Project management for complex construction projects by monitoring subcontractors in real time

• US 7,031,930 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2000
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Geamericom Communications Co.
• Original Assignee: General Electric Capital Corporation (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Halverson, Mark, Fiely-Fisher, Bronwyn, Freeman, Darlene M., Lewis, Stacy
• Primary Examiner(s): MEINECKE DIAZ, SUSANNA M
• Application Number:
  US09/750,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8, 705/9
• US Class Current: 705/7.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group

Abstract

A method and system for managing complex construction projects by monitoring subcontractors in real time. Whenever a subcontractor realizes a need for a change in specification or anticipates any other reason that might delay completion of construction as scheduled, the subcontractor selects from a computerized menu the appropriate new status for the subcontractor'"'"'s task and provides other information relevant to the changed situation. The status change is displayed on a display device, an electronic dashboard, so as to be easily noticed, the dashboard also providing one-click links to a display showing how widespread are the problems and a display for on-line review and approval of the status change by a manager or engineer in charge of the project, who notes the status change on the display and with whatever input may be provided by the other persons notified of the status change, decides the best course of action to keep the construction on schedule.

Claims

1. A method whereby a contractor uses displays generated by a computer to manage activities of a plurality of subcontractors of goods and services for one or more complex device commissioned by a manufacturer, the method comprising the following steps:

executing a real-time computer program in the computer, the computer program providing a display having a location on said display for a status for each subcontractor, said status being drawn from a pre-defined set and identifying a change, wherein the pre-defined set of status changes are designated to be of different classes;

the computer program changing a visible attribute of the status location assigned to a particular subcontractor whenever that subcontractor accesses the computer and reports a change in status by selecting from said predefined set;

the computer program providing a second display showing all instances of the status for said subcontractor; and

the computer program providing a third display permitting, for each status change, on-line review and approval by a manager of the contractor of said change in status by said subcontractor;

wherein persons selected by the contractor are sent a reminder when there is a status change for which no action has been reported by the manager until the manager either takes an action or resolves the status change, wherein resolving the status change is indicated by a change of color of a status indicator on the display, and wherein the status change is resolved after a passage of a contractor-selected period of time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the device is a satellite.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer is accessed Through an extranet site via the internet.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the display is an electronic dashboard.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the report of change is made by using a click box.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein an electronic notice of change is sent to a contractor-selected list of recipients whenever any change is reported.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said third display for on-line review and approval by a manager of the contractor includes choices for a) approval or disapproval, b) requesting more information, or c) making no decision.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the choices are contained on a computerized menu.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the classes are designated as “

No Change”

, “

Minor Change”

, and “

Major Change”

.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein each class is indicated on the display by a different color different from the color used to indicate any other change.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein green indicates the “

No Change”

class, yellow indicates the “

Minor Change”

class, and red indicates the “

Major Change”

class.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein all changes are recorded in database.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the reminders are made daily.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing system security to ensure that a particular subcontractor can load only that data and view that information which pertains to the devices being constructed or services being provided by that subcontractor.

15. The method of claim 14 providing system security by password protection.