METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES

• US 20090043592A1
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Heimann, Archim, Herter, Klaus, Mielke, Arno
• Application Number:
  US11/834,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20090043592A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/348
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Methods and systems for managing product development processes are provided. A computerized method for managing a process includes presenting to a user one or more templates based on a triggering event. Each template represents a process approach. The method also includes receiving from the user a selection of a particular template of the one or more templates. The method also includes creating a case from the particular template. The case includes multiple process topics associated with the particular template.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a process life-cycle management business topic based on input from a user;

creating a mind grid based on the business topic, wherein the mind grid comprises a plurality of process topics, wherein a first of the plurality is from a first group and a second of the plurality is from a second group; and

modifying the mind grid based on input from the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the business topic comprises a topic selected from the group consisting of:

an engineering change;

idea to concept;

concept to product;

hand-over to production;

financial forecast;

manufacturing conflict handling;

cost estimation;

sales activity coordination;

service conception;

complex go-life activities;

strategic sourcing; and

campaign planning.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and the second group are selected from the set consisting of:

a first and a second entity, a first and a second department, a first and a second domain, a first and second layer of a system, and a first and a second location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of process topics are associated with the business topic.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the mind grid comprises creating a dependency between the first and the second of the plurality based on input from the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the mind grid comprises removing the first of the plurality based on input from the user or adding a third process topic to the mind grid based on input from the user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the mind grid in a graphical user interface using a map layout or a matrix layout of the plurality of process topics.

8. Software comprising instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium, that are operable when executed by a processor to:

present to a user one or more templates based on a triggering event, wherein each template represents a process approach;

receive from the user a selection of a particular template of the one or more templates; and

create a case from the particular template, wherein the case comprises a plurality of process topics associated with the particular template.

9. The software of claim 8, wherein the triggering event comprises one of the set consisting of:

an engineering change, a new concept, and an evaluation.

10. The software of claim 8, wherein the plurality of process topics comprises:

a first topic associated with a first business entity; and

a second topic associated with a second business entity.

11. The software of claim 8, wherein the plurality of process topics comprises:

a first topic associated with a first layer of a system; and

a second topic associated with a second layer of the system.

12. The software of claim 8, wherein the plurality of process topics comprises:

a first topic associated with a first organizational unit; and

a second topic associated with a second organizational unit.

13. The software of claim 8, further causing the processor to:

present to the user a graphical representation of the case;

receive a modification from the user to the graphical representation of the case; and

update the case to correspond to the modification to the graphical representation.

14. The software of claim 13, wherein the modification to the graphical representation is selected from the set consisting of:

an addition of a process topic, a relating of a first process topic with a second process topic, and a removal of a process topic.

15. The software of claim 13, wherein the graphical representation comprises:

an accordion comprising one or more pre-defined building blocks that correspond to process topics, wherein the process topics are related to a plurality of business entities, a plurality of organizational units, or a plurality of layers of a system; and

a container comprising at least one graphical representation of a process topic.

16. The software of claim 15, wherein the one or more pre-defined building blocks is determined based on a user, a team, or a process.

17. The software of claim 15, wherein a selected one of the one or more pre-defined building blocks may be dragged and dropped from the accordion to the container to create a graphical representation of the process topic and a corresponding process topic in the mind grid.

18. The software of claim 15, wherein the container is operable to display a graphical representation of a process topic that corresponds to a process topic in the mind grid, wherein the graphical representation comprises a graphical representation of a status of the process topic in the mind grid.

19. The software of claim 15, wherein the container is operable to display a plurality of graphical representations that correspond to process topics in the mind grid.

20. The software of claim 15, wherein the container comprises a plurality of graphical representations of process topics that are arranged in a map format or a matrix format.

21. The software of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving from the user data associated with the event; and

assigning data associated with the event to a first of the plurality of process topics.

22. A system for managing a process, comprising:

memory storing one or more templates and one or more cases; and

one or more processors communicatively coupled to the memory, operable to;

present one or more templates based on a triggering event, wherein each template represents a process approach; and

create a case from a selected one of the presented templates, wherein the case comprises a plurality of process topics associated with the selected one of the presented templates.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the processor is further operable to:

present a graphical representation of the case in a graphical user interface;

receive a change to the graphical user interface from a user; and

update the case to correspond to the change made in the graphical user interface.