METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PROJECT INFORMATION

• US 20130054290A1
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Patrick Joseph Coyne
• Original Assignee: Patrick Joseph Coyne
• Inventors: Coyne, Patrick J.
• Application Number:
  US13/593,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20130054290A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

A method and system are provided for the transfer and/or aggregation of data and, in particular, integrating data used in managing a professional services practice. The invention preferably transfers and/or aggregates data relating to the identity of clients and matters for whom professional services are being rendered with data relating to the work which data may be maintained in inconsistent, proprietary formats, comprising one or more of the following types of information: accounting; budgeting; docketing; time and billing: work product, word processing; records; project management; and/or other information relating to the professional services. The system of the present invention preferably comprises data storage and data processing means adapted to use the data in substantially portable and/or application-independent format, and/or and transfer or aggregate data between common, and/or proprietary data formats.

Claims

1. Data relating to a professional services project, the data being in machine readable format, comprising data in a format other than an exclusively proprietary format.

2. Data of claim 1 further comprising data in a format other than a proprietary format.

3. Data of claim 1, further comprising data in a format other than a substantially proprietary format.

4. Data of claim 1, further comprising, data selected from the group consisting of:

docketing;

calendaring, accounting; and

time and billing data.

5. The data of claim 4 further comprising data in a format other than a proprietary format.

6. The data of claim 4, further comprising data in a format other than a substantially proprietary format.

7. Data of claim 4 further comprising accounting data.

8. Data of claim 4 further comprising time and/or billing data.

9. Data of claim 4, further comprising docketing data.

10. Data of claim 1, further comprising data in substantially portable format.

11. Data of claim 1, further comprising data in portable format.

12. Data of claim 1, further comprising data in substantially application-independent format.

13. Data of claim 1, further comprising data in application-independent format.

14. Data of claim 10, further comprising, data selected from the group consisting of:

docketing;

calendaring;

word processing;

document management;

accounting; and

time and billing.

15. The data of claim 14, further comprising data in portable format.

16. The data of claim 14, further comprising data in substantially application-independent format.

17. The data of claim 14, further comprising data in application-independent format.

18. Data of claim 14 further comprising accounting data.

19. Data of claim 14 further comprising docketing data.

d. data storage means for storing said data,

e. said data storage means being adapted to cooperate with one or more of said server and said one or more distributed application means;

f. first data integration means, cooperating with one or more of said server said one or more distributed application means, and said data storage means, for transferring said data;

g. storing said data in a format other than a substantially proprietary format; and

h. providing said data to a user.

20. A system for aggregating data from two or more sources of data and providing the aggregated data to a user to assist in the management of a professional services project, comprising:

a. two or more data means said data means further comprising one or more proprietary first data format;

b. data aggregation means for aggregating the data from said one or more data means;

c. wherein said data aggregation means cooperates with said data means to provide data to the user in a second format.

21. A system for providing project management data to a user from one or more sources of data, comprising:

a. one or more data means for generating data about the project;

b. one or more data storage means for storing data from said one or more data generation means in one or more first proprietary formats;

c. data aggregation means, cooperating with said one or more data generation means and one or more data storage means, and adapted for transferring data between one or more of said one or more data generation means and said storage means and said data aggregation means;

d. said data aggregation means being adapted to provide project management data to the user in a second format.

e. data display means, cooperating with said data aggregation means for displaying said data in a format from which project management information can be accessed by the user.

22. A method for aggregating project management information used in conjunction with a professional services practice, comprising:

a. retaining client-related data associated with the client for whom the project is being undertaken in a first format;

b. retaining project-related data relating to said client in a second format;

retaining event-related data relating to the occurrence of one or more events associated with said matter in a third format;

c. aggregating said client-, project-, and event-related data; and

d. making said client-, project-, and event-related data available to the user in a common format.

23. A method for aggregating project management data used in conjunction with a professional services practice, comprising;

a. storing client related data in a first data base means having a first format;

b. storing deadline related data in a second data base means having a second proprietary format;

c. transferring said client related data and said deadline related data to project management means,

d. wherein said client data and said deadline data is adapted to a common format and is accessible to the user in a single software application.

24. A system for accessing project management data from one or more databases in which the data is maintained in one or more incompatible proprietary formats to render the data useful for the management of client projects in a customer services practice, comprising:

a. client related information;

b. accounting related information;

c. project related information;

d. event related information;

f. documentation relating to said events; and

g. project management means for reporting said events, documentation relating to said events, and progress against budget for said project.

25. A system for accessing project management data from one or more databases in which the data is maintained in one or more incompatible proprietary formats, comprising:

a. client identification information;

b. project identification information;

c. accounting related information for providing a budget for the project;

d. one or more events relating to the project, comprising event related information; and

g. project management means for reporting said events and reporting progress against budget for said project.

26. A method for managing information used in conjunction with a business enterprise, comprising:

a. identifying a client associated with the information;

b. identifying a matter associated with said client;

c. identifying a project being undertaken on behalf of said client in conjunction with said matter;

d, identifying docketing information associated with the matter;

e. identifying a budget associated with said project;

f. identifying expense information associated with the project;

d. identifying an event relating to said project;

e. storing said expense information and said docket information in one or more proprietary format;

f. transferring said client, matter, budget, expense and docket information to a common data format;

g. displaying said client, matter, expense, and docket information in an application.