Knowledge management tool

• US 6,721,726 B1
• Filed: 03/08/2000
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture LLP (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Dempski, Kelly L., Swaminathan, Kishore, Liongosari, Edy S., Kurth, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Amsbury, Wayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAM LINH T
• Application Number:
  US09/520,939
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• Field of Search: 707/9, 707/3, 707/10, 707/501, 705/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/944 Business related
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/966 Distributed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for managing data across an enterprise. A request for information is received from a user. Data relating to the user request is searched for in at least two geographically separated information repositories. The results of the search are presented to the user. The user is allowed to browse through additional data of the information repositories. Links between data items and other data entries in the information repositories are created according to relationships the data items have to the other data entries.

Claims

1. A method for managing data across an enterprise, comprising the steps of:

(a) allowing a user to select a category from a plurality of predefined categories of information;

(b) receiving an indication of the category selected by the user;

(c) receiving a request for information having stored associations with the selected category;

(d) searching for a first set of data relating to the request in at least two geographically separated information repositories, wherein data items in the repositories include information associated with at least two categories selected from the group consisting of a person, a client, a topic, a document, a project, and an industry;

(e) presenting the first set of data to the user grouped in at least one category not selected by the user;

(f) allowing the user to select one item of the first set of data and then retrieving a second set of data in the information repositories related to the item selected;

(g) displaying the second set of data grouped in at least one category not selected by the user; and

(h) displaying a graphical image of links between the selected item and the second set of data according to relationships the selected item has to the second set of data.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of generating a chart showing at least one of relationships and statistics about data in the information repositories.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the category selected concerns a person, and wherein data relating to at least one of clients, topics, documents, and projects about which that person has made entries into the information repositories is presented to the user.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising selecting a second category as part of the request for information for limiting the results of the search, wherein the second category is different from the first category and the second category is selected from three predefined categories.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the plurality of predefined categories comprise a person, a client, a topic, a document, a project and an industry, the three predefined categories comprise person, topic and client, and results of the search are presented as graphical images of documents and projects grouped in categories.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the relationships between the selected item and the second set of data are depicted with an icon.

7. A method as recited in:

claim 1, further comprising the step of preparing a dossier including people, prior documents, and past projects pertaining to the requested information.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical images displayed are based on at least one of a person, a project, a client, a topic, an industry, and a document.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical images are displayed in a hierarchical tree according to the relationships.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first category selected is a particular client, and further comprising limiting the results of the search by selecting at least one industry associated with the client, and further comprising limiting the results of the search by selecting at least one topic associated with the client, and wherein the results of the search are presented grouped in categories of people, documents and projects.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the people results of the search are arranged according to the number of documents and projects a person has produced related to that industry and client, and wherein the document results and project results of the search are arranged according to relationships of the documents or projects to the client, industry and topic selected.

12. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising selecting the most relevant people, documents, and projects according to the relevance of the people, documents, and projects to the client, industries, and topics selected.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the item selected from the first set of data is represented by a first icon, and items from the second set of data are represented by a plurality of icons.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the graphical image of links connects the first icon to the plurality of icons.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein displaying the second set of data further comprises displaying a numerical value representing a total number of items in the second set of data in each category not selected by the user.

16. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for managing data across an enterprise, comprising:

(a) a code segment that allows a user to select a category from a plurality of predefined categories of information;

(b) a code segment that receives an indication of the category selected by the user;

(c) a code segment that receives a request for information having stored associations with the selected category;

(d) a code segment that searches for a first set of data relating to the request in at least two geographically separated information repositories, wherein data items in the repositories include information associated with at least two categories selected from the group consisting of a person, a client, a topic, a document, a project, and an industry;

(e) a code segment that presents the first set of data to the user grouped in at least one category not selected by the user;

(f) a code segment that allows the user to select one item of the first set of data and then retrieving a second set of data in the information repositories related to the item selected;

(g) a code segment that displays the second set of data grouped in at least one category not selected by the user; and

(h) a code segment that displays a graphical image of links between the selected item and the second set of data according to relationships the selected item has to the second set of data.

17. A computer program as recited in claim 16, further comprising a code segment that generates a chart showing at least one of relationships and statistics about data in the information repositories.

18. A computer program as recited in claim 16, wherein the category selected concerns a person, and wherein data relating to at least one of clients, topics, documents, and projects about which that person has made entries into the information repositories is presented to the user.

19. A computer program as recited in claim 16, further comprising a code segment that allows a user to select a second category as part of the request for information for limiting the results of the search, wherein the second category is different from the first category and the second category is selected from three predefined categories.

20. A computer program as recited in claim 16, wherein the relationships between the search result selected and the other data are depicted with an icon.

21. A computer program as recited in claim 16, further comprising a code segment that prepares a dossier including people, prior documents, and past projects pertaining to the requested information.

22. A system for managing data across an enterprise, comprising:

(a) logic that allows a user to select a category from a plurality of predefined categories of information;

(b) logic that receives an indication of the category selected by the user;

(c) logic that receives a request for information having stored associations with the selected category;

(d) logic that searches for a first set of data relating to the request in at least two geographically separated information repositories, wherein data items in the repositories include information associated with at least two categories selected from the group consisting of a person, a client, a topic, a document, a project, and an industry;

(e) logic that presents the first set of data to the user grouped in at least one category not selected by the user;

(f) logic that allows the user to select one item of the first set of data and then retrieving a second set of data in the information repositories related to the item selected;

(g) logic that displays the second set of data grouped in at least one category not selected by the user; and

(h) logic that displays a graphical image of links between the search result selected item and the second set of data according to relationships the selected item has to the second set of data.

23. A system as recited in claim 22, further comprising logic that generates a chart showing at least one of relationships and statistics about data in the information repositories.

24. A system as recited in claim 22, wherein the request for category selected concerns a person, and wherein data relating to at least one of clients, topics, documents, and projects about which that person has made entries into the information repositories is presented to the user.

25. A system as recited in claim 22, further comprising logic that allows a user to select a second category as part of the request for information for limiting the results of the search, wherein the second category is selected from three predefined categories.

26. A system as recited in claim 22, wherein the relationships between en the search result selected and the other data are depicted with an icon.

27. A system as recited in claim 22, further comprising logic that prepares a dossier including people, prior documents, and past projects pertaining to the requested information.