service elements, the set of element tasks selected from the set of base tasks; and

a system for managing the service engagement using the service delivery model.

13. The system of claim 12, the system for defining including a system for customizing an element task in the set of element tasks based on the service engagement.

14. The system of claim 12, the set of service elements including:

a solution framing element for defining a solution;

a plan and design element for designing the solution; and

an implementation element for implementing the solution.

15. The system of claim 12, the system for defining including a system for selecting at least one of the set of element tasks based on a group in which the at least one of the set of element tasks is included.

16. The system of claim 12, the system for managing enabling a user to update the service delivery model based on the service engagement.

17. The system of claim 12, the system for obtaining including:

a system for obtaining a service task template; and

a system for defining a base task in the set of base tasks within the service task template.

18. A computer program comprising program code stored on a computer-readable medium, which when executed, enables a computer system to implement a method of managing a service engagement, the method comprising:

obtaining a set of base tasks, each base task including a set of task inputs, a set of task outputs, and a set of related assets for generating the set of task outputs based on the set of task inputs;

defining a service delivery model for the service engagement within an engagement framework, the service delivery model including;

a service definition including a set of service inputs and a set of service outputs for the service engagement;

a set of service elements for generating the set of service outputs based on the set of service inputs; and

a set of element tasks for a service element in the set of service elements, the set of element tasks selected from the set of base tasks; and

managing the service engagement using the service delivery model.

19. The computer program of claim 18, the defining including customizing an element task in the set of element tasks based on the service engagement.

20. The computer program of claim 18, the defining including selecting at least one of the set of element tasks based on a group in which the at least one of the set of element tasks is included.

21. The computer program of claim 18, the set of service elements including:

a solution framing element for defining a solution;

a plan and design element for designing the solution; and

an implementation element for implementing the solution.

22. The computer program of claim 18, the managing enabling a user to update the service delivery model based on the service engagement.

23. The computer program of claim 18, the obtaining including:

obtaining a service task template; and

defining a base task in the set of base tasks within the service task template.

24. A method of generating a system for managing a service engagement, the method comprising:

providing a computer system operable to;

obtain a set of base tasks, each base task including a set of task inputs, a set of task outputs, and a set of related assets for generating the set of task outputs based on the set of task inputs;

define a service delivery model for the service engagement within an engagement framework, the service delivery model including;

a service definition including a set of service inputs and a set of service outputs for the service engagement;

a set of service elements for generating the set of service outputs based on the set of service inputs; and

a set of element tasks for a service element in the set of service elements, the set of element tasks selected from the set of base tasks; and

manage the service engagement using the service delivery model.