METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ACCURATELY DETERMINING SERVICE PROVIDER ASSETS

• US 20110161123A1
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Sriraghavan, Priyanka G., Nrusimhan N.V., Lakshmi
• Granted Patent: US 8,774,946 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25323 Intelligent modules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/063 Setting decision thresholds using feedback techniques only
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5058 Service discovery by the service manager
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports

Abstract

An approach for automatically generating system asset inventory discrepancies and matches and for identifying system asset accuracy information based on comparison of asset data in subsystems thereof, and for providing a list of actual assets based on comparison of trouble ticket information and a cumulative matching data set.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

retrieving data relating to a plurality of assets of a service provider from a plurality of data systems associated with the service provider, wherein the data systems include a trouble ticket system;

determining an accuracy level of the data by comparing the data corresponding to a first one of the data systems with data corresponding to a second one of the data systems to output a matching data set;

iteratively determining accuracy levels by comparing the matching data set with data corresponding to a subsequent one of the data systems until a cumulative matching data set is generated using all of the data of the data systems;

retrieving trouble ticket information relating to the assets from the trouble ticket system; and

generating a list of actual assets based on the trouble ticket information and the cumulative matching data set.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein each of the accuracy levels is determined by comparing corresponding data for discrepancies, the method further comprising:

determining a cumulative discrepancy data based on the comparisons; and

comparing the trouble ticket information with the cumulative discrepancy data to generate the list.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the accuracy levels are assigned to the plurality of assets.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the data systems further includes either a procurement system, a physical provisioning system, a logical provisioning system, an engineering system, a field dispatch system, an accounting system, or a combination thereof.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the assets include physical circuits and network equipment of the service provider.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the data includes procurement data and financial data.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the assets include physical assets.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store data relating to a plurality of assets of a service provider from a plurality of data systems associated with the service provider, wherein the data systems include a trouble ticket system; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to determine an accuracy level of the data by comparing the data corresponding to a first one of the data systems with data corresponding to a second one of the data systems to output a matching data set, and to iteratively determine accuracy levels by comparing the matching data set with data corresponding to a subsequent one of the data systems until a cumulative matching data set is generated according to the determined accuracy levels using all of the data of the data systems,

wherein the processor is further configured to initiate retrieval of trouble ticket information relating to the assets from the trouble ticket system, and to generate a list of actual assets based on the trouble ticket information and the cumulative matching data set.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein each of the accuracy levels is determined by comparing the corresponding data for discrepancies, the processor being further configured to determine a cumulative discrepancy data based on the comparisons, and to compare the trouble ticket information with the cumulative discrepancy data to generate the list.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the accuracy levels are assigned to the plurality of assets.

11. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the data systems further includes either a procurement system, a physical provisioning system, a logical provisioning system, an engineering system, a field dispatch system, an accounting system, or a combination thereof.

12. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the assets include physical circuits and network equipment of the service provider.

13. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the data includes procurement data and financial data.

14. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the assets include physical assets.

15. A system comprising:

a database configured to store data relating to a plurality of assets of a service provider from a plurality of data systems associated with the service provider, wherein the data systems include a trouble ticket system; and

an inventory platform configured to communicate with the database and to determine an accuracy level of the data by comparing the data corresponding to a first one of the data systems with data corresponding to a second one of the data systems to output a matching data set, and to iteratively determine accuracy levels by comparing the matching data set with data corresponding to a subsequent one of the data systems until a cumulative matching data set is generated according to the determined accuracy levels using all of the data of the data systems,

wherein the inventory platform is further configured to initiate retrieval of trouble ticket information relating to the assets from the trouble ticket system, and to generate a list of actual assets based on the trouble ticket information and the cumulative matching data set.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein each of the accuracy levels is determined by comparing the corresponding data for discrepancies, the inventory platform being further configured to determine a cumulative discrepancy data based on the comparisons, and to compare the trouble ticket information with the cumulative discrepancy data to generate the list.

17. A system according to claim 15, wherein the accuracy levels are assigned to the plurality of assets.

18. A system according to claim 15, wherein the data systems further includes either a procurement system, a physical provisioning system, a logical provisioning system, an engineering system, a field dispatch system, an accounting system, or a combination thereof.

19. A system according to claim 15, wherein the assets include physical circuits and network equipment of the service provider.

20. A system according to claim 15, wherein the data includes procurement data and financial data.