Dependency-based work flow integration and reduction

• US 7,058,588 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2001
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Magee, Terence, Young, Kevin W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jarrett, Scott L.
• Application Number:
  US09/801,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20010041999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,918 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8
• US Class Current: 705/7.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A process and system is disclosed to assist work planners by assembling a work breakdown structure (WBS) and work flow for a project based on the explicit selection or deselection of outcome(s) by a work planner from a defined set of possible outcomes. The process and system ensure that the resulting project WBS and work flow is composed of the minimum set of activities required to produce the set of outcomes desired for the project. The process and system further ensure that the project'"'"'s activities are organized into an activity hierarchy defined by a WBS template designated by the work planner, and that each of the project'"'"'s activities is linked into an appropriate work flow, supported by appropriate instructional or descriptive content.

Claims

1. A computerized process for generating an integrated project work breakdown structure (WBS) and related work flows, comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting an existing project WBS, said existing project WBS having related work flows;

(b) selecting at least one desired outcome for synthesis, said at least one selected desired outcome having a first associated work flow comprising a network of interdependent activities; and

(c) integrating said first associated work flow with said existing project WBS and its related work flows by;

(c1) automatically identifying the most downstream activity in said first associated work flow;

(c2) automatically determining whether each activity in said first associated work flow is already present in the project WBS and related work flows being generated by starting with the most downstream activity in said first associated work flow and working upstream until all activities in said first associated work flow have been compared to the activities of the project WBS and related work flows being generated;

(c3) automatically adding any activity in said first associated work flow which is not already present in the project WBS and related work flows being generated;

(c4) automatically adding activity dependencies which should exist between any of said added activities and any activity already present in the project WBS and related work flows being generated; and

(c5) automatically introducing summary activities, when required, into the project WBS being generated when lowest-level activities from said first associated work flow are added.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(d) selecting at least one undesired outcome for reduction, said at least one selected undesired outcome having a second associated work flow comprising a network of interdependent activities; and

(e) reduction of said second associated work flow from the integrated project WBS and related work flows being generated by;

(e1) automatically identifying the most downstream activity in said second associated work flow;

(e2) automatically determining whether each activity in said second associated work flow is also part of the work flows associated with desired outcomes which are already present in the integrated project WBS and related work flows being generated by starting with the most downstream activity in said second associated work flow and working upstream until all activities in said second associated work flow have been evaluated;

(e3) automatically removing any activity and activity dependency which are not needed as part of the work flows associated with the remaining desired outcomes for the integrated project WBS and related work flows being generated; and

(e4) automatically removing summary activities, as appropriate, from the project WBS being generated as lowest-level activities from said second associated work flow are being removed.

3. The process of claim 1 further comprising the steps of maintaining a library of elementary activities and corresponding elementary activity dependencies, and

using said library to determine whether any dependencies exist between an added activity and an existing activity.

4. A computerized process for generating a project work breakdown structure (WBS) and related work flows, comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a controlling WBS template for a project WBS;

(b) selecting at least one desired outcome for synthesis, said at least one selected desired outcome having a first associated work flow comprising a network of interdependent activities; and

(c) said first associated work flow with the project WBS and related work flows being generated according to said selected controlling WBS template by;

(c1) automatically identifying the most downstream activity in said first associated work flow;

(c2) automatically determining whether each activity in said first associated work flow is already present in the project WBS and related work flows being generated by starting with the most downstream activity in said first associated work flow and working upstream until all activities in said first associated work flow have been compared to the activities of the project WBS and related work flows being generated;

(c3) automatically adding any activity in said first associated work flow which is not already present in the project WBS and related work flows being generated;

(c4) automatically adding any activity dependency which should exist between any of said added activities and any activity already present in the project WBS and related work flows being generated; and

(c5) automatically introducing summary activities, as appropriate, into the project WBS being generated when lowest-level activities from said first associated work flow are added.

5. The process of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

(d) selecting at least one undesired outcome reduction, said at least one selected undesired outcome having a second associated work flow comprising a network of interdependent activities; and

(e) reduction of said second associated work flow from the project WBS and related work flows being generated by;

(e1) automatically identifying the most downstream activity in said second associated work flow;

(e2) automatically determining whether each activity in said second associated work flow is also part of the work flows associated with desired outcomes which are already present in the project WBS and related work flows being generated by starting with the most downstream activity in said second associated work flow and working upstream until all activities in said second associated work flow have been evaluated;

(e3) automatically removing any activity and activity dependency which are not needed as part of the work flows associated with the remaining desired outcomes for the project WBS and related work flows being generated; and

(e4) automatically removing summary activities, as appropriate, from the project WBS being generated by referencing said selected controlling WBS template as lowest-level activities from said second associated work flow are being removed.

6. The process of claim 4 further comprising the steps of maintaining a library of elementary activities and corresponding elementary activity dependencies, and

using said library to determine whether any dependencies exist between an added activity and an existing activity.