TRANSITION PHASE TROUBLE DETECTION IN SERVICES DELIVERY MANAGEMENT

• US 20120136694A1
• Filed: 11/29/2010
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: BAGHERI, SAEED, BUNCH, DOUGLAS C., ELL, THERESA E., RATAKONDA, KRISHNA C., REFFETT, KATRINA M., WILLIAMS, ROSE M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,694,354 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06395 Quality analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

A method, system, and/or computer program product predicts trouble during a transition phase of a current project. Past operational data and past trouble data for past healthy projects and past troubled projects before transition phases is collected. A trouble correlation between the past operational data and the past trouble data is then determined. A set of key metrics that describes a current health of a current project before transitioning from a current phase to a future phase is defined, and values of the set of key metrics for the current project are identified. Identified values of the set of key metrics for the current project are compared to the past operational data for past healthy and troubled projects in order to generate a pattern comparison. This pattern comparison, along with the trouble correlation, is used to generate a predicted quality of transition for the current project.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of predicting trouble during a transition phase of a current project, the computer implemented method comprising:

a processor determining a trouble correlation between past operational data and past trouble data, wherein the past operational data is associated with past healthy projects and past troubled projects before transition phases that take a project from a first phase to a second phase, and wherein the past trouble data is collected for the past healthy projects and the past troubled projects after the transition phases;

defining a set of key metrics that describe a current health of a current project before a current project'"'"'s transition from a current phase to a future phase;

the processor identifying values of the set of key metrics for the current project;

the processor comparing identified values of the set of key metrics for the current project to the past operational data for past healthy and troubled projects in order to generate a pattern comparison;

the processor generating a predicted quality of transition for the current project'"'"'s transition from the current phase to a next phase based on the pattern comparison and the trouble correlation; and

the processor generating an appropriate alert based on the predicted quality of transition for the current project.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the predicted quality of transition describes a speed, cost, and level of customer satisfaction for transitioning from the current phase to the next phase of the current project.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the current project is for a specific customer, the computer implemented method further comprising:

adjusting a frequency of generated pattern comparisons based on a past profitability history with the specific customer.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transition to the next phase in the current project is from a small-scale pilot program to a large-scale program, and wherein activities in the small-scale pilot program and the large-scale program overlap.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the activities in the current phase and the next phase of the current project are different and independent.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the current project is a long term maintenance project.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the past trouble data describes unexpected delays and costs associated with transitioning from the first phase to the second phase of the project.

8. A computer program product for predicting trouble during a transition phase of a current project, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage media;

first program instructions to determine a trouble correlation between past operational data and past trouble data, wherein the past operational data is associated with past healthy projects and past troubled projects before transition phases that take a project from a first phase to a second phase, and wherein the past trouble data is collected for the past healthy projects and the past troubled projects after the transition phases;

second program instructions to define a set of key metrics that describe a current health of a current project before a current project'"'"'s transition from a current phase to a future phase;

third program instructions to identify values of the set of key metrics for the current project;

fourth program instructions to compare identified values of the set of key metrics for the current project to the past operational data for past healthy and troubled projects in order to generate a pattern comparison;

fifth program instructions to generate a predicted quality of transition for the current project'"'"'s transition from the current phase to a next phase based on the pattern comparison and the trouble correlation; and

sixth program instructions to generate an appropriate alert based on the predicted quality of transition for the current project; and

wherein

the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the predicted quality of transition describes a speed, cost, and level of customer satisfaction for transitioning from the current phase to the next phase of the current project.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the current project is for a specific customer, the computer program product further comprising:

seventh program instructions to adjust a frequency of generated pattern comparisons based on a past profitability history with the specific customer; and

wherein

the seventh program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the transition to the next phase in the current project is from a small-scale pilot program to a large-scale program, and wherein activities in the small-scale pilot program and the large-scale program overlap.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the activities in the current phase and the next phase of the current project are different and independent.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the past trouble data describes unexpected delays and costs associated with transitioning from the first phase to the second phase of the project.

14. A computer system comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU), a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage media;

first program instructions to determine a trouble correlation between past operational data and past trouble data, wherein the past operational data is associated with past healthy projects and past troubled projects before transition phases that take a project from a first phase to a second phase, and wherein the past trouble data is collected for the past healthy projects and the past troubled projects after the transition phases;

second program instructions to define a set of key metrics that describe a current health of a current project before a current project'"'"'s transition from a current phase to a future phase;

third program instructions to identify values of the set of key metrics for the current project;

fourth program instructions to compare identified values of the set of key metrics for the current project to the past operational data for past healthy and troubled projects in order to generate a pattern comparison;

fifth program instructions to generate a predicted quality of transition for the current project'"'"'s transition from the current phase to a next phase based on the pattern comparison and the trouble correlation; and

sixth program instructions to generate an appropriate alert based on the predicted quality of transition for the current project; and

wherein

the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the predicted quality of transition describes a speed, cost, and level of customer satisfaction for transitioning from the current phase to the next phase of the current project.

16. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the current project is for a specific customer, the computer system further comprising:

seventh program instructions to adjust a frequency of generated pattern comparisons based on a past profitability history with the specific customer; and

wherein

the seventh program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

17. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the transition to the next phase in the current project is from a small-scale pilot program to a large-scale program, and wherein activities in the small-scale pilot program and the large-scale program overlap.

18. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the activities in the current phase and the next phase of the current project are different and independent.

19. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the past trouble data describes unexpected delays and costs associated with transitioning from the first phase to the second phase of the project.

20. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the current project is a long term maintenance project.