Method and system for project management

• US 20110010214A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Carruth, J. Scott
• Application Number:
  US11/824,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20110010214A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work

Abstract

Methods and systems of project management can utilize work packages to produce a project result. Methods and systems of project management can comprise defining work packages for a project and arranging the defined work packages in a sequence of execution such that the execution of the sequenced work packages produces a project result in accordance with a goal of the project. A method of defining a work package can comprise analyzing project materials of a project to determine stand alone work, grouping one or more tasks implementing the stand alone work to form a stand alone set of one or more tasks, wherein the work package comprises the set of one or more tasks, wherein the set of one or more tasks defines the work package and wherein the performance of the set of one or more tasks during the execution of the work package produces a deliverable.

Claims

1. A method of project management, comprising:

defining a work package of a project, wherein defining the work package comprises;

analyzing project materials of a project to determine stand alone work; and

grouping one or more tasks operable to implement the stand alone work to form a stand alone set of tasks, wherein the work package comprises the set of tasks, wherein the set of tasks defines the work package and wherein the performance of the set of tasks during the execution of the work package produces a deliverable;

developing the work package, wherein developing the work package comprises;

associating an input or predecessor with the work package;

allocating a resource to the work package;

integrating a process associated with the work package into the work package;

determining dependencies; and

including the determined dependencies in the work package; and

arranging the work package in a sequence of execution within the project relative to other work packages of the project, wherein the execution of work packages in the sequence of execution produces a project result.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the deliverable is a tangible result.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the project result is in accordance with a goal of the project.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the project result is a product.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining the process.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the execution of the work package completes the stand alone work.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein arranging the work package is based on the determined dependencies.

8. A method of project management, comprising:

defining work packages of a project, wherein defining work packages comprises;

analyzing project materials of a project to determine a plurality of stand alone work; and

grouping tasks implementing the plurality of stand alone work to form stand alone sets of tasks, each set of tasks corresponding to stand alone work and defining a work package, wherein each work package comprises the set of tasks defining the work package and wherein the execution of each work package comprises the performance of the set of tasks defining the work package and produces a deliverable; and

arranging the work packages in a sequence of execution within the project, wherein arranging the work packages in a sequence of execution comprises;

analyzing the work packages;

determining dependencies between the work packages, wherein determining dependencies between the work packages comprises determining the work packages which utilize deliverables and the work packages which produce the utilized deliverables; and

arranging the work packages in a sequence of execution, wherein the sequence of execution is based on dependencies between work packages of the work packages and wherein the execution of the work packages in the sequence of execution produces a project result in accordance with a goal of the project.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a deliverable produced by a work package is a tangible result.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising allocating a resource to each work package.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising defining a process for each work package.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein work packages are arranged in a sequence of execution wherein a first work package producing a deliverable utilized by a second work package is executed prior to the execution of the second work package.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the execution of a work package completes stand alone work.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein a deliverable produced by a work package is independently utilizable.

15. A method of project management, comprising:

defining work packages of a project, wherein defining work packages comprises;

analyzing project materials of a project to determine a plurality of stand alone work; and

grouping tasks implementing the plurality of stand alone work to form stand alone sets of tasks, each set of tasks corresponding to stand alone work and defining a work package, wherein each work package comprises the set of tasks defining the work package and wherein the execution of each work package comprises the performance of the set of tasks defining the work package and produces a deliverable;

developing the work packages, wherein developing a work package of the work packages comprises;

associating an input or predecessor with the work package;

allocating a resource to the work package;

integrating a process associated with the work package into the work package;

determining dependencies to other work packages; and

including the determined dependencies in the work package; and

arranging the work packages in a sequence of execution within the project, wherein arranging the work packages comprises;

analyzing the work packages;

determining dependencies between the work packages, wherein determining dependencies between the work packages comprises the determining work packages which utilize deliverables and the work packages which produce the utilized deliverables; and

arranging the work packages in a sequence of execution, wherein the sequence of execution is based on dependencies between work packages of the work packages and wherein the execution of the work packages in the sequence of execution produces a project result in accordance with a goal of the project.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a deliverable produced by a work package is a tangible result.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising defining a process for each work package.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein work packages are arranged in a sequence of execution wherein a first work package producing a deliverable utilized by a second work package is executed prior to the execution of the second work package.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the execution of a work package completes stand alone work.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein a deliverable produced by a work package is independently utilizable.